Selflessness and Purgatory

And then came the time in late adolescence to watch all the TV series that cannot be missed before life comes to an end. Of course the list is subjective and mine goes like this: One Tree Hill, The Wonder Years and Lost. There are others too lest the one’s I mentioned lose their distinctness. These TV series consume a lot of time as they span for an hour or less. I joined the TV series bandwagon very late. For me, it meant finishing a whole season or two in a fortnight if I ever want to finish the six to eight seasons that have lapsed in the month. This meant watching episodes back to back on DVD or on the computer.

My life was filled with The Simpsons or some movie or a TV series. When I observed many others who joined associations and did other work, I didn’t think that they were selfless but rather viewed them of not being passionate about what had got me heating my computer chair. Little did I think any TV series, movie or music of popular fame is enjoyable even to others and perhaps what they do (in their associations) is not their passion that they are gifted with but a much nobler thing like responsibility.

And then one day, I took up responsibilities for myself. Soon, I got so preoccupied with it that I hadn’t time for my TV Series. Formerly, I hadn’t time for anything to do with others but only to know what turn of events will transpire in the next episode? Later, these TV Series turned passé. I couldn’t afford an hour a day much less a week to watch them go on slowly, often dragging along. Sometimes a classic book could be more fun than watching people sleep with each other and break other people’s heart. I also began to detest the whole idea of watching run of the mill TV series. I began to have a sound judgment on things that formerly enslaved me. They got lesser and lesser priority in my life and soon left my life entirely as if an addict had been completely rehabilitated and got the toxics out of his system.

What really happened is the operation of Grace. The sooner I set my mind on things above, that is, eternal; I chose something that will be meritorious for my redemption. Of course, it is no surprise now as it was no surprise then, that my salvation won’t be from watching TV series and having a scholarly idea of who was adulterous in this episode and what was the most uncanny episode of the season.

Watching movies all day isn’t exactly heaven-deserving material to indulge with. But there wasn’t any inclination to understand that anything nobler or richer could be aspired for. I wonder if I could have pleaded ignorance or was it negligence. And of course, God helped me to make that choice. I wouldn’t know that shakily, with less courage and much persuasion to volunteer to teach a few kids, I was choosing redemption. God is slow, only Moses was unlucky. I didn’t even know I was choosing it while I made that choice. I can love God now as God loved me first when I didn’t understand what I was choosing and going to begin loving. How true is St. John indeed!

And that is the operation of Grace. The moment I chose something that is without me, these material indulgences no good to anyone but my lethargic body and shallow mind within me, began to snap one by one. I couldn’t snap them myself as I was too deep into them. It took many instruments of God to ask me to volunteer for a responsibility. It took my own pride to think I am doing something good and in that process, led me to mercy by repenting for that pride and then realize there are so many things worth our life than often our own passing fancies.

The point of this blog is not so much what selflessness can teach you as much as what happens in purgatory. That’s right; this article’s real motive is to explain Purgatory. Mark Shea, an eminent online Catholic Writer writes in Catholic Exchange that we will be cleansed of all those things that kept us from choosing the real Joy, Jesus Christ and the love of God.

Our understanding of Purgatory only pervades to the extent that Confession forgives our guilt and Purgatorial cleansing is a cleansing to purify the soul of all its injury through all the sins that have been committed and that it is only divine justice that we pay for them on our way to Heaven. Somehow, every sin, every act of greed, lust, sloth, envy departs from the true nature of the soul and hence injures the soul. This has to be undone so that we are able to recognize purely what love is.

And this is where the lesson I learned in Selflessness is at the heart of the understanding of Purgatory. Somehow, I can now understand how the testimony of holiness in the Church which the monasteries, convents bear witness to everyday will lead them to suffer less in purgatory. It is because they perhaps have to snap fewer chains tying them to this world. They are in the world and yet already out of it, preparing their journey to the real world. While we enjoy, things of this world, we create so many indulgences tying us down that often the paradox is that our preparation for the world to come is more in snapping those attachments that takes us away from the idea of the Kingdom of God.

It is a paradox because while the nuns and monks sow to reap their treasures in heaven, we first take out the weed that we have sown and the new seed of life gets a chance to grow. And just taking up one responsibility, doing something for the world outside of me taught me to snap a few chains tying me to the passing world of TV Series. At least one, from a host of things for which I may not have to be cleansed in Purgatory but we all have a whole list of items, Haven’t We?

I don’t mean the only way to enter our glory is to keep suffering in the world. I didn’t mention that I enjoyed my responsibility, did I? It made me the person I am today. The choices make us suffer, for our nature is inclined to choose pleasure and rebel against work. All things are created good. We have to sanctify them too and use it for the glory of God. Snapping ties doesn’t mean to have no ties at all but to have those that don’t hurt charity that is due to God and Man. Selflessness helps us untie those attachments that don’t help us transcend. We have to tie ourselves to those things that only help us give glory to God for all the things he has provided that can truly make us happy and truly acknowledge in gratitude, the love that God has showered on his Children.