Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Purgatory

A friend shared this article with me recently.  I just now had the chance to read it and all I can say is, "Wow!"

Amazing Stories From Purgatory

I often wonder about what happens after we die.  I realize we can read these stories and think, "OK, that makes sense."  But I still always wonder -- is that really the way that it is?  I guess it's the natural doubter in my that I can't believe things until I actually see them.

As I was reading, I came across the following paragraph, which, in an odd way, related to a conversation I had at lunch yesterday:

You sometimes say to me that the perfecting of a soul is a long process and you are also astonished that after so many prayers, I am so long deprived of the sight of God. Alas, the perfecting of a soul does not take any less time in Purgatory than upon earth. There are a number of souls, but they are very few, who have only a few venial sins to expiate. These do not stay long in Purgatory. A few well-said prayers, a few sacrifices soon deliver them. But when there are souls like mine - and that is nearly all whose lives have been so empty and who paid little or no attention to their salvation - then their whole life has to be begun over again in this place of expiation. The soul has to perfect itself and love and desire Him, whom it did not love sufficiently on earth. This is the reason why the deliverance of some souls is delayed. God has given me a very great grace in allowing me to ask for prayers. I did not deserve it, but without this I would have remained like most of those here, for years and years more.”

We were discussing how great it will be to be older and not have to worry any more about what we eat and drink because we will no longer have to think about seeing our children marry, having grandchildren, etc.  We will have experienced it and will have to worry no more!  And then we realized -- we will still care.  We will always care.  It's ingrained in us!

So is our faith life.  We trip up -- even fall sometimes.  But basically, our faith life is what sustains us.

I loved the story of the woman and her servant in there -- whom she visited in the middle of the night.  Have you ever had that experience of someone who has died visiting you?  I have -- I often hear my mother and her sisters giggling (or cackling) at certain points.  Or I feel my parents' presence many times during very holy times at church.

How many times have we had that experience and maybe even brushed it off, thinking it couldn't be real?  I know sometimes I wonder -- it's a great mystery -- if I'm experiencing something or if it's my imagination.  Over time, I generally figure it out.

One time as I was in church, at a healing mass for my cousin, who was battling cancer.....I heard his mother. She was there!  I shared with him and his brother afterwards and his brother expressed to me that he wished she would visit him.  I told him to be aware.  She probably already was.

The next time I spoke with him -- she had visited him at his home.  He said all he had to do was open his eyes a little more and he saw her.  :)

I hope that my friends and family who are in purgatory are able to reach me if they need my assistance.  In the meantime, I will gladly go to some extra masses if I think it will help those souls who are struggling to get out!

Feel free to share any stories you have regarding this.  I love to read them!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

It's the little things!

I had a not so great day yesterday.  Not that anything really went bad -- it was just that nothing went right.  It was a Monday, for sure.  It started when I went to get coffee in the morning and realized that I had left my money in my pants pocket from the day before.  I didn't want to use my debit card to order a 69 cent cup of coffee, so I dug through my purse to get change to get a coffee.  Found it!  

I even mentioned to the lady selling me the coffee that I hope the rest of my day went better.  And, in the middle of my sentence realized that forgetting my money wasn't really such an awful thing.......

So, I drove to work.  It only takes me about 20 minutes to get there, and I have an hour from the time that I drop the kids off until the time I start work.  So, I generally take my time getting there.  I had been procrastinating getting gas all weekend, because it is cheaper in Sidney (by about 20 cents or so).  So, I thought I would stop and get gas on my way there.  I was all excited because I knew I had 40 cents off coming because of my Kroger Plus Card (yeah, it doesn't take much for me).  So, I pulled into the Kroger parking lot to get my gas.  Now would be a good time to re-read my first paragraph.

Remember that debit card I didn't want to use to get coffee?  Yeah, it was in the same pocket as the money I didn't have with me.  So, I had about 23 cents on me.  For gas and lunch.  :)  And, might I add -- my "gas light" was on, indicating it was high time I get to the gas station.  

I pulled out, trying to think of a solution.  Suddenly I remember this really old thing we used to do when we wanted money.  We would go to the bank and write a check for "cash".  Remember that?  Well, I did it yesterday!  Brilliant of me!  I got my cash, went back and got my gas, went to work and started my day.

We must have all been really hard at work because suddenly we realized it was after 5 and we were all still working hard.  Suddenly, we got a phone call that pulled us back to reality and realize that it was 5.  A little jolt of reality!

On my way home, I was getting frustrated because I needed to make a couple of stops along the way, and needed to get dinner ready for everyone who had places to go......and no one would answer the phone.  Not the house phones, not the cell phones......let's just say it wasn't one of my better parenting moments :)......

After I got ahold of our house and gave assignments, I decided to stop at McDonald's and get a drink for on the way home.  In the drive-thru, there was an angel.  A little boy walked out of the restaurant with his parents. This little guy was probably about 4.  I didn't know him at all -- didn't even recognize him.  What he did next made my whole day......

He was holding his daddy's hand, crossing in front of me in the drive thru -- he looked at me and --- he winked at me!  I wasn't sure if I saw it correctly, so I looked at him as he walked.  He smiled and did it again!

That little guy had no idea what an impact he had on me last night.  He helped me realize to not sweat the small stuff.  I'm sure his mother was wondering why I was looking at him and smiling, but I was, because he was so awesome.  

So, today give someone a wink, or a smile....just because.  You never know if they might need it!