The Visitor in Purgatory
The Visitor in Purgatory
I entered, rooms were full of sobbing tears
from people’s eyes; there were too many people to count
no children; they went straight to heaven.
Gates and gardens to plant flowers in which to sow the seeds
we should have been sowing on Earth; I forgot to sow.
Shovels, buckets, seeds, planters, pots, hats, soil, water surrounded me; I was learning again about life.
The rooms were divided by ages, there were 50,000 rooms, and twice a day the walls went up and I was able to see other people beyond or beneath my own age.
We talked about what we did, what we didn’t do, how we sinned, and how we knew of the sins we committed.
They were not gargantuan sins most were not, however the ones that were, their gates were down all day, committed to total solitude and books; mealtime with no one because of crimes committed and the souls on Earth that were praying for their release, allowed them to stay within the walls of Purgatory, and not go straight to hell.
I met a man that said he met my Father, that my Father told the story of my praying every day for his soul’s release and that one day, a year later, he was sent to heaven and that my dream revealed him going upwards on an escalator and smiling.
The man Gabe, told me how my Dad would play cards with him when the walls went up during the day and that he never won, my Father always did and he shared with me that because of my books and prayers, my Father entered heaven. I knew he would find his faith one day with my help and others’ help as well. I was happy for him yet wondering if this was a visit for me or this was my reality.
Was I stuck in Purgatory or was it truly a visit? I planted a garden that day of tomatoes, carrots, and thyme, and prayed for my release from the walls of Purgatory. The walls went down for the night and it was dark and I heard all the sobs of the people on my floor, the floor of the walls of Purgatory.
Beautiful but sad! As a Catholic we were taught that those guilty of venial sins went to Purgatory.