SAINT AUGUSTINE

Saint Augustine of Hippo

Augustine of Hippo (354-430) envisioned a form of religious community life in which the members would “live in harmony, being united in mind and heart on the way God.” He wrote, or inspired the writing of, a Rule outlining the basic principles of this sort of life. Today Augustinians and many other religious orders and congregations still use this Rule as their guide.A Bishop in Hippo (near modern-day Annaba, Algeria), Augustine was an influential leader in the African Church. As Christians were growing in their knowledge of God and Christ, Augustine helped to shape Christian theological teachings, particularly those about the role of Divine Grace and the nature of the Holy Trinity. In the process, he combatted many theological errors.The son of Monica, a holy Christian, and Patricius, a pagan, Augustine was born in 354 in Tagaste (now known as Souk Ahras, Algeria). He was educated in the best secular schools of his day. As a young man, he led a distinctly non-Christian and immoral life. He lived with a young woman without the benefit of marriage. Together they had a son, Adeodatus.Augustine became a teacher. He first taught Grammar in Tagaste. He then taught Rhetoric in Carthage, and later in Rome and Milan.The young Augustine was continually searching with a restless heart for meaning in life. Each time that he would be attracted to a particular philosophy or group, he would become disillusioned the more familiar he became with its thought.Finally, he found Jesus Christ, and at last was satisfied. “You have made us for yourself, Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you,” Augustine would later reflect on his earlier searching.Shortly after his baptism as a Christian in 387, Augustine returned to Tagaste. There he gathered several of his friends together to share a common life of mutual support on their spiritual journey.At the insistence of the Christians of Hippo, Augustine was ordained a Priest in 391, and Bishop of Hippo in 395. Unwilling to give up his community life, he called the clergy of Hippo to form a community with him.As Bishop, Augustine ministered to the spiritual and material needs of his people. He wrote extensively. We have today a vast collection of his writing--113 books, 207 letters and more than 500 sermons. His most famous works are The Confessions, City of God and The Trinity. He contributed magnificently to the development of sound theology and was influential in combatting theological errors.Although he is rightly famous for his roles in settling the theological controversies of his time, Augustine’s priorities were the pastoral care of the people of his Church and spiritual growth. He developed a deep spirituality in which love is central. He was particularly concerned with the needs of the poor, and saw to it that the Church welcomed and helped them.

Augustine died August 28, 430, just as the Roman Empire in Africa was dying, too, during the Vandal invasions. His memorial is celebrated on 28 August, the day of his death. Augustine is the patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, the alleviation of sore eyes, and a number of cities and dioceses..

HOW LONG DOES THE SOUL REMAIN IN PURGATORY

The length of time souls are detained in purgatory depend on:

1- The number of their faults

2- On the malice and deliveration with which these have been committed

3- On the penance done or not done, the satisfaction made for sins during life

4- Much too depend 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 the people commonly know. We will quote a few o the many instances which are recounted in the lives and revelations of the Saints.

St. Louis Bertrand's 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?

Why such a lengthy expiation in Purgatory?
The malice of sin is very great. What appears to us small faults are in reality serious offences against the infinite goodness of God. It is enough to see how the Saints wept over their faults. – We are weak, it may be urged. That is true, but then God offers us abundant graces to strengthen our weakness, gives us light to see the gravity of our faults and the necessity force to conquer temptation. If we are still weak the fault is all our own. We do not use the light and strength He so generously offers us, we do not pray, we do not receive the sacraments, as we should.
An eminent Theologian wisely remarks that if souls are condemned to Hell because of one mortal sin for all eternity, it is not to be wondered at that other souls should be detained for long years in Purgatory who have committed countless deliberate venial sins, some of which are so grave that at the time of their commission the sinner scarcely knows if they are mortal or venial. They may have committed, too, many mortal sins for which they have had little sorrow and done little or no penance. The guilt has been remitted by absolution [in sacramental confession; i.e. the sacrament of penance/reconciliation], but the pain due to the sins will have to be paid in Purgatory.

Venial sins
There are an infinite number of faults of self love, selfishness; thoughts, words, and acts of sensuality, too, in a hundred forms; faults of charity in thought, word and deed; laziness, vanity, jealousy, tepidity and innumerable other faults.
There are sins of omission which we pay so little heed to. We love God so little yet He has a thousand claims on our love. We treat Him with coldness, indifference, and base ingratitude. He died for each one of us. Do we ever thank Him as we ought? He remains day and night on the Altar waiting for our visits, anxious to help us. How seldom do we go to Him! He longs to come into our hearts in Holy Communion and we refuse Him entrance. He dies for us on the Altar every Morning at Mass and gives oceans of graces to those who assist at the Great Sacrifice. Yet many are too lazy to go to this Calvary! What an abuse of grace!
Our thoughts are mean and hard, full of self love. We have happy homes, splendid food, warm clothing, an abundance of all good things. Many around us live in hunger and misery and we give them so little while we spend lavishly and needlessly on ourselves.Our Lord tells us that we shall have to render an account for each and every idle word we say and that we may not leave our prison until we shall have paid the last farthing.The Saints committed few and slight sins and still they sorrowed much and did severe penances. We commit many and grave sins and we sorrow little and do little or no penance.It would be difficult to calculate the immense number of venial sins that any Christian commits.Life is given us to serve God, to save our souls. Most Christians, however, are satisfied to give God a very small proportion of their time! The rest of the 24 hours is given to work, rest and pleasure. A small proportion to God, to our immortal souls, to the great work we have to do, viz, our salvation. The by far greatest proportion to this transitory life! Is it fair to God? It may be alleged that our work, our rest, our sufferings are done for God! They should be and then our merits would be, indeed, great. The truth is that many scarcely ever think of God during the day. The one engrossing object of their thoughts is self. They think and labour and rest and sleep to satisfy self. God gets a very little place in their day and in their minds. This is an outrage to His loving heart which is ever thinking of us.

– 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

HOW CAN WE AVOID PURGATORY?

HOW TO AVOID PURGATORY

By Fr. Paul O'Sullivan

CONTENTS

* FOREWARD

  1. CAN WE AVOID PURGATORY?
  2. HOW CAN WE AVOID PURGATORY?
  3. THE FIRST MEANS: REMOVING THE CAUSE
  4. THE SECOND MEANS: PENANCE
  5. THE THIRD MEANS: SUFFERING
  6. THE FOURTH MEANS: CONFESSION, COMMUNION, HOLY MASS
  7. THE FIFTH MEANS: ASKING GOD
  8. A SIXTH MEANS: RESIGNATION TO DEATH
  9. THE SEVENTH MEANS: EXTREME UNCTION
 10. INDULGENCES AND PURGATORY
 11. THE THIRD ORDERS
 12. THOSE WHO EARNESTLY HELP THE HOLY SOULS MAY WELL HOPE TO AVOID
     PURGATORY
 13. TO AVOID PURGATORY, DO AS FOLLOWS
 14. HOW WE CAN HELP THE HOLY SOULS

* THE BROWN SCAPULAR

FOREWORD

Our Lord came on earth expressly to give us a perfect Redemption. He gave
us a Law of Love, a Religion in every way to suit our human hearts,
destined to make us holy and happy. His Commandments, counsels and promises
all breathe peace, joy, mercy and love.

The idea that nearly all of us shall, notwithstanding, have to pass a
period more or less long in the excruciating fires of Purgatory after death
seems to be at variance with this all-merciful and all-loving plan of our
Divine Lord.

It is true that we are weak and fall many times and that God's justice is
rigorous and exacting, but it is equally certain that God's mercy and love
are above all His works.

It is no less certain that Our Lord has given us abundant grace and
strength to save us from sin and many (and most efficacious) means of
satisfying for any sins that we may have committed. This last fact seems to
be almost entirely overlooked, or imperfectly understood by the majority of
Catholics.

Of course, those who go on deliberately sinning and who make no effort to
correct their faults and refuse to use the many wonderful means God offers
them for satisfying for sin, condemn themselves to Purgatory.

The object of this little book is to show how we can avoid Purgatory by
using the means God has so generously offered us, and, secondly, to show
that the use of these means is within the reach of every ordinary
Christian.

The careful perusal of these pages will be a source of much benefit and
consolation to all who read them.

The author offers them to the loving Heart of Jesus and asks Him to bless
them.

Chapter 1

CAN WE AVOID PURGATORY? YES.

Many think that it is practically impossible for the ordinary Christian to
avoid Purgatory. Go there we all must--so they say.

They laughingly remark: "It will be well for us if we ever get there" Alas!
When too late they will recognize how terribly rash their words were. As a
consequence of such fatalistic ideas, many make no serious effort to avoid
Purgatory, or even to lessen the term they may have to pass there. Thank
God all do not hold such gloomy views.

WE SHALL STRIVE IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES TO SHOW

a) How all can notably shorten their period of expiation in Purgatory; b)
And how they may even avoid Purgatory altogether. These pages are well
worth reading and re-reading. The fact is that a great number of souls go
to Purgatory and remain there for long years simply because they had never
been told how they could have avoided it.

The means we suggest are easy, practical and within the reach of all.
Moreover, far from being irksome, the use of these means will only serve to
make our lives on this earth holier and happier and will take away the
exaggerated fear of death which terrifies so many.

We ask you, Dear Reader, to put this little booklet into the hands of all
your friends. You cannot do them a greater service.

Chapter 2

HOW CAN WE AVOID PURGATORY?

The reason why we have to pass through Purgatory after death is that we
have committed sins and have not made satisfaction for them. Every
individual sin must be expiated--in this life or the next! Not even the
slightest shadow of sin or evil can enter the all-holy presence of God.

The graver, the more frequent the sins, the longer will be the period of
expiation and the more intense the pain.

It is not God's fault, nor God's wish, that we go to Purgatory! The fault
is all our own.

We have sinned and have not made satisfaction.

Even after our sin, God, in His infinite goodness, places at our disposal
many easy and efficacious means by which we may considerably lessen our
term of expiation, or even entirely cancel it.

Most Christians, with incomprehensible rashness, neglect these means and so
have to pay their debts in the dreadful prison house of Purgatory.

We will briefly enumerate some of the principal means by which we can avoid
Purgatory-or at least lessen its severity and duration.

Chapter 3

THE FIRST MEANS: REMOVING THE CAUSE

The First Means of avoiding Purgatory is manifestly to remove the cause
which sends us there, which is sin.

It may not be easy to refrain from all sin, even the smaller sins, but
every ordinary Christian can, by the frequent use of the Sacraments, easily
abstain from mortal sin.

Secondly, we can all avoid deliberate and grave venial sin. It is an awful
thing to offend the good God deliberately. Deliberation intensifies
enormously the malice of sin and offends God much more than faults of
weakness, or sins committed when we are off our guard.

Lastly, we must use our best endeavours to break off bad habits. Habits,
like deliberation, add seriously to the malice of sin

A deliberate falsehood is very much worse than a hasty lie of excuse, and a
lie resulting from the inveterate habit of lying is very much worse than a
casual lie.

A lady once told us how she had, when younger, the habit of constantly
speaking ill of her neighbours.

Having heard a sermon on the subject, she made a strong resolution never to
do so again, and kept it.

That simple, strong resolution changed the whole trend of her life and
saved her from thousands of sins, and most surely from a long and painful
Purgatory.

Who cannot make a like resolution and keep it?

If a Christian avoids, as he easily can, these three classes of sin, viz.,
mortal sins, deliberate and grave venial sins, and habits of sin, it will
be relatively easy for him to atone for faults of frailty, as we shall
presently see.

RESOLUTION

We would be well advised to pronounce with special emphasis and fervour,
every time we say the Our Father, the words:

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"

These are the very words of God Himself and repeated frequently and
fervently will certainly obtain for us pardon of our sins.

Chapter 4

THE SECOND MEANS: PENANCE

The Second Means of avoiding Purgatory is to satisfy for our sins in this
life by doing penance. "Do penance or you shall all likewise perish" Do
penance, or you will burn long years in Purgatory, is a fact that there is
no getting away from.

This is a terrifying thought and one that makes the bravest man shudder.
Which of us does not tremble when he thinks of those who have been burnt to
death in a slow fire? What fear would not be ours if we had to face a
similar death? Yet their suffering was of relatively short duration. The
incomparably fiercer fire of Purgatory, which we may have to face, may last
20, or 50 or 100 years!

Many people have such a horror of penance that they never even dream of
practicing it. It is like the fear that children have of ghosts, a very
great but a very unfounded fear. Their idea is that penance is something
awful They think perhaps of the severe penances of the great Saints and of
course are afraid to attempt anything of a like kind.

The Second Means: Penance

God does not ask us, as a rule, to do what is heroic. When He does, He
gives us all the strength necessary, as in the case of the Saints. He asks
each one to do a little. If we are afraid of doing much, and it is only
natural that some should be, let us do at least a little. No one but a
coward is afraid to do a little, especially if he gets much in exchange.

The easy road to Heaven of Saint Therese, the Little Flower, is to do many
little things. God was infinitely pleased with the widow's mite; He will be
equally pleased with our little penances.

As a result of little mortifications, we can deliver ourselves from the
awful fires of Purgatory and amass rich merits for Heaven. To go into the
matter further, there is not much difficulty about mortification or
penance, notwithstanding the absurd fear that people have of it.

Penance is not only easy, it is useful and necessary, and it will bring us
very great happiness. Not to do penance is the greatest penance of all. As
a matter of fact, every man of the world naturally, spontaneously mortifies
himself. The first principle, for instance, of politeness and good breeding
is to sacrifice our whims and tastes for the sake of others. The selfish
man is a boor; the generous man is the idol of all.

Again, the only way of securing good health is to eschew the most
appetising viands when they do us harm and to make use of plain foods when
they do us good. Overeating is the cause of the vast majority of sickness
and premature deaths.

To take another example. The secret of success is strenuous, methodical,
regular work. Now generosity, self-denial, method, regularity are other
forms of very genuine but practical mortification. Yet no man can get on
without them. To insist on our own likes and dislikes, to do only as we
please, is to lead a life bristling with difficulties, in which every duty
is a burden, every good act an effort and a labor

Boy scouts and girl scouts are bound to do a kind act every day, even
though it costs them a big effort. Christians should surely do more. Daily
acts of self-restraint, of patience with others, of kindness to others, the
exact fulfilment of duty are splendid penances and a great aid to
happiness.

RESOLUTION

If we are afraid to do much, let us do many little things.

Chapter 5

THE THIRD MEANS: SUFFERING

The Third Means of avoiding Purgatory is very easy. It consists in making a
virtue of necessity, by bearing patiently what we cannot avoid, and all the
more since suffering, borne patiently, becomes easy and light. Suffering,
if accepted with calmness and for God's sake, loses all its sting. If
received badly, in the spirit of revolt and with repugnance, it is
intensified a hundredfold, and becomes almost intolerable.

Everyone in this vale of tears has to face sorrows innumerable and infinite
in variety. Crosses light and crosses heavy are the lot of us all. Strange
as it may seem, these sorrows, which most of us would gladly dispense with,
are in truth God's greatest graces. They are the little share He offers us
of His Passion and which He asks us to bear for love of Him and as penance
for our sins.

Borne in this spirit they will lessen considerably our time in Purgatory
and very possibly completely remove it--with this difference, that
Purgatory, even a Purgatory of 50 or 100 years, will in no wise increase
our merits in Heaven; whereas, every pain and sorrow and disappointment in
this life will lessen our suffering in Purgatory, and also bring us more
happiness and glory in Heaven.

How sad it is that so many Christians, for want of thought, make their
sufferings a thousand times worse than they are and lose all the immense
merits that they could so easily gain.

RESOLUTION

Let us suffer with calmness and serenity for the love of God. We shall thus
save ourselves from Purgatory.

Chapter 6

THE FOURTH MEANS: CONFESSION, COMMUNION, HOLY MASS

The Fourth Means by which we can lessen our time in Purgatory, or avoid it
altogether, is by frequent Confession, Communion and daily assistance at
Mass.

Confession applies to our souls the Precious Blood of Christ, wipes out our
sins, gives us light to see their malice, fills us with horror of sin and,
above all, it gives us strength to avoid it. In Holy Communion we receive
the God of infinite mercy and love, the God of all sanctity, who comes
expressly to pardon our sins and help us to sin no more.

He visited the house of Zaccheus once, and in that one visit, Zaccheus
obtained complete pardon of all his sins

How is it possible that the same God of goodness and sweetness can come,
not into our houses, but into our very hearts in Holy Communion and not
give us the same and even greater graces. He visited Zaccheus once, He
visits us every day if we allow Him.

Many, alas, never feel, never grasp the immense joys and consolation of
Holy Communion.

The Mass is identical with the Sacrifice of Calvary, in its essence, in its
value, in the graces it bestows. The Sacrifice of Calvary was sufficient to
save all the world, millions and millions of souls, and was also sufficient
to save countless other sinful worlds, had they existed. By assisting at
Mass, we can apply all these oceans of graces to our own souls, and that
not once, but every day.

RESOLUTION

Let us go to Mass and Holy Communion every day. We can do nothing better.
One day with Mass and Communion is worth a hundred days without them.

CHAPTER 7

THE FIFTH MEANS: ASKING GOD

The Fifth Means of avoiding Purgatory is asking God for this grace. Some
wise Catholics have a really great, if simple secret, which is well worth
learning and using for our own benefit.

God promises us in the most solemn and deliberate way (and He cannot fail
to do what He promises) that He will give us everything we ask in prayer,
if it is good for us.

Now two conditions, especially, make prayer infallible, namely perseverance
and faith. God cannot refuse such a prayer.

These Catholics we speak of pray expressly every day of their lives that
God will free them from Purgatory. In every single prayer they say, in
every Mass they hear, in every good act they perform, they have the express
intention of asking God first of all and with all their hearts to deliver
them from Purgatory.

How? That is for God to decide.

It is not easy to see how God can possibly refuse such constant, unceasing
prayer. The fact that such prayers are said daily and many times in the
day, for 20, 30, 50 years, shows that they are said with undoubting faith
and magnificent perseverance.

We exhort all our readers to adopt this practice. The more they know and
think on Purgatory, the more fervently will they make this prayer.

RESOLUTION

Every time we say the Hail Mary let us say with all the fervour of our
hearts the words: "Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Amen"

Chapter 8

A SIXTH MEANS: RESIGNATION TO DEATH

A Sixth Means of avoiding Purgatory is given us by some great saints: They
say that when a sick person becomes aware that he is dying and offers to
God his death with perfect resignation, it is very likely that he will go
straight to Heaven.

Death is the awful punishment of sin, and when we accept it, as of course
we ought to do, with submission and resignation, our act pleases God so
much that it may satisfy perfectly for all our sins.

The idea of Pope St. Pius X was the same when he granted a plenary
indulgence at the hour of death to those who say at least after one Holy
Communion the following prayer:

"Eternal Father, from this day forward, I accept with a joyful and resigned
heart the death it will please You to send me, with all its pains and
sufferings"

It will be better still to say this prayer after every Holy Communion we
receive.

It is for our best interest to accept God's will in everything that happens
to us in life and in death.

Nothing can be easier when we remember that God always wishes what is best
for us. If we do what God does not will, we shall surely suffer.

RESOLUTION

Each time we repeat the Our Father, let us say with special fervour the
words: Thy will be done. In all our troubles, small and great, let us do
likewise. Thus everything will gain us merit. By this simple act we change
sorrow into joy, the worries of life into gold for Heaven.

THE SEVENTH MEANS: EXTREME UNCTION

The Seventh Means of avoiding Purgatory is Extreme Unction: God Himself has
given us a Sacrament, the end of which is to take us directly to Heaven.
This Sacrament is Extreme Unction, which according to St. Thomas and St.
Albert was instituted especially to obtain for us the grace of a holy and
happy death and to prepare us for immediate entrance into Heaven.

Many Catholics do not understand this most consoling doctrine, and because
they do not understand it, they prepare themselves insufficiently for the
reception of Extreme Unction and so lose many of its great graces.

Every Sacrament properly received produces its effect. Baptism cleanses us
from Original Sin and any other actual sins that may have been committed by
adults before receiving the Sacrament.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders gives a priest all his tremendous powers.
Matrimony makes man and woman husband and wife. In the same way Extreme
Unction, if devoutly received, prepares the dying Christian for immediate
entrance into Heaven, thus delivering him from Purgatory.

How foolish it is, therefore, to put off receiving this Sacrament until
very late, when the dying person is too exhausted to receive it with full
knowledge of what he is doing and with due fervour and devotion. The moment
of death is the supreme moment in our lives. It is the moment which decides
our fate for all Eternity.

RESOLUTION

Let us use every means in our power to secure a happy and holy death,
especially by receiving most devoutly, and as soon as possible, Extreme
Unction.

Chapter 10

INDULGENCES AND PURGATORY

[The grants of indulgences were changed in 1968. See the Enchiridion of
Indulgences 1968]

God in His infinite mercy and compassion offers us a most wonderful and
easy means for lessening or cancelling our Purgatory.

Fully aware of our weakness, and knowing, too, how fearful many are of
penance, He opens wide the treasury of His Goodness and offers us most
abundant Indulgences in exchange for some small act of devotion.

For one recitation of short ejaculatory prayers, He grants 100 or 300 or
more days Indulgence. These we may say hundreds of times in the day. Those
who say the little ejaculation: "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in
Thee" one hundred times a day gain 30,000 days Indulgence. Those who say it
1,000 times, as many do, gain 300,000 days Indulgence each day!

Nothing can be easier than to acquire the habit of saying this little
prayer all day long, countless times each day.

Then, for each Hail Mary of the Rosary, one gains more than 2,000 days
Indulgence!

Besides an immense number of Partial Indulgences, there are very many
Plenary (full, complete) Indulgences which may be gained during life and at
the hour of death.

These are specially given by the Church to enable us to avoid Purgatory.

These Indulgences can be applied to our own souls, and we shall thus
directly make satisfaction for our sins. Or, we may apply them to the souls
in Purgatory, who will see to it that we do not lose by our generosity.

RESOLUTION

Let us strive to gain all possible Indulgences.

Chapter 11

THE THIRD ORDERS

Among the extraordinary graces which Catholics gain by becoming members of
a Third Order is a share in many Masses and prayers.

To mention, for instance, the Third Order of Saint Dominic, Pope Benedict
XV, himself a Tertiary, said: "One of the easiest and most effectual ways
of reaching a high degree of sanctity is by becoming a Dominican Tertiary"

The members of this order receive during life a share every day in
thousands of Masses and prayers, and after death, when, alas, so many are
neglected by their relatives, those who are members of this Third Order
have a share daily in thousands of other Masses and prayers, this for as
long as they remain in Purgatory!

Among the many beautiful characteristics of the Order of St. Dominic is its
intense devotion and love for the Holy Souls, especially for the souls of
its members, friends and benefactors. So true is this that a young Italian
nobleman who consulted the Pope as to which religious order he would do
well to enter received for answer: "My dear son, you may with much profit
join any of the Orders, for in each you will find abundant means of
becoming a Saint. After death, however, be a Dominican" The Holy Father
meant to imply that the suffrages given after death to their deceased
members are, indeed, most abundant in the Dominican Order.

The conditions of becoming a member of this order are so easy and the
advantages so many that half the world would become Dominican Tertiaries
did they know these advantages.

Chapter 12

THOSE WHO EARNESTLY HELP THE HOLY SOULS MAY WELL HOPE TO AVOID PURGATORY

The Holy Souls whom we relieve or release by our Masses and good works pray
for us with such indescribable fervour that God cannot refuse to hear their
prayers. One of the principal graces they ask for their friends is that
these shall have little or no Purgatory. No one knows better than they the
awful intensity of the Purgatorial flames; no one, therefore, can pray for
us as they do. Let us remember that:

a) God thanks as done to Himself what we do to others. When we relieve or
release any of the Holy Souls, we relieve or release, as it were, God
Himself. How ready, therefore, will He not be to hear the prayers offered
by these souls for us.

b) Our Blessed Lord lays down clearly the great law: "By that measure by
which you measure, it will be measured to you again" In proportion,
consequently, to our generosity towards the Holy Souls will God's mercy and
generosity be towards us. Those who work heart and soul for the relief of
the Holy Souls may thus well hope that their Purgatory will be entirely
remitted, or notably lessened. On the other hand, those who neglect the
Holy Souls may justly fear a severe judgment and a long Purgatory.

RESOLUTION

Let everyone without fail join the Association of the Holy Souls. All the
members of the family should do so. The conditions are very easy. If the
Association is not established in your Parish, write to: Association of the
Holy Souls, Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary, Pius XII Monastery, Rua
do Rosario 1, 2495 Fatima, Portugal, which is one of the centers of the
devotion.

St. James the Apostle gives another very effectual method of avoiding or
lessening our stay in Purgatory. He says: "He who saves a soul, saves his
own, and satisfies for a multitude of sins"

If someone were fortunate enough to save the life of a King's only son, the
heir to his throne, from a horrible death, what reward might he not expect
to receive from the grateful monarch? No King, however, could be as
grateful to and anxious to reward the person who saved his son as God is
grateful and ready to reward the person who saves one soul from Hell.

All of us may, in a thousand different ways, save not one but many souls
from Hell. For instance :

1. We can do so by praying earnestly for them. How often does not a mother
save her son's soul by her fervent prayers. We can save souls by giving
good advice and also by our good example. How many boys owe their sterling
qualities to the wise counsels of a good Father or friend!

2. Another efficacious method of saving souls is by propagating the Faith,
viz., Catholic Action.

The incredible ignorance, apathy and indifference of Catholics is the evil
of the day!

It is the bounden duty of Catholics to spread about thousands and thousands
of pamphlets of all kinds, full of life, vigour and burning interest,
crisp, incisive, clear and strong. Otherwise, these are useless.

Each pamphlet or leaflet must carry a message straight to the heart of the
reader, rousing him, convincing him, galvanising him into action.

Chapter 13

TO AVOID PURGATORY, DO AS FOLLOWS

1. In every prayer you say, every Mass you hear, every Communion you
receive, every good work you perform, have the express intention of
imploring God to grant you a holy and happy death and no Purgatory. Surely
God will hear a prayer said with such confidence and perseverance.

2. Always wish to do God's will. It is in every sense the best for you.
When you do or seek anything that is not God's will, you are sure to
suffer. Say fervently, therefore, each time you recite the Our Father: "Thy
will be done"

3. Accept all the sufferings, sorrows, pains and disappointments of life,
be they great or small: ill health, loss of goods, the death of your dear
ones, heat or cold, rain or sunshine, as coming from God. Bear them calmly
and patiently for love of Him and in penance for your sins. Of course one
may use all his efforts to ward off trouble and pain, but when one cannot
avoid them let him bear them manfully.

Impatience and revolt make sufferings vastly greater and more difficult to
bear.

4. Christ's life and actions are so many lessons for us to imitate.

The greatest act in His life was His Passion. As He had a Passion, so each
one of us has a passion. Our passion consists in the sufferings and labours
of every day. The penance God imposed on man for sin was to gain his bread
in the sweat of his brow. Therefore, let us do our work, accept its
disappointments and hardships, and bear our pains in union with the Passion
of Christ. We gain more merit by a little pain than by years of pleasure.

5. Forgive all injuries and offences, for in proportion as we forgive
others, God forgives

us.

6. Avoid mortal sins and deliberate venial sins and break off all bad
habits. Then it will be relatively easy to satisfy God's justice for sins
of frailty. Above all, avoid sins against charity and against chastity,
whether in thought, word or deed, for these sins [and the expiation for
them] are the reason why many souls are detained in Purgatory for long
years.

7. If afraid of doing much, do many little things, acts of kindness and
charity, give the alms you can, cultivate regularity of life, method in
work, and punctuality in the performance of duty; don't grumble or complain
when things are not as you please; don't censure and complain of others;
never refuse to do a favour to others when it is possible.

These and suchlike little acts are a splendid penance.

8. Do all in your power for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Pray for them
constantly, get others to do so, join the Association of the Holy Souls and
ask all those you know to do likewise. The Holy Souls will repay you most
generously.

9. There is no way more powerful of obtaining from God a most holy and
happy death than by weekly Confession, daily Mass and daily Communion.

10. A daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament--it need only be three or four
minutes--is an easy way of obtaining the same grace. Kneeling in the
presence of Jesus with eyes fixed on the Tabernacle, sure that He is
looking at us, let us for a few minutes repeat some little prayer like
these: "My Jesus, mercy." "My Jesus, have pity on me, a sinner" "My Jesus,
I love You" "My Jesus, give me a happy death"

Chapter 14

HOW WE CAN HELP THE HOLY SOULS

I. The first means is by joining the Association of the Holy Souls. The
conditions are easy.

ASSOCIATION OF THE HOLY SOULS

Approved by the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, June, 1936

1. The members are asked to send their full name and address to:
Association of the Holy Souls, Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary, Pius
XII Monastery, Rua do Rosario 1, 2495 Fatima, Portugal.

2. The members must offer up a Mass once a week for the Holy Souls
(Sunday's Mass can fulfil this obligation).

3. The members pray for and promote devotion to the Holy Souls. (We
recommend the booklets Read Me or Rue It and How to Avoid Purgatory.)

4. The members are asked to contribute a yearly alms to the Mass Fund. The
alms is used to have Masses said for the Holy Souls every month.

II. A second means of helping the Holy Souls is having Masses offered for
them. This is certainly the most efficacious way of relieving them.

III. Those who cannot get many Masses offered, owing to want of means,
ought to assist at as many Masses as possible for this intention.

A young man who was earning a very modest salary told the writer: "My wife
died a few years ago. I got 10 Masses said for her. I could not possibly do
more but heard 1,000 for her dear soul "

IV. The recital of the Rosary (with its great indulgences) and the Way of
the Cross (which is also richly indulgenced) are excellent means of helping
the Holy Souls.

St. John Massias, as we saw, released from Purgatory more than a million
souls, chiefly by reciting the Rosary and offering its great indulgences
for them.

V. Another easy and efficacious way is by the constant repetition of short
indulgenced prayers, offering up the indulgences for the Souls in
Purgatory. Many people have the custom of saying 500 or 1,000 times each
day the little ejaculation, "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in
Thee" or the one word, "Jesus" These are most consoling devotions and bring
oceans of graces to those who practice them and give immense relief to the
Holy Souls.

Those who say the ejaculations 1,000 times a day gain 300,000 days
Indulgence! What a multitude of souls they can thus relieve! What will it
not be at the end of a month, a year--or 50 years? And if they do not say
the ejaculations, what an immense number of graces and favours they shall
have lost. It is quite possible and even easy to say these ejaculations
1,000 times a day. But if one does not say them 1,000 times, let him say
them 500 or 200 times.

VI. Still another powerful prayer is:

"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."

Our Lord showed St. Gertrude a vast number of souls leaving Purgatory and
going to Heaven as a result of this prayer which the Saint was accustomed
to say frequently during the day.

VII. The Heroic Act consists in offering to God in favour of the Souls in
Purgatory all the works of satisfaction we practice during life and all the
suffrages that will be offered for us after death. If God rewards so
abundantly the most trifling alms given to a poor man in His name, what an
immense reward will He not give to those who offer all their works of
satisfaction in life and death for the souls He loves so dearly.

This Act does not prevent priests from offering Mass for the intentions
they wish, or lay people from praying for any persons or other intentions
they desire. We counsel everyone to make this act.

ALMS HELP THE HOLY SOULS

St. Martin gave half of his cloak to a poor beggar, only to find out
afterwards that it was to Christ he had given it. Our Lord appeared to him
and thanked him.

Blessed Jordan of the Dominican Order could never refuse an alms when it
was asked in the name of God. One day he had forgotten his purse. A poor
man implored an alms for the love of God. Rather than refuse him, Jordan,
who was then a student, gave him a most precious belt or cincture which he
prized dearly. Shortly afterwards, he entered a church and found his
cincture encircling the waist of an image of Christ Crucified. He, too, had
given his alms to Christ. We all give our alms to Christ.

RESOLUTION

a) Let us give all the alms we can afford; b) Let us have said all the
Masses in our power; c) Let us hear as many more as is possible; d) Let us
offer all our pains and sufferings for the relief of the Holy Souls.

We shall thus deliver countless souls from Purgatory, who will repay us ten
thousand times over.

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Appendix I

THE BROWN SCAPULAR

(The following official information was obtained from the National Scapular
center, Darien, Illinois, May 9, 1986.)

Two wonderful promises of Our Lady of Mount Carmel are available to those
who have been enrolled in the Brown Scapular.

The great promise of the Blessed Virgin Mary, given to St. Simon Stock on
July 16, 1251, is as follows: "Whoever dies wearing this scapular shall not
suffer eternal fire."

Our Lady's second Scapular Promise, known as the Sabbatine Privilege (the
word "Sabbatine" meaning "Saturday"), was given by the Blessed Virgin Mary
to Pope John XXII in the year 1322 and is as follows: "I, the Mother of
Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death, and whomsoever I
shall find in Purgatory, I shall free."

There are three conditions for obtaining this privilege: 1) the wearing of
the Brown Scapular; 2) the practice of chastity according to one's state of
life; 3) the daily recitation of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin
Mary.

Those who cannot read can abstain from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays
instead of reciting the Little Office. Also, any priest who has diocesan
faculties (this includes most priests) has the additional faculty to
commute (change) the third requirement into another pious work--for
example, the daily Rosary.

Because of the greatness of the Sabbatine privilege, the Carmelite Order
suggests that the third requirement not be commuted into anything less than
the daily recitation of seven Our Fathers, seven Hail Marys, and seven
Glory Be to the Fathers.

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WHY DO CATHOLICS CROSS THEIR FOREHEAD, LIPS, HEART AT THE GOSPEL?

We cross our forehead so that the Word of God may be in our thoughts and purify our minds. We cross our lips so that our speech may be holy and incline us to share the Gospel with others. We cross our hearts to invite God to strengthen our love for him and others.This is so we may know, proclaim and love Jesus more.

THE MAGNIFICAT

The Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, 
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.

COMPARED APOSTLES CREED AND NICENE CREED

COMPARED APOSTLES CREED AND NICENE CREED

Nicene Creed:

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen. 

 

Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,  and the life everlasting. Amen.

NICENE CREED

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty, 
Maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
consubstantial with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:by the power of the Holy Spirit
was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is adored and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins,
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

SAINT DOMINIC PRAYER

Prayer of St. Dominic

May God the Father who made us bless us.
May God the Son send his healing among us.
May God the Holy Spirit move within us and
give us eyes to see with, ears to hear with,
and hands that your work might be done.
May we walk and preach the word of
God to all.
May the angel of peace watch over us and
lead us at last by God's grace to the
Kingdom.

Amen.

SAINT BENEDICT PRAYER

Prayer of St. Benedict

Gracious and holy Father,
grant us the intellect to understand you,
reason to discern you, diligence to seek you,
wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you,
a heart to meditate upon you.
May our ears hear you, may our eyes behold you,
and may our tongues proclaim you.
Give us grace that our way of life may be pleasing to you,
that we may have the patience to wait for you
and the perseverance to look for you.
Grant us a perfect end--your holy presence,
a blessed resurrection and life everlasting.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

A MOTHER'S PRAYER TO THE GUARDIAN ANGELS OF HER CHILDREN

The world is a dangerous place. When you leave the comforts of your home there is no telling what may happen to you or your children. This has been the case since Adam and Eve and will continue to be so until Jesus comes again.

The good news is that we are not alone.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church declares, “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by [angels and] their watchful care and intercession” (CCC 336). God appoints to each one of us a guardian angel whose mission is to guide, guard and protect. We don’t always see them or sense their presence, but the truth is that they are there, ready and willing to come to our aid.

We just have to ask.

For parents, it is easy to forget that our children have guardian angels and that we can pray to them (through the mediation of our own guardian angel) and invoke their powerful protection over our children. When we can’t physically be there with our children to protect them, it is most appropriate to pray to their guardian angel.

Here is a short prayer that is usually entitled, “A Mother’s Prayer to the Guardian Angels of Her Children,” and is one way that we can quiet our heart and be at peace knowing who is protecting our little ones.

SAY PRAYER

I humbly salute you, O you faithful, heavenly friends of my children! I give you heartfelt thanks for all the love and goodness you show them. At some future day I shall, with thanks more worthy than I can now give, repay your care for them, and before the whole heavenly court acknowledge their indebtedness to your guidance and protection. Continue to watch over them. Provide for all their needs of body and soul. Pray, likewise, for me, for my husband, and my whole family, that we may all one day rejoice in your blessed company. Amen.

THE GREAT SAINT WHO HAD THE GIFTS OF VISIONS, MIRACLES AND PROPHECY

Saint Gertrude The Great

Saint Gertrude was born January 6, 1256 in Germany. By 1261 as a student at the Benedictine abbey at Helfta in Saxony she had been placed in the care of the Abbey, Gertrude. The nuns of Helfta described Gertrude as a loveable and quick-witted. At the age of 15 or 16 she entered the Benedictine community as a novice, where she eventually became a teacher at the school. Gertrude was not very pious as a nun. She began to find the routine of the Benedictine community tiresome. By 1280 she had become depressed and withdrawn.

Shortly after her 25 birthday Jesus spoke to Gertrude. She tells us that she heard Christ say to her, "Do not fear. I will save you and set you free." This was the first in a series of visions that transformed her life. From then on, she spent many hours reading the bible and writing essays on the word of God. When she was asked to write about her experiences, she claimed that it would serve no purpose. When she was told that her words would encourage others, Gertrude agreed to write spiritual autobiography. Only the first 24 chapters of this book, THE HERALD OF GOD'S LOVING-KINDNESS, is her writing. The remainder has been added by members of the community to which she belonged. Gertrude also wrote her SPIRITUAL EXERCISES, a book of prayers, hymns and reflections. St. Gertrude is one of the leading women religious writers of the late 13th century. Outwardly, she appeared to be a the simple Benedictine nun. She had a great devotion to the Holy Souls in purgatory. Her raptures were frequent and so absorbing that she was insensible to what passed around her. She had the gift of miracles well as that of prophecy.

During one of her visions Jesus told ST. Gertrude that the following prayer would release

1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said:

'Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family’

RELEASE SOULS FROM PURGATORY THROUGH THIS POWERFUL PRAYER

CHAPLET OF SAINT GERTRUDE

If one prays the entire St. Gertrude Chaplet (see below), which is said on an ordinary rosary, Our Lord releases 50,000 souls from purgatory each time it is said!

How easy it would be to empty out purgatory if we each prayed this form of the rosary just once a day!

 How to pray the Chaplet of Saint Gertrude

The Chaplet of Saint Gertrude is prayed on an ordinary Rosary.

Beginning at the Cross, pray the "Apostle's Creed".

This is followed by 1 "Our Father", 3 "Hail Mary" and 1 "Glory be".

Starting on the Medal and then on the 4 large beads between each decade (sets of 10 beads), pray the "Our Father."

On each of the small beads (in the sets of 10 beads), say the following prayer:

"Eternal Father,

I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus,

in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,

for all the holy souls in Purgatory,

for sinners in the universal Church,

those in my own home,

and within my family.

Amen."

At the end of each set of 10 beads, say the following prayers:

"Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,

open the hearts and minds of sinners

to the truth and light of God, the Father."

"Immaculate Heart of Mary,

pray for the conversion of sinners and the world."

and 1 "Glory be."

Then on the next large bead start again with the "Our Father".

Repeat above to the end of the Rosary.

THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET THROUGH THE ROSARY

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a relatively recent but very popular devotion revealed by Our Lord to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun. On Good Friday 1937, Christ appeared to Saint Faustina and asked her to recite this chaplet for nine days, starting on Good Friday and ending on the Octave of Easter (the Sunday after Easter Sunday), now known as Divine Mercy Sunday.

The chaplet is most often recited during those nine days, but it can be prayed at any time of the year, and Saint Maria Faustina recited it almost unceasingly.

A standard rosary can be used to recite the chaplet, and the entire devotion takes just 20 minutes—about the time it takes to pray the rosary.

Step 1

Make the Sign of the Cross

Step 2

Pray the opening prayers. There are two opening prayers; the second is repeated three times:

First Prayer
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

Second Prayer
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You! (repeat three times)

Step 3

Pray the Our Father

Step 4

Pray the Hail Mary

Step 5

Say the Apostles' Creed

Step 6

Pray the prayer "Eternal Father." On the Our Father bead before each decade, pray the following prayer:

Eternal Father
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. Amen.

Step 7

Pray the prayer "For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion" 10 times. On each of the Hail Mary beads in each decade, pray the following prayer:

For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Step 8

Repeat steps 6 and 7: On each of the next four decades of the Chaplet, repeat steps 6 and 7 (pray the "Eternal Father," followed by 10 "For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion")

Step 9

After you have prayed all five decades of the Chaplet, pray "Concluding Doxology," which is repeated three times:

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world." (repeat three times)

Step 10 

After the doxology, pray the Closing Prayer:

Eternal God, in Whom mercy is endless, and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself. Amen.

Step 11

End With the Sign of the Cross