Fr Jim Cogley
The Feast of All Saints that we had yesterday is for those who have arrived and today that of All Souls is for those who are still on their journey. For thousands of years it has been believed that while death is a journey to Heaven it is also one that may be long or short depending on the spiritual readiness of the soul. Many today treat Purgatory like Limbo, with a pinch of religious salt! They take the view that when we die we either go up or down and that’s it. Personally I believe that view to be utterly unrealistic and totally lacking in any understanding of the spiritual journey and what our lives here on earth are all about. It seems to suggest that someone who hasn’t even begun to engage with their spiritual journey will fare just as well on the other side as a highly evolved human being. Such a belief also contradicts a tradition that extends back thousands of years.