When we read today's Gospel text, we usually become very afraid, because we do not dare to imagine that the Lord will count us among the righteous. And we feel how our reason, with all its strength...
When we read today's Gospel text, we usually become very afraid, because we do not dare to imagine that the Lord will count us among the righteous. And we feel how our reason, with all its strength, demands Purgatory. This is a difficult question; at some point each person resolves it for himself. And although we understand that the line between good and evil runs through the human soul, we must still hold firmly to the Word of God, setting aside, as far as possible, the entire cultural burden of two thousand years, which at times only darkens our perception.
So the Lord speaks about the separation of the righteous from the wicked. Let us not look for our own place in this "icon," but look at it as we usually look at icons, discerning the theological meaning in the depth of the symbolism. The main message of this text, as we understand it, is that there will be no more half measures: good will be completely separated from evil. But what about that share of evil present in everyone whose mother bore him "in sins" (Ps 50), that is, in every human being?
The solution to this difficult problem may be Purgatory, or it may be Forgiveness. We have no right to impose our solution on anyone; each person comes to this himself, provided only that we respect another person's choice.
