What do we know about purgatory?

In a book called In His Own Words: Jesus Teaches About Purgatory, author Deacon Joe Hulway dissects Scripture for the answers and comes up with one way of viewing it.

“We can consider the judgment of our behavior as on a traditional grading scale,” says Hulway.

“Simply following the Commandments is equivalent to earning a ‘C.’ It is a passing grade.

“But aiming toward virtue, doing more than required, we can earn us a ‘B’ and maybe even an ‘A.’

“Of course, on the other end of the scale, when we are stuck in patterns of venial sins, we may earn a grade of ‘D.’

“And when we fall into mortal sin, we earn and deserve a failing grade of ‘F.'”

The deacon notes his frustration in college with those who would study in hopes of just a “B” or “C.”

The spiritual walk is similar.

Many are those—we call them lukewarm—who seek to do only what is required.

But Jesus wants us to soar, Hulway points out. He doesn’t want us to limit our effort to just getting by.

Do we still have lust, resentment, anger, jealousy, any form of hatred, sloth in our lives? Unforgivness?

We have to get rid of such here on earth or burn them away in purgatory.

It was the “purgatory saint, Nicholas of Tolentino, who once encountered a soul in flames.

“Nicholas, man of God, look at me,” cried the deceased soul to him. A young Augustinian priest, Nicholas had just begun to fall asleep when the voice startled and alarmed him, identifying himself as Friar Pellegrino of Osimo, who Nicholas knew when that friar was alive. “I am tormented in these flames,” Pelligrino lamented. “God did not reject my contrition and instead did not destine me to eternal punishment, which I deserved due to my weakness, but to purgatorial punishment, in virtue of His mercy.” Then he begged Nicholas to “celebrate a Mass of the Dead for me, so that I may be freed from my torments.”

Not sure what blemishes you may still carry?

Ask the Holy Spirit every day to reveal them, and set about getting an “A” on that final report card.

“I always studied with the intent of trying to get a 100 percent on every test. I very rarely attained that goal, but when I missed, I had plenty of safety factors to still do well on the test.”

[resources: In His Own Words: Jesus Teaches About Purgatory and other books on purgatory]

[Pellegrino account here]