What if we’re not ready for Heaven?

God, in His merciful love, gives us purgatory to purify us after death if we lack the perfection necessary to enter heaven. 

Faith 

“I would go so far as to say that if there were no purgatory, then we would have to invent it, for who would dare say of himself that he was able to stand directly before God. And yet we don’t want to be, to use an image from Scripture, ‘a pot that turned out wrong,’ that has to be thrown away; we want to be able to be put right. Purgatory basically means that God can put the pieces back together again. That he can cleanse us in such a way that we are able to be with him and can stand there in the fullness of life. Purgatory strips off from one person what is unbearable and from another the inability to bear certain things, so that in each of them a pure heart is revealed, and we can see that we all belong together in one enormous symphony of being.” (Pope Benedict XVI) 

Spot the Virtue 

“Thank God ahead of time.” Bl. Solanus Casey challenges us to live the virtue of Gratitude. One must possess a thankful disposition of mind and heart to express gratitude for the difficult circumstances in life. This attitude requires deep trust and faith in God, believing He will take care of us.  

Of course, this doesn’t happen overnight, and we must practice it even in the small, mundane things. In the next week, look for the small blessings in your life and express your gratitude out loud. Noticing this in a student might look like this: 

  Name: Mrs. Kolbe told me you thanked her when you got your pizza at lunch.  

  Explain: Saying “thank you” shows that you practiced the virtue of gratitude.  

 Express: Thank you for witnessing your classmates.
 
Spot this virtue in at least one person this week.

Prayer 

Let’s pray this prayer to St. Joseph for a peaceful death: 

O blessed Joseph, 
who breathed your last in the arms of Jesus and Mary, 
obtain for me this grace: 
that I may breathe forth my soul in praise, 
saying in spirit, if I am unable to do so in words: 
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give Thee my heart and my soul.” 
Amen.