Monday, November 2, 2020
Remembrance of All Faithful Christians wey Don Die (All Souls Day)
Readings for Today
This part wey dey below come from Chapter 8 of My Catholic Faith!:
As we dey celebrate di Remembrance of All Souls, make we reflect on wetin our Church dey teach about Purgatory:
Di Church Wey Dey Suffer: Purgatory na one teaching of our Church wey people often no dey understand well. Wetin be Purgatory? Na di place we must go so dem go punish us for our sins? Na di way God dey pay us back for di wrong we don do? Na God anger dey cause am? None of dis questions really explain wetin Purgatory be. Purgatory no be any other thing but di love of our God wey dey burn and purify our lives!
When person die inside God grace, na very likely say e never turn to God 100% and become perfect for every way. Even saints wey holy pass, most times, go still get some things for their life wey never perfect. Purgatory no be any other thing pass that final purification wey dey remove every attachment to sin wey still remain for our life. To use example explain am, imagine say you get one cup of water wey pure 100%, pure H2O. This cup go represent Heaven. Now imagine say you wan add water to that cup, but the only water wey you get na water wey pure 99%. This one go represent holy person wey die with just small attachment to sin wey still remain. If you add that water to your cup, as the water mix together, at least some things wey no pure go now dey inside the water for the cup. The problem be say Heaven (the first cup of 100% H2O) no fit contain anything wey no pure. For this example, even the smallest attachment to sin no fit dey for Heaven. So, if dem wan add this new water (the water wey pure 99%) to the cup, dem must first purify am, remove even that last 1% of things wey no pure (attachment to sin). The best thing na make this purification happen while we still dey for Earth. Na this be the process of becoming holy. But if we die with any attachment to sin, wetin we simply dey talk be say the process of entering the final and full vision of God for Heaven go purify us from any attachment to sin wey still remain. God fit don forgive all the sins, but we fit never detach ourselves from those things wey E don forgive. Purgatory na the process, after death, wey dey burn away the last of our attachments, so that we fit enter Heaven 100% free from everything wey concern sin. For example, if we still get bad habit of talking to people anyhow, or using words to mock or wound them, even those tendencies and habits must undergo purification.
How dis one dey happen? We no know. We only know say e dey happen. But we also know say na God love wey no get end dey free us from dis ways we still hold on to sin. E dey pain? Most likely. But e dey pain for di same way wey e dey pain to let go of anything wey we hold on to for wrong way. To stop bad habit no easy. Even di process dey pain. But di true freedom wey come at di end worth any pain we fit don pass through. So, yes, Purgatory dey pain. But na one kind sweet pain wey we need, and di final result na say di person go dey 100% united with God.
Now, since we dey talk about di Communion of Saints, we also wan make sure say we understand say those wey dey pass through dis final purification still dey in communion with God, with di members of di Church for Earth, and with those for Heaven. For example, God dey call us to pray for those wey dey for Purgatory. Our prayers dey work. God dey use those prayers, wey be acts of our love, as instruments of His grace wey dey purify. E dey allow us and invite us to take part for their final purification through our prayers and sacrifices. Dis one dey form bond wey unite us with dem. And no doubt, di saints for Heaven dey especially offer prayers for those wey dey pass through dis final purification, as dem dey wait to share full communion with dem for Heaven. Na glorious thing to think about, and e dey bring joy to see how God don arrange dis whole process for di final purpose of di holy communion wey E dey call us to share!
Lord, I dey pray for those souls wey dey pass through their final purification for Purgatory. Abeg, pour Your mercy on dem so dem fit dey free from every way wey dem still hold on to sin and, through dis, dey ready to see You face to face. Jesus, na You I trust.
Prayers & Resources for the U.S. Elections
More Reflections on the Gospel
Reflection Dem about God im Mercy
Saint for Today – All Souls Day—Remembrance
Picture: All Souls Day wey Jakob Schikaneder paint
