What am I doing to shorten my Purgatory?

Last week I was reading a booklet about patience when I came across the following text:

In Purgatory the suffering is more intense than any suffering of this present life and therefore there is greater need of patience to endure it. But the Holy Souls have their wills in perfect conformity to the will of God, and they cannot be anything but patient amid their torments. They do not and they cannot rebel, but their submission does not remove the bitterness of their unceasing sorrow, as they think how comparatively easy it would have been for them to avoid while still on earth their present anguish by greater faithfullness to grace, and by uniting their actions and sufferings to the actions and sufferings of the Divine Son of God.

If we could look forward to those sufferings with an appreciation of what they are, how patient we should be now! We should consider it a privilege to suffer now as the very best way of avoiding the agony of that fire which will be kindled by the wrath of God, and will in some way correspond to our ingratitude and unfaithfulness to our King and Benefactor. If no other motive makes me patient under my earthly sufferings, yet at least prospect of long years of far worse sufferings ought to make me choose the lighter suffering now. What am I doing to shorten my Purgatory?

The Holy Souls must sometimes think reproachfully how little their friends on earth do to help them. Among many other methods of aiding them, I can offer up for them all the pains of mind and body that God sends me, asking God to accept it in alleviation of their sufferings. This will help me to be patient and to suffer willingly, and when my time comes, I shall find that patient suffering for others will shorten my time of banishment from God in the fires of Purgatory.

(Patience By Richard F. Clarke, S.J. - CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY No. D 18 (1932).)

Wow. Food for thought. I couldn't help but meditating about the following question:

What am I doing to shorten my Purgatory?

This prompted me to search the Scripture for directions. And the following text from the Second letter of St Peter gave me an answer:

"For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love."

(2 Peter 1:5-7) 

So, this is my plan, with the help of God I am willing to:

• practice patience
• offer up the pains of mind and body for the souls in Purgatory
• try to live the rules given in 2 Peter 1:5-7

Lord, help me!

Do not be afraid, I am with you.
I have called you each by name.
Come and follow me
I will bring you home;
I love you and you are mine.

(You Are Mine - David Haas; Isaiah 43)