HOW TO AVOID PURGATORY By Fr. Paul O’Sullivan O.P.
For those who have not read this little book and to refresh myself, I will be posting the entire book in daily doses. Let us begin with the Foreword. (To read later find in the Purgatory Category).
FOREWORD
Our Lord came on earth expressly to give us a perfect Redemption. He gave
us a Law of Love, a Religion in every way to suit our human hearts,
destined to make us holy and happy. His Commandments, counsels and promises
all breathe peace, joy, mercy and love.
The idea that nearly all of us shall, notwithstanding, have to pass a
period more or less long in the excruciating fires of Purgatory after death
seems to be at variance with this all-merciful and all-loving plan of our
Divine Lord.
It is true that we are weak and fall many times and that God’s justice is
rigorous and exacting but it is equally certain that God’s mercy and love
are above all His works.
It is no less certain that Our Lord has given us abundant grace and
strength to save us from sin and many (and most efficacious) means of
satisfying for any sins that we may have committed. This last fact seems to
be almost entirely overlooked, or imperfectly understood by the majority of
Catholics.
Of course, those who go on deliberately sinning and who make no effort to
correct their faults and refuse to use the many wonderful means God offers
them for satisfying for sin, condemn themselves to Purgatory.
The object of this little book is to show how we can avoid Purgatory by
using the means God has so generously offered us, and, secondly, to show
that the use of these means is within the reach of every ordinary
Christian.
The careful perusal of these pages will be a source of much benefit and
consolation to all who read them.
The author offers them to the loving Heart of Jesus and asks Him to bless
them.
AnaStpaul 