Maybe 25 years ago, as a kid I have one question in mind. And yes I would not call him God either. I remember it very well that as a young kid I always insists to call him as Jesus. God is so adult. So Jesus it is. My question would be very simple.
Dear Jesus, is this purgatory?
When you’re a kid, you never question the wisdom of your elders. My earliest memory about purgatory was when I was six years old. I attended the mass with my parents and the priest was talking about purgatory, heaven and hell. Heaven as I knew and from what I’ve seen in the pictures was filled with white cotton candy clouds with all the angels flapping their little wings while singing in their melodious voices. I’m sure heaven is also filled with lots of candies and a bowl of creamy chicken soup waiting for everyone who enters its gates. Hell is of course filled with lakes of fire. A man with two horns and a tail laughing like a lunatic is seated in his throne. And yes, don’t forget the huge pitchfork he uses to poke the souls who are swimming in the lakes of fire.
But purgatory? Where is it? What does it look like?
After the mass as we were going out of the church, my dad turned to me and told me to be quiet. He pointed to this huge and magnificent structure. That is purgatory. Tall and towering, the place looks forlorn with some moss gathering at the sides and an eerie silence that engulfs it akin to those horror movies that I watch. Like the naughty kid that I was I looked at it with awe and great interest. I bet to any kid, any structure that is big and towering is an awesome sight. I turned to my father and asked him whether we could just take a look inside and say hello to the souls. I was promptly told that the souls were asleep it was best for us to stay quiet, pray for them and walk away.
From that day on, it is firmly entrenched to my mind that this is what purgatory looks like. In school, I would tell my other classmates with great conviction that I know where purgatory is. It is just right across Jaro plaza and that one should really be quiet upon approaching the area for souls are asleep. Some of them believed me. Of course, some don’t.
Years later, I found out that this place was no purgatory. It was actually an old belfry of Jaro Cathedral that was constructed during the Spanish period in the country. Now, I’m more confused if this is not purgatory, then where can I find it? And yes, I prefer to call him God now. Does it follow then that Jesus is for kids and God is for adults? If God don’t mind me asking another question I still would want to know where purgatory is. I’m thinking maybe it is somewhere between the stratosphere and ionosphere.
Where is purgatory?
No comments:
Post a Comment