CHRISTMAS IS THE DAY OF THE YEAR WHEN MOST SOULS ARE DELIVERED FROM PURGATORY

There are more souls released from purgatory during consecration of the Mass than at any time. Christmas is the day of the year when most souls are delivered: then the feast days of Our Lord, Our Lady and great saints. Souls receive much grace from prayers offered for them on their birthdays, day of baptism, anniversary of death.

The more we work for Poor Souls on earth, the more others will pray for us, and more merciful will Christ be with us when we are in purgatory.
Our Lady asked that we pray very much for the Poor Souls.

 

PRAYER TO A SAINT ON THEIR FEAST DAY

From the bottom of my heart I greet you, O holy (insert name) and wish you a happy feast day. I thank the Most High God for bestowing on you so many graces and for leading you so gloriously into heaven on this day.

For the increase of all your honour and joy, as well as for the special union of your heart with mine, I offer you the sweetest Heart of Jesus, together with all my works, intended on bringing about your greater glory and the greater glory of God.

Allow this bond of love and let me be faithfully recommended to you. I also especially recommend to you the dear souls of purgatory that you make them partakers of your joys today by releasing at least one of them through your intercession, to the greater honour of God on your dear feast day. Amen.

(Fr Martin of Cochem, 1689)

 

THE TRUTH CONCERNING THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY

In November we think about, and pray for, the Holy Souls. Let us today prayerfully reflect on the truth concerning the Holy Souls contained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

‘The human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual. The biblical account expresses this reality in symbolic language when it affirms that “then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.’ Man, whole and entire, is therefore willed by God.’ (section 362)

‘In Sacred Scripture the term ‘soul’ often refers to human life or the entire human person. But ‘soul’ also refers to the inner-most aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him, that by which he is most especially in God’s image: ‘soul’ signifies the spiritual principal in man.’ (section 363)

‘The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God – it is not ‘produced’ by the parents – and also that it is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection.’ (section 366)

‘All who died in God’s grace and friendship, but still
imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.’ (section 1030)

‘The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final
purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.’ (section 1031)

‘From the beginning the Church has honoured the
memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God,’ (section 1032)

(From: Spiritual Thought from Fr Chris)

 

ALL SOULS SUFFRAGE

If you visit a cemetery and pray there for the departed (between November 1 and November 8), a plenary indulgence can be gained for the souls in Purgatory (under the usual conditions).

 

THIS NOVENA MAY BE STARTED TODAY…

O Holy Souls in Purgatory, you are the certain heirs of Heaven. You are most dear to Jesus as the trophies of His Precious Blood and to Mary, Mother of Mercy. Obtain for me through your intercession the grace to lead a holy life, to die a happy death and to attain the blessedness of eternity in Heaven.

Dear suffering souls, who long to be delivered in order to praise and glorify God in Heaven, by your unfailing pity help me in the needs which distress me at this time, particularly (mention your request), so that I may obtain relief and assistance from God.

In gratitude for your intercession I offer to God on your behalf the satisfactory merits of my prayer and work, my joys and sufferings of this day (week, month, or whatever space of time you wish to designate).

(Assist at Mass and have a Mass offered for them, if possible. Offerings of the Precious Blood and the Way of the Cross are also powerful means of helping them and obtaining their help.)

 

AT THE HOUR OF DEATH THE MASSES YOU HAVE HEARD WILL BE YOUR GREATEST CONSOLATION

THE HOLY MASS

At the hour of death the Masses you have heard will be your greatest consolation. Every Mass will go with you to judgment and plead for pardon.

At every Mass you can diminish the temporal punishment due to your sins, more or less according to your fervour.

Assisting devoutly at Mass you render to the Sacred Humanity of Our Lord the greatest homage. You afford to the souls in Purgatory the greatest possible relief.

You are preserved from many dangers and misfortunes which would otherwise have befallen you.

You shorten your Purgatory by every Mass.

Every Mass wins you a higher degree of sanctifying grace here, and glory in heaven hereafter.

You are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.

When you hear Mass and offer the Holy Sacrifice in honour of any particular Saint or Angel, thank God for the favour bestowed on him, etc., etc.

One Mass heard during your life will be of more benefit to you than many heard for you after your death. Therefore, try to hear Mass every day.

– From: St Anthony’s Treasury, 1916

 

BEADS OF THE DEAD

Consisting of four decades, in memory of the Forty Hours which Our Lord passed in Limbo.

Begin with the “De Profundis”or with an “Our Father”  and “Hail Mary”.   “

Say on the large beads the Acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity. – “O my God, I believe in thee, because thou art Truth itself. Amen. I hope in thee, because thou art merciful. Amen. I love thee, because thou art good: and my neighbour as myself for love of thee. I am very sorry that I have sinned against thee, because thou art so good, and with thy grace, I will not sin again. Amen.”

On each small bead repeat: “Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation.” [300 days’ indulgence.]

End each decade with: “Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. [300 days, each time, applicable to the souls in Purgatory.]

[Numerous indulgences are granted for saying these prayers with or without Rosary beads.]

– St Anthony’s Treasury, 1916

 

ARCHANGEL MICHAEL, CONSOLER OF THE POOR SOULS

In her beautiful prayers in the Mass for the Dead, the Church with maternal solicitude places the souls of her departed children in the hands of St Michael, that he may lead them into the kingdom of everlasting light. If St Michael is so solicitous for the welfare of souls during their lifetime on earth and at the hour of death, we may be certain that he will also befriend them during their stay in Purgatory and will hasten to bring them consolation.

St Michael helps the Holy Souls in Purgatory

A Cistercian monk appeared to a priest friend soon after his death and told him he would be delivered from Purgatory if during Holy Mass the priest would recommend his soul to St Michael. The priest complied with this desire, and he, together with others who were present, had the consolation of seeing the soul of his friend taken to Heaven by the Archangel.

It is related that a certain priest, one day while offering the Holy Sacrifice for the dead, recommended some souls in a particular manner when pronouncing the words: “May the Prince of Angels, St Michael, lead them into the glory of Heaven.” At the same time he saw the glorious Archangel descend from Heaven into Purgatory to deliver those souls and to conduct them into Paradise.

St Michael conducted the Holy Souls into Paradise

“The prince of the heavenly militia,” says St Anselm, “is all-powerful in Purgatory, and he can assist the Poor Souls whom the justice and sanctity of the Almighty retain in this place of punishment.” “It is incontestably recognised since the foundation of Christianity,” declares St Robert Bellarmine, “that the souls of the Faithful Departed are delivered from Purgatory  through the intercession of St Michael the Archangel.” Let us add to these authorities the words of St Alphonsus Liguori: “St Michael has received the care of consoling and helping the souls in Purgatory.”

– From: ‘Neath St Michael’s Shield, Fifth Edition, 1962

 

READ ME OR RUE IT

Help, help, they suffer so much!

I. We can never understand too clearly that every alms, small or great, which we give to the poor we give to God.

He accepts it and rewards it as given to Himself. Therefore all we do for the Holy Souls God accepts as done to Himself. It is as if we relieved or released Him from Purgatory.

What a thought! How He will repay us!

II. As there is no hunger, no thirst, no poverty, no need, no pain, no suffering compared in the Church with what the Souls in Purgatory endure there is no alms more deserving, none more pleasing to God, none more meritorious for us than the alms, the prayers, the Masses we give to the Holy Souls.

III. It is very possible that some of our own nearest and dearest ones are still suffering the excruciating pains of Purgatory and calling us piteously for help and relief.

Is it not dreadful that we are so hardened as not to think more about them, that we are so cruel as to deliberately forget them!

For the dear Christ’s sake let us do all, but all, we can for them.

Approval of His Eminence the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon

We approve and recommend with all our heart the beautiful little book “Read Me or Rue It” by E.R.M. Although small it is destined to do great good among Catholics, many of whom are incredibly ignorant of the great doctrine of Purgatory. As a consequence they do little or nothing to avoid it themselves and little to help the poor souls who are suffering there so intensely, waiting for the Masses and prayers which should be offered for them. It is our earnest desire that every Catholic should read this little book and spread it about as widely as possible. 4/6/1936 (signed by His Eminence the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon)

“READ ME OR RUE IT”

Foreword

This title is somewhat startling, yet, dear Reader, if you peruse the little book you will see for yourself how well deserved it is.

The book tells us how to save ourselves and how to save others from untold suffering.

Some books are good and may be read with great profit. Others are better and should be read without fail.

There are, however, books of such sterling worth by reason of the counsels they suggest, the conviction they carry with them, the urge to action they give us that it would be sheer folly not to read them.

“Read Me or Rue It” belongs to this class.

It is for your best interest, dear friend, to read it and re-read it, to ponder well and deeply on its contents. You will never regret it, rather great and poignant will be your regret if you fail to study its few but pregnant pages.

 

Index

[The little book can be read by navigating via the “next chapter” link at the bottom of each chapter to “turn the page”. Please click here to begin reading Chapter I. In addition, you can find the chapters listed below as arranged in the booklet]

I. “Have Pity On Me, At Least You, My Friends!”

II. Purgatory: The Soul Craves With All Intensity For God

III. Deliberately Not To Think Of Purgatory Is Asking For A Long Purgatory

IV. Case Studies: The Atheist Author-To-Be

V. “I Neglected To Offer Suffrages For The Souls In Purgatory”

VI. How Long Do Souls Remain In Purgatory?

VII. …Until We Shall Have Paid The Last Farthing

VIII. Worldly Attachment: “Many Around Us Live In Hunger And Misery While We Spent Lavishly And Needlessly On Ourselves”

IX. Who Can Have More Claim On Us?

X. Why Pray For The Souls In Purgatory?

XI. The Holy Souls Will Repay Us A Thousand Times Over

XII. How We Can Help The Holy Souls In Purgatory

XIII. What The Holy Souls Do For Those Who Help Them

XIV. Further Examples Of The Most Amazing Help Afforded By The Holy Souls

XV. The Holy Souls Are Second To None In Generosity

 

HOW LONG DO SOULS REMAIN IN PURGATORY?

Previous chapter

The length of time souls are detained in Purgatory depends on:

1. the number of their attachments to temporal things/their faults
2. on the malice and deliberation with which these have been committed;
3. on the penance done, or not done, the satisfaction made, or not made, for sins during life;
4. Much, too, depends on the suffrages offered for them after death.

What can be safely said is that the time souls spend in Purgatory, as a rule, is very much longer than people commonly imagine.

We will quote a few of the many instances in the lives and revelations of the Saints.

St Louis’ father

St Louis Bertrant’s father was an exemplary Christian, as we should naturally expect, being the father of so great a Saint. He had even wished to become a Carthusian monk until he learned that it was not God’s will for him.

When he died, after long years spent in the practice of every Christian virtue, his saintly son, fully aware of the rigours of God’s justice, offered many Masses and poured forth the most fervent supplications for the soul he so dearly loved.

A vision of his father still in Purgatory forced him to intensify a hundredfold his suffrages. He added most severe penances and long fasts to his Masses and prayers. Yet eight whole years passed before he obtained the release of his father.

St Malachy’s sister

St Malchy’s sister was detained in Purgatory for a very long time despite the Masses, prayers and heroic mortifications the Saint offered for her!

Other pious people

It was related to a holy nun in Famphluna, who succeeded in releasing many Carmelite nuns from Purgatory that most of these had spent there terms from thirty to sixty years!

Carmelite nuns in Purgatory for forty, fifty and sixty years! What will it be for those living midst the temptations of the World and with all their hundreds of weaknesses?

St Vincent Ferrer, after the death of his sister, prayed with incredible fervour for her soul and offered many Masses for her release. She appeared to him at length and told him that, had it not been for his powerful intercession with God, she should have remained an indeterminable time in Purgatory.

Necessary and prudent

In the Dominican Order it is the rule to pray for the Master Generals by name on their anniversaries. Many of these have been dead several hundred years! They were men especially eminent for piety and learning. This rule would not been approved by the Church were it not necessary and prudent.

The time varies

We do not mean to imply that all souls are detained equally long periods in the expiatory fires. Many have committed lesser faults and have done more penance. Therefore their punishment will be much less severe.

Still the instances we have quoted are very much to the point, for if these souls who enjoyed the intimacy, who saw the example and shared in the intercession of great Saints during their lives and who, after death, were aided by their most efficacious suffrages, yet were detained for such a length of time in Purgatory what may not happen to us who enjoy none of these wonderful privileges?

Next chapter

– From: Read Me or Rue It, by E.D.M., approved of His Eminence the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon 4/6/1936, printed by Kerryman, Co Kerry, Ireland