“How wonderful heaven must be, that God undertakes such a meticulous purification of souls!” (Catherine of Siena)
These words come to us from St. Catherine of Siena, who would know, for she was deeply united with our Lord and was elevated to the rank of Doctor of the Church.
She approaches the topic of necessary purification before death in the right way, with an eye toward eternity. In order to enter the glory of Heaven, we must be completely purified—nothing of the filth of sin and its consequences can or should be taken into the Kingdom of Eternal Love.
It is not uncommon for some people who wish to follow the Lord to fear these necessary purifications. They may also be unaware that these purifications on earth are a great grace and an offer of love from God, intended to pave the way to eternity for them and also to hasten their journey. These purifications consist of divine love leading us to love God more than anything else. Even though this can be painful—because our capacity for love is often still attached to ourselves or, in a disordered way, to created beings (as the mystics put it)—every purification is a great remedy and gift in view of eternal communion with God and the saints.
Thus, the precise and painstaking purification of the soul describes God’s great act of love, a sign of His caring and anticipatory love. Therefore, we can cast aside all fear of such purifications, because our Father will carry them out exactly in a way that we can endure, whether we cooperate actively or passively. However, this is what is required of us!
When we look toward Heaven, it becomes clear: there are already the purified, enlightened souls united with our Father. They are waiting for us!