The one continual occupation of the Holy
Souls in Purgatory will be to suffer. There will be
the dull monotony of constant suffering. No light
from Heaven to cheer them in their anguish, no pleasant
sights to see, no sweet sounds to hear,.
nothing but the passive endurance of unceasing
pain. How tediously will the hours and days pass
away! Nothing makes the time seem so long as
the gnawing of ceaseless pain, the absence of all
that cheers and makes existence bright.
Will the Holy Souls in Purgatory be able to
pray? Yes, in so far as prayer is the expression of
a longing desire for that which we have not. But
they will not gain any merit from their prayers;
there will be none of the consolations, nothing of
the happiness of prayer. Their entreaties to be relieved
will receive no answer from their God save
that which is conveyed in Our Lord's words: "I
tell thee, thou canst not go out thence till thou
hast paid the very last farthing." How foolish shall
I be if I neglect, prayer here, and so have to pray
for long years the fruitless prayers of Purgatory!
Will the Holy Souls praise God? Yes; by the painful
process of their suffering they will glorify
the justice of God. But in this praise there will
not be the element of joy that always enters into
praise in Heaven and on earth. It will be the acknowledgment
of God's justice: "We have sinned,
and done wickedly; therefore is this anguish come
upon us." If I am wise, I shall seek to anticipate
this joyless praise by thanking God not only for
the happiness of my life, but, also, for its sorrows.
and chastisements. Learn to employ your time better in this life.