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After my Easter reflections and a consideration of the last things, I am now, so to speak, turning my daily reflection toward the liturgical season of Easter. I would like to continue what I began in earlier posts—namely, to regularly take a look at the saints of the day. These need not always be those commemorated in the daily liturgy; they may also include lesser‑known or regionally venerated saints who nonetheless appear in the official directories.

The saints are true witnesses to the Gospel, whether their holiness was expressed in great outward works or blossomed quietly in hidden ways. They are an immeasurable gift to the Church and, thus, to all humanity. Only God knows what graces have been poured out upon the world through their lives.

Today we turn our gaze to St. Brother Konrad von Parzham, from whom this remarkable saying originates:

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The important but often misunderstood topic of Purgatory still falls within the scope of our reflections on the last things, and despite its seriousness, it is a very comforting teaching.

We must assume that most people cannot immediately attain full union with God after death, for this is possible only when a person is completely purified. At the same time, we hope that as few people as possible will go to hell—preferably none at all—which is left entirely to God’s love and justice. Against this backdrop, the profound meaning of the doctrine of Purgatory becomes clear. It springs from the wisdom of God’s love and constitutes an act of His mercy. Thus, for people who did not respond sufficiently to God’s love during their earthly life, there is still a path of purification after death.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the following in Article 12:

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Any consideration of the all‑important “last things” remains incomplete if we do not also take into account the possibility of a life gone astray, for both Sacred Scripture and Church teaching bear clear witness to this.

Certainly, it may be frightening to hear about this, but that is no reason to conceal this dimension of our faith, for there is also such a thing as “salutary fear.” Saint John Chrysostom underscores the importance of this teaching and emphasizes how essential it is to keep it in mind.

“Truly, if we always thought of the punishment of hell, we would not easily fall into it! That is why God has threatened us with the punishment of hell: if the thought of it did not have something salutary, He would not have done so. Because the memory of the punishments of hell produces such great effects, God has given us the threat as a salutary medicine. (…) A soul that fears hell will not easily fall into sin. (…) The fear dwelling in the heart banishes all that is sinful from it.” (J. Chrysostom, Homily on the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, 2:3)

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As we considered yesterday, the highest good that awaits us in Heaven is the vision of God, which will make us infinitely happy. Some Church Fathers have attempted to make this incomprehensible reality somehow accessible to us. Therefore, I would like to add one of these voices for our edification. Saint Augustine, a master of the word, writes in The City of God:[1]

How great shall be that felicity, which shall be tainted with no evil, which shall lack no good, and which shall afford leisure for the praises of God, who shall be all in all! For I know not what other employment there can be where no lassitude shall slacken activity, nor any want stimulate to labor. (…) All the members and organs of the incorruptible body, which now we see to be suited to various necessary uses, shall contribute to the praises of God; for in that life necessity shall have no place, but full, certain, secure, everlasting felicity. (…) And, along with the other great and marvellous discoveries which shall then kindle rational minds in praise of the great Artificer, there shall be the enjoyment of a beauty which appeals to the reason. (Book 22, chapter 30)

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Yesterday we focused on the spiritual resurrection, or the first resurrection. This topic no longer needs to be explored in greater depth, for it is the daily path of faith, linked to the pursuit of holiness. It accompanies us throughout our entire lives, and I strive to offer help to the faithful and those seeking the truth through talks, meditations, and lectures.

But what also belongs to these reflections on the Lord’s Resurrection is the gaze toward eternity. For those believers who have remained faithful, it will be Heaven—complete union with God in the contemplation of His glory.

It would indeed be very unwise to lose sight of this wonderful goal toward which we are journeying. It is far more glorious than we can imagine, and its beauty should draw us to it. Nor does contemplating the glory of Heaven make us unworldly, “aloof,” or cause us to flee from reality. All of these are false notions. On the contrary, the anticipation of Heaven should strengthen our zeal to fulfill our vocation on earth, to glorify God and serve humanity.

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Now that we have considered our future bodily resurrection in three reflections—a resurrection we can joyfully look forward to as the faithful—it is fitting to turn our attention to our spiritual resurrection, which is the prerequisite for facing death with confidence. This spiritual resurrection is also referred to as the “first resurrection,” meaning the awakening of the soul to true life.

St. Augustine writes about this topic in The City of God and comments on the following words of the Lord:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.” (John 5:25)

According to Augustine, “the Lord is not speaking here of the second resurrection—the bodily one that will take place at the end—but of the first, which is taking place now. It is precisely this that He wishes to mark with the words: ‘The hour is coming, and now is.’ But this resurrection is not a resurrection of bodies, but of souls. For souls, too, have their death—namely in godlessness and sin—and it is such dead people the Lord means when He says: “Let the dead bury their dead,” meaning: let those who are spiritually dead bury those who are physically dead. (Augustine, Volume 28, p. 1227)

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Let us now turn to the salvific teaching on the resurrection, which is so essential that St. Paul makes it clear: “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.” (1 Cor 15:13 ff)

Since our Catholic faith gives us the light of truth, it is salvific in the deepest sense of the word. Nothing leads a person more deeply toward his destiny than when, in God’s grace, he recognizes the truth and accepts the salvation that God offers him in His infinite mercy through Christ Jesus. If he lives in the truth, then the heavenly Father will shape him into what He intended when He created him. This will be fulfilled in eternity. Yet we must not conceal the truth that a person, through his own fault, can fail to reach his goal and must live forever separated from the vision of God, enduring the corresponding torments. This teaching is also salutary, for it is meant to awaken us and bring our responsibility for our lives into clear focus, so that we may choose life in the truth.

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Through the meditations on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we were introduced during the Easter Octave to the liturgically wonderful Easter season, which the Risen Lord spent with His disciples on earth to further prepare them for their future mission. One can still sense the disciples’ amazement at the events, which only gradually sank in as reality.

In deciding how to continue my daily reflections, I have chosen the readings of the Old Rite as my primary guide. Since I have frequently interpreted the readings of the New Rite, links to these earlier reflections will continue to be available at the end of my remarks.

First, however, it is important to delve deeper into a significant topic.

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What is true peace? It is the peace that comes from God, the peace that springs from His heart. Jesus put it this way: Read More

We have heard it many times in the accounts. It has happened: The Lord has risen from the dead! He is truly risen! Alleluia! This cry resounds throughout the Christian faith and gives it hope—hope even in dark times, when it seems to be fading—for the Resurrection of Christ is the visible sign of victory over hell and death! “O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?” (1 Cor 15:55) May this cry never fall silent. May it lift up all despondent hearts and pierce through the darkness. The Lord is risen! Today’s Gospel reading in the Old Rite (John 20:1–9) takes us back once more to the disciples on the early morning of Easter. They still have a journey to make to understand what happened on Easter morning. It is still unclear to them, and they are shaken and grieving over the death of their Lord. What will happen after His death? The Lord now lay in the tomb … Read More