Sunday, 23rd November 2014 - St Martha's Parish, Strathfield

ST MARTHA’S PARISH STRATHFIELD
Parish Priest: Fr Christopher Slattery PP
Ministering In Parish: Fr Adrian Horgan
Parish Office: Mon- Fri 9.00am-3.00pm
Administration Coordinator: Nicolle Mazzaferro
Lectors/Communion Ministry: Helen Williamson
Music Ministry: Andrew Beban
70 Homebush Rd Strathfield NSW 2135
Ph: 9746 6131 Fax: 9764 3040
Email: office@stmarthas.org.au
Website: www.stmarthas.org.au
St Martha’s School: 9764 1184
Principal: Maree Curry
Assist Principal: Caroline Boulis
REC: Attilia Pagano
‘He will take his seat on his throne of glory, and he will separate men one from another’ - Mt 25:1-46
Vison:
Welcoming
Eucharistic
Transformed by the Word
Full of Grace
Proclaiming Good News
MASS TIMES
Tuesdays: 7.30am
Wednesdays: 9.10am
Thursdays: 9.10am
Fridays: 9.10am
Saturdays: 9.10am, 5pm Vigil Mass
Sundays: 8.00am; 10.00am & 6.00pm
RECONCILATION:
Saturday after 9.10am Mass or by appointment.
BAPTISMS:
2nd & 4th Sundays of the month at 11.00am
by appointment only. (One months’ notice is required).
Contact the Parish Office.
Next Preparation Session:
Sunday 7th December 2014 at 9.15am (Parish Hall)
MARRIAGES: By appointment only.
(Six months’ notice is required).
Ministry Coordinators and contact numbers may
be found on the Parish Website.
LIFE ASCENDING GROUP:
1.30pm Tuesday 9th December at Marian Court
PRAYER GROUP / ADORATION AT
ST MARTHA’S CHURCH:
Every Monday at 10.30am (school term only)
Everyone is welcome
SYDNEY MALAYEALEE ROMAN CATHOLIC
COMMUNITY
Rosary, Mass & Adoration from 6.30pm to 9pm on
the 2nd Saturday of each month. Rosary & Bible Sharing 6.30pm
on the 4th Saturday of the month
ROSARY: Tuesday after morning Mass, Wednesday to Saturday
8.30am and 7.30pm on Fridays in conjunction with Marian Movement
of Priests Cenacle and Divine Mercy Chaplet.
ADORATION AT SISTER DISCIPLES
OF THE DIVINE MASTER:
Daily from 2.30pm-6.00pm.
Mission:
Alive with the Spirit
Inspired by St Martha
We Celebrate & Witness
God’s love
Use our Gifts & Talents
“We warmly welcome into our Parish Community
the families of those being Baptised during
November at St Martha's”
Cristina Pinto
&
Sebastian DeBolt
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE
COOK BOOK FUNDRAISER. THERE
ARE STILL A FEW COPIES LEFT On
SALE FOR $10 EACH AT THE REAR
OF THE CHURCH. ALL MONEY
RAISED WILL GO TOWARDS
COMPUTERS FOR THE SCHOOL
CHILDREN. RECIPES HAVE BEEN
COMPILED BY PARENTS (SOME FORMER & SOME
CURRENT) AS WELL AS BY PARISHIONERS. YOUR
SUPPORT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!
November Mass Intentions
All parishioners are invited to write the
names of departed loved ones in the
Remembrance Books on the Special
Memorial. Please complete a Mass
Intention Envelope. Due to the large
volume, regrettably, names cannot be
printed in the Weekly Bulletin.
The December to
is now available
the side entrance
Roster is also
website.
March 2015 Roster
for collection from
of the Church. The
available on the
A celebration of the 2nd Rite
of Reconciliation will be held
on Thursday 18th December at
7.00pm in the Church.
The Parish of St Martha’s acknowledges the Gadigal People as the traditional custodians
of the land on which the Church is built.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
We are currently updating the Parish & Church Key Register.
If you are in possession of any St Martha’s keys, please contact
the parish office to your details recorded.
Thank you for your assistance.
St Vincent de Paul
Christmas Appeal 6TH & 7TH December
This Christmas, your generous donation will help Vinnies provide muchneeded help, from practical financial assistance to food hampers and
emotional support to those without. More than anything we can give
hope to thousands of Australians in their time of need. Envelopes will
be available over the coming weeks. Donations can be placed in any of
the collection plates. Thank you in anticipation.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Giving Tree - Our local St Vincent de Paul conference this
year is preparing over 80 Christmas hampers for the needy families in our area, many of whom have
young children who will receive very little at Christmas. In addition, we are also trying to provide
gifts for needy children in the Liverpool area, which is near Liverpool. We need your help to
provide Christmas gifts for these children. Please take a tag from the tree at the front of the Church
and choose a gift (new items please, not second-hand) for the child described on the tag. Your
children may enjoy choosing gifts with you for little people who are not as fortunate as themselves. Please wrap
these gifts, attach the tags to them and give them to the warden at the back of the Church. We would really
appreciate if all gifts could be brought to the Church by Sunday 14th December as we intend to deliver them soon
after that. Thank you for your generosity. Gil Vella President, St Martha’s St Vincent de Paul Society
St Vincent De Paul Christmas Card Packs are now available at the rear of the Church. 10
Cards for $6.00. Each pack contains 5 designs. As many families prepare to celebrate the
festive season with their loved ones, others are experiencing disadvantage or homelessness
and may be suffering in silence this Christmas. The sales from these cards will go towards
the funding of our Good Works and the services that work tirelessly to support people
during this time.
The new 2015 Columban Art Calendar is also available, an ideal Christmas gift for $9.
CHRISTMAS ROSTERS: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED URGENTLY
Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion & Altar
Servers.
To assist with the preparation of rosters for Christmas would the parishioners
who are on the regular rosters please indicate if they are available for the
Masses? This is one of our major Liturgical celebrations so the more volunteers we have the
easier it is to plan the roster. Please fill in your details on the ‘sign up’ sheets on the table at the
rear entrance of the church. Any queries please contact Helen Williamson 9742 5746
If you would like to be involved in the Music Ministry or Choir for the
Christmas Masses please contact Andrew Beban on 0410 708 200.
Everyone is warmly welcome to attend the Parish’s Nursing Homes
Christmas Masses:
Wednesday
Friday
Wednesday
Wednesday
Friday
3rd December
5th December
10th December
10th December
12th December
10.00am
10.00am
10.00am
2.00pm
10.30am
Strathdale Nursing Home
Meredith Nursing Home
Jesmond Nursing Home
Strathfield Gardens
Goondee Nursing Home
Father Chris,
The Statues of St Martha and St Peter have been taken down and sent away for cleaning/restoration.
November - A month to remember those who have returned to the Father!
A Special Thank you to John Gittany for his time in assisting the parish with some
handy man jobs. It is greatly appreciated.
The third CHARITABLE WORKS FUND APPEAL is now running. So far $8,565.00 has been
collected. Our quota for this appeal is $10,200. Thank you for your continuing generosity. Money
from the appeal is used to assist the special ministries of the Archdiocese. Contributions $2 and
over are tax deductible. Please take an envelope home and return it on any of the collections. Envelopes are available
at the Church Entrances. Please take an envelope home and return it on any of the collections.
CONGRATULATIONS to the children making their First Reconciliation next Thursday night 27th November at
6.00pm. Please the children, families, teachers and catechists in your prayers during their time of preparation.
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO OUR ‘CHRISTMAS GATHERING’ AFTER THE 5.00PM MASS ON SATURDAY 29TH NOVEMBER. A SPECIAL
THANK YOU TO THE PARISHIONERS WHO HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO ASSIST! HELP IS STILL NEEDED SO PLEASE RECORD YOUR NAME
AND DETAILS ON THE SHEETS AT THE BACK OF THE CHURCH IF YOU ARE ABLE TO ASSIST.
THANK YOU to the parishioners who have volunteered to coordinate the 100th
anniversary celebration: George Ayoub, Helen Williamson, Deborah Xuereb & Greg
Glass. The initial meeting of the Parish Centenary Committee will be held on Tuesday
2nd December at 7.00pm in the Parish Meeting Room. I warmly welcome the members
of this committee.
Thank you for your support of the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Tree Appeal. If you would like to support the appeal, please
take a tag off the tree and return your gift to the back of the Church or sacristy.
Please Note- there is NO ‘shAriNG the WOrD’ Gathering this Monday
24th NovembeR – WILL RESUME ON MONDAY 1 DECEMBER.
ST
THERE IS A PARISH FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON TUESDAY 25TH NOVEMBER IN THE PARISH
MEETING ROOM AT 7.30PM. THE NEXT MEETING OF THE PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL WILL BE HELD
ON TUESDAY 9TH DECEMBER AT 7.00PM IN THE PARISH MEETING ROOM.
Volunteers Required - St John of God Burwood Hospital provides inpatient and outpatient
programs for mothers suffering with post natal depression. Each day the mothers attend a
therapy group and we are looking for assistance with the care of their babies during this
time. If interested please call Andrew McPhee on 9715 9200 or email andrew.mcphee@sjog.org.au
Parish History - Parish Centenary - As part of the 2016 centenary we would like
to recognise religious vocations (sisters, brothers and priests) from St Martha's
Parish. Thank you to Kevin Rees for advising us of Josephite nun, Helena Hill. For
clergy we have Fr Rod Bray, Fr Bill Daniel SJ, Fr Greg Foley, Fr Gerald Gleeson, Bishop
Bede Heather, Fr Tom Leonard, and Fr Michael McGloin. Please advise the parish office of
any other priests. Thank you Damian Gleeson.
Sister Shirley King O.P. will lead an Advent Program at Marian Court Each Friday morning
commencing 28th November until 19th December. Please arrive at 10.00am for 10.30am start.
Program concludes at 11.30am. All are welcome. Contact 9715 5695.
May our hearts always be open to meeting Jesus hidden in the hearts of those who suffer!
Copies of the Catholic Weekly & Catholic Leader are available at the Church Entrances - $2 each.
Please continue to support the St Vincent De Paul Society through the Church Poor Boxes.
MASS INTENTIONS
Recently Deceased: Jenny Tsaknis, Margaret Campbell, John Phillips, Lisa Cooke, Clare Musso, Sadie Athya, Ojars Zvirbulis,
Nicola Ierardo, Andrew Ingineri, Victor Baracz, Sr Josepha OP, Brian Woodland, Mary Carillo, Tom
Kennedy, Desolina Cipolla.
Repose Of The
Soul:
Aldo Amarino, Baby Havana Beger, William Boulis, Alex Cummings, Eve Cummings, Elizabeth De
Almaida, Anne Cecilia Glass, Reginald & Agnes Glass, Francesco Colagiuri, Michael Gereis, Margaret
Gilroy, Brian Edward Harrington, John Harrington, Jim Henness, Faado Herro, Kim Hock, Johnny Koo,
Ralph McKay, Leonardo Proia, Salvatore Puglisi, Peter O’Reilly, Roger O’Reilly, Janet Reynolds, Jim
Reynolds, Douglas Rogers, Paulina Ryman, Suki Singarayar, Maureen Spicer, Don Spicer & Philip
Winfield.
Anniversaries:
Mary Theres Dinhvu, Guy Paul, John Hao Vu, Frank & Kathleen Moynihan, Roger O’Reilly, Bea
Burland, Cornelius Ryan, Leo & Joyce O’Donnell, P. J. Mariathasan, Teresa Giorgio, Robert Brewer,
Michael & Vida Cullen, Assard Nejia Georges, Emily Bechara, Leona Oudin, James Grady, Agnes Glass &
all those whose anniversaries occur at this time.
Sick Intentions:
Cathy Holmes, Monica Sia, Peter Sia, Lucille Rodney, Alfred Rodney, Maurice Elias, Haritomeni
Meligonis, Tayla Breunis, Valtin Campbell, Rosa Maria, Judi Lees, Michael Curry, Louise Hudson, Daniel,
Ying Bin, Dorothy Starr, Brother Ray Dowding, Helen Walsh, Patrick Reynolds, Edmund Duggan, Des
McNamara, Maria Cona, Helen Kingsley, Victoria Grady, Mary Turner, Graham Sievers, June Wisby.
Special Intentions:
Matteo Genova & Family, Raffaele Pagano & Family, Maria Christina, The McGann Family, Dr
Stephanie Winfield. Deceased Friends, Relatives & Benefactors of the Dominican Order, Deceased members
of the St Vincent de Paul Society & Benefactors, Holy Souls.
Diary Dates for November / December
th
29 November
Parish Christmas Gathering
30th November
First Sunday of Advent
1st December
World Aids Day
2nd December
Mass at Rookwood Mausoleum at 9.30am. Everyone is welcome
3rd December
International Day for People with Disabilities
8th December
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
12th December
2nd Rite of Reconciliation
17th December
9.10am Whole School Graduation Mass / End of School Year
Roster – 29th & 30th November
VIGIL
Special
Ministers
Readers
Altar
Servers
Wardens
Children’s
Liturgy
Vince Blefari
Marg Cole
Anne Burton
VIGIL
Helen Blefari
Gabrielle Blefari
VIGIL
Isabella Begetis
Jessica Begetis
Madeleine Leroi
VIGIL
Br Ray Dowding
8AM
10AM
6PM
Loushiana Ponrajah
Georgette Sayhoun
Deborah Xuereb
8AM
Teresa Goncalves
Greg Glass
8AM
Chris Goncalves-Rigg
Olivia Ayoub
Mark Phillips
Relyn Ponce
Maria Soares
10AM
Claudia Elias
Mark Soares
10AM
Lauren Hickry
Alannah Hickry
Glen Widjaja
10AM
Tony Khoury
10AM
Melia Stathak
Chris Rumore
Stephanie Vaccher
Tony Herro
6PM
Theresa Ravi
Sandra Vaccher
6PM
Rhea Cue
Matthew Cue
8AM
Phil Robinson
6PM
Theresa Kuk
10AM
Paris Petelevich
GENERAL NOTICES
Sign Language Classes For The Catholic Community. The Ephpheta Centre, the Catholic Centre for the Deaf
in the Archdiocese of Sydney will be providing signed language classes for people interested in developing
skills in sign language to enhance their pastoral abilities. Learning signed language may lead to work as a sign
language interpreter, enhance one’s ability to work in welfare related positions and support a person’s
existing pastoral contribution to their community, parish or diocese. Ephpheta is seeking Catholic religious
people as well as lay people who might be interested in joining this course. The classes will be quite informal
but taught by some of the most competent teachers in Sydney, fellow students will be priests working with the Deaf Community of
Sydney and seminarians from Sydney Archdiocese. The cost of the course will be a small donation according to individual’s capacity
and classes will be held in a central location in the Sydney Archdiocese. Places are limited and classes will begin very soon. Please
contact Nicole Clark on (02) 9708 1396/0438 201 707 or email: nicole@ephpheta.org.au for more information.
WYD Information Evening – Wed 26 Nov – Pope Francis has invited all young people to join him in
2016 for World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland. The Archdiocese of Sydney has begun preparations
and will be holding its first ‘Road to Krakow’ information evening on Wed 26 November for anyone
who would like to find out more. It will be a chance to meet the new tour operator, learn more about
WYD and ask any questions. The night is especially recommended for those who may be leading a
group from their parish or group, but all are welcome. The night will begin with a light supper at
6.30pm followed by a 7pm start. It will be held next to the offices of Catholic Youth Services, in the
parish hall of St Dominic’s, 108 The Crescent, Homebush West. Please RSVP for catering purposes to
wyd@catholicyouthservices.org.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON EVENT FOR FATHERS AND GRANDFATHERS - The Parramatta Diocese Family &
Life Office and menALIVE are hosting an Saturday afternoon event on the critical importance of Fathering. The
afternoon will include discussion on the importance of the Role of Fathers and Grandfathers and will include
some practical insights and information on Intentional Fathering. The afternoon will conclude with a launch of
the book, "The Father Factor" by Peter O’Shea and Robert Falzon Date: Saturday, November 29 Time: 1:30 –
4pm Place: St Patrick’s Cathedral Hall, 1 Marist Place, Parramatta RSVP: Contact Ben Smith on bsmith@parra.catholic.org.au or
8838 3440
FREE MOVIE SCREENING! 'The Christmas Candle'. The Mustard Seed Bookshop will be screening a
movie on 28 November 2014 – 7.00pm for 7.30pm start from the bestselling author Max Lucado and
featuring Susan Boyle. 'The Christmas Candle' is a timeless holiday film for the entire family. Set deep
in the heart of the English countryside lies the enchanting village of Gladbury and legend has it every
25 years an angel visits the village candlemaker and touches a single candle. Whoever lights this candle
receives a miracle on Christmas Eve.......
The screening is free with free popcorn. All welcome, RSVP
bookshop@caec.com.au or 9646 9000. The bookshop will be open after the movie for Christmas shopping needs.
Preparing for Christmas with the music of Taize. Pondering like Mary, we prepare the ‘manger’ of our hearts for Jesus.
Presenter: Trish Watts Cost: $250 (discounts available) Where: Mt Carmel Retreat Centre, 247 St Andrews Road
Varroville, 2566. Contact: 02 8795 3400, retreats@carmelite.com, www.carmeliteretreats.com.au
th
Advent Retreat Saturday 6 December: Come and begin preparing your heart to receive Jesus in this one day
Semi Silent ADVENT Retreat. The day will be guided with talks and will have plenty of time for personal refection.
Cost $40 (includes lunch).
Please contact Verbum Dei Missionaries (02) 9313 7099 or email
verbumdeisydney@gmail.com if you are interested.
CYS WORLD YOUTH DAY PILGRIMAGE TO KRAKOW. Preparations have already begun for
our next World Youth Day pilgrimage to Krakow, Poland in July of 2016! This European World
Youth day is going to be a faith and cultural experience like no other and we hope that many
young adults will join us. We want to begin to spread the word to all those who may have a
vague interest as well as those who might be leading groups from parishes etc. Our first ‘Road
to Krakow’ information evening will take place on Wednesday, 26 November in Homebush
West and of course you are all most welcome. Further information is attached and the same
information can be found at www.facebook.com/events/1485209861753150/. Please feel free
to spread amongst your own contacts who may be interested.
All are invited to ‘Two evenings – two themes’, an Advent program to prepare our hearts and minds for Christmas.
Wednesdays, December 3 and 10, 7.30 – 9.00 pm. The themes are Abundance and Joy, both drawn from Pope Francis’
exhortation to the whole church, Evangelii Gaudium (the Joy of the Gospel). Refreshments at the end of each session.
Donation to cover cost appreciated.
Location: Grail Centre, 22 McHatton Street, North Sydney. Tel: 9955 3053. Email
grailsydney@ozemail.com.au
“Called to life: finding peace and happiness by learning to listen to God.” A retreat with Fr Jacques
Philippe for young, single men and women seeking to explore their life’s purpose. Dec. 5 - Dec. 7 6:00
p.m., Dec. 5 - 2:00 p.m., Dec. 7 at Canisius College 102 Mona Vale Rd Pymble. Cost $220 or student
$170. Registration is essential. Contact: Elizabeth Arblaster at the Diocesan Vocations Office:
elizabeth.arblaster@sydneycatholic.org
PLEASE NOTE: AS A MATTER OF SAFETY, NO
PARKING WILL BE PERMITTED IN THE
SCHOOL GROUNDS.
PLEASE NOTE: AS A MATTER OF SAFETY, NO
PARKING WILL BE PERMITTED IN THE
SCHOOL GROUNDS.
GOD'S VOICE AS INVITATION
BY RICHARD ROHR
This has immense implications for everything to do with
church and religion, from how we preach, to how we
catechize, to how we do liturgy, to how we reach out to
those who don't share our beliefs, to how we approach
divisive moral issues, to how loud we turn up the sound
system in our churches.
God's voice invites in, beckons, leaves you free, and is as
non-threatening as the innocence and powerlessness of a
baby - or a saint.
We would do well to better understand this. We are too prone inside our church circles to blame the
world's resistance to God's message simply on its hardness of heart, sin, and indifference. Partly that's
true, but a large part of that resistance has its root in another source, namely, our own preaching,
catechesis, pastoral practice, moral fever, and elitism. Too often, however sincerely we might be doing
this, the voice we try to give to God is too-laden with coercion, threat, manipulation, violence,
harshness, our own judgments, our own fears, our own wounds, and especially our own egos to bear
enough resemblance to the divine kenosis and free invitation that Jesus gave voice to in his birth, life,
and message.
Sometimes, after just having given a talk or a homily, I am told by a well-meaning person: "You should
raise your voice more! Speak louder! You're speaking too softly!"
I don't think so! We need, I believe, to (figuratively and perhaps literally) begin more and more to lower
our voices whenever we purport to be speaking in God's name because God's voice never overpowers, is
never overbearing, never shouts at anyone. Indeed, as Mary Jo Leddy (a voice that speaks God's hard
challenge with the correct invitational gentleness) says: We need to find the few words that are truly our
own - and then speak them, clearly but softly.
Richard Rohr's Daily Meditations
Wholeness
Reconnecting
On one level, soul, consciousness, and the Holy Spirit can all be thought
of as one and the same. Each of these point to something that is larger
than the self, shared with God, and even eternal. That’s what Jesus
means when he speaks of “giving” us the Spirit or sharing his
consciousness with us. One whose soul is thus awakened actually has “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). That
does not mean the person is psychologically or morally perfect, but such a transformed person does henceforth see
things in a much more expanded and compassionate way. Ephesians calls it “a spiritual revolution of the mind” (4:23).
And it is! Jesus calls this implanted Spirit the “Advocate” (John 14:16) who is “with you and in you” (14:17), who makes
you live with the same life that he lives (14:19), and unites you to everything else (14:18, 20). He goes on to say that
this “spirit of truth” will “teach you everything” and “remind you of all things” (14:26) as if you already knew this
somehow. Talk about being well equipped from a Secret Inner Source. It really is too good to believe—so we didn’t
believe it! Consciousness, the soul, the Holy Spirit, on both the individual and shared levels, has sadly become largely
unconscious! No wonder we call the Holy Spirit the “missing person of the Blessed Trinity.” No wonder we try to fill
this radical disconnectedness by various addictions. There is much evidence that so-called “primitive” people were
more in touch with this inner Spirit than many of us are. British philosopher and poet Owen Barfield called it “original
participation,” and many ancient peoples seemed to have lived in daily connection with the soulful level of
everything—trees, air, the elements, animals, the earth itself, along with the sun, the moon, and the stars. They were at
least at home in this world, whereas many Christians have largely tried to deny or exit from this world, leaving it in a
disenchanted and unholy state. Most of us no longer enjoy a sacred consciousness in our world, and Sunday services do
not appear to overcome this. We really are disconnected from one another and the divine, and are thereby unconscious.
Religion's main and final goal is to reconnect us (re-ligio) to the Whole, to ourselves, and to one another—and thus heal
us. When you just keep telling people how unworthy they are, it seems to become a self-fulfilling sermon. Adapted from
Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps,pp. 88-89
Purgatory as Seeing Fully for the First Time
by Ron Rolheiser
Imagine being born blind and living into adulthood without ever having
seen light and colour. Then, through some miraculous operation,
doctors are able to give you sight. What would you feel immediately
upon opening your eyes? Wonder? Bewilderment? Ecstasy? Pain?
Some combination of all of these? We now know the answer to that
question. This kind of sight-restoring operation has been done and is
being done and we now have some indication of how a person reacts
upon opening his or her eyes and seeing light and color for the first
time. What happens might surprise us. Here is how J.Z. Young, an
authority on brain function, describes what happens:
“The patient on opening his eyes gets little or no enjoyment; indeed, he finds the experience painful. He reports
only a spinning mass of light and colors. He proves to be quite unable to pick up objects by sight, to recognize
what they are, or to name them. He has no conception of space with objects in it, although he knows all about
objects and their names by touch. ‘Of course,’ you will say, ‘he must take a little time to learn to recognize them by
sight.’ Not a little time, but a very long time, in fact, years. His brain has not been trained in the rules of seeing. We
are not conscious that there are any such rules; we think we see, as we say naturally. But we have in fact learned a
whole set of rules during childhood.” (See: Emilie Griffin, Souls in Full Flight, p. 143-144)
Might this be a helpful analogy for what happens to us in what Roman Catholics call purgatory? Could the
purification we experience after death be understood in this very way, namely, as an opening of our vision and
heart to a light and a love that are so full so as to force upon us the same kind of painful relearning and
reconceptualization that have just been described? Might purgatory be understood precisely as being embraced
by God in such a way that this warmth and light so dwarf our earthly concepts of love and knowledge that, like a
person born blind who is given sight, we have to struggle painfully in the very ecstasy of that light to unlearn and
relearn virtually our entire way of thinking and loving? Might purgatory be understood not as God’s absence or
some kind of punishment or retribution for sin, but as what happens to us when we are fully embraced, in ecstasy,
by God, perfect love and perfect truth?
Indeed isn’t this what faith, hope, and charity, the three theological virtues, are already trying to move us towards
in this life? Isn’t faith a knowing beyond what we can conceptualize? Isn’t hope an anchoring of ourselves in
something beyond what we can control and guarantee for ourselves? And isn’t charity a reaching out beyond
what affectively feeds us?
St. Paul, in describing our condition on earth, tells us that here, in this life, we see only as “through a mirror,
reflecting dimly” but that, after death, we will see “face to face”. Clearly in describing our present condition here
on earth he is highlighting a certain blindness, an embryonic darkness, an inability to actually see things as they
really are. It is significant to note too that he says this in a context within which he is pointing out that, already
now in this life, faith, hope, and charity help lift that blindness.
These are of course only questions, perhaps equally upsetting to Protestants and Roman Catholics alike. Many
Protestants and Evangelicals reject the very concept of purgatory on the grounds that, biblically, there are only
two eternal places, heaven and hell. Many Roman Catholics, on the other hand, get anxious whenever purgatory
seems to get stripped of its popular conception as a place or state apart from heaven. But purgatory conceived of
in this way, as the full opening of our eyes and hearts so as to cause a painful reconceptualization of things, might
help make the concept more palatable to Protestants and Evangelicals and help strip the concept of some of its
false popular connotations within Roman Catholic piety. True purgation happens only through love because it is
only when we experience love’s true embrace that we can see our sin and drink in, for the first time, the power to
move beyond it. Only light dispels darkness and only love casts out sin.
Therese of Lisieux would sometimes pray to God: “Punish me with a kiss!” The embrace of full love is the only true
purification for sin because only when we are embraced by love do we actually understand what sin is and, only
there, are we given the desire, the vision, and the strength to live in love and truth. But that inbreaking of love and
light is, all at the same time, delightful and bewildering, ecstatic and unsettling, wonderful and excruciating,
euphoric and painful. Indeed, it’s nothing less than purgatory.