The Mystery of "Passive Purgation"

This blog entry is about the action of God's grace in the life of a true believer.

"Passive Purgation" sounds like a medical term, like some sort of treatment for indigestion or irregularity. In actuality, it is a theological term for the action of God's grace in effecting "detachment" in the believer, from spiritual and material objects which have been previously loved excessively (idolatry). What has often been interpreted in the Gospels as describing a "great rapture", wherein the believer suddenly "disappears" from his surroundings, is actually a misinterpretation. What Jesus is referring to, in speaking of "some who are taken, and some who are left behind" is a spiritual withdrawal from earthy thoughts, values and behaviors into a more "heavenly" and "Godly" mindset. Those who have been inspired into Gospel conversions in life understand this perfectly. This may involve alienation from friends and family. Having been "struck" by God at a certain time or in a certain period of life, they enter into a transitional phase of often painful detachment and reorientation which has been traditionally termed "passive purgation". There seem to be periods throughout life when "pain clouds" pass through the soul, which is led into a deeper conformity to God's Spirit and a deeper capacity to love. It might be supposed that the soul needs to understand this mystery, in order to benefit from this mysterious action. Without understanding, it is conceivable that one might be led into some degree of depression and anxiety. Faith teaches us to place a supremely positive value on the often painful mystery of "passive purgation".