Question:
Answer:
First off, we should be terrified of hell, given its eternal punishments (CCC 1033ff.), not Purgatory, whose sufferings are not everlasting (CCC 1030-32).
That said, we shouldn’t take Purgatory or its sufferings lightly. In that regard, the best thing you can do is to strive to grow in holiness, asking our Lord Jesus Christ to help you become more like him each and every day.
In the process, you’ll become less attached to unhealthy attachments and thus prepare yourself better for heaven (CCC 1472-73). And when you fail, seek God’s absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and begin anew.
Finally, you can seek a partial or plenary indulgence for yourself (CCC 1471), and also for departed loved ones and other souls in Purgatory who—God knows, so trust in him—are most in need of his mercy. And if a loved one is no longer in Purgatory, the indulgence will benefit someone else in God’s providential plan for the Church Suffering in Purgatory.