"O Lord, my God, who will seek you with simple and pure love, and not find that you are all one can desire, for you show yourself first and go out to meet those who seek you? "

St John of the Cross, OCD - Doctor of the Church

* * *

"Those who love God are always happy, because their whole happiness is to fulfill, even in adversity, the will of God."

St Alphonsus de Liguori

* * *

"The essence of perfection is to embrace the will of God in all things, prosperous or adverse. In prosperity, even sinners find it easy to unite themselves to the divine will; but it takes saints to unite themselves to God's will when things go wrong and are painful to self-love. Our conduct in such instances is the measure of our love of God."

St Alphonsus de Liguori

* * *

 

 St Catherine of Genoa   (1447 - 1510)
 

TREATISE ON PURGATORY

by St Catherine of Genoa

CONTENTS

 

The divine fire which St. Catherine experienced in herself, made her comprehend the state of souls in purgatory, and that they are contented there although in torment.

1. The state of souls in purgatory. They are exempt from all self-love.
2. The joy of souls in purgatory. The saint illustrates their ever increasing vision of God. The difficulty of speaking about their state.
3. Separation from God is the greatest pain of purgatory. In this, purgatory differs from hell.
4. The difference between the state of the souls in hell and that of those in purgatory.
5. Of the peace and joy which are found in purgatory.
6. A comparison to express with how great violence of love the souls in purgatory desire to enjoy God.
7. Of the marvelous wisdom of God in the creation of purgatory and of hell.
8. Of the necessity of purgatory, and of its terrific character
9. How God and the soul reciprocally regard each other in purgatory. The saint confesses that she has no words to express these things.
10. How God makes use of purgatory to complete the purification of the soul. That she acquires therein a purity so great that if she were yet to remain after her purification she would cease to suffer.
11. The desire of souls in purgatory to be purified from every stain of sin. The wisdom of God in veiling from them their defects.
12. How joy and suffering are united in purgatory.
13. The souls in purgatory are not in a state to merit. How they regard the suffrages offered for them in this world.
14. Of the submission of the souls in purgatory to the will of God.
15. Reproaches of the soul in purgatory to persons in this world.
16. Showing that the sufferings of the souls in purgatory do not prevent their peace and joy.
17. Which concludes with an application of all that has been said concerning the souls in purgatory to what the saint experiences in her own soul.