Confusing passage from St. Faustina

[Nelka]

I love St. Faustina but am confused by this passage.

One night, a sister who had died two months previously came to me. She was a sister of the first choir. I saw her in a terrible condition, all in flames with her face painfully distorted. This lasted only a short time, and then she disappeared. A shudder went through my soul because I did not know whether she was suffering in PURGATORY or in hell. Nevertheless, I redoubled my prayers for her. The next night she came again, but I saw her in an even more horrible state, in the midst of flames which were even more intense, and despair was written all over her face. I was astonished to see her in a worse condition after the prayers I had offered for her, and I asked, “Haven’t my prayers helped you?” She answered that my prayers had not helped her and that nothing would help her. I said to her, “And the prayers which the whole community has offered for you, have they not been any help to you?” She said no, that these prayers had helped some other souls. I replied, “If my prayers are not helping you, Sister, please stop coming to me.” She disappeared at once. Despite this, I kept on praying.

After some time she came back again to me during the night, but already her appearance had changed. There were no longer any flames, as there had been before, and her face was radiant, her eyes beaming with joy. She told me that I had a true love for my neighbour and that many other souls had profited from my prayers. She urged me not to cease praying for the souls in PURGATORY, and she added that she herself would not remain there much longer. How astounding are the decrees of God! (Diary, 58)

 

[JerryZ]

So, please in order to attempt at helping you, what is it that is causing confusion?
Respectfully…
Thanks

 

[Nelka]

Suffering and prayers not helping?

 

[Vico]

…

Prayers for those in purgatory are helpful, per the Catechism:

1030 All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

1031The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. …

1032 This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin."609 From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God.610 The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead: …

 

[Sirach2]

It appears to me that one who suffers in Purgatory is never assured of a release date, but continues with their purgation. Once the sister was purged through the prayers of St. Faustina and the Community, she radiantly appeared to let her know she no longer suffers there.

 

[JerryZ]

Actually the sister was quite clears that St. Faustina’s prayers had helped other souls in Purgatory but not her.
Which tells us that yes prayers are effective but not necessarily for the ones we pray for and that GOD has HIS own designs and we need to trust in HIM always.
See St. Faustina kept praying for her no matter what. In the end it is our Father’s will that will be done.
Peace.

 

[Sirach2]

Actually the sister was quite clears that St. Faustina’s prayers had helped other souls in Purgatory but not her.

I believe you are mistaken. Please read Nelka’s post again, especially this part.

She urged me not to cease praying for the souls in PURGATORY, and she added that she herself would not remain there much longer.

 

[JerryZ]

This what I referred to from St. Faustina’s:

““And the prayers which the whole community has offered for you, have they not been any help to you?” She said no, that these prayers had helped some other souls.”

 

[Psychae]

The thing about private revelation is that it is frequently confusing and frequently misinterpreted. Hence worthy of belief, not required. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Sirach2]

True, but only for that particular moment when she had appeared to Faustina, but you are speaking out of context with the whole paragraph. She said she wouldn’t be there much longer, and then backed up that revelation when she appeared to Faustina in radiant beauty. If one stops at your words and doesn’t finish the message, it would not be a correct understanding.

 

[Lazybones]

Hi Nelka, I’ve read a few stories from books about Saints (Vincent Ferrer and an Italian Saint whose name I can’t remember) that sometimes the Masses and prayers offered for a particular person were of no assistance to them personally because God applied the benefits to another/others.
This might seem mean or cruel on God’s part but often this was to purify a specific fault - neglecting to pray for the holy souls was one reason I read about - or it could be God applying the benefit to souls who are there longer and have no one to pray for them personally. He Himself knows His reasons and i don’t think He is motivated by spite.

There was a German woman by the name of Maria Simms who was visited by the suffering souls to request prayers; she gave interviews and a lot of insights into their situation. Check her out if you wish.

Another book is “Read me or rue it”; a Catholic book about Purgatory, well worth a read.

 

[lil_user]

these prayers had helped some other souls

which is also called the divine oikonomia (economy).

Prayer and suffering are always of help if offered to God. But it is not for us to dispose of the merit of said prayers and sufferings.

 

[Gab123]

Hence worthy of belief, not required.

Yet worthy of belief nonetheless, namely when the Church fully endorses it. Obviously it is not required for salvation itself; but there’s a reason why God permits private revelation in the first place, namely to energize the faith, and remind the flock that, yes, the spiritual world IS real and yes, heaven, hell, purgatory, angels, demons, salvation and damnation ARE real.

All too often the noise of the world lulls many into a trance of mediocrity, little zeal for the cause and weak faith. Thus we see how at Fatima the children were shown the horrible reality of hell; not teaching anything new, yet a shocking sobering reminder that we are all only a heart beat away from entering the spiritual world, and we certainly do not want to be caught off guard…