‘HOW GOD MAKES USE OF PURGATORY…’ ~ ‘Treatise on Purgatory’ by Saint Catherine of Genoa; 1915; Chapters XV; pp. 40-41
[Saint Catherine of Genoa ~ XV-XVI Century; born: Genoa, Republic of Genoa/ died: Genoa, Republic of Genoa; (aged 62-63); Mystic; Spiritual Writer]Chapter XV ~ HOW THE SOULS IN PURGATORY REBUKE THE MEN OF THIS WORLD.
"WOULD that I could cry out" (said this blessed soul, when under Divine illumination she saw these things), "loud enough to strike with fear every man upon the earth, and say, Miserable beings, why suffer ye yourselves to be so blinded by this world as to make no provision for the dire strait ye will find your selves in at the hour of death ? Ye all shelter yourselves under the hope of God's mercy, which ye say is so great ; and ye consider not that this very goodness of God will rise up in judgment against you for having opposed the will of so good a Master: His mercy ought to constrain you to do all His Will, and not encourage you to do evil. Be assured that His justice cannot yield, but must in one way or other be fully satisfied.
Let no one buoy himself up saying, ' I shall confess ; and then I shall receive a plenary indulgence, where by I shall be cleansed from all my sins and get through safely.' Know that a plenary indulgence requires confession and contrition ; and this latter is so difficult to obtain, that if ye knew how difficult, ye would tremble with fear, and rather make sure of not gaining than of gaining the indulgence."
Image: ‘Purgatorio, de gelouterden’ Canti 28-33, ‘Dante ontmoet Matilda’
