As we celebrate the feast of All Souls today, we have a good opportunity to think about the meaning of purgatory. Our Catechism tells us this: "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". (Catechism of the Catholic Church, par.1030).

It comes as no surprise to us, that, after we die, most of us will need to go through some kind of purification or change so that we will become the person God meant us to be. Not very many of us are perfect in our love for God and for one another. Some of us will need more change, others less. If we are constantly trying to become more loving as we go through life, then our purgatory after death will probably be very much lessened.