990- Does repentance take place in the corporeal or the spirit state?
“In the spirit state. But it may also take place in the corporeal state when you clearly comprehend the difference between good and evil.”
991- What is the consequence of repentance in the spirit state?
“The spirit’s desire for a new incarnation in order to purify itself. It comprehends the imperfections that have kept it from being happy and it aspires to a new existence in which it can expiate its wrongs.” (See nos. 332, 975)
992- What is the consequence of repentance in the corporeal state?
“Advancement while in the present corporeal life – if one has the time to mend one’s wrongs. Whenever your conscience reproaches you or shows you an imperfection, you may always improve yourselves.”
993- Aren’t there individuals who have an instinct for evil only and who are incapable of repenting?
“I have told you that the spirit must progress without ceasing. Those who in this life have only an instinct for evil will have an instinct for the good in another one, and that is why they are reborn many times. All must advance and reach the objective at their own pace, more quickly or more slowly, according to their desire. Those who only have an instinct for the good are already purified because they might have had an instinct for evil in a prior existence.” (See no. 894)
994- Do wicked individuals, who during their life did not recognize their wrongs, always recognize them after death?
“Yes, they always recognize them and suffer even more because they regret all the evil they did or of which they were the intentional cause. Nevertheless, repentance is not always immediate. There are spirits who obstinately persist in doing wrong in spite of their suffering; but sooner or later they will see that they have taken an erroneous path and repentance will follow. It is for their enlightenment that good spirits work, and towards which you yourselves should work.”
995- Are there spirits who, although not wicked, are nonetheless indifferent about their fate?
“There are spirits who do not occupy themselves with anything useful, keeping themselves in a state of expectancy. They suffer in proportion to their inactivity, however, and since everything must lead to progress, such progress is realized through suffering.”
– Don’t they desire to shorten their suffering?
“Undoubtedly they do, but they lack the willpower for what it would take to alleviate it. How many individuals among you would rather die poor than work?”
996- Since spirits see the harm that results from their wrongs, how is it that some aggravate their position and prolong their state of imperfection by doing evil as spirits and turning people aside from the path of the good?
“Some spirits put off their repentance. Furthermore, a spirit who repents can afterward still allow itself to be drawn back onto the immoral path by spirits who are even less evolved.” (See no. 971)
997- We sometimes see spirits who are notoriously imperfect, but who are open to the good sentiments and prayers made on their behalf. How is it that other spirits whom we might believe are more enlightened show a callousness and cynicism impossible to break?
“Prayer is only effective in the case of spirits who repent. Those who, driven by pride, revolt against God and persist in their wrong-doings, multiplying them further as unfortunate spirits do, cannot and never will receive the benefits of prayer until the day the light of repentance dawns on them.” (See no. 664)
We must not forget that after the death of their body, spirits are not suddenly transformed. If their life was reprehensible, it was because they were imperfect. Death does not change that by suddenly turning them into perfect beings. They may persist in their errors, their wrong ideas and their prejudices until they become enlightened through study, reflection and suffering.
998- Is expiation accomplished in the corporeal state or in the spirit state?
“It is accomplished in the corporeal existence through the trials the spirit must undergo, and in the spirit life through the mental sufferings arising from its state of imperfection.”
999- Is sincere repentance during life sufficient to extinguish a spirit’s wrongs and enable it to merit God’s grace?
“Repentance helps to improve the spirit, but the past must nevertheless be expiated.”
– That being the case, what would be the consequences for a criminal who said that since he was expiating his past then there was no reason for him to have to repent?
“If he persists in the thought of evil, his expiation will be all the longer and more painful.”
1000- Can we redeem our wrongs in the present life?
“Yes, by making reparation for them. Do not suppose, however, that you can redeem them through a few childish privations or through donations after your death when you no longer need your assets. God does not value a sterile repentance, which is always easy and costs no more than mourning by beating on one’s chest. The loss of a finger in rendering a service effaces a greater number of wrongs than mortifying one’s whole flesh for years without any other purpose than one’s own self-interest. (See no. 726)
“Evil can only be atoned for by means of the good, and reparation does not have any merit if it does not strike human beings in their pride or their material interests.
“What good would it do on our behalf if after our death we were to restore property which we acquired wrongly, and which we had thoroughly enjoyed during life, but which is now of no further use to us?
“What good would it do to be deprived of a few useless and superfluous enjoyments if the evil we had done to someone remained in place?
“Lastly, what good would it do to humble oneself before God if we maintained our pride in dealing with others?” (See nos. 720, 721)
1001- Is there any merit in ensuring that after our death the property we have left behind will be put to good use?
“Merit is not quite the right term, but it is always better than doing nothing. Unfortunately, those who only give after their death are usually more selfish than generous – they want the honors of charitable acts without having to practice them. Those who deprive themselves during life have a double advantage: the merit of sacrifice and the pleasure of witnessing the happiness of those whom they have benefited. Selfishness, however, is always ready to whisper that whatever you give away will deprive you of your own enjoyment, and since selfishness speaks louder than selflessness and charity, people hold on to their possessions under the pretext that they are necessary for satisfying their needs and the requirements of their position in society. Pity those who do not know the pleasure of giving, for they have really deprived themselves of one of the purest and sweetest enjoyments of humankind. In subjecting them to the trial of wealth – so slippery and dangerous for their future – God has wished to give them by way of compensation the happiness of generosity, which they can enjoy right now in this world.” (See no. 814)
1002- What can be done when at their death individuals recognize their wrongs but do not have the time remaining to make amends? Is repentance enough in such a case?
“Repentance hastens their rehabilitation but it does not absolve them. Don’t they have the whole future ahead, which will never be closed to them?”
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