Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/58

 III. What ought  to  be  done  to  avoid  hell? "Avoid sin and  do  good." If you  would  not  consent  for  the whole world  to  undergo,  even  for  an  hour,  a  very  severe corporal pain,  with  how  much  more  reason  ought  you  to labor  to  avoid  the  pains  of  hell. This cannot  be  done without avoiding  sin. "Let us  therefore  bewail  our sins,"  as  Thomas  a  Kempis  says,  "before  we  come  to  that place  where  our  tears  will  be  of  no  other  avail  than  to increase  our  torments;"  and  let  us  avoid  sin  for  the  future;  for  sin  is  the  fuel  of  hell.

I. As  hell  is  destined  for  the  punishment  of  mortal sin, so  is  purgatory  ordained  to  be  the  punishment  of venial  transgressions. In purgatory  souls  suffer  for  a time  the  "pain  of  loss"  and  the  pains  of  the  senses. Ponder then  on  their  pain  of  loss. They are  deprived  of the  beatific  vision  and  the  enjoyment  of  God,  which  they most ardently  desire. "Hope that  is  deferred  afflicteth the  soul." (Prov. xiii.  12.)  Much  more  is  the  soul afflicted when  those  hopes  regard  an  enjoyment  so  great as is  the  happiness  of  heaven. If a  high  honor,  a  large sum of  money,  or  any  extraordinary  enjoyment  were promised you,  think  how  uneasy  you  would  be  until  you had gained  possession  of  it. How great,  then,  must  be  the desire of  these  afflicted  souls  for  the  beatific  vision,  and the grief  resulting  from  that  desire! That grief  is  increased by  the  reflection  that  this  enjoyment  is  delayed in consequence  of  their  own  carelessness  and  negligence.

II. Consider the  pain  of  sense  which  the  souls  in  purgatory experience. 1. The  place  of  punishment  is  hideous and  in  the  vicinity  of  hell,  as  most  of  the  holy Fathers think. 2. The  nature  of  the  fire  is  the  same  as