Of The Joy Of The Souls In Purgatory--
Comparison Which Shows How These
Souls Behold God More And More Clearly--
Difficulty Of Describing This State.
I do not believe that there can be any peace comparable to that
felt by the souls in purgatory, unless that of the saints in
paradise. And each day this peace increases by the influence
which God exercises over the soul. It increases in proportion as
the impediment to that influence is consumed.
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This impediment is nothing else than the rust of sin. The fire
consuming the rust, the soul is more and more exposed to the
divine influence. An object which is covered cannot correspond to
the reverberation of the sun's rays; not by any fault of the sun,
which ceases not to shine, but because of the covering on the
object. If that be consumed, the object beneath is laid open to
the sun; and the more completely the covering is consumed, the
more perfect the reverberation.
So the fire of purgatory wears away the rust of sin which covers
the soul, exposing it to God--the true sun--in proportion to its
purity, and, in the same proportion, increasing its peace. So
that its happiness goes on increasing and the rust wearing away
till the time be fully accomplished.
The pain which results from the desire of beholding God does not
diminish, but the time of its duration does. As to their will,
these souls can never say their pains _are_ pains, so
satisfied are they with the will of God, with which their will is
united in purest love.
On the other hand, nevertheless, they endure a torment so extreme
that no tongue can depict it--no understanding grasp the least
comprehension of it, unless by a special grace from God. He has
given me some idea of it, but I cannot well express it. What the
Lord has revealed to me has always remained imprinted on my mind.
I will relate what I can of it. They will understand me to whom
God giveth the intelligence.