Sunday<\/p>\n
*This week’s readings are about the departed souls.\u00a0 \u00a0St Alphonsus, the source, is Catholic, so the term purgatory is used for the place where those souls worthy of salvation are being purified for heaven are located, a division of hell.\u00a0 The Orthodox Church has resisted defining a separate part and simply says the souls are in ‘hell’ until they are cleansed.<\/p>\n
All men\u2014the saints in Heaven ,
\nwe upon earth, the souls in Purgatory,\u2014are
\nmembers of one great family. By this
\n“bond of perfection” which unites the
\nSuffering and Triumphant Church with the
\nMilitant Church upon earth, incorporating
\nthem into one body, mutual charity becomes
\nan obligation. This reciprocal love, being
\nthe duty of all men, renders it imperative
\nthat all should pray for one another, for in
\nthis general prayer, offered mutually,
\nChristian charity is most beautifully and
\neloquently expressed.
\nFrom this general obligation we derive
\nthe special duty to pray for the suffering
\nsouls in Purgatory, who are unable in their
\nextreme distress to do aught for their own
\nrelief. It has always been the belief of
\nHoly Church that the faithful, united in
\nthe Communion of Saints, can mutually
\nassist each other. As the saints in Heaven
\npray for us, so must we also offer our
\npetitions for the suffering souls in Purga
\ntory, that God in His goodness and mercy,
\nmay mitigate and shorten their punish
\nment, and hasten their entrance into
\nHeaven.<\/p>\n
*This and all quotes this week from the Manual of the Purgatorian Society, a month of daily meditations<\/p>\n
Prayer:\u00a0 We adore Thee O Christ and we bless Thee, for by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Monday<\/p>\n
Heaven, Hell and Purgatory are
\nthe three places into which the souls of the
\ndeparted are received. Heaven is the hap
\npy destination of perfectly pure and holy
\nsouls only ; Hell the final doom of the rep
\nrobate ; Purgatory, temporarily for the just,
\nwho are not, as yet, entirely purified.
\nThere God completes the punishment due
\nto their faults, which were not sufficiently
\natoned for on earth ; there He submits these
\nholy souls to the last purgation, to cleanse
\nthem from the least stain, and, by fire, to
\nbring them to that degree of perfected
\npurity, which is necessary for them before
\nbeing admitted to eternal bliss.
\nHence there are two classes of souls in
\nPurgatory : 1. Those who depart this life,
\nstained by venial sins and imperfections.
\n2. Those who have repented, and if
\npossible, confessed their mortal sins with
\n16 THE DOCTRINE OF PURGATORY
\nout, however, having done sufficient pen
\nance for them. Judging from our lives,
\nexperience teaches us that most men deserve
\nPurgatory for both causes.<\/p>\n
Prayer:<\/p>\n
O Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, despondency, ambition, and idle talking give me not.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Tuesday<\/p>\n
From those souls, upon
\nwhom God has bestowed great and special
\ngraces, He demands a faithful co-operation,
\nand the least infidelity to such grace is
\npunished with extreme severity: the pur
\ngation or cleansing of these favored souls
\nmust be perfect in proportion to the high
\ndegree of glory to which they are to be ex
\nalted. In reference to prayer for the suf
\nfering souls, who are in Purgatory for venial
\nsins and imperfections, we must observe
\nthat, though their time of suffering is com
\nparatively short, and their punishment less
\nrigorous, their pain and agony is more in
\ntense, owing to their yearning desire of
\nperfect union with God. They are in ut
\nmost need of our fervent prayers, and will
\nshow their gratitude by their petitions for
\nus before the throne of God, according to
\nthe speedy assistance we have given them
\niuring our earthly lives.<\/p>\n
Prayer:<\/p>\n
But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love bestow upon me Thy servant.<\/p>\n
Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.<\/p>\n
Wednesday<\/p>\n
The sufferings of Purgatory are twofold .-
\nthe pain of loss, and the torture of the
\nsenses; both in proportion to temporal
\npunishment unremitted. Having commit
\nted sin, the soul has turned away from God,
\nthus increasing the pain of loss, or accord
\ning to our ideas, God departs from that soul
\nand deprives her of His beatific vision. By
\nsin, the soul has been attached to creatures,
\nmaking improper use of them, displeasing
\nto God, hence the severe punishment, con
\nsisting in the pain of the senses. God per
\nmits that those who have abandoned their
\nCreator, and bestowed their affections upon
\ncreatures, are chastised, by the same, for
\nwe read in the Book of Wisdom: “By
\nwhat things a man sinneth, by the same
\nalso is he tormented.” ( Wis. xi. 17. ).<\/p>\n
” Therefore,” says St.
\nChrysostom, “this pain of being deprived
\nof God is far greater pain for them than
\nthe pain of the senses. The fire of Hell
\nincreased a thousand times would not
\ncause them such great suffering as does
\nthis pain of the loss of God.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Prayer:<\/p>\n
Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my failings and not condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Thursday
\nThe souls in Purgatory have entered in
\nto the realm of Divine Justice. The pen
\nance and satisfaction due for their faults
\nmust be made, either by the pain of Pur
\ngatory itself, or by the suffrages of the
\nfaithful, consisting in prayer, good works
\nand the spiritual treasure of indulgences
\nbestowed upon them; for the suffering
\nsouls can no longer merit and are entirely
\nunable to assist themselves. A sick man
\nand a beggar have a tongue to ask for help,
\nand the very sight of their misery will
\nmove others to compassion. The suffering
\nsouls, however, have no resource but that
\nof patience, resignation and hope. To all
\ntheir moans there is but one answer, ” the
\nnight hath come, in which no man can
\nwork.”
\nHence in their extreme desolation and
\ndistress, they incessantly cry out to us for
\nrelief and assistance.<\/p>\n
Prayer:\u00a0 O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, blot out our sins. O Master, pardon our iniquities. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name’s sake.<\/p>\n
Friday<\/p>\n
Concerning the duration of Purgatory,
\nthe Church simply tells us that it is not a
\nplace of everlasting pain, but will end at
\nthe last judgment ; neither are we informed
\nof the length of time required for the puri
\nfication of a soul. According to St. Thomas
\nAquinas, the soul, to be reunited to her
\nCreator in Heaven, must be in the state of
\nprimitive innocence which adorned her
\nwhen she proceeded from His hand. The
\nimage of God must be entirely restored
\nwithin her, commensurate with the degree
\nof glory awaiting her in Heaven.
\nFrom this it is evident that the suffering
\nsouls cannot enter Heaven until perfectly
\ncleansed, either by their pains or by the
\nsuffrages of the faithful.<\/p>\n
Prayer:\u00a0 Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3X)<\/p>\n
Saturday
\nBesides prayer and other acts of devotion
\nthere are practical good works we can per
\nform for the relief of the suffering souls.
\nAlms-giving is one of the most prominent,
\nfor this, being a work of mercy, is especially
\nefficacious in obtaining mercy for the holy
\nsouls. Not the rich alone are able to give
\nalms ; the poor can do so as well ; since it
\nis not the value of the gift, but the good
\nintention with which it is bestowed, that is
\nacceptable in the sight of God. We also
\nshall one day be numbered among the suf
\nfering souls, and who is in greater need
\nand poverty than they ? The most miser
\nable beggar in this world can at least com
\nplain of his wants and ask others to assist
\nhim. But the souls in Purgatory cannot
\ndo even this, for the instances in which
\nthey are permitted to implore aid of the
\nliving are exceptional cases and very few
\nare on record.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jesus Prayer:\u00a0 Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have Mercy on me a sinner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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