14. 煉獄－白孟德神父（Fr. Charles Belmonte Lopez）語錄-譯者:林豪

God our Father has promised us a place of absolute happiness. To enter heaven, a soul must be free from all traces of sin.

天主，我們的天父應允我們有一個絕對幸福的地方。要進入天堂，靈魂必須擺脫所有罪惡的痕跡。

To cleanse us, God disposed Purgatory, a place for purification. For the souls in purgatory, even their punishments bring joy.

為了潔淨我們，天主設置了煉獄，是一個能夠獲得淨化的地方。對於在煉獄中的靈魂而言，即使是他們在受懲罰也會帶來喜樂。

God purifies us also during our life on earth. Our suffering freely accepted and sought for love of God, pain, and sacrifice: these are instruments of reparation. These are our purgatory on earth. We must be convinced that pain and suffering are part of God’s plan, and that they serve as atonement in this life and prepare us for our final union with God.

天主在我們仍在世地上生活時，也淨化了我們。我們自由地接受苦難和尋求對天主的愛、痛苦和犧牲：這些都是補贖的工具，也是我們在世上的煉獄。我們必須確信，痛苦和苦難是天主計畫的一部分，是作為今生的補贖，並為我們與天主最終的合一做好準備。

There is much that we need to purify in ourselves. There are venial sins; there are omissions in love. And even the temporal debt of past sins, which must be paid either in this life or in the next. So, we should ask the Lord: Cleanse me in this life and make me such that I do not need to be punished by fire.

我們自己有很多需要淨化的事務。因為缺乏了愛的小罪；甚至是過去罪孽的暫罰，必須在今生或來世補償。所以，我們應該求天主：在今生潔淨我，使我不需要受到烈火的懲罰。

But suffering must be accompanied by joy. I beg our Blessed Lady, Refuge of sinners, that the thought of purgatory may make me more generous every day in atoning for my faults.

但是苦難必須伴隨著喜樂。我懇求我們的聖母，罪人之託，一想到煉獄，我每天都會更加慷慨地為我的罪過作補贖。

Today’s challenge: In your thanksgiving after Mass, don’t forget to pray for the souls in Purgatory; beginning with your relatives and friends.

今天的挑戰：在彌撒後的感恩時刻中，不要忘記為煉獄中的靈魂祈禱；先從你的親戚和朋友開始。

原文出處：

My blog: https://charlesbelmonte.blogspot.com/