“One does not need to go to purgatory”

St. Thérèse’s theology:

‘One does not need to go to purgatory’ Little Thérèse’s theology is a theology that springs from life, a theology of experience. She received a fervent Catholic upbringing at home, in her parish community, as well as at the school of the Benedictine nuns in Lisieux, and thus, she was familiar with the teaching of purgatory. Being lead by the Holy Spirit, thoughts, notions, and ideas developed which finally became, “The Teaching of the Little Flower on Purgatory.” The common teaching within the Church is that purgatory can hardly be avoided. While still only a novice, the saint commented about this with one of the sisters, Sr. Maria Philomena, who believed in the near impossibility of going to heaven without passing through purgatory: You do not have enough trust. You have too much fear before the good God. I can assure you that He is grieved over this. You should not fear purgatory because of the suffering there, but should instead ask that you not deserve to go there in order to please God, who so reluctantly imposes this punishment. As soon as you try to please Him in everything and have an unshakable trust, He purifies you every moment in His love, and He lets no sin remain. And then you can be sure that you will not have to go to purgatory. She even said we would offend God if we didn’t trust enough that we would get to heaven right after dying. When she found out her novices talked occasionally that they would probably have to expect to be in purgatory, she corrected them, saying: “Oh! How you grieve me! You do a great injury to God in believing you’re going to purgatory. When we love, we can’t go there.” Now, this is a new doctrine, but only for those who don’t know God, who are not childlike, who don’t trust. It is so correct to see things this way. It is true that God will judge us at one point, but He is always and first our Father who … suffers when He has to punish His child and sees its suffering. The child should do His will just out of love and not to avoid punishment. And this really means that God does not want purgatory! He allows that His children suffer, but only as if He had to look away. Once St. Thérèse encouraged her novice Sr. Marie de la Trinire to have the faith that it was possible even for her to get to heaven right away. She wondered, “If I fail even in the smallest things, may I still hope to get straight to heaven?” Saint Thérèse, who knew well the weaknesses of her novice, replied: “Yes! God is so good. He will know how He can come and get you. But despite this, try to be faithful, so that He does not wait in vain for your love.”

God is Father rather than judge read More here