‘Pains of Purgatory — St. Antoninus and the Religious…’ – ‘Purgatory’ by Rev. Shouppe; 1929; …
Chapter XVI
Pains of Purgatory — St. Antoninus and the Religious — Father Rossignoli on a Quarter of an Hour in Purgatory— Brother Angelicus.
That which shows still more the rigour of Purgatory is that the shortest period of time there appears to be of very long duration. Every one knows that days of enjoyment pass quickly and appear short, whilst the time passed in suffering we find very long. Oh, how slowly pass the hours of the night for the poor sick, who spend them in sleeplessness and pain. We may say that the more intense the pain the longer appears the shortest duration of time. This rule furnishes us with a new means of estimating the sufferings of Purgatory.
We find in the Annals of the Friar Minors, under the year 1285, a fact which is also related by St. Antoninus in his Summa.1 A religious man, suffering for a long time from a painful malady, allowed himself to be overcome by discouragement, and entreated God to permit him to die, that he might be released from his pains …More
"This severity of Divine Justice in regard to the most fervent souls is explained by the infinite Sanctity of God, who discovers stains in that which appears to us most pure."
"After a few days, whilst he was walking and meditating in a retired spot, the deceased appeared before him enveloped in flames, and said to him, in a mournful voice, " Dear master, I beg of you have pity upon me ! " " What ! Brother Angelicus, do you need my assistance ? " u I am detained in the fires of Purgatory, awaiting the fruit of the Holy Sacrifice which you should have offered three times for me." "Beloved brother, I thought you were already in possession of eternal glory. After a life so fervent and exemplary as yours had been, I could not imagine that there remained any pain to be suffered." "Alas ! alas !" replied the departed, " no one can believe with what severity God judges and punishes His creatures. His infinite Sanctity discovers in our best actions defective spots, imperfections which displease Him. He requires us to give an account even to the last farthing. Usque ad novissimum quadran tern."