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Show JUDGMENTS AETER DEATH. - - According to- the doctrine of the Catholic church, there are two judgments that await us after death the particular judgment, meted out to each soul directly after its departure from the body at the time of death; and the general judgment of all mankind at the resurrection, on earth's great final day. The church does not teach that every soul is immediately assigned at death cither to endless joy or to eternal avoo. She teaches us that we go individually indi-vidually to meet our judge; and that many, very many, me'ct him then, at the particular jucigmcnt, who are indeed ".npropared for the saints' crown, upon whom, nevertheless, he has infinite compassion. compas-sion. These he assigns to purgatory, an intermediate intermedi-ate state of spiritual purgation or cleansing, where they are made ready and pure to enter into eternal bliss. These souls have already seen his face at that most unforgettable monu-nt after death. Of their own wish they would Uy to purgatory in order to be rid of everything that stands between them and the eternal possession of that heavenly vision. What cleanses them, or by what process, make no sort of difference to these souls, ennobled by that first brief glance. They are consumed by the longing to possess pos-sess their God. They sin no longer; they practice perfect conformity to God's holy will, they wait, they suffer, they endure. Our prayers can relieve them and hasten the hour-of their rckase. But, no matter how long or short the lime may be, no matter mat-ter how severe the pain, one thing they never do, they never question the decrees of God. Xothing that he may do seems to them too hard to bear; nothing seems strange to them, however contrary to our poor blind conceptions of his love or his might while we still live on earth. Herein are the holy souls our constant patterns. Much is said in our day of Gotl's love and mercy, much is said, also wildly and angrily, against a power than can allow tremendous catastrophes of flood or fire, disease or sudden death. But, all the while. God is God. If, instead of striving to bring him down to our standards, and measure him by our human limitations, we bowed before Ins justice as well as before his mercy, as the suffering souls always al-ways do, peace would lie ours. He shall make all ' things work together for good to them that love him. If there were no trials for our faith, where would be any merit for our love i Sacred Heart Review. : |