We are still in November and 'they'...........

.....are still in Purgatory!

It surprises me just how many Catholics know nothing about Purgatory and, even, dismiss it as being part of the 'outdated' teachings of the Church.

I am not suggesting for one minute that readers of this blog fall into that category but they might like to send this video clip to any family members who have expressed doubts on what is infallible Church teaching.

Of course, we don't like to talk about Purgatory just as we do not like to talk about death but, if we get to Purgatory we will not have to face eternal death, only eternal life.
Better still if we can avoid Purgatory altogether and join the glorious faithful in Heaven.

And one way in which we may achieve this seemingly over ambitious aim is to follow the advice given by St James the Apostle who states:

"He who saves a soul, saves his own, and satisfies for a multitude of sins"

How do we do this? By praying for the Holy Souls, by offering up penances on their behalf and by propagating the faith.

A powerful prayer for the Holy Souls...pray it to 'empty Purgatory':

"Eternal Father I offer Thee the most Precious Blood of Jesus, with all the Masses being said all over the world this day, for the Souls in Purgatory."

The best November hymn for the Holy Souls

Help Lord the souls.....


"in prison for the debt unpaid...."

 By far and away the best and probably most effective lament on behalf of the Holy Souls.

I could not find a Youtube clip worth listening to so I sang the hymn myself....if you turn up the volume on your PC (why do people say "turn it up real loud?") you may hear a rather crackly but fine baritone voice.....

Here are the words......

Help, Lord, the souls which Thou hast made,

The souls to Thee so dear,

In prison for the debt unpaid

Of sins committed here.

Those holy souls, they suffer on,

Resign'd in heart and will,

Until Thy high behest is done,

And justice has its fill.

For daily falls, for pardon'd crime,

They joy to undergo

The shadow of Thy cross sublime,

The remnant of Thy woe.

Help, Lord, the souls which Thou hast made,

The souls to Thee so dear,

In prison for the debt unpaid

Of sins committed here.

Oh, by their patience of delay,

Their hope amid their pain,

Their sacred zeal to burn away

Disfigurement and stain;

Oh, by their fire of love, not less

In keenness than the flame,

Oh, by their very helplessness,

Oh, by Thy own great Name,

Good Jesu, help! sweet Jesu, aid

The souls to Thee most dear,

In prison for the debt unpaid

Of sins committed here.

   Blessed Cardinal John Newman - Pray for the Holy Souls - Pray for us!



Be a hero - for the sake of the Holy Souls

Make an heroic Act of Charity, (but it's not to be undertaken lightly), you give up all of your 'satisfactory value' towards the alleviation of your own time in Purgatory in order to release souls now. Here's how, courtesy of Fisheaters -

                                               Heroic Act of Charity

An "Heroic Act of Charity" is the offering of the satisfactory value (not the merits) of all of our sufferings and works of the rest of our lives and of any time we may spend in Purgatory for the relief of the souls in Purgatory. We do this by first deciding to do so, and then praying (using our own words or the more formal prayer below) to offer these things to God through Mary's hands.

Doing this is not a matter of taking a vow; it doesn't bind under pain of sin, and it is revokable (unless one vows never to revoke the Act). But it is a tremendous sacrifice, hence the name. It is truly heroic, a giving up of one's own earned relief from the temporal effects of sin -- even relief of the sufferings of Purgatory -- for the good of others.

In addition to asking God to use their satisfactory works for the souls in Purgatory, those who make this Act also receive a plenary indulgence (under the usual conditions) for the souls in Purgatory each time they receive Communion, and each time they hear Mass on Mondays for the sake of the departed.

Words to a formal Act of Heroic Charity are as follows:

O Holy and Adorable Trinity, desiring to aid in the relief and release of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, through my devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, I cede and renounce, on behalf of these souls, all the satisfactory part of my works, and all the suffrages which may be given to me after my death. In their entirety, I offer them to Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God, that she may use them, according to her good pleasure, for those souls of the faithful departed whom she desires to alleviate their suffering. O my God, deign to accept and bless my offering which I make to Thee through the most august Queen of Heaven and Earth.

        Amen.

Phew! I feel a little faint!

The Catholic brand

This month especially we pray "to empty Purgatory" - a wondrous ambition.

A priest friend of mine always makes a point of visiting any non Catholic cemetery he happens to be passing in order to say an eternal rest or three for those buried there. That is an admirable practice.

Those souls have no one to pray for them and they carry the stain of their earthly sin until such time that recompense has been judged to have been made.

They are branded with the infection of sin; sin that needs to be eradicated just as an infected wound is cauterized, by fire.

And to carry the metaphor still further, iron loses its properties (sin) in fire and then, if heated to the correct degree and annealing takes place, it becomes harder and stronger then before.

It becomes perfect just as our souls will become perfect so that we may enter into God's kingdom for all  time.

Cristobal de Morales - Missa Pro de Defunctis

Misere mei Deus.....

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them.
                                          May they rest in peace. Amen.

Free them from their sins Lord

Absolve Domine......for the Holy Souls

Lent is a good time to remember those in Purgatory

Lenten prayers may release a soul to Heaven

O gentlest Heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in Purgatory, have mercy on the soul of your departed servant (name). Be not severe in your judgement, but let some drops of Your Precious Blood fall upon him/her, and send, O merciful Saviour, Your angels to conduct him/her to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen.

Thanks for this prayer to Salve Regina

Christ and the peasant couple

This is a story taken, I believe, from the Apocrypha. As such, it is not deemed to be true although I like to believe it has its roots in the truth.

Our Lord and some of His disciples were travelling through a sparse and alien land when night began to fall. Anxious to gain a roof over their heads before dark the disciples were relieved to see a hovel come into view.

At the hovel they found an old man and his wife, eking out an existence on the fringe of the desert. Despite the poverty of the pair the group were warmly received and a small meal and shelter provided for the night.

In the morning it was found that the couple’s only cow and sole source of milk, had died in the night.

When they were once more on the move the disciples challenged Our Lord stating: “Could you not have done something, they lost their only cow and now they have nothing”.

Our Lord responded: “It was the old man that was due to die last night but I asked My Father to take the cow instead. Now at least the man and his wife have each other”.

How often has God intervened in our lives and given us a small tragedy in order to save us from a major one. You may well ask ‘Why did God not give the couple an added gift rather than taking from them?’ The answer lies in God’s love for us. We must not fall into the trap of believing that this life is something to be desired or is of importance; it is not.

By allowing us to suffer a little God enables us to purify our souls and reduce the time we may spend in Purgatory.

Last chance in November....

..to pray for the release of your family, friends and even those who have no one to pray for them

A soul being carried to Heaven

"O Lord, who art ever merciful and bounteous with Thy gifts, look down upon the suffering souls in purgatory. Remember not their offences and negligences, but be mindful of Thy loving mercy, which is from all eternity. Cleanse them of their sins and fulfill their ardent desires that they may be made worthy to behold Thee face to face in Thy glory. May they soon be united with Thee and hear those blessed words which will call them to their heavenly home: "Come, blessed of My Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."