The Friends of the Poor Souls

update

2011-03-07T21:57:00.002-05:00

Please excuse the lack of updates to this blog.

The blog’s moderator, Maryann, was called by the Lord from this life in January of 2010.

In your charity, please pray for the eternal repose of her soul.

For any questions, inquiries, or concerns about this apostolate please email us at:

friendsofthepoorsouls@gmail.com

and we will do our best to assist you.

November & December 2009

2009-10-15T23:57:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends of the Holy Souls in Purgatory,

When praying please pray for the souls of our families, our friends, our enemies, all pagans, all priests and religious, the just, all sinners, and for the souls who have no one to pray for them. Remember that the month of November is set aside for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and they receive more graces during the month of November.

When we sin and repent of our sin (repentance means asking for forgiveness with the intent of not repeating the sin), God will forgive us but we still have to pay for the damage we caused due to the sin. The damage is the "stain" we leave on our souls when we sin. Even though we are forgiven, the stain remains.

It should be understood that when we sin, it produces two effects on our souls: the debt of guilt and the punishment due to that sin. We are guilty of both and deserve punishment. When we repent of our sin, the guilt is removed but the stain remains. The souls in Purgatory must expiate for their temporal punishment due to their past sins. When the debt is paid they acquire Heaven.

An indulgence is the remission of the penalty due to sin, or in other words, it is a ‘payment" to remove the stain of pain from our souls. The payment can be made through prayers, acts of charity, and acceptance of the suffering we endure throughout our lives. There are two types of indulgences: partial and plenary. A partial indulgence is the easiest one to obtain. It will remit a part of the penalty of the sins we have committed, while a plenary indulgence will remove all
of the stains of sin in our soul.

In order to get a partial indulgence, we must have the intent of obtaining the indulgence, we must be in a state of grace (repented of all of our sins), and say the prayer or perform the act which would lead to an indulgence. We are permitted by the Church to get as many partial indulgences each day as we wish.

A plenary indulgence is more difficult to obtain. In addition to the conditions attached to a partial indulgence, we must go to Confession and receive Holy Communion. We must also pray for the intentions of the Pope by praying one Our Father, one Hail Mary and one Glory be. A plenary indulgence can be obtained only once per day but those who are in danger of dying may receive a second plenary indulgence in the same day.

We can apply the indulgences to pay for the sins we have committed, OR we can apply those indulgences to remit the penalty of sins for the souls in Purgatory. When we give our indulgences to the holy souls, it will shorten their stay in Purgatory, give them some comfort, and may release them from Purgatory sooner if their soul is completely purified from the stains of sin.
A partial indulgence given to the poor souls in Purgatory will shorten their time there, while a plenary indulgence has the great grace of completely purifying the soul and allowing them to
immediately entering Heaven. Unfortunately, in order to be granted a plenary indulgence, we must be completely free from the stain of sin which is difficult to do. But we should always try. If the indulgence is not granted, it will at least be partial and will provide some benefit for the souls.
It is a great act of charity and mercy to pray for the dead. The holy souls will not forget what we have done for them and they will repay us a thousand times over for all we do. May God have mercy on them and may we pray for them every day.

These Messages, prayers and promises were given to St. Elizabeth of Hungary

The Five Promises of Our Heavenly Mother to those who offer their lives to Her through "The Life Offering"

1. Their names will be written in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, inflamed by love.
2. Their life offering, together with the infinite merits of Jesus, can save many souls from damnation. All souls who will live until the end of the world will benefit from their life offering.
3. None of their family members will go to hell, even if it seems otherwise, because they will receive, in the depth of their souls, the grace of sincere contrition before their soul departs from their bodies.
4. On the day they offer their lives, their loved ones suffering in Purgatory will be released.
5. I will be with them at the hour of their death. They will not know Purgatory. I will carry their souls straight to the Presence of the Glorious Trinity, where they will live with me in a special place created by God and will rejoice forever.
TEXT OF THE LIFE OFFERING should be made with a humble heart, firm resolution and clear intent. Make the Life Offering as soon as you feel ready and renew it from time to time:

"My dear Jesus, before the Holy Trinity, Our Heavenly Mother, and the whole Heavenly Court, united with your Most Precious Blood and your sacrifice on Calvary, I hereby offer my whole life to the intention of your Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Together with my life I place at your disposal all Holy Masses, all my Holy Communions, all my good deeds, all my sacrifices, and the sufferings of my entire life for the adoration and supplication of the Holy Trinity, for unity in our Holy Mother Church, for the Holy Father and priests, for good priestly vocations, and for all souls until the end of the world.
Oh My Jesus, please accept my life sacrifice and my offerings and give me your grace that I may persevere obediently until my death. Amen."

News from the Central Office

A Prayer Warrior sent us the following: These are very evil times in which we live and everyone must be on guard. The Church has given us from Our Lord many weapons to help us in our daily battle against the prince of darkness. Jesus said that we should lay up riches for ourselves in heaven. Well, we always tell others who are in the world that they will never see a Wells Fargo or Brinks truck in a funeral possession.

The riches are Prayers, Masses, Communions, Novenas, Rosaries, etc. These are what go to judgment with us. Fasting, good works, etc help to offset the punishment due to our daily faults and failings which are very displeasing to God. Most priests today will not tell you that Venial Sin is just as serious in God's eyes as Mortal. Mortal however will condemn one forever from God's Holy sight because nothing but perfection can go before God! We try hard each day to member what Jesus said in Mathew: Every God’s Holy sight because nothing imperfect can go before God! We try hard every day to remember what Jesus said in Mathew: Every hair on our head has been counted.....Further God will not be mocked or fooled....Today, there is too much false compassion and it clouds good judgment. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are needed to keep one with a good and right conscience and discernment. We enjoy praying for the Holy Souls as they will never forget us. It is part of the real Christian brotherhood of Love: The Saints in Heaven, the Holy Souls being purified in Purgatory, and we, the Church Militant!

We, the Church Militant, have a duty to those yet in Purgatory - they have gone on ahead, yet they still need our help, and we can help them, even if we don't know them now, we will reap those graces, because when we pray for "the poor souls in Purgatory" - the Church Suffering - and offer Masses for them, and light candles for them, and pray Rosaries for them, we obtain unbelievable graces, for this act of spiritual mercy.

St. Alphonsus Liguori called it "A Christian Duty" to pray for the souls in Purgatory. He also said that St. Catherine of Bologna, "when she wished to obtain any grace, had recourse to the souls in Purgatory, and her prayers were heard immediately. She declared that, by praying to those holy souls, she obtained many favors which she had sought through the intercession of the saints without obtaining them. The graces which devout persons are said to have received through these holy souls are innumerable."

Friends of the Poor Souls
Established September 15, 2004
Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators
For more information, please write us at:
436 Vasey Oak Dr.
Keller, TX 76248
OR email holysouls@att.net
http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com

August–September 2009

2009-10-15T23:53:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends of the Poor Souls,

We recently read about the Heroic Act of Love and would like to share it with you.

HEROIC ACT OF LOVE

This act consists in giving to the Souls in Purgatory all our works of satisfaction, that is to say, the satisfactory value of all the works of our life and of all the suffrages which shall be given to us after our death, without reserving anything to discharge our own debts. We deposit them in the hands of the Blessed Virgin, that she may distribute them, according to her good pleasure, to those souls which she desires to deliver from Purgatory.

It is an absolute donation in favor of the souls of all that we can give them; we offer to God in their behalf all the good we do, of what kind so ever, either in thought, words or works, all that we suffer meritoriously during this life, without accepting anything that we may reasonably give them, and adding even those suffrages which we may receive for ourselves after death.

Pope Benedict XIII, Pius VI, and Pius IX, have approved this heroic act, and have enriched it with indulgences and privileges, of which the principals are as follows:

I. The Indult of a Privileged Altar, personally, every day of the year to all priests who shall have made this offering.

II. A Plenary indulgence daily, applicable only to the departed, to all the faithful, who shall have made this offering, whenever they go to Holy Communion, provided they visit a church and pray for some time for the intention of his Holiness.

III. A Plenary indulgence, every Monday, to all who hear Mass in aid of the Souls in Purgatory, provided they fulfill the other conditions mentioned above.

It is recommended that all true Christians give to the faithful departed all the fruit of their good works which are at our disposal. We cannot make better use of them, since they render them more meritorious and more efficacious, as well as obtain grace from God for expiating our own sins and shortening the term of our Purgatory, or even acquiring an entire exemption there from.”

These words express the precious advantages of the Heroic Act; and in order to dissipate all subsequent fear which might arise in the mind, we add three remarks:

I. This act leaves us perfect liberty to pray for those souls in whom we are most interested; the application of these prayers is subject to the disposition of the will of God.

II. It does not oblige under pain of mortal sin, and can at any time be revoked. It may be made without using any particular formula; it suffices to have the intention, and to make it from the heart. Nevertheless it is useful to recite the formula of offering from time to time, in order to stimulate our zeal for the relief of the Holy Souls by prayer, penance, and good works.

III. The Heroic Act does not subject us to the consequences of having to undergo a long Purgatory ourselves; on the contrary, it allows us to rely with more assured confidence on the mercy of God in our regard, as is shown by the example of St. Gertrude.

It is related that St. Gertrude made a complete donation of all her works of satisfaction in favor of the faithful departed, without reserving anything to discharge the debts which she herself might have contracted in the sight of God. Being at the point of death, and, like all the saints, considering with much sorrow the great number of her sins on the one end, on the other, remembering that she had employed all her works of satisfaction for the expiation of the sins of others, she was afflicted, lest, having given all to others and reserved nothing for herself, her soul, on its departure from this world, should be condemned to horrible suffering. In the midst of her fears our Lord appeared to her and consoled her saying: “Be reassured, my daughter, your charity towards the departed will be no detriment to you. Know that the generous donation you have made of all your works to the Holy Souls has been singularly pleasing to me; and to give you a proof thereof, I declare to you that all the pains you would have had to endure in the other life are now remitted; moreover, in recompense for your generous charity, I will so enhance the value of the merits of your works as to give you a great increase of glory in Heaven.”

Reasons for Making the Heroic Act

1. You gain many indulgences.

2. Souls are released from Purgatory; Heaven is filled with new saints who will glorify and praise God for all eternity, also on your behalf.

3. You will have the promise of Our Lord applied to you: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matt. 5, 7)

4. The Poor Souls will labor in Heaven that you may not be lost, nor suffer Purgatory at all, or at least be released from it soon.

5. The Blessed Virgin receives an increase of veneration, since she will be invoked as the Queen of the Poor Souls, and the dispenser of our merits to them. She will have a special affection for those who love and honor her in this way, both while they are in this world and after they have passed into eternity.

Formula of the Heroic Act
“O Holy and Adorable Trinity, desiring to cooperate in the deliverance of the Souls in Purgatory, and to testify my devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, I give and renounce in behalf of those Holy Souls all the satisfactory part of my works, and all the suffrages which may be given to me after my death, consigning them entirely into the hands of the most Blessed Virgin, that she may apply them according to her good pleasure to those souls of the faithful departed which she desires to deliver from their sufferings. Deign, O my God, to accept and bless this offering which I make to Thee at this moment. Amen.”

News from the Central Office

We have received emails and letters from many of you asking when we will be sending out the next newsletter. I had been in the hospital for months and am still recuperating from my surgeries. I am starting to feel stronger so we are ready to continue with the newsletter. We have received your stipends for masses for the deceased and for the souls in Purgatory which we have taken care of. We also had requests to enroll names in the Golden Book which we have done. Please continue to send us the names of your friends and relatives to be enrolled.

Many of you have also had individual masses as well as the Gregorian Masses said for the souls of your departed loved ones. We have more priests that are available to say Gregorian Masses as well as individual masses for your loved ones.

If possible try to get seven relatives and friends to each take a day of the week and pray for the relief of the Poor Souls. How quickly we could empty Purgatory!

Please check out our website and help make the Holy Souls more known. Should you have any suggestions or wish to contribute any poems or testimonies, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Friends of the Poor Souls
Established September 15, 2004

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators

For more information, please write us at:

436 Vasey Oak Dr.

Keller, TX 76248

OR email holysouls@att.net

http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com

List of Available Relic Badges

2009-04-17T19:04:00.003-04:00

3RD CLASS RELIC BADGES-CROCHETED-$1.00 EACH
AGATHA
AGNES
ALEXANDER
ALEXANDRINA
ALOYSIUS GONZAGA
ALPHONSUS DI LIGUORI
ANDREW, APOSTLE
ANDREW BOBOLA
ANNUNCIATION
ANGELA MERICI
BL. ANNA MARIE TAIGI
ANNE
ANTHONY OF PADUA
AUGUSTINE
BARBARA
BARNABAS
BARTHOLOMEW
BASIL THE GREAT
BENEDICT
BERNADETTE
BERNARD
BERNARDINE OF SIENA
BL. DOMINIC BARBERI
BL. CHARLES OF ST. ANDREW
BL. GRIMOALDO
BL. ISIDORE OF ST. JOSEPH
BL. LORENZO SALVI
BL. MARGARET OF CASTELLO
BL. MARIE GABRIEKLLA SAGHEDDU
BL. MATTIA DE METELICA
BL. PIUS OF ST. ALOYSIUS
BL. TERESE OF THE ANDES
BLASE
BONAVENTURE
BRIGID OF IRELAND
BRO. ANDRE
CAMILLUS DE LELLIS
CASIMIR
CATHERINE LABOURE
CATHERINE OF BOLOGNA
CATHERINE OF SIENA
CECELIA
CHARLES BORROMEO
CHRISTOPHER
CHURCH OF THE CATACOMBS
CLARE
COSMAS & DAMIAN
CRIB OF THE LORD
CROWN OF THORNS
CYPRIAN
DOMINIC DE GUZMAN
DOMINIC SAVIO
EDITH STEIN
EDWARD
ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY
ELIZABETH OF THE TRINITY
ELIZABETH SETON
EUGENE
FAUSTINA
FRANCIS DE PAUL
FRANCIS DE SALES
FRANCIS OF ASSISI
FRANCIS XAVIER
FRANCIS XAVIER SEELOS
FRANCES X. CABRINI
FRANCISCO MARTO
FREDERIC
GABRIEL POSSENTI OF THE SORROWFUL MOTHER
GASPAR
GEMMA GALGANI
GEORGE
GERARD
GERMAINE
GERTRUDE THE GREAT
HELENA
HOLY HOUSE OF LORETO
HOLY INNOCENTS (TOUCHED TO PARTICLE FROM CAVE)
HOLY SEPULCHRE
HYACINTH
IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH (IGNATII EP. M)
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY (touched to the veil of the BM)
INNOCENCIO
IRENE
JACINTA MARTO
JAMES, APOSTLE
JANARIUS
JANE FRANCES CHANTEL
JOACHIM
JOHN BOSCO
JOHN THE BAPTIST
JOHN BAP. DE LA SALLE
JOHN EUDES
JOHN NEUMANN
JOHN OF GOD
JOHN OF THE CROSS
JOHN VIANNEY
JOSEPH
JOSEPH OF CUPERTINO
JUDE
KATERI TEKAKWITHA
LUCY
MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE
MARGARET OF CORTONA
MARGUERITE BOURGEOYS
MARIA GORETTI
MARK (APOSTLE)
MARY MAGDELENE
MARTIN DE PORRES
MARY MAGDALENE DE PAZZI
MATTHEW
MICHAEL - PC. OF STONE FROM ST. MICHAEL'S CAVE
MIGUEL AUGUSTIN PRO. S.J.
MONICA
MOTHER TERESA
NICHOLAS OF TOLENTINO
O.L. TEARS
PADRE PIO
PASCHAL BAYLON
PATRICK
PAUL - APOSTLE
PAUL OF THE CROSS
PEREGRINE
PETER
PETER JULIAN EYMARD
PHILIP (APOSTLE)
PHILIP NERI
PHILOMENA
TRUE CROSS

PIUS V
PIUS X
RAPHAEL
RAYMOND NONNATUS
RITA OF CASCIA
ROSE OF LIMA
ROSE OF VITERBO
SCHOLASTICA
SCOURGING POST
SIMON, APOSTLE
SIMON STOCK
SOLANUS CASEY
STANILAUS KOSTA
SYLVESTER
TERESA OF AVILA
THERESE LITTLE FLOWER
THOMAS THE APOSTLE
THOMAS AQUINAS
TITUS BRANDSMA
VALENTINE
VEIL OF BVM
VINCENT FERRER
VINCENT PALLOTTI
VINCENT STRAMBI
VITUS

ALL ORDERS ARE PREPAID. PLEASE SEND CHECK OR
MONEY ORDER TO:

MRS. MARY ANN LUETKEMEYER
436 VASEY OAK DRIVE
KELLER, TX 76248

WE ALSO ACCEPT PAYPAL. BUYER ASSUMES PAYPAL FEE
POSTAGE FEE DEPENDS ON AMOUNT OF RELIC BADGES
ORDERED.

November & December 2008

2008-11-30T20:30:00.004-05:00

Dear Friends of the Holy Souls in Purgatory,

November—the whole month is dedicated to the Poor Souls in Purgatory. Below is part of the Pope’s General Audience of Wednesday, August 4, 1999.

Purgatory Is Necessary Purification

Following John Paul II’s catecheses on Heaven and Hell, the Holy Father reflected on Purgatory.

For those who find themselves in a condition of being open to God, but still imperfectly, the journey towards full beatitude requires a purification, which the faith of the Church illustrates in the doctrine of "Purgatory" (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1030-1032).

Before we enter into full communion with God, every trace of sin within us must be eliminated and every imperfection in our soul must be corrected. To share in divine life we must be totally purified.

Every trace of attachment to evil must be eliminated, every imperfection of the soul corrected. Purification must be complete, and indeed this is precisely what is meant by the Church's teaching on Purgatory.

Those, in fact, who find themselves in the state of purification are united both with the blessed who already enjoy the fullness of eternal life, and with us on this earth on our way towards the Father's house.

Just as in their earthly life believers are united in the one Mystical Body, so after death those who live in a state of purification experience the same ecclesial solidarity which works through prayer, prayers for suffrage and love for their other brothers and sisters in the faith. Purification is lived in the essential bond created between those who live in this world and those who enjoy eternal beatitude.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

GREGORIAN MASSES

There is perhaps no better way to let our loved ones - living and deceased - know that we are thinking of them than to celebrate the Eucharist in their name. The sacrifice of the Mass consists in the offering of the Body and Blood of Christ to God the Father. During the Consecration the Body and Blood of Christ become present on the Altar and available for us to offer them to God.

There are three different ways in which you can ensure that a loved one is remembered: Mass Offering, Spiritual Association Perpetual Membership and Gregorian Masses.

Gregorian Masses are a series of thirty Masses offered up on thirty consecutive days for the repose of a particular person in Purgatory. It is based on a tradition started by Pope St. Gregory the Great who saw the soul of one of his friends released from Purgatory after the 30^th mass.

We can still give a deceased friend or relative a Christmas gift—the gift of a mass for delivery of their soul.

(if any of you are interested in having Gregorian Masses said for a loved one, please contact us and we will give be able to set up the masses for you.

Friends of the Poor Souls

Eternal rest grant to them of Lord. Let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

News From the Central Office

Bob and I wish to thank all of you who sent us get well cards, masses and prayers. I am sure they all did wonders as I am now at home after 5 months in the hospital. You will remain in our prayers.

Since Christmas will be here soon remember to have said a mass or an extra rosary as a gift to your loved deceased ones.

Remember to pray for all those enrolled in the Golden Book. If you include them in your prayers it may help shorten their purgatory. You may not know them now but you will meet them in Heaven. We have received all your emails and letters with names for the Golden Book and have enrolled them all.

We also wish to thank those who have sent donations so we can continue with Friends of the Poor Souls.

The Story of St Lidwina and the Sins of Lust not Expiated

St Lidwina saw in Purgatory a soul that suffered also for mortal sins not sufficiently expiated on earth. The incident is thus related in the Life of the saint.

A man who had been for a long time a slave of the demon of impurity, finally had the happiness of being converted. He confessed his sins with great contrition, but, prevented by death, he had not time to atone by just penance for his numerous sins. Lidwina, who knew him well, prayed much for him.

Twelve years after his death she continued to pray, when, in one of her ecstasies, being taken into Purgatory by her angel-guardian, she heard a mournful voice issuing from a deep pit.

"It is the soul of that man" said the angel, "for whom you have prayed with much fervour and constancy." She was astonished to see him so deep in Purgatory twelve years after his death. The angel, seeing her so greatly affected, asked if she was willing to suffer something for his deliverance. "With all my heart," replied the charitable maiden.

From that moment she suffered new pains and frightful torments, which appeared to surpass the strength of human endurance. Nevertheless, she bore them with courage, sustained by a charity stronger than death, until it pleased God to send her relief.

She then breathed as one restored to a new life, and, at the same time, she saw that soul for which she had suffered so much come forth from the abyss as white as snow and take its flight to Heaven.

Taken from: Purgatory Explained (pp 89-90)

Authored by: Father F.X. Shouppe, S.J.

--
http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com
http://relicbadges.blogspot.com

September & October, 2008

2008-09-09T22:28:00.002-04:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,

A Continuing Journey

Those who've died in a state of grace are not truly "dead"; they are our beloved in Heaven or in Purgatory (on their way to Heaven) and will forever be, world without end, part of the Communion of Saints -- the Church Triumphant (the Saints in Heaven, whether or not they are beatified or canonized), the Church Suffering (the holy souls in Purgatory), and the Church Militant (the faithful on earth).

Because we can't know, aside from those the Church has beatified or canonized, who is already in Heaven, who is in Purgatory for a time, or who is damned, we pray for the dead for the rest of our lives -- assuming they are in Purgatory, while hoping they are in Heaven and not damned. We also ask those who've died to pray for us. While those whom the Church has deemed to be of the Church Triumphant (the canonized Saints) are in Heaven for certain and are, therefore, in no need of our prayers for them, we've always asked for them to pray for us. As to the Church Suffering in Purgatory, St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that they are not able to know our prayers; however, it is piously believed, and taught by St. Alphonsus Liguori, that God can make our prayers known to them -- not directly, as they are deprived of the Beatific Vision until they enter Heaven, but by infusing this knowledge into their souls. St. Robert Bellarmine teaches that because the Church Suffering is so close to God -- much closer than we are and having the great consolation of knowing they are saved -- their prayers for us are very effective. So, as you pray for your dead loved ones, ask them to pray for you, too!

As to the damned, there is no hope; no prayer can help them and we can't pray formally for those in Hell. The problem, of course, is that we can't know who is damned, and so we pray generally for "all the faithful departed." For those who've died outside of visible Communion with Christ's Church or for those Catholics who've died seemingly without repentance and in scandal, public prayer cannot be offered, but we can most certainly still pray privately with the hope that they've died in a state of grace (i.e., those who are denied a Catholic funeral can't be prayed for liturgically or publicly, but they can most definitely be prayed for -- and should be prayed for -- privately). Priests can even offer Masses for such people privately, without naming them.

Masses for the dead have infinite value for the souls of the departed. They also have great value for those who survive in that it is comforting to know that Masses are being offered for one's departed loved ones. So, while the bereaved can arrange such Masses, others, even non-Catholics, can arrange with a priest to have such Masses said, too, which would be a great gift of comfort to survivors.

St. Catherine of Genoa, a mystic of the 15th century, wrote that the 'fire' of purgatory is God's love 'burning' the soul so that, at last, the soul is wholly aflame. It is the pain of wanting to be made totally worthy of One who is seen as infinitely lovable, the pain of desire for union that is now absolutely assured, but not yet fully tasted"

"What is more Profitable and Meritorious--to have Masses Celebrated for Ourselves during Life, or after Death?"

"Many Catholics are solicitous to have a number of Masses celebrated after their death for the repose of their souls. For this purpose they save money and devise a portion of their estate in their last will and testament. This is good and praise worthy, and persons intending this should by no means be dissuaded from doing so; yet it is more profitable and meritorious to have these Masses celebrated during life. St. Leonard of Port Maurice exhorts us most earnestly to have Masses celebrated for ourselves during life-time rather than after our death; and he declares that one Mass before our death is much more profitable to us than many after it. He gives the following reasons: First, if we have a Mass said for us during life-time, we are the cause of its celebration and can assist at it, which latter is impossible after our death. Secondly, if a Mass is celebrated for us during life-time, and we are perhaps in the state of sin, we may hope to receive from God's mercy, in virtue of this Mass, the grace to perceive our sinful state, to be moved to true contrition, and to reconcile ourselves with God by a sincere confession. True, God is not obliged to grant us this grace; for whosoever remains consciously in the state of mortal sin, is not capable of gaining supernatural merit. But as God is infinitely merciful, He usually grants to sinners who perform a good action the grace of true contrition for their sins. This grace or efficacy of Holy Mass cannot be obtained after death. For if we die in state of sin, even thousands of Masses would not transfer us into the state of grace; we remain forever enemies of God and children of wrath.

Thirdly, Holy Mass can obtain for us the grace of a happy death, because in virtue of its being offered for us God will assist us with special aid to triumph over the enemy of our souls in that decisive hour. Fourthly, if Masses are said for us before our death, their merit will accrue to us after it, and we shall thereby either be preserved entirely from Purgatory, or our punishment will be mitigated and lessened. For by every Holy Mass we pay to God a great Part of our indebtedness; and if we hear it with special devotion we moreover blot out many venial sins, so that we many reasonably hope to escape a great part of our punishment after death. But if we defer these Masses until after our death, we shall be obliged to wait for their celebration in case we are in Purgatory, and this waiting is most distressing and painful. Hence it is better that the benefits accruing to us from Holy Mass be obtained in advance, than to wait for them in the torments of Purgatory."

News from the Central Office

Here is another email we received from a Friend of the Poor Souls:

Dear Brother and Sister in Christ and Mary,

I received an email sent out by one of your Prayer Warriors. I just had to write to you to tell you that I love the Holy Souls. I began praying for the Holy Souls after my first pilgrimage to Medjugorje in 2004. (I had prayed for my deceased family members and people I knew sporadically prior to that)Each and every day upon waking, I offer my day to the Sacred Hearts of the Most Blessed Trinity and Immaculate Heart of Mary for the greater glory of God the Father. Then there is a list of people I include with petitions. One of these petitions if "for the Holy souls in Purgatory, especially those I know, those in my family, and those who have no one to pray for them." I also offer this as one of the intentions during mass and while saying the rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet. To me the Holy Souls are very important in my life to pray for. This devotion to offer prayers, masses, pilgrimages, my suffering, etc. for them is my honor and I do so with humility.

One day, while having a Pet Scan to determine if I had cancer, I was inside the scanner. Spontaneously and repetitively, I kept asking Jesus, through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and all the heavenly angels and Saints, to please send me a Holy Soul or Souls from Purgatory so they may tell me what they need or want me to do for them so they may be released from Purgatory. I kept getting the feeling that I was being called to do this.

Please pray for me that if it is God's will, a Holy Soul or Souls will come to me to tell me what they need and want me to do for them to be released into the waiting and loving arms of Jesus. This is a burning desire from within. I will patiently await a response to my prayer.

Please send me some more information. It would be greatly appreciated.

God bless – Your sister in Christ – Jo Ann

Friends of the Poor Souls

Established September 15, 2004

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators

For more information

email holysouls@att.net

http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com

January & February, 2008

2008-01-01T16:53:00.000-05:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Friends – Past, Present and Future

Throughout our lives, we have made many friends. There are the friends of our past who we grew up with and over the years have lost contact with. Then there are the friends who we associate with now, but then there are our friends in the future – namely, those whom we now pray for their release from Purgatory. They are now strangers to us but in the future they will be our friends in Heaven.

This newsletter will speak of a friend from our past. John had emailed us asking for a Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows. We emailed him back and asked him if he was affiliated with a Monastery where we worked prior to our retirement. (We had not known John’s last name at that time)He then realized Friends of the Poor Souls was our apostolate and was glad to be in touch with us once again. John has joined our apostolate and shared with us two experiences he had with a Soul from Purgatory. We would like to share them with you.

John’s first experience is as follows:

It happened at a Catholic Charismatic prayer meeting in 1989. At that time my wife was in a PVS (persistent vegetative state) coma due to an operating room accident -- since October of 1987, so at the suggestion of a friend I started going to Healing Masses and prayer meetings in the hope of asking for healing and prayers for her.

On this particular evening, after the prayer meeting ended, people would be allowed to ask to be "prayed over" by the prayer group members for whatever intentions they had. Several members of this prayer group had very discernable manifestations of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Word of Knowledge, Wisdom, Faith, Healing, Discernment, etc. -- as mentioned in St. Paul's letter to the Corinthians), and after the pray-over they would share with you (if God allowed it) what they "saw".

I asked to be prayed-over for my wife. When they were finished, one of the ladies had a somewhat puzzled look on her face. I asked her what she "saw", and she told me of her vision in very great detail. She said that she was shown a plain wooden casket, rising from the ground, and then standing upright. The lid opened, and then inside was a woman's skeleton. The skeleton's arm and hand reached out -- to me -- and pulled back in again, as if 'beckoning' me for something.......like it was saying "Come here." The lady saw her do it several times in row.

Well, I immediately thought that the skeleton was that of my wife, who was not dead .... yet. "Is this God's way of telling me that she is going to die soon?", I asked. "No.....I saw no indication of that.", she said. But the lady was quite certain of two facts: it was a woman's skeleton, and it was not my wife’s. She asked me if I had any idea of what this could mean. I had no explanation for it.

But, then after a minute or two, I remembered something! That very day I had been passing by Immaculate Conception cemetery, when -- on a lark -- I decided to go in and try to find my grandmother's grave. It was unmarked, but my mom had told me that it was over in the "St. Joseph" section, so I wandered over there near the statue of St. Joseph, but I did not see anything that I could recognize as possibly grandma's grave. As I was walking through that area, I almost tripped over a depression in the ground. It was a grave that had sunken in an inch or two....and apparently had not been visited or attended to for a very long time. There was no marker, no flowers......nothing but grass. I got such a lonely feeling when I walked over it, so I stopped and said a "Hail Mary" for whoever was buried there -- figuring that no one had probably prayed for this person in many years. Then I continued looking for grandma's grave, but to no avail.

I told this to the lady who had seen the vision, and immediately her whole face lit up in a wonderful grin! "That's it!", she said. "The 'woman in the casket' was the occupant of that grave. She was beckoning to you to pray for her. She kept beckoning to you for more prayers!"Then, the lady asked me if I regularly pray for the souls in Purgatory -- but I told her "No." My mom, when we were growing up, ALWAYS said a small prayer for the souls in Purgatory whenever we passed a cemetery......but I never did. It was just today that I felt I should. So the lady explained to me that I should start praying, regularly, for the holy souls in Purgatory. I've been doing that very thing, ever since.

The second experience happened about three years ago. I had been riding a bicycle back and forth to work for several years because my car broke down beyond my financial ability to have it repaired. Each day I would try to pass through Immaculate Conception cemetery on my way to work, and again on my way home. As I would go through the cemetery I would recite (and still do) the prayer of St. Gertrude, wherein Our Lord told her that every time that prayer was recited with devotion He would release 1000 souls from Purgatory into Heaven. My former landlady was a 3rd Order Carmelite, and she told me that prayers for the dead take on special beneficial strength if said while in a cemetery........s o that's why I started to say that prayer in my travels each day.

One winter's night, there was no moon and it was especially dark and bitterly cold out. I had stayed late at work, and was soon freezing on my trip home when I approached the cemetery. For some reason, I became very scared that particular evening to enter. I couldn't figure out why I was suddenly so scared to ride through the cemetery, as I had done hundreds of times before. Well, I went in anyway. After only riding a few feet I started to realize..."John, what are you so scared of? At worst, these are just some poor spirits waiting to get to Heaven! There's nothing to worry about."

Just then, about 50 feet inside the cemetery gate, I had to stop my bicycle. I didn't know why.......but I was starting to feel something 'funny' happening to my body.....all of a sudden I was starting to warm up, all toasty inside. I could no longer feel the bitter cold of the night. Then -- I'll never forget this as long as I live -- I could feel dozens of people crowding around me -- hugging me -- warming me. And, even though I could not see them with my eyes, my 'mind's eye' saw them all smiling! I stayed there, straddling my bicycle, basking in this wonderful warm loving feeling for about 10 minutes.Slowly, I started to realize that after being scared only a few moments before, here I was being warmed and 'thanked' by those souls whom I had realized "....were just waiting to go to Heaven..." It was WONDERFUL!

Many are the times, through the years, when I ride through that cemetery while praying for the poor souls -- hoping to relive that experience. Alas, nothing so far. But, at least I know that they are there -- in Purgatory -- and that they really do need and appreciate all of the prayers that we offer for their release.

God bless you both for caring so very much for our suffering brothers and sisters!

John

News from the Central Office

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy and Blessed New Year. We have truly been blessed with friends like you who have joined our (and your) apostolate to help release the Poor/Holy Souls from Purgatory so they may enter Heaven and be united with God for all eternity.

For those who have sent Christmas Cards and donations we thank you. We were not able to answer each and every card and email.

We would also like to thank John for sharing his experiences with us and we ask any of you who have had any experience with the souls in Purgatory to send us your testimony. We would like to share it with everyone. Please also check our website as there are many testimonies from Prayer Warriors.

In fact, from the reports of those who have been visited by Holy Souls, many prayers and Masses are needed for them. It is very important to remember them in our prayers, as, once their payment has been made in full (either by their sufferings there, or through the prayers, sacrifices and Masses offered for them) they then enter eternal glory where they will praise God forever. So, our act of love for the Holy Souls is also demonstrated love for God, for the sooner they reach Heaven, the sooner they surround Him and give Him His due praise and glory. It is also a simple act of compassion to remember those who have gone before us, who now are in need, as they are suffering for their sins. It is important to remember, in a special way, those who have no one to p ray for them.

We also ask you to please continue praying for all those enrolled in the Golden Book. They are sharing in the weekly masses offered and our goal is to have one mass per day said (365 masses per year) for all those in Purgatory thereby eventually emptying Purgatory and filling Heaven. Friends of the Poor Souls

Friends of the Poor Souls

Established September 15, 2004

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators

For more information,

email holysouls@att.net -

http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com/

http://relicbadges.blogspot.com/

November & December, 2007

2007-10-25T11:33:00.000-04:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Life Beyond the Tomb

The Dogma of Purgatory is too much forgotten by the majority of the faithful. This truly deplorable forgetfulness was a great sorrow to St. Francis de Sales. This pious doctor of the Church said, "We do not sufficiently remember our dear departed; their memory seems to perish with the sound of the funeral bells." The principle causes of this are ignorance and lack of faith; our notions on the subject of Purgatory are too vague, our faith is too feeble.

In order, then, that our ideas may become more distinct and our faith enlivened, we must take a closer view of this life beyond the tomb, this immediate state of the just souls, not yet worthy to enter Heaven. This is the object of this newsletter. We propose not to prove the existence of Purgatory to skeptical minds, but to make it better known to the pious faithful who believe with a divine faith this dogma revealed by God. It is to them, properly speaking, that we address, to give them a less confused idea of Purgatory. I say purposely a clearer idea than people generally have, by placing this great truth in the strongest possible light.

Frequently they are figures, symbolic images, which represent in a manner proportionate to the capacity of our understanding, things purely spiritual.

That the spirits of the dead sometimes appear to the living is a fact that cannot be denied. Does not the Gospel clearly suppose it? When the risen Jesus appeared for the first time to His assembled apostles, they supposed they saw a spirit. Our Savior, far from saying spirits appear not, spoke to them thus: Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; handle and see; for a spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see Me to have. (Luke 24:37, etc.).

Apparitions of the souls that are in Purgatory are of frequent occurrence. We find them in great numbers in the "Lives of the Saints"; they happen sometimes to the ordinary faithful. Apparitions of this kind are not uncommon. God permits them for the relief of souls in order to excite our compassion, and also to make us sensible of how terrible are the rigors of His Justice against those faults which we consider trivial.

The vision of Purgatory has been granted to many holy souls. St. Catherine de Ricci descended in spirit into Purgatory every Sunday night; St. Lidwina, during her raptures, penetrated into this place of expiation, and conducted by her angel guardian, visited the souls in their torments. In like manner, an angel led Blessed Osanne of Mantua through this dismal abyss. Blessed Veronica of Binasco, St. Frances of Rome, and many others had visions exactly similar, with impressions of terror.

More frequently it is the souls themselves that appear to the living and implore their intercession. Many appeared in this manner to Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque, and to a great number of other holy persons. The souls departed frequently sought the intercession of Denis the Carthusian. This great servant of God was one day asked how many times the holy souls appeared to him. "Oh! hundreds of times," he replied. St. Catherine of Siena, in order to spare her father the pains of Purgatory, offered herself to Divine Justice to suffer in his stead during her whole life. God accepted her offer, inflicted the most excruciating torments upon her, which lasted until her death, and admitted the soul of her father into eternal glory. In return this blessed soul frequently appeared to his daughter to tha nk her.

When the souls in Purgatory appear to the living, they always present themselves in an attitude which excites compassion; now with the features which they had during life or at their death, with sad countenance and imploring looks, in garments of mourning, with an expression of extreme suffering; then like a mist, a light, a shadow, or some kind of fantastic figure, accompanied by a sign or word by which they may be recognized. At other times they betray their presence by moans, sobs or sighs. When they speak, it is to manifest their sufferings, to deplore their past faults, or to ask suffrages.

If you have received any favors through the intercession of the Holy Souls in Purgatory please email us and tell us about them so we can share them with others. This will encourage more people to pray for their release.

Visit to a Cemetery

An indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful, who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed. The indulgence is plenary each day from the 1st to the 8th of November; on other days of the year it is partial.

Visit to a Church or Oratory on All Souls Day [November 2]

A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful, who on the day dedicated to the Commemoration of all the faithful departed piously visit a church or a public oratory. This indulgence can be acquired either on the day designated above or on the preceding or following Sunday or the Feast of All Saints [November 1]. It is contained in the Apostolic Constitution The Doctrine of Indulgences, Norm 15. In visiting the church or oratory, it is required, according to Norm 16 of the same Apostolic Constitution, that "one Our Father and the Creed be recited."

Melanie, the Shepherdess of La Salette

At the tender age of 10 Melanie started to doze off while watching the flocks in the fields. Her Guardian Angel appeared to her and showed her the souls that God loves and that love Him, but who cannot rejoice with Him because they were soiled with sin and must be purified. She was told to offer the Eternal Father the Blood and Passion of Jesus Christ for them and their sins would be washed away and their souls united to God. When her Guardian Angel showed her the suffering souls in Purgatory, she saw that all the punishments were different. They depended on the malice with which the sin had been committed and the knowledge which the person h ad of it. She prayed for all those souls and asked God by virtue of the Passion and Death of Jesus to lessen the sufferings of these souls and to free seventy-two of them for the love of Mary. At that moment, she saw the angel of God and in his hand was a chalice filled with the Precious Blood of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. He poured some onto the souls who were waiting for Christians to pray for them, and thus seventy-two were released to fly to the bosom of God.

News from the Central Office

The PRAYER WARRIORS of Friends of the Poor Souls have dedicated themselves to pray, offer masses, do works of mercy for the intentions of the holy souls, especially those enrolled in the Golden Book, and to recruit more members who will identify with the cause of assisting the holy souls reach their state of perfection so as to be able to enter the Kingdom of God. We know that the souls in Purgatory are so grateful for what you are doing for them, that they are powerful before God for everything except their own needs and that they will certainly honor any prayer request you make. Friends of the Poor Souls wishes to thank many of you f or sending us mass stipends for the Souls in Purgatory as well as your church bulletins and obituary pages of your daily newspapers. We have been adding all the names to the Golden Book and they will be included in the weekly masses offered for the repose of their souls.
If possible, please try to attend mass on November 2nd, the day dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. A soul in Purgatory may need your attendance at Mass to help release them from their bonds.
If any of you have written for the Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows and have not received it, please let us know and we will gladly send it to you. We have a new supply in and those who have volunteered to make them did a beautiful job.

Friends of the Poor Souls
Established September 15, 2004
Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators
For more information
holysouls@att.net
http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com

Purgatory Newsletter

2007-09-15T10:43:00.000-04:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Can We Help the Souls in Purgatory?

Christian charity compels us to have mercy on the Souls in Purgatory and to assist them as much as we can. The Council of Florence says that “the souls are cleansed by purgatorial pains after death, and in order that they may be rescued from their pain, they are benefited by the suffrages of the living faithful, namely: the Sacrifice of the Mass, prayers, alms and other works of piety.”

Ways of helping the Souls in Purgatory are through Mass, Holy Communion, Stations of the Cross. Prayer, the rosary, good works, almsdeeds, indulgences and the Heroic Act of Charity.

The Mass

The best means for benefiting the Poor/Holy Souls in Purgatory is the Sacrifice of the Mass, for it is the same as the Sacrifice of Our Lord on the Cross, which was of infinite value. A holy Franciscan, John of Alvernia : While celebrating Mass for the departed on All Souls’ Day he beheld Purgatory open, and souls coming forth, as it were, like innumerable sparks from a great furnace.

St. Bernard, a monk of Clairvaux, appeared after his death to his brethren in religion thanking them for having delivered him from Purgatory. On being asked what most contributed to free him from Purgatory, he led them to the Church where a priest was saying Mass. “Look,” he said, “this is the means by which my deliverance has been effected. This is the power of God’s mercy. This is the saving sacrifice which takes away the sins of the world.”

St. Monica’s dying request to her son, St. Augustine: “Lay this body anywhere. The one thing I ask of you is that you remember me at the altar of the Lord.”

The souls in Purgatory for whom the priest is wont to pray at Mass,” says St. Jerome, “suffer no pain while Mass is being offered; and after every Mass is said for the souls in Purgatory some souls are released.”

To hear or to have Mass said for the Poor Souls is their greatest consolation. By the cooling tide of Jesus’ Blood they are relieved and ushered, when cleansed, into the Presence of the All Holy God.

St. John Chrysostom recommends that every Catholic family have a box at some convenient place in the house into which loose change can be dropped to be used for Masses for the Poor Souls.

Holy Communion

Many revelations of the Saints assure us that Communion hastens the time of deliverance of a soul in Purgatory. This is the holiest work which a Christian can perform. The whole time the soul is with Our Lord, it is being unceasingly purified and sanctified and its acts are more fervent and meritorious than at other times. Through Holy Communion a more abundant application of Christ’s merits is made to our souls. In other words, to receive our Divine Lord in the Sacrament of the Altar is the holiest work a Christian can accomplish. If we could only realize this better, how much more fervent would our Holy Communions be.

It is related of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi that her brother after his death made her understand that he wished her to offer up a certain number of Holy Communions for the release of his soul from Purgatory, and that the Saint complied with this request, thereby giving an example which we can all very well follow and which is within the reach of us all.

Stations of the Cross

Making the Way of the Cross is one of the most excellent ways of meditating on the Passion of Christ. Our Lord appeared to His servant, Ven. Mary D’Antigna, and reproached her for her negligence in saying the Stations. He said that the Stations of the Cross are most profitable to the Holy Souls. He then charged her to make known to all what a treasure of relief for the Holy Souls was the devotion of the Way of the Cross.

When it is impossible to say the Stations in Church, you may use an indulgenced Crucifix. In this case the following prayers must be said: Fourteen Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glorias in honor of the fourteen stations; five in honor of the five Wounds of Christ, and one for the intentions of the Holy Father.

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How great is the mercy of God who binds together in the bonds of charity the living and the dead. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord,” (Apoc. 14, 13) for their eternal happiness is assured. The Church does not forget her children, even when the world to come has already received them stripped of their mortal bodies, but she still watches over their welfare as a tender mother and as we should. Her priests always pray for the dead when they offer up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The Church teaches that the Holy Sacrifice may be offered up on their behalf, and has adapted this liturgy to this end.

Every year when November comes around, the Church turns its thoughts and prayers to the suffering souls and consecrates the rest of the month to their relief.

Even though you may have a longer period of suffering in Purgatory, you may receive a higher degree in Heaven because of your generosity and charity for the Poor/Holy Souls in Purgatory. If you have helped the suffering souls during your earthly life by your prayers and good works, you may safely believe that, when you reach that blessed place of purifying pain, others will be found on earth to do the same for you, so that you may be admitted more quickly to the joys of heaven.

St. Francis de Sales had said that we should practice all the works of mercy together. We should visit the sick, give drink to those who thirst for the vision of God, feed the hungry, comfort the afflicted and practice all the works of mercy.

St. Thomas says: “Suffrages for the dead are more agreeable to God than suffrages for the living because the former, not being able to help themselves like the living, stand in more urgent need.

And then St. Ambrose reminds us: “All that we offer to God in charity to the dead, is changed into merit for ourselves, and we shall find it increased a hundredfold after our death. Generosity towards the departed is always repaid.

Let us then do what we can for the faithful departed. As St. Augustine has said: “By saving a soul, you assure your own salvation.” Let us speed many souls onward to Heaven by acts of charity. They will be mindful of us and will richly reward us, their benefactors. And finally our Divine Savior has assured us on His word of unfailing truth: “Amen, I say unto you, as long as you did it to the least of my brethren, you have done it unto Me.”

News from the Central Office

Soon the summer months will be over and we will get back to our usual schedule. The children will be returning to school and we will be thinking of the coming months, especially November, the month dedicated to the Poor/Holy Souls. As we settle back into our daily routine it is worth mentioning once again what St. John Chrysostom recommended. Let us all have a box or jar at some convenient place
in the house where you can throw loose change each day from your pocket or wallet to be used to have masses said for the Poor/Holy Souls in Purgatory. One of those masses may be just the one that a family member may need to be released from Purgatory.
We are continuing to receive church bulletins and obituary pages from the newspapers from many of you Prayer Warriors. We enroll all names in the Golden Book and they share in the masses offered each week for the repose of their souls. While we cannot write individually to each of you thanking you for sending this information to us, please know that we are extremely thankful. Also if any of you are now connected to email p
lease let us know and we can email the newsletter to you rather than land mail.
Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us and we will answer any questions to the best of our ability. You may write or email us. Please also remember to check our website often as we continue to add more items of interest about the Souls in Purgatory, how to shorten our own Purgatory and how to shorten the Purgatory of our family and friends.

Friends of the Poor Souls

Established September 15, 2004

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators

For more information, please write us at:

436 Vasey Oak Dr.

Keller, TX 76248

July and August, 2007

2007-07-05T11:44:00.000-04:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,

One of the priests who joined us as a Prayer Warrior is studying communications in Rome. He has been very kind over the past year by making himself available to do the Gregorian Mass for many of you who had requested the Gregorian Mass for your deceased friends and relatives. Many of the priests who are continuing their studies in Rome do not get mass stipends or an income from their monasteries in their country of origin, and so depend on groups like Friends of the Poor Souls to help them with their basic needs by sending as many mass stipends as possible. Father has been chosen to do some internship this August at EWTN in Alabama which he says is quite an honor at his college. He is very excited to have been chosen. It will be his first trip to the United States. He recently sent us the following email:

Dear Mary Ann and Bob,

Greetings and peace to you from Rome. I am fine and getting busy now with exams which are here with us already. Soon I will be finishing and will start preparing for the journey to Alabama for my internship with EWTN on 1st August. I am excited to be coming there and it is so nice to know that with your continued support things are working out so well that I am left saying thanks to God for you.

I visited the Sacred Heart Parish (Sacro Cuore Parrocchia in Prati) here in Rome to see the relics, prayer books, clothing and table tops that were touched and scorched by the holy souls that were allowed to leave Purgatory and return to their family or fellow religious and beg them for Masses and prayers. (If you recall, we sent out a newsletter a few months ago about this very museum.) I said a prayer for your mission since I was so touched that I offered some masses for the Holy Souls to be celebrated in that church. It is so great a thing to see what the Holy Souls need from us, prayers and masses every day. I am happy to know I am associated with prayers for them through your great ministry. Thanks for being of great help to these souls that indeed need our prayers daily.

Some scorch marks were left on the table and on the book “The Imitation of Christ”. Everybody should be offering prayers for them every day. This is what St. Leonard of Port Maurice said, “If you deliver one soul from Purgatory, you can say with confidence – Heaven is mine.”
I am so happy every day to be offering masses for the Holy Souls through your ministry. God bless your mission always.

Your friend,

Fr. George

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Another Prayer Warrior sent us the following email:

I was reflecting on the second judgment and how we will be judged for all our actions & the repercussions of those actions. For example, if one made the horrible mistake of aborting a baby. We will be judged on how we snuffed out that life & how that life was planned by God to do great things. On the flip side I think of how you & Bob have touched and inspired so many earthly creatures to pray for the deceased. God has a special love for His souls in Purgatory. These are the ones who won the battle. But now the poor souls rely on us. And God is counting on our prayers as well. What joy there will be on the final judgment for you & Bob. How you touched so many souls in Purgatory & souls on earth. We cannot even fathom the domino affects and good acts that are attached to your souls.

The Blessed Mother said at one of the apparitions that more souls go to hell for impurity more than any other sin. While the devil is trying to dissuade all hearts from purity, the Blessed Mother is stronger than he, and she loves to help retain and restore innocence. "It is in beauty that God and the devil are fighting, and the battlefield is the heart of man."
Let us pray for each other as we try to imitate St. John's purity and fight the good fight! Keep up the good works.
God bless – G.D.

It is our duty to pray for the dead. We must fulfill our obligation as a Catholic.

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How many of these souls in Purgatory are beginning their painful imprisonment this very moment! How many of them have been there for a long time and shall be there for a longer time to come! And what a holy legion, almost entirely purified and cleansed at the present moment, shall rise to heaven this very day!

How happy the Poor Souls are! They have escaped hell forever. They are certain to obtain eternal happiness. They are friends of God; they are saved. And yet, how miserable they are at the same time. They must still suffer temporal punishment for the sins which have been already forgiven them. The gates of the heavenly fatherland are still closed to them; they are sentenced to expiating fire.

I Regret: Wasted time.
I Regret: Extravagance in the use of earthly possessions.
I Regret: Neglect of so many splendid graces. - The benefit of a single grace is greater than all the material value of the whole world." (St. Thomas)
I Regret: The evil which I have done.
I Regret: The scandal which I have given.
I Regret: My neglect of acts of mortification.
I Regret: The little amount of charity I have shown the Poor Souls in my life on earth

Pray for the souls of priests, religious, and all those in Purgatory. The sufferings of the souls in Purgatory are so great that a single day appears to them like a thousand years. Pray also for the most forsaken soul in Purgatory. Pray for the soul nearest to Heaven.. Pray for the soul in Purgatory which is farthest from eternal rest. Pray for the souls for which you are most bound to pray.

Offer the Poor Souls, by way of suffrage, the benefit of some indulgence gained by prayers or some devotional exercise in honor of the divine Heart of Jesus.

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A CERTAIN mother, inconsolable at the death of her only son, wept for his loss long and bitterly, without however, helping him by those means which religion affords such as masses and good works. To give her affection a useful direction, God sent her a vision. She beheld a procession of youths, clad in white garments, enriched with various ornaments, and directing their joyous course toward a magnificent temple. This temple represented heaven, the white garments were the garb of faith, and the ornaments upon them were the works of charity. The bereaved mother, having her lost son unceasingly in her mind and heart, anxiously looked for him among this chosen band, but her searching glance could not discover him till all the rest had passed. She then beheld him, but clothed in a dark robe, and she saw that he advanced but slowly and with difficulty. This sad sight caused her tears to flow anew, and, with a voice broken with sobs, she exclaimed: "Why, O my son, are you so sad, and differ so much from your companions? Why do you remain so far behind?"

The young man sorrowfully replied: "Mother, you see these mournful and sullied garments. Behold in them what your obstinate grief and tears for me produce! Your unreasonable grief weighs heavily upon me and impedes my progress. Ah! Cease to abandon yourself to mere natural feelings, and, if you truly love me, if you desire to see me happy, arouse your faith, and aid me by works of faith and charity. Assist me by your pious suffrages, as is done by other mothers not less affectionate, but more wise and more religious than you. Then I shall be enabled to join the happy company you have seen, and attain to that heavenly bliss, for which I long with so much ardor."

*******************

Please remember to pray for all those enrolled in the Golden Book. Please also remember to have masses said for your deceased loved ones. They are counting on our prayers and sacrifices to shorten their Purgatory.

Friends of the Poor Souls
Established September 15, 2004
Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows
Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators
For more information, please write us at:
436 Vasey Oak Dr.
Keller, TX 76248
OR email holysouls@att.net
http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com/

May and June, 2007

2007-05-12T10:40:00.000-04:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Many of you are familiar with the book “Get Us Out of Here” about Maria Simma (now deceased) who was given the extraordinary gift of communicating with the Souls in Purgatory. Maria was born in 1915 and died in 2004.

Today, very little is taught about Purgatory, about the suffering that the Poor Souls experience in order to be completely purified to be able to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet Purgatory does exist, and the sufferings that the Poor Souls experience there are very real.

Since 1940 Maria Simma, has had regular visits from the souls in Purgatory to explain their sufferings and to ask for prayers and Masses to be released from Purgatory. Her local Bishop and parish priest told her she could make known these visitations as long as there were no theological errors.

The first time Maria was visited by a Soul in Purgatory was in 1940. “One night, around 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning, I heard someone coming into my bedroom... I saw a complete stranger. He walked back and forth slowly. I said to him severely: How did you get in here? Go away! But he continued to walk impatiently around the bedroom as if he hadn't heard. So I asked him again: What are you doing? But as he still didn't answer, I jumped out of bed and tried to grab him, but I grasped only air. There was nothing there. So I went back to bed, but again I heard him pacing back and forth. I wondered how I could see this man, but I couldn't grab him. I rose again to hold onto him and to stop him from walking around; again, I grasped only emptiness. Puzzled, I went back to bed. He didn't come back, but I couldn't get back to sleep. The next day, after Mass, I went to see my spiritual director and told him everything. He told me that if this should happen again, I shouldn't ask, Who are you? but What do you want from me? The following night, the man returned. I asked him: What do you want from me? He replied: Have three Masses celebrated for me, and I will be delivered. So I understood that it was a soul in Purgatory. My spiritual director confirmed this. He also advised me never to turn away the poor souls, but to accept with generosity whatever they asked of me.

For several years, there were only three or four souls, all in November. Afterwards, there were more. In most cases, they ask to have Masses celebrated. They ask to have the Rosary said and also that one make the Stations of the Cross.

In the midst of their suffering they have joy and hope. No soul would want to come back from Purgatory to the earth. They have knowledge which is infinitely beyond ours. They just could not decide to return to the darkness of the earth. Here we see the difference from the suffering that we know on earth. In Purgatory, even if the pain of the soul is just terrible, there is the certitude of living forever with God. It's an unshakeable certitude. The joy is greater than the pain. There is nothing on earth which could make them want to live here again, where one is never sure of anything.

It is not God who sends a soul into Purgatory. It is the soul itself which wants to go to Purgatory, in order to be pure before going to Heaven.

The Blessed Mother comes often to Purgatory to console them and to tell them they have done many good things. She encourages them. She delivers them from Purgatory above all, Christmas Day, All Saints Day, Good Friday, the Feast of the Assumption, and the Ascension of Jesus. Most go to Purgatory mainly for the following reasons: Sins against charity, against the love of one's neighbour, hardness of heart, hostility, slandering, and calumny. Other sins against charity are all our rejections of certain people we do not like, our refusals to make peace, our refusals to forgive, and all the bitterness we store inside.

Those who have the greatest chance of going to Heaven are those who have a good heart towards everyone. Love covers a multitude of sins.

While still on earth we can avoid Purgatory almost completely by doing a great deal for the souls in Purgatory, for they help us in their turn. We must have much humility. This is the greatest weapon against evil, against the Evil One. Humility drives evil away.

Maria also says the most effective means to help deliver the souls in Purgatory is the Mass because it is Christ who offers Himself out of love for us. It is the offering of Christ Himself to God, the most beautiful offering. The priest is God's representative, but it is God Himself who offers Himself and sacrifices Himself for us. The efficacy of the Mass for the deceased is even greater for those who attached great value to the Mass during their lives. If they attended Mass and prayed with all their hearts, if they went to Mass on weekdays — according to their time available — they drew great profit from Masses celebrated for them. Here, too, one harvests what one has sown.

A soul in Purgatory sees very clearly on the day of his funeral if we really pray for him, or if we have simply made an act of presence to show we were there. The poor souls say that tears are no good for them: only prayer! Often they complain that people go to a funeral without addressing a single prayer to God, while shedding many tears; this is useless!

There is another means, very powerful, to help the poor souls: the offering of our sufferings, our penances, such as fasting, renunciations, etc., — and of course, involuntary suffering, like illness or mourning.

The best thing to do, Maria tells us, is to unite our sufferings to those of Jesus, by placing them in the hands of Mary. She is the one who knows best how to use them, since often we ourselves do not know the most urgent needs around us. All this, of course, Mary will give back to us at the hour of our death. You see, these sufferings offered will be our most precious treasures in the other world. We must remind each other of this and encourage each other when we suffer.

Let me add something important: the souls in Purgatory can no longer do anything for themselves; they are totally helpless. If the living do not pray for them; they are totally abandoned. Therefore, it is very important to realize the immense power, the incredible power that each one of us has in our hands to relieve these souls who suffer.

We wouldn't think twice about helping a child who has fallen in front of us from a tree, and who had broken his bones. Of course, we would do everything for him! So, in the same way, we should take great care of these souls who expect everything from us, attentive to the slightest offering, hopeful for the least of our prayers, to relieve them from their pain. And it might be the finest way to practice charity.

In Purgatory one can no longer gain merits. At the moment of death, the time to earn merits is over. For as long as we are living on earth, we can repair the evil we have done. The souls in Purgatory envy us of this opportunity.

Sufferings are the greatest proof of the love of God, and if we offer them well, they can win many souls.

We must give everything to Our Lady. She is the one who knows best who needs such and such an offering in order to be saved.

We should not always consider sufferings as a punishment. It can be accepted as expiation not only for ourselves, but above all for others. Christ was innocence itself, and He suffered the most for the expiation of our sins. Only in Heaven will we know all that we have obtained by suffering with patience in union with the sufferings of Christ.

Contrition is very important. The sins are forgiven, in any case, but there remains the consequences of sins. If one wishes to receive a full indulgence at the moment of death — that means going straight to Heaven — the soul has to be free from all attachment.

At the moment of death there is a time in which the soul still has the chance to turn towards God, even after a sinful life, before entering into eternity — a time, if you like, between apparent death and real death. The Lord gives several minutes to each one in order to regret his sins and to decide: I accept, or I do not accept to go and see God. Then we see a film of our lives.

At the moment of death the devil has permission to attack us, but man also has the grace to resist him, to push him away. So, if man does not want anything to do with him, the devil can do nothing.

Maria also says that if anyone wants to become a saint here on earth he or she must be very humble. We must not be occupied with ourselves. Pride is evil's greatest trap.

Eternal Rest Grant Unto Maria, O Lord

Friends of the Poor Souls

Established September 15, 2004

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators

For more information, email holysouls@att.net

http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com

2007 March - April Newsletter

2007-03-14T21:18:00.000-04:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,

THE CHURCH OF THE SUFFERING SOULS
ROME, ITALY

In Rome, there is a church called the Church of the Suffering Souls (address: Parrocchia Sacro Cuore in Prati-Lungotevere Prati 12-Roma, which is a short distance from the Vatican). In this church there is a small museum called the Holy Souls Museum with relics, prayer books, clothing and table tops that were touched and scorched by the holy souls that were allowed to leave Purgatory and return to their family or fellow religious and beg them for Masses and prayers.

ROME (Reuters) - If you end up in Purgatory after you die, never fear. Just remember to send a message to those surviving you, care of a riverside church in Rome. The Church of the Sacred Heart houses one of the world's most unusual and smallest museums -- a collection of signs sent from beyond the grave by souls stranded in Purgatory.

Scorched fingerprints on prayer books, handprints burnt on wooden tables, and singed pillowcases and shirt sleeves seem to be the Purgatory equivalent of paper and pen.

"Most of our visitors are motivated by curiosity. But faith is the key to understanding the relics," says Roberto Zambolin, the church's tour guide.

Catholics believe spirits, stuck between heaven and hell until they have atoned for their sins, can hasten their entry to paradise if family and friends on earth pray for them. And some Purgatory residents obviously felt their loved ones needed a gentle reminder.

Branding an imprint of his left hand on to a light-brown wooden table was one 18th-century friar's way of reminding colleagues to say more masses and speed his soul to Heaven. On a single day in 1731, the deceased Friar Panzini not only marked the table, but burnt a handprint onto paper and twice clutched at the sleeves of a nun's tunic, leaving scorch marks. Panzini's spiritual smoke signals are a taste of what's on display in a bare room, dubbed the Little Purgatory Museum, off to the side of the church.

While most tourists to Rome flock to the Coliseum or the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel or the Trevi Fountain, some stray off the beaten track to the quiet and unassuming museum to ponder the mysterious relics, gathered from all over Western Europe.

The museum is said to get about 4,000 visitors a year -- young, old, Italians, foreigners, believers and non-believers.

Peering at four fiery fingerprints emblazoned on a prayer book, Austrian students debated the validity of the relics. "I believed in Purgatory before, but seeing these relics reinforces my faith, said a twenty-five year-old, but his 19-year-old friend was more hesitant. "I'm not sure what I think. They are certainly spooky but even if it's not true, it's a good story, said the 19 year old..

The museum, about 100 years old, was the brainchild of Victor Jouet, a French priest who traveled to Belgium, France, Germany and Italy, scooping up relics to display in his gothic church on the banks of the Tiber. Jouet died in the museum's only room in 1912, surrounded by his treasures, but the collection lives on despite a discussion in the late 1990s about whether to close it.

"We realized that most visitors were not Christians but those interested in the paranormal, or in some cases the devil, said the museum curator. "The Church didn't want to encourage something that wasn't to do with faith. But in the end the decision was made to keep it open. The collection does start discussions about Catholic ideas," he added.

And although most of the fiery signals date back to the 19th century or earlier, he doesn't think the lack of modern-day signs has any significance. "We don't get any new objects sent to us, but we don't need new signals to believe in Purgatory today."

FROM THE TEACHING OF THE CHURCH

The existence of Purgatory is defined as a dogma of the Church by both the Council of Florence and the Council of Trent. Thus it is obligatory for all Catholics who wish to remain in communion with the Church to accept and believe in the existence of Purgatory. The Council of Trent further defined that the souls detained in Purgatory are able to be assisted by the faithful on earth especially by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass - see Council of Trent Session XXV.

We do not fully realize the advocates we have in the Holy Souls in Purgatory and once they have joined the Father in Heaven they are eternally grateful to us here on earth for the prayers and sacrifices we make on their behalf, praying for our needs continually before the Throne of God..

St. Alphonsus Liguori says that though the Holy Souls cannot merit for themselves, they can obtain for us great graces. They are not, formally speaking, intercessors as the Saints are but, through the sweet Providence of God, they can obtain for us astounding favors and deliver us from evils, sickness and dangers of every kind.

12 Reasons to Pray for the Dead

1. obey the Lord and His Church,
2. love our neighbor,
3. express our unity with the other members of God's family,
4. help purify people in Purgatory,
5. help those in Purgatory go to Heaven,
6. face death and thereby become more aware of reality,
7. express and strengthen our faith in the power of prayer,
8. receive the benefit of the prayers of those in Purgatory (Catechism, 958),
9. rejoice, for all those in Purgatory have given their lives to Jesus and will go to Heaven,
10. purify ourselves so that we will go directly to Heaven and skip Purgatory, or lessen our time in Purgatory,
11. share in the pouring out of God's mercy, and
12. enter more deeply into the mystery of God's love and His plan of salvation.

News From the Central Office

We at Friends of the Poor Souls and our Spiritual Director would like to give you our wishes for a fruitful Holy Week and a Grace-filled Easter. Please remember to pray for all your deceased friends and family as many souls are released from Purgatory on Easter Sunday.

Thank you for your support.

SAINT NICHOLAS OF TOLENTINO

Augustinian Friar - Patron of the Souls in Purgatory

Nicholas Gurrutti was born in the village of Sant� Angelo in Pontano, Italy, in 1245. His parents, middle aged and childless, made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Nicholas of Bari, their special patron. Shortly thereafter a son was born to them whom they named Nicholas out of gratitude.

At an early age Nicholas was greatly moved by the preaching of an Augustinian, Fr. Reginaldo, prior of the monastery in Sant� Angelo, and requested admission to the community. He was accepted and made his novitiate in 1261. Nicholas directed all his efforts to being a good religious and priest. Those who knew him saw him as a simple religious, full of charity for his brothers and for God�s people. He devoted himself to prayer and works of penance with such intensity that at times it was necessary for his superiors to impose limitations on him. At one point he had so weakened his body through fasting that he was encouraged to eat a piece of bread signed with the cross and soaked in water to regain his strength.

He was ordained a priest in 1271 and lived in several monasteries of the Order in the ministry of preaching. In 1275 he was sent to Tolentino and remained there for the rest of his life. Nicholas worked to fight the decline of morality and religion which came with the development of city life in the late 13th century. He ministered to the sick and poor and sought out those who became estranged from the Church.

His reputation as a saintly man and a worker of miracles led many people to the monastery of Tolentino. Many of the cures obtained through his prayers were received while he himself was ill.

Nicholas died in Tolentino on September 10, 1305. He was declared a saint and �Protector of the Universal Church� in 1446. In 1884 Nicholas was proclaimed by Pope Leo XIII �Patron of the Souls in Purgatory�.

Nicholas is buried in the basilica in Tolentino which bears his name. His feast is celebrated on September 10th.

Friends of the Poor Souls
Established September 15, 2004

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators

For more information, please write us at:

436 Vasey Oak Dr.

Keller, TX 76248

OR email holysouls@att.net

http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com

--
http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com
http://relicbadges.blogspot.com

January & February 2007

2007-01-06T16:35:00.000-05:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,

This month we will be giving a definition of Purgatory for all those who have joined us recently. This is a much misunderstood doctrine among Catholics. Many believe that Purgatory is a second chance to be saved, or that they can sin all they want and still be saved through Purgatory.

Purgatory exists as a result of God's mercy. The requirements for entering Heaven are very high because "nothing unclean will enter it" (Revelation 21:27). To go directly to Heaven you must be completely free from the stain of sin. What this means is that you cannot have any unrepented venial sin in your life, you must have fully paid the penalty for all of your sins, and you can have no attachments to the world that take you away from God (i.e. materialism, jealousy, hatred, etc.). With this in mind you can see how difficult it is to avoid Purgatory, but with the grace of God it can be done.

The purpose of Purgatory is to purge us of all our unrepented sins, atone for all of the unexpiated sins in our life, and remove all worldliness from us so that we can fully love God and each other. Once the stain of sin has been completely removed, the blessed soul will enter glory and full communion with God in Heaven.

There have been many debates on where Purgatory is. Some say that it is by the gates of Heaven, others say that it is located in an area of Hell. Still, others say that Purgatory is not a physical place but a mental state of purification. The fact is that no one really knows if it is the latter or the former, the Church has not made any infallible declarations on this. All that we know is that it does exist. This is what the Church has been teaching from the time of the Apostles.

The purification process in Purgatory is painful. The souls there see how their sins have separated them from God and deeply regret what they have done. Even venial sin causes them suffering because although it is a minor sin, it does offend God since it is disobedience to His will. The holy souls have an intense desire to be in Heaven but are prevented entry because of their impurities. This also causes great pain within them. They plead, "out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord; Lord hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to my supplication" (Psalm 130:1,2). Even though the souls suffer greatly, they also have a great joy within their hearts from the hope that one day they will be in Heaven. St. Catherine of Genoa said that "apart from the happiness of the saints in heaven, I think there is no joy comparable to that of the souls in Purga tory". Still, with this in mind, we need to help them.

Prayers for the dead have been occurring since the Old Testament times. The Jews believed that it was "a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins" (2 Maccabees 12:45). Praying for the dead is one of the seven spiritual works of mercy. There are many devotions to help the holy souls. The greatest one is the Mass. This is the most powerful prayer we can participate in and if we only have one devotion to the holy souls, this should be it. More souls are freed through the Mass than by any other prayer. Please remember to pray for the holy souls during each Mass you attend.

The second most powerful prayer is the rosary. The repetitive simplicity of this devotion hides its greatness. We will cover the various prayers for the holy souls in future issues of this newsletter. This month, we present the prayer given to St. Gertrude the Great that releases 1000 souls from Purgatory each time it is said. This would be a good prayer to memorize.

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.

In order to have full communion with God, Mary plays an important role in our spiritual life. It is difficult to have a true devotion to Jesus apart from a true devotion to Mary. If you really want to help the souls in Purgatory, you need to do it with Mary's intercession.

What does Mary have to do with the souls in Purgatory? Why pray to her? Mary is very concerned with the holy souls because they, like all Christians, are her children. Jesus made her our spiritual mother when, while crucified, He told His disciple John "behold your mother" (John 19:27). Like all mothers, she does not like to see her children suffer and would do anything possible to help stop their suffering. She would like to take her children out of Purgatory as quickly as possible.

Mary's intercession to God can provide relief for the holy souls in Purgatory. At times, she will go to Purgatory as a result of our prayers to comfort the people there. If we cooperate with Mary, we can release many souls and give them eternal joy in Heaven.

Purgatory is meant for Catholics and non-Catholics who are destined for Heaven but cannot enter due to the stain of sin in their soul. A Catholic may be fortunate to have loved ones offer prayers for them while in Purgatory to shorten their time there. Non-Catholics most likely have no one to pray for them due to a lack of belief in Purgatory.. This is a tragedy but there are prayers offered for all souls in Purgatory in each Mass. We as individuals must not forget those who have no one to pray for them. Even Catholics in Purgatory may eventually have no one to pray directly for them as their family and friends gradually put it aside, thinking that years after their death they must surely be in Heaven by now. As a wonderful act of charity and mercy, always remember your family and friends when you pray for the dead.

We all have experienced losing our loved ones. They could be our father, mother, brothers, sisters, grandparents or anybody that we love so much. Remember the last time we saw them. Who could hold back the tears. We cried painfully because we love them so much. They have just started their journey in the spiritual world. Their souls didn't die, only their bodies departed from their souls.

This is the time God would open their BOOK OF LIFE. From the moment of their birth until the day they died, their Guardian Angel had written everything they had done. This will determined the state of their souls. Where could they be? Heaven, Purgatory or Hell. Many of us, I believe, do little for our departed ones. We forget that now they have NO FREE WILL and cannot help themselves. They must rely on the prayers of the living for a speedy exit from Purgatory. If we cannot remember them, then who will remember them?

When was the last time you prayed for them? They are crying for our prayers painfully. Do you know how long these souls stay in Purgatory? It all depends how fast they can pay their debt. It could be 10, 30, 50, 70 or even 100 years. It could be even longer if nobody prays for them at all.

The Poor/Holy Souls are suffering bitterly. Let�s pray for them. Include them in our Rosary prayers. Give them Masses, as many as you can. When they are finally released from their sufferings and enjoy the beatitude of heaven, the Holy Souls will repay us a thousand times over.

News from the Central Office
Dear Friends - As we are ready to begin a New Year, we at the Central Office wish all Prayer Warriors a peaceful and healthy New Year. Many of you have so kindly sent us the listings in your church bulletins and newspapers of the deceased to be enrolled in the Golden Book for which we thank you. We will continue to enroll them as long as you keep sending them. We also thank you for the financial support you have given us this past year.
Jessamine, one of the Prayer Warriors, sent us the following suggestions:

�Every time we are waiting in line, watching TV during commercials, stuck in traffic in the car or commuting, exercising/working out, we can recite or pray the St. Gertrude prayer. That way, we are very efficient. We don't get to waste time, and we are helping the holy souls. A very wonderful way to make use of our 'wait time'.�

Any time, yes, anytime is the �opportune� time to pray for our dear Souls in Purgatory.

With a new year upon us may we invite you to opening another door to freedom for the �Poor Souls�. We invite you to give a special gift to a soul or souls by making a holy hour for their release from the purifying prison of Purgatory. Would you join us in this �New Year Resolution� as Friends of the Poor Souls�? In the meantime, may the Poor Souls intercede for you and your intentions to our Father in Heaven. They will be the first to come to welcome you in Heaven because of your generosity.

PRAYER OF ST. GERTRUDE THE GREAT

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. Amen

Friends of the Poor Souls
Established September 15, 2004

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators

For more information

email holysouls@att.net

http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com

--
http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com
http://relicbadges.blogspot.com

November/December Newsletter

2006-10-22T17:53:00.000-04:00

Dear Prayer Warriors,

We received the following thoughts from our Spiritual Director, and we thank him for his input:

November, the month of All Souls, bespeaks of the somber thought of death and dying. How often do we hear people say, “Oh, don’t talk about that to me.” That poor soul may be just the one at this moment pleading for prayerful remembrance in the light of limited time to be suffered in the state of Purgatory.

In this short catechesis, it would be good for us to recall the Catholic Catechism of the Church teaching us that Christians, dead and living, are all one body. Therefore, our love and work on earth, can be a blessing to those who have died, just as their love is a blessing for the living.

I’m sure you may have noticed that in preparation for “All Souls’ Day”, graves are weeded and planted with flowers and in some cemeteries, there may be burning candles as bright remembrances of the deceased.

As in the past, requests for Masses (e.g. Gregorian Masses) have been accepted and appreciated by the Central Office. We have good priests who have and will honor your intentions. This is another wholesome form of corporal/spiritual acts of mercy on behalf of our loved ones still in need of expiation in Purgatory.

If you will, you may even remember the dead each year by giving alms to the poor or by planting a tree or by donating to a hospital. Without enumerating various ethnic customs by which to remember the dead, it suffices to say, that Christian people all over the world enjoy a wonderful tradition by their particular remembrances. (Try going to the internet to discover interesting ways to remember the dead).

The Church continues the remembrance of the dead throughout the month of November and into Advent. We have noticed that days are short and growing shorter. The growing darkness can remind us of the end of days when time will be no more. At this season, we ask God to speed up the coming of the Kingdom where justice will flower, and life will be lived in all its fullness, where death itself will die. We might exclaim with the Scriptures “Oh death, where is thy sting?”

**************

There are many Prayer Warriors who have joined Friends of the Poor Souls who are priests and nuns. One Prayer Warrior is a priest who is studying in Rome. Fr. Placido will be traveling at the end of this month to Jerusalem to study scripture for four months. During the summer he went to a convent in Germany and would like to share some thoughts about the nuns in this convent:

“I had the unique opportunity of staying with the Good Shepherd Sisters for a month in Munich, Germany. The community of nuns is special because most of them are old and do not have young recruits in Germany. The oldest is 103 years. The one who played the organ for the liturgy was 90. What impressed me most bout this community of nuns was their spirit of prayer. Many of them spend hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. The community is filled with joy and peace. It is the conviction that death or dying is not an unhappy end to life but a passage to eternal glory and happiness that makes the older nuns content, serene and hope filled. They pray for all the nuns who have passed from this life already and for the souls in Purgatory. There is a special book in the convent that commemorates the memory of the deceased. (Similar to our Golden Book) There is also the custom of visiting the graveyard in order to remind one self of one’s own death and to pray for the souls in general and specifically for those in Purgatory and to ask the intercession of the souls in Heaven. I was truly impressed with the holiness and grace that accompanied the nuns who were on their way to the Father…

Yours in Christ Jesus, Fr. Rebelo”

News from the Central Office

November is a month when we think of death. We think of the leaves turning brilliant colors, dying, falling to the ground and the cold weather. As nature dies and winter gets closer, let us remember to pray for the dying. Offer your prayers and sacrifices for the dying in a spiritual union with Our Lady of Sorrows. How the Blessed Mother sorrowed on earth over sinners; how she, now in Heaven, longs for us to cooperate with her in saving them! See from her apparition at Lourdes how she longs to save sinners! She told Bernadette, 'Pray for sinners.'"

November 2nd is the Feast of all Souls, a day dedicated to the Holy Souls. It is a time to remember our deceased loved ones and friends who have died. We believe that they are the "Faithful Departed" who will share eternity with God, the Father, and all the saints, whose intercession we pray. It is a time to pray for all those who may be in Purgatory. It is also an opportunity to think about those we loved and feel their presence. We need to care for the dead, perhaps pay a visit to the cemetery , or have a mass said. We also need to look at our own salvation, and what we hope to accomplish while still on this earth. Please remember all the Souls in Purgatory in your prayers on November 2nd.

Pray for the dying, suffer for the dying, work for the dying! They need your prayers! Sharing in this work is taking part in a work of charity that "there can be none greater, none more salutary for the saving of souls and peopling Heaven, none more dear to the Blessed Mother’s heart, none more desired by the suffering, agonizing Heart of Jesus.

November is not the only month to remember our deceased friends and relatives. There are eleven other months in the year that we should pray for them. Why not have a mass said every month for the deceased? If your church cannot accommodate a mass for you, let us know and we will send you the names of priests who are available to offer the masses for you. Remember to also say the St. Gertrude prayer and release 1,000 souls each time you say this powerful prayer. They need us and we can help them!

There may be no time to send for a priest, but an act of perfect contrition will save that soul and restore it to God's grace.

To all our FRIENDS OF THE POOR SOULS a great big, prayerful and heart-felt THANKS, with blessings “to go” for the continued participation and encouragement received by all of us connected with FRIENDS OF THE POOR SOULS.

We celebrated our 2nd anniversary of the FRIENDS OF THE POOR SOULS on September 15, 2006, Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. It is our sincere hope to continue this ministry for the Poor Souls with your faithful connection. Our Golden Book awaits your name(s) and we see an increase of numerous names who now are on line with the Central Office. Some “conne ctions” come from out of state and country. The Poor Souls have a way of interceding for us. God listens to their prayers. May we ask you to keep us in yours.

We are very grateful for the wonderful people we have met. we hope to continue this for a long time to come. We have received abundant graces in the last year that we are very grateful for as well. We hope to meet many more beautiful people through our website and by word of mouth.

For many of you who are new to Friends of the Poor Souls we would like to explain that we are an apostolate formed to assist the souls in Purgatory by arranging for Masses to be offered each and every day of the year for their benefit. It has grown from an apostolate in the United States to one with a worldwide interest, having members from various parts of the world. We welcome you and hope that these explanations will help to show the great need t here is to pray for the Holy Souls.

This apostolate aims to explain the Catholic Teachings on the Holy Souls, the meaning of Purgatory and how to gain indulgences for the Holy Souls, offering Scriptural support and the Teachings of the Church down through the ages. Through our newsletters you will find prayers for the Holy Souls and special devotions dedicated to them. Our website at http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com has many interesting teachings to help the souls in Purgatory as well as how to avoid Purgatory for ourselves and loved ones. If you do not have the internet please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have regarding Purgatory.
Friends of the Poor Souls

Established September 15, 2004

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows

Robert & Mary Ann Luetkemeyer, Coordinators

For more information, please write or email us at:

436 Vasey Oak Dr.

Keller, TX 76248

OR holysouls@att.net

http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com

HOW TO AVOID PURGATORY

2006-10-03T16:36:00.000-04:00

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 AVOIDPURGATORY
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 endeavors 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 neighbors. 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 fervor, 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.

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 appetizing 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 fulfillment 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 infinitein 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 no tgive 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 at 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 fervor 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 fervor 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 fervor 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

God in His infinite mercy and compassion offers us a most wonderful and easy means for lessening or canceling 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 12THOSE WHO EARNESTLY HELP THE HOLY SOULS MAY WELL HOPE TO AVOID PURGATORYThe Holy Souls whom we relieve or release by our Masses and good works pray for us with such indescribable fervor 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. 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, vigor 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, galvanizing him into action.Chapter 13TO AVOID PURGATORY, DO AS FOLLOWS1. In every prayer you say, every Mass you hear, every Communion your 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 labors 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 favor 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" "MyJesus, I love You" "My Jesus, give me a happy death".Chapter 14HOW WE CAN HELP THE HOLY SOULSI. The first means is by joining the Association of the Holy Souls. The conditions are easy.ASSOCIATION OF THE HOLY SOULSApproved by the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, June, 19361. 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 fulfill this obligation).3. The members pray for and promote devotion to the Holy Souls. (Were commend 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 favors 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 favor 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 SOULSSt. 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.------------------------------------------------------------------------Appendix ITHE 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.

2006-08-21T20:20:00.000-04:00

September, October 2006

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Many people write us asking for Masses to be said by priests that are available to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, an individual mass as well as the Gregorian Mass.. There are so many intentions and so many needs! Today it is almost impossible to find a Traditional priest who will offer the 30 Gregorian Masses for a deceased soul; it's very difficult because they may be a parish priest who has other masses to accommodate. However, we have priests who are there to help the most abandoned souls, and the poor souls in Purgatory are certainly more abandoned than ever in these days of failing faith and graces.

A while back we were trying to think how we could do something more for the poor souls, so we got in touch with several priests who have no mass intentions. We have priests here in the U.S., in Rome and in India who receive no mass intentions and are available to say masses, both for the living and deceased.. We have so many deceased friends and relatives! If you wish to have a mass said and your local parish cannot give you a mass when you request, please notify us and we will give your mass intentions to a priest who is waiting to hear from you.

These priests are Prayer Warriors just like you with Friends of the Poor Souls and will assist in every possible way to help the poor souls in Purgatory. They are asking for mass stipends and perhaps you can help. As members you are performing spiritual works of mercy by helping the dead by your prayers, penance and alms. But since there is no better way of helping the poor souls than by having as many Masses said for them as possible, you can make a difference. Our goal is to have one mass said for every day of the year to help release the Poor/Holy Souls from Purgatory.

Did you know that the most powerful and effective prayer that can ever be offered for your departed loved ones is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass? And in the "Decree on Purgatory," we read, "The Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Spirit and in accordance with Sacred Scripture and the ancient Tradition of the Fathers, has taught in the holy Councils and most recently in this ecumenical Council that there is a purgatory, and that the souls detained there are helped by the acts of intercession ... of the faithful and especially by the acceptable Sacrifice of the altar" (Council of Trent,1563). At every Holy Mass, then, we enter into the timeless reality of the perfect and acceptable Sacrifice of Christ to the Father for our sake. And from that Sacrifice, immeasurable graces flow for all people and especially for those for whom we have offered the Mass. This is particularly the case for the departed who may be undergoing purification in Purgatory to prepare them for the joy of heaven. Many times, we receive letters and, at times, calls from our Prayer Warriors requesting that a Mass be celebrated for the intention of a recently departed loved one. Many people have even shared with us the immediate, shattering news of the tragic loss of a loved one -- typically through some sudden illness or an accident.

In such cases, we work with priests in our worldwide membership to schedule Masses for departed loved ones. In our correspondence, we remind people that we also will remember their departed loved ones in our communal and individual prayers as Prayer Warriors of Friends of the Poor Souls

November 2nd is a very special day, when we pray for all the souls in Purgatory. But we went a step further for these souls. We pray for them all the time. We are on a mission to have one mass each day of the year celebrated for the souls in Purgatory. Will you help us? If you and your prayer group feel called to help the Holy Souls in Purgatory by scheduling Masses for them with us, or if you'd like to learn more about Gregorian Masses, just email or write to us. Help us fulfill this special call, and together we can fill the calendar with Holy Masses for the souls in Purgatory!

We know that we will be remembering our own beloved dead, especially our dear parents, throughout the year. "Gracious Jesus, Lord and Master, grant unto them eternal rest."

Please consider contacting us with your mass intentions so we can forward them to the priests who are waiting. Mention the individual’s name who the mass will be said for and whether they are living or deceased. When we receive your request we will send it to one of the priests and he will in turn notify you by email or land mail that he has received your intention.

To have Mass offered for the Holy Souls is certainly the most efficacious way of relieving them. "Since it is certain by the doctrine of the Catholic Church, that the souls detained in Purgatory are benefited by the prayers of the faithful, and especially by the august Sacrifice of the Altar, We think we can give them no more useful and desirable pledge of Our love than by everywhere increasing the offering of the pure oblation of the Most Holy Sacrifice of Our Divine Mediator, for the extinction of their pain." (Pope Leo XIII, encyclical Quod Anniversarius, 1888).

Please also note that Friends of the Poor Souls has a mass said every Friday for all those enrolled in the Golden Book. The Golden Book contains names of the living and deceased so please continue to send us names to be enrolled. Non-Catholics may also benefit from the masses offered to those in the Golden Book. May we remind you that when you send us the names of loved ones you wish to have enrolled in the Golden Book that you please write legibly so we can record the names correctly. We work hours per week recording names we receive in the Golden Book, answering emails and correspondence answering questions about Purgatory.

As members of the Friends of the Poor Souls, you should seek to assist the souls in Purgatory by your prayers and good works, and especially by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. You should strive to promote this charitable devotion in others.

We also have other special Masses offered for the Prayer Warriors of Friends of the Poor Souls from time to time, and when a member dies, Mass is offered for the repose of his or her soul when we are notified.

Please do not be passive in your duties to help these souls in Purgatory. We encourage all Prayer Warriors to be active in assisting the souls in Purgatory by prayer, penance, fasting and almsgiving. In so doing you will move others to this charitable devotion towards the Poor Souls and to realize the value of the Holy Mass.

You may also wish to become an active coordinator. You can copy and distribute enrollment forms which we will gladly send to you or you can copy the enrollment form on our website http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.com/ to distribute to your prayer groups. You may also encourage them to have masses offered for their loved ones in lieu of flowers.

Friends of the Poor Souls has been trying to lead its active members to become the friends and devoted servants of the poor souls. There is a whole apostolate in spiritual care of the dead.

Feel free to contact us whenever necessary either by email or land mail. We have taken up this work of the Church anew with a pure intention: to obtain a better deal for the poor souls in Purgatory. If God deigns to bless our work on their behalf, then we do not see why it should not continue to plead their cause and to grow and spread until the Day of Judgment.

If any Prayer Warrior would like a free Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows, please let us know and we will send one to you with instructions how to pray this powerful Chaplet as well as additional prayer cards to help the Souls in Purgatory.

Thank you for your support and encouragement.

News from the Central Office

We continue to receive testimonies from Prayer Warriors and would like to share them with you. If you have had similar experiences please let us know about them.

One evening in 2004, after we had just begun praying the Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows, I had forgotten to pray it on a particular day during the week. I was awakened by the odor of "camphor" and knew someone was suffering and waiting for my prayers. And reading your newsletter about Candles I remembered when another aunt was dying in N.J. I decided that I would light a candle for her - but again - forgot to light the candle. I remembered the next day and went to my Parish Church to do so. It was 3:00 pm. She passed away exactly then! You may use any testimony if you think they will encourage others to pray The Chaplet of Our Lady of Sorrows. I continue to tell others to pray this Powerful Chaplet. Love in JMJ +++ JM

TJ writes and says: Today I was on the computer and came to your website....My husband would be sitting in his chair in the den...quietly...and I would say what are you doing? And he would reply I'm saying the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady. He is a convert and presently here at our home...having had brain tumor surgery which left him...brain damaged and blind.. I have been looking everywhere for the perfect card for Jim when God decides to take my wonderful husband of 56 years home to heaven.....Could you please e-mail me and tell me if I can order the card on your website...the one at the top...with the words Dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows underneath....where I can obtain these and what is the cost....This card is the loveliest I've seen.

And another email from TJ: Thank you for answering my e-mail...and also for praying for us....We do not have the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows and we would love to receive same.....The seminarian who set up your website…please tell him...your website is excellent … Jim’s conversion was extremely miraculous and before his surgery he was a daily communicant and went to jail three different times for pro-life...and was given the award for public witness one year by the Bishop at our big Pro Life banquet.... I printed out the section on your website about the Golden Book and those wonderful Prayer Warriors who will pray for us …thanks again and I feel so delighted that the Lord put you all in our lives.

Friends of the Poor Souls

Pictures

2006-08-17T16:27:00.000-04:00

Two Prayer Warriors Meet

In August one of our Prayer Warriors, a second year seminarian from New Jersey, Ryan, came for a visit to Texas. While here we visited with Fr. Sojan George, HGN, a Prayer Warrior originally from India but ministering here in Texas. We visited his churches and spent the day talking and enjoying each other's company.

DIVINE MERCY NOVENA

2006-07-20T12:02:00.000-04:00

The Divine Mercy Novena

Jesus said to St. Faustina: "My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable (138) mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy (129) be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open, I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy.

The souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day are open all the divine floodgates through which graces flow. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.

Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. (139) It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter.
Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of Mercy."

Jesus asked that this Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said:

"These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy."

In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her: "On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls."

The different souls prayed for on each day of the novena are:DAY 1 (Good Friday) - All mankind, especially sinnersDAY 2 (Holy Saturday) - The souls of priests and religious DAY 3 (Easter Sunday) - All devout and faithful souls DAY 4 (Easter Monday) - Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him DAY 5 (Easter Tuesday) - The souls of separated brethrenDAY 6 (Easter Wednesday) - The meek and humble souls and the souls of children DAY 7 (Easter Thursday) - The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercyDAY 8 (Easter Friday) - The souls who are detained in purgatory; DAY 9 (Easter Saturday) - The souls who have become lukewarm. The Chaplet of Divine Mercy may also be offered each day for the day's intention, but is not strictly necessary to the Novena.

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First Day

"Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me."

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.

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Second Day
"Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind."

Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service,* that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard -- upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.

* In the original text, Saint Faustina uses the pronoun "us" since she was offering this prayer as a consecrated religious sister. The wording adapted here is intended to make the prayer suitable for universal use.

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Third Day

"Today bring to Me all Devout and Faithful Souls, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness."

Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.

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Fourth Day
"Today bring to Me those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Me, I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy."

Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

*Our Lord's original words here were "the pagans." Since the pontificate of Pope John XXIII, the Church has seen fit to replace this term with clearer and more appropriate terminology.-

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Fifth Day

"Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church*, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion."

Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.

*Our Lord's original words here were "heretics and schismatics," since He spoke to Saint Faustina within the context of her times. As of the Second Vatican Council, Church authorities have seen fit not to use those designations in accordance with the explanation given in the Council's Decree on Ecumenism (n.3). Every pope since the Council has reaffirmed that usage. Saint Faustina herself, her heart always in harmony with the mind of the Church, most certainly would have agreed. When at one time, because of the decisions of her superiors and father confessor, she was not able to execute Our Lord's inspirations and orders, she declared: "I will follow Your will insofar as You will permit me to do so through Your representative. O my Jesus, I give priority to the voice of the Church over the voice with which You speak to me" (497). The Lord confirmed her action and praised her for it.

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Sixth Day

”Today bring to Me the Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of Little Children, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence”.

Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father's favourites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

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Seventh Day

“Today bring to Me the Souls who especially venerate and glorify My Mercy*, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death.”

Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident of Your mercy; and united to You, O Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy, and their hearts, overflowing with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God:

Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them that during their life, but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will venerate this fathomless mercy of His, He, Himself, will defend as His glory. Amen.

Eighth Day

"Today bring to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice."

Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen.

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Ninth Day

"Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy."

Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen.

THREE BEAUTIFUL PRAYERS FOR THE DYING

2006-07-20T11:51:00.000-04:00

Three Very Beautiful Prayers

Which are very useful to a dying person, and should be prayed often as an act of mercy.

There once was a Pope in Rome who was surrounded by many sins. The Lord God struck him with a fatal illness. When he saw that he was dying he summoned Cardinals, Bishops and learned persons and said to them: “My dear friends! What comfort can you give me now that I must die, and when I deserve eternal damnation for my sins?” No one answered him. One of them, a pious curate named John, said: “Father, why do you doubt the Mercy of God?” The Pope replied: “What comfort can you give me now that I must die and fear that I’ll be damned for my sins?” John replied: “I’ll read three prayers over you; I hope, you’ll be comforted and that you’ll obtain Mercy from God.” The Pope was unable to say more. The curate and all those present knelt and said an Our Father, then the following prayers:

Prayer 1.

Lord Jesus Christ! Thou Son of God and Son of the Virgin Mary, God and Man, Thou who in fear sweated blood for us on the Mount of Olives in order to bring peace, and to offer Thy Most Holy Death to God Thy Heavenly Father for the salvation of this dying person… If it be, however, that by his sins he merits eternal damnation, then may it be deflected from him. This, O Eternal Father through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Dear Son, Who liveth and reigneth in union with The Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

Prayer 2.

Lord Jesus Christ! Thou who meekly died on the trunk of the Cross for us, submitting Thy Will completely to Thy Heavenly Father in order to bring peace and to offer Thy most Holy Death to Thy Heavenly Father in order to free…(this person)…and to hide from him what he has earned with his sins; grant this O Eternal Father! Through Our Lord Jesus Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in union with the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

Prayer 3.

Lord Jesus Christ! Thou Who remained silent to speak through the mouths of the Prophets; I have drawn Thee to me through Eternal Love, which love drew Thee from Heaven into the body of the Virgin, which love drew Thee from the body of the Virgin into the valley of this needful world, which Love kept Thee 33 years in this world, and as a sign of Great Love, Thou hast given Thy drink, as a sign of great love, Thou has consented to be a prisoner and to be led from one judge to another and as a sign of great love Thou has consented to be condemned to death, and hast consented to die and to be buried and truly rise, and appeared to Thy Holy Mother and all the Holy Apostles, and as a sign of great love Thou hast ascended, under Thy own strength and power, and sitteth at the right hand of God Thy heavenly Father, and Thou has sent Thy Holy Spirit into the heart of Thy Apostles and the hearts of all who hope and believe in Thee. Through Thy sign of Eternal love, open heaven today and take this dying person… and all his sins into the realm of Thy Heavenly Father, that he may reign with Thee now and forever. Amen.

Meanwhile the Pope died. The curate persevered to the third hour, then the Pope appeared to him in body and comforting him; his countenance as brilliant as the sun, his clothes as white as snow, and he said: “My dear brother! Whereas I was supposed to be a child of damnation I’ve become a child of happiness. As you recited the first prayer many of my sins fell from me as rain from Heaven, and as you recited the second Prayer I was purified, as a goldsmith purifies gold in a hot fire. I was still further purified as you recited the third prayer. Then I saw Heaven open and the Lord Jesus standing on the Right Hand of God the Father who said to me: “Come, all thy sins are forgiven thee, you’ll be and remain in the realm of My Father forever. Amen!”

With these words my soul separated from my body and the angels of God led it to Eternal Joy.

As the curate heard this he said: “O Holy Father! I can’t tell these things to anyone, for they won’t believe me.” Then the Pope said: “Truly I tell thee, the Angel of God stands with me and has written the prayers in letters of gold for the consolement of all sinners. If a person had committed all the sins in the world, but that the three prayers shall have been read (over him) at his end (death), all his sins wil be forgiven him, even though his soul was supposed to suffer until the Last Judgment, it will be redeemed (freed).

The person who hears them read, he won’t die an unhappy death also in whose house they will be read. Therefore take these prayers and carry them into St. Peter’s Basilica and lay them in the Chapel named the Assumption of Mary, for certain consolation. The person who will be near death, who reads them or hears them read gains 400 years indulgence for the days he was supposed to suffer in Purgatory because of his guilt. Also who reads this prayer or hears it read, the hour of his death shall be revealed to him. Amen!

(Taken from the Pieta Book – permission granted)

The Fifteen Prayers of St. Bridget of Sweden

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The Fifteen Prayers of St. Bridget
Background

The Fifteen Prayers revealed by Our Lord to St. Bridget of Sweden in the church of St. Paul at Rome are published under sanction of the Decree of November 18, 1966, published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Vol. 58, No. 16 of December 29, 1966.

Approved by Pope Pius IX

Pope Benedict XV expressed himself as follows on the Revelations of St. Bridget: "The approbations of such revelations implies nothing more than, after mature examination, it is permissible to publish them for the unit of the faithful. Though they don't merit the same credence as the truths of religion, one can, however, believe them out of human faith, conforming to the rules of prudence by which they are probably, and supported by sufficient motives that one might believe in them piously." (Les Petits Bollandistes, tome XII)

The 14th of June 1303, at the moment Bridget was born, Benedict, the curate of Rasbo, prayed for the happy deliverance of Ingeborde. Suddenly he found himself enveloped by a luminous cloud out of which Our Lady appeared:

"A child has been born at Birger; her voice will be heard by the entire world." (Sagii, die XXIV Aprilis 1903)

These prayers and these promises have been copied from a book printed in Toulouse in 1740 and published by the P. Adrien Parvilliers of the Company of Jesus, Apostolic Missionary of the Holy Land, with approbation, permission, and recommendation to distribute them.

Parents and teachers who will read them to young infants for at least one year will assure their being preserved for life from any grave accident which would involve the loss of one of their five senses.

Pope Pius IX took cognizance of these prayers with the prologue; he approved them May 31, 1862, recognizing them as true and for the good of souls.

This sentence of Pope Pius IX has been confirmed by the realization of the promises by all persons who have recited the prayers and by numerous supernatural facts by which God wanted to make known their exact truth. A collection of small books, these prayers among them, was approved by the Great Congress of Malines on August 22, 1863.

Must one recite the prayers everyday without interruption to obtain the privileges? One should miss saying them as few times as possible; but if for a serious reason one is obliged to miss them, one doesn't lose the privileges attached to them; as long as one recites the 5,480 prayers during the year. One must say them with devotion and concentrate on the words one pronounces.

These prayers can serve as The Way of the Cross.

Visitors to the Church of St. Paul at Rome can see the crucifix, above the Tabernacle in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, sculptured by Pierre Cavallini, before which St. Bridget knelt when she received these 15 prayers from Our Lord. The following inscription is placed in the church to commemorate the event: "Pendentis, Pendente Dei verba accepit aure accipit et verbum corde Brigitta Deum. Anno Jubilei MCCCL."

As St. Bridget for a long time wanted to know the number of blows our Lord received during His Passion, He one day appeared to her and said, "I received 5,480 blows on My body. If you wish to honor them in some way, say 15 Our Fathers and 15 Hail Marys with the following prayers (which He taught her) for a whole year. When the year is up, you will have honored each one of My wounds."

Promises

Our Lord made the following promises to anyone who recited the 15 St. Bridget Prayers for a whole year:
1. I will deliver 15 souls of his lineage from Purgatory.
2. 15 souls of his lineage will be confirmed and preserved in grace.
3. 15 sinners of his lineage will be converted.
4. Whoever recites these prayers will attain the first degree of perfection.
5. 15 days before his death, I will give My Precious Body in order that he may escape eternal starvation; I will give him My Precious Blood to drink lest he thirst eternally.
6. 15 days before his death, he will feel a deep contrition for all his sins and will have a perfect knowledge of them.
7. I will place before him the sign of My Victorious Cross for his help and defense against the attacks of his enemies.
8. Before his death, I shall come with My Dearest Beloved Mother.
9. I shall graciously receive his soul and will lead it into eternal joys.
10. And having led it there I shall give him a special draught from the fountain of My Deity, something I will not for those who have not recited My prayers.
11. Let it be known that whoever may have been living in a state of mortal sin for 30 years, but who will recite devoutly, or have the intention to recite these prayers, the Lord will forgive him all his sins.
12. I shall protect him from strong temptations.
13. I shall preserve and guard his 5 senses.
14. I shall preserve him from a sudden death.
15. His soul will be delivered from eternal death.
16. He will obtain all he asks for from God and Blessed Virgin.
17. If he has lived all his life doing his own will and he is to die the next day, his life will be prolonged.
18. Every time one recites these prayers, he gains 100 days indulgence.
19. He is assured of being joined to the supreme Choir of Angels.
20. Whoever teaches these prayers to another, will have continuous joy and merit which will endure eternally.
21. There where these prayers are being said or will be said in the future, God is present with His grace.

The 15 Prayers
FIRST PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus Christ! Eternal Sweetness to those who love Thee, joy surpassing all joy and all desire, Salvation and Hope of all sinners, Who hast proved that Thou hast no greater desire than to be among men, even assuming human nature at the fullness of time for the love of men, recall all the sufferings Thou hast endured from the instant of Thy conception, and especially during Thy Passion, as it was decreed and ordained from all eternity in the Divine plan.

Remember, O Lord, that during the Last Supper with Thy disciples, having washed their feet, Thou gavest them Thy Most Precious Body and Blood, and while at the same time Thou didst sweetly console them, Thou didst foretell them Thy coming Passion.

Remember the sadness and bitterness which Thou didst experience in Thy Soul as Thou Thyself bore witness saying: "My Soul is sorrowful even unto death."

Remember all the fear, anguish and pain that Thou didst suffer in Thy delicate Body before the torment of the Crucifixion, when, after having prayed three times, bathed in a sweat of blood, Thou wast betrayed by Judas, Thy disciple, arrested by the people of a nation Thou hadst chosen and elevated, accused by false witnesses, unjustly judged by three judges during the flower of Thy youth and during the solemn Paschal season.

Remember that Thou wast despoiled of Your garments and clothed in those of derision; that Thy face and Eyes were veiled, that Thou wast buffeted, crowned with thorns, a reed placed in Thy hands, that Thou wast crushed with blows and overwhelmed with affronts and outrages.

In memory of these pains and sufferings which Thou didst endure before Thy Passion on the Cross, grant me before my death true contrition, a sincere and entire confession, worthy satisfaction and the remission of all my sins. Amen.

SECOND PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! True liberty of angels, Paradise of delights, remember the horror and sadness which Thou didst endure when Thy enemies, like furious lions, surrounded Thee, and by thousands of insults, spits, blows, lacerations and other unheard-of-cruelties, tormented Thee at will. In consideration of these torments, and insulting words, I beseech Thee, O my Savior, to deliver me from all my enemies, visible and invisible, and to bring me, under Thy protection, to the perfection of eternal salvation. Amen.

THIRD PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Creator of Heaven and earth Whom nothing can encompass or limit, Thou Who dost enfold and hold all under Thy Loving power, remember the very bitter pain Thou didst suffer when the Jews nailed Thy Sacred Hands and Feet to the Cross by blow after blow with big blunt nails, and not finding Thee in a pitiable enough state to satisfy their rage, they enlarged Thy Wounds, and added pain to pain, and with indescribable cruelty stretched Thy Body on the Cross, pulled Thee from all sides, thus dislocating Thy Limbs.

I beg of Thee, O Jesus, by the memory of this most Loving suffering of the Cross, to grant me the grace to fear Thee and to Love Thee. Amen.

FOURTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Heavenly Physician, raised aloft on the Cross to heal our wounds with Thine, remember the bruises which Thou didst suffer and the weakness of all Thy Members which were distended to such a degree that never was there pain like unto Thine. From the crown of Thy Head to the Soles of Thy Feet there was not one spot of Thy Body that was not in torment, and yet, forgetting all Thy sufferings, Thou didst not cease to pray to Thy Heavenly Father for Thy enemies, saying: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

Through this great Mercy, and in memory of this suffering, grant that remembrance of Thy Most Bitter Passion may effect in us a perfect contrition and the remission of all our sins. Amen.

FIFTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Mirror of eternal splendor, remember the sadness which Thou experienced, when contemplating in the light of Thy Divinity the predestination of those who would be saved by the merits of Thy Sacred Passion, Thou didst see at the same time, the great multitude of reprobates who would be damned for their sins, and Thou didst complain bitterly of those hopeless lost and unfortunate sinners.

Through this abyss of compassion and pity, and especially through the goodness which Thou displayed to the good thief when Thou saidst to him: "This day, that shalt be with Me in Paradise." I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, that at the hour of my death, Thou wilt show me mercy. Amen.

SIXTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Beloved and most desirable King, remember the grief Thou didst suffer, when naked and like a common criminal, Thou was fastened and raised on the Cross, when all Thy relatives and friends abandoned Thee, except Thy Beloved Mother, who remained close to Thee during Thy agony and whom Thou didst entrust to Thy faithful disciple when Thou saidst to Mary: "Woman, behold thy son!" and to St. John: "Son, behold thy Mother!"

I beg of Thee O my Savior, by the sword of sorrow which pierced the soul of Thy holy Mother, to have compassion on me in all my affliction and tribulations, both corporal and spiritual, and to assist me in all my trials, and especially at the hour of my death. Amen.

SEVENTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Inexhaustible Fountain of compassion, Who by a profound gesture of Love, said from the Cross: "I thirst!" suffered from the thirst for the salvation of the human race. I beg of Thee O my Savior, to inflame in our hearts the desire to tend toward perfection in all our acts; and to extinguish in us the concupiscence of the flesh and the ardor of worldly desires. Amen.

EIGHTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Sweetness of hearts, delight of the spirit, by the bitterness of the vinegar and gall which Thou didst taste on the Cross for Love of us, grant us the grace to receive worthily Thy Precious Body and Blood during our life and at the hour of our death, that they may serve as a remedy and consolation for our souls. Amen.

NINTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Royal virtue, joy of the mind, recall the pain Thou didst endure when, plunged in an ocean of bitterness at the approach of death, insulted, outraged by the Jews, Thou didst cry out in a loud voice that Thou was abandoned by Thy Father, saying: "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

Through this anguish, I beg of Thee, O my Savior, not to abandon me in the terrors and pains of my death. Amen.

TENTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Who art the beginning and end of all things, life and virtue, remember that for our sakes Thou was plunged in an abyss of suffering from the soles of Thy Feet to the crown of Thy Head. In consideration of the enormity of Thy Wounds, teach me to keep, through pure love, Thy Commandments, whose way is wide and easy for those who love Thee. Amen.

ELEVENTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Deep abyss of mercy, I beg of Thee, in memory of Thy Wounds which penetrated to the very marrow of Thy Bones and to the depth of Thy being, to draw me, a miserable sinner, overwhelmed by my offenses, away from sin and to hide me from Thy Face justly irritated against me, hide me in Thy Wounds, until Thy anger and just indignation shall have passed away. Amen.

TWELFTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Mirror of Truth, symbol of unity, link of Charity, remember the multitude of wounds with which Thou was covered from head to foot, torn and reddened by the spilling of Thy adorable Blood. O Great and Universal Pain which Thou didst suffer in Thy virginal Flesh for Love of us! Sweetest Jesus! What is there that Thou couldst have done for us which Thou has not done! May the fruit of Thy sufferings be renewed in my soul by the faithful remembrance of Thy Passion, and may Thy Love increase in my heart each day, until I see Thee in eternity, Thou Who art the treasury of every real good and every joy, which I beg Thee to grant me, O Sweetest Jesus, in Heaven. Amen.

THIRTEENTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Strong Lion, Immortal and Invincible King, remember the pain which Thou didst endure when all Thy strength, both moral and physical, was entirely exhausted, Thou didst bow Thy Head, saying: "It is consummated!"

Through this anguish and grief, I beg of Thee Lord Jesus, to have mercy on me at the hour of my death when my mind will be greatly troubled and my soul will be in anguish. Amen.

FOURTEENTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! Only Son of the Father, Splendor and Figure of His Substance, remember the simple and humble recommendation Thou didst make of Thy Soul to Thy Eternal Father, saying: "Father, into Thy Hands I commend my Spirit!" And with Thy Body all torn, and Thy Heart Broken, and the bowels of Thy Mercy open to redeem us, Thou didst Expire. By this Precious Death, I beg of Thee O King Of Saints, comfort me and help me to resist the devil, the flesh and the world, so that being dead to the world I may live for Thee alone. I beg of Thee at the hour of my death to receive me, a pilgrim and an exile returning to Thee. Amen.

FIFTEENTH PRAYER

Our Father, Hail Mary

O Jesus! True and fruitful Vine. Remember the abundant outpouring of Blood which though didst so generously shed from Thy Sacred Body as juice from grapes in a wine press.

From Thy Side, pierced with a lance by a soldier, blood and water issued forth until there was not left in Thy Body a single drop, and finally, like a bundle of myrrh lifted to the top of the Cross Thy delicate Flesh was destroyed, the very Substance of Thy Body withered, and the Marrow of Thy Bones dried up.

Through this bitter Passion and through the outpouring of Thy Precious Blood, I beg of Thee, O Sweet Jesus, to receive my soul when I am in my death agony. Amen.

12 Steps to Avoid Purgatory

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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, therefore, fervently 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 it let him bear it patiently. Impatience and revolt make sufferings vastly greater and more difficult to bear.

4. The greatest act in Christ’s life was His Passion. As He had a Passion so each one of us has a Passion. Our Passion consists in the sufferings and labors of every day. 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. Go to confession. This sacrament does more than “just” rid us of our sins; it gives us a tremendous increase in sanctifying grace. It wins for us a higher place in Heaven, with increased union with God. Each time we go to confession, we are preserved from many dangers and misfortunes which might otherwise have befallen us. A devout confession helps us to hear the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and to hear and follow the advice of our guardian angels.

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

7. If afraid of doing too much work, do many little things, acts of kindness and charity, give the alms you can, don’t grumble or complain when things are not as you please, don’t complain of others, never refuse to do a favor for others when possible. These and such 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 Friends of the Poor Souls and ask all those you know to do likewise. The Holy Souls will repay you most generously.

9. There is no more powerful way of obtaining from God a most holy and happy death than by weekly confession, daily Mass and daily communion. Masses may be arranged after or before someone’s death to expedite their time in Purgatory.

10. A daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament – if only for three or four minutes – is an easy way of obtaining the same grace. Kneel in the presence of Jesus with eyes fixed on the Tabernacle or Monstrance, sure that He is looking at you, then repeat little prayers 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.

11. Enroll in and wear the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. “Whosoever dies clothed in this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.” This is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Promise, made July 16, 1251 to St. Simon Stock. The Sabbatine Privilege is Mary’s promise to release from Purgatory soon after death all those who: 1) wear the brown scapular 2) observe chastity according to their state in life and 3) say the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary every day. To be eligible for this scapular promise, one must be enrolled in the Family of Carmel. This is a simple ceremony which takes only a moment and may be done by any Carmelite or duly authorized priest. Mary’s motherhood is not limited to Catholics. It is extended to all men. Many miracles of conversion have been wrought in favor of non-Catholics who have practiced the scapular devotion.

12. Use holy water. Holy water is a sacramental that remits venial sin. Because of the blessing attached to it, Holy Church strongly encourages its use upon her children especially when danger threatens such as fire, storms, sickness and other calamities. Every Catholic home should have a supply of holy water. Keep your soul beautifully pure in God’s sight by making the Sign of the Cross carefully while saying: “By this holy water and by Thy Precious Blood, wash away all my sins and the sins of the Poor Souls in Purgatory, O Lord”.

What the Saints Say About Purgatory

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St. John Chrysostom - “Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice (Job 1:5), why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them” (Homilies on 1 Corinthians 41:5 [A.D. 392]).

“Weep for those who die in their wealth and who with all their wealth prepared no consolation for there own souls, who had the power to wash away their sins and did not will to do it. Let us weep for them, let us assist them in the extent of our ability, let us think of some assistance for them, small as it may be, yet let us somehow assist them. But how, and in what way? By praying for them and by entreating others to pray for them, by constantly giving alms to the poor on their behalf. Not in vain was it decreed by the apostles that in the awesome mysteries remembrance should be made of the departed. They knew that here there was much gain for them, much benefit, when the entire people stands with hands uplifted, a priestly assembly, and that awesome sacrificial Victim is laid out, how, when we are calling upon God, should we not succeed in their defense? But this is done for those who have departed in the faith, while even the catechumens are not reckoned as worthy of this consolation, but are deprived of every means of assistance except one. And what is that? We may give alms to the poor on their behalf” (Homilies on Philippians 3:9-10 [A.D. 402]}.

St. John Chrysostom also recommends to every Christian family that they have a box at some convenient place in their home and that they put into it pennies, which will be used to have masses said for the Poor Souls.

St. Augustine - “But by the prayers of the Holy Church, and by the salvific sacrifice, and by the alms which are given for their spirits, there is no doubt that the dead are aided, that the Lord might deal more mercifully with them than their sins would deserve. The whole Church observes this practice which was handed down by the Fathers: that it prays for those who have died in the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, when they are commemorated in their own place in the sacrifice itself; and the sacrifice is offered also in memory of them, on their behalf. If, then, works of mercy are celebrated for the sake of those who are being remembered, who would hesitate to recommend them, on whose behalf prayers to God are not offered in vain? It is not at all to be doubted that such prayers are of profit to the dead; but for such of them as lived before their death in a way that makes it possible for these things to be useful to them after death”.

“Temporal punishments are suffered by some in this life only, by some after death, by some both here and hereafter, but all of them before that last and strictest judgment. But not all who suffer temporal punishments after death will come to eternal punishments, which are to follow after that judgment” (The City of God 21:13 [A.D. 419]}.

St. James the Apostle gives a 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.”

St. Margaret Mary – “If only you knew with what great longing these holy souls yearn for relief from their suffering. Ingratitude has never entered Heaven.”

St. John Vianney - "We must say many prayers for the souls of the faithful departed, for one must be so pure to enter heaven."

SAINT NICHOLAS OF TOLENTINO
Augustinian Friar Patron of the Souls in Purgatory

Nicholas Gurrutti was born in the village of Sant’ Angelo in Pontano, Italy, in 1245. His parents, middle aged and childless, made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Nicholas of Bari, their special patron. Shortly thereafter a son was born to them whom they named Nicholas out of gratitude.

At an early age Nicholas was greatly moved by the preaching of an Augustinian, Fr. Reginaldo, prior of the monastery in Sant’ Angelo, and requested admission to the community. He was accepted and made his novitiate in 1261. Nicholas directed all his efforts to being a good religious and priest. Those who knew him saw him as a simple religious, full of charity for his brothers and for God’s people. He devoted himself to prayer and works of penance with such intensity that at times it was necessary for his superiors to impose limitations on him. At one point he had so weakened his body through fasting that he was encouraged to eat a piece of bread signed with the cross and soaked in water to regain his strength.

He was ordained a priest in 1271 and lived in several monasteries of the Order in the ministry of preaching. In 1275 he was sent to Tolentino and remained there for the rest of his life. Nicholas worked to fight the decline of morality and religion which came with the development of city life in the late 13th century. He ministered to the sick and poor and sought out those who became estranged from the Church.

His reputation as a saintly man and a worker of miracles led many people to the monastery of Tolentino. Many of the cures obtained through his prayers were received while he himself was ill.

Nicholas died in Tolentino on September 10, 1305. He was declared a saint and “Protector of the Universal Church” in 1446. In 1884 Nicholas was proclaimed by Pope Leo XIII “Patron of the Souls in Purgatory”.

Nicholas is buried in the basilica in Tolentino which bears his name. His feast is celebrated on September 10th.

The Story of St Lidwina and the Sins of Lust not Expiated

St Lidwina saw in Purgatory a soul that suffered also for mortal sins not sufficiently expiated on earth. The incident is thus related in the Life of the saint.

A man who had been for a long time a slave of the demon of impurity, finally had the happiness of being converted. He confessed his sins with great contrition, but, prevented by death, he had not time to atone by just penance for his numerous sins. Lidwina, who knew him well, prayed much for him.

Twelve years after his death she continued to pray, when, in one of herecstasies, being taken into Purgatory by her angel-guardian, she heard a mournful voice issuing from a deep pit.

"It is the soul of that man" said the angel, "for whom you have prayed with much fervour and constancy." She was astonished to see him so deep in Purgatory twelve years after his death. The angel, seeing her so greatly affected, asked if she was willing to suffer something for his deliverance. "With all my heart," replied the charitable maiden.

From that moment she suffered new pains and frightful torments, which appeared to surpass the strength of human endurance. Nevertheless, she bore them with courage, sustained by a charity stronger than death,until it pleased God to send her relief.

She then breathed as one restored to a new life, and, at the same time, she saw that soul for which she had suffered so much come forth from the abyss as white as snow and take its flight to Heaven.

Taken from: Purgatory Explained Authored by: Father F.X. Shouppe, S.J.

St. Lutgarda and the Preacher John de Lierre

Let us add here a consoling fact, which we find in the life of St. Lutgarda. A celebrated preacher, named John de Lierre, was a man of great piety and well known to our saint. He had made a contract with her, by which they mutually promised that the one who should die first, with the permission of God, should appear to the other.

John was the first to depart this life. Having undertaken a journey to Rome for the arrangement of certain affairs in the interest of the Religious, he met his death among the Alps. Faithful to his promise, he appeared to Lutgarda in the celebrated cloister of Aywieres.

On seeing him, the saint had not the slightest idea that he was dead, and invited him, according to the Rule, to enter the parlor that she might converse with him. "I am no more of this world," he replied, "and I am come here only in fulfillment of my promise."

At these words Lutgarda fell on her knees and remained for some time quite confounded. Then, raising her eyes to her blessed friend, "Why," said she, "are you clothed in such splendor? What does this triple robe signify with which I see you adorned?"

"The white garment," he replied, "signifies virginal purity, which I have always preserved; the red tunic implies the labors and sufferings which have prematurely exhausted my strength; and the blue mantle, which covers all, denotes the perfection of the spiritual life."

Having said these words, he suddenly left Lutgarda, who remained divided between regret for having lost so good a Father, and the joy she experienced on account of his happiness.

From: Purgatory Explained By: Father F.X. Schouppe, S.J.

The Story of St. Lutgarda and the Cistercian Abbot and Pope Innocent

In the Life of St. Lutgarda, written by her contemporary, Thomas de Cantempré, mention is made of a Religious who was otherwise fervent, but who for an excess of zeal was condemned to forty years of Purgatory.

This was an Abbot of the Cistercian Order, named Simon, who held St. Lutgarda in great veneration. The saint, on her part, willingly followed his advice, and in consequence a sort of spiritual friendship formed between them. But the Abbot was not as mild toward his subordinates as he was towards the saint.

Severe with himself, he was also severe in his administration, and carried his exactions in matters of discipline even to harshness, forgetting the lesson of the Divine Master, who teaches us to be meek and humble of heart.

Having died, and whilst St. Lutgarde was fervently praying and imposing penances upon herself for the repose of his soul, he appeared to her, and declared that he was condemned to forty years of Purgatory. Fortunately he had in Lutgarda a generous and powerful friend. She redoubled her prayers and austerities, and having received from God the assurance that the departed soul should soon be delivered, the charitable saint replied, "I will not cease to weep; I will not cease to importune your Mercy until I see
him freed from his pains."

Since I am mentioning St. Lutgarda, ought I to speak of the celebrated apparition of Pope Innocent. I acknowledge the perusal of this incident shocked me, and I would fain pass it over in silence.

I was reluctant to think that a Pope, and such a Pope, had been condemned to so long and terrible a Purgatory. We know that Innocent, who presided at the celebrated Council of Latern in 1215, was one of the greatest Pontiffs who ever filled the chair of St. Peter. His piety and zeal led him to accomplish great things for the Church of God and holy discipline.

How, then, admit that such a man was judged with so great severity at the Supreme Tribunal? How reconcile this revelation of St. Lutgarda with Divine Mercy? I wished, therefore, to treat it as an illusion, and sought for reasons in support of this idea. But I found, on the contrary, that the reality of this apparition is admitted by the gravest authors, and that it is not rejected by any single one. Moreover, the biographer, Thomas de Cantimpré, is very explicit, and at the same time very reserved. "Remark, reader," he writes at the end of his narrative, "that it was from the mouth of the pious Lutgarda herself that I heard of the faults revealed by the defunct, and which I omit here through respect for so great a Pope."

Aside from this, considering the event in itself, can we find any good reason, for calling it into question? Do we not know that God makes no exception of persons--that the Popes appear before His tribunal like the humblest of the faithful--that all the great and the lowly are equal before Him, and that each one
receives according to his works?

Do we not know that those who govern others have a great responsibility, and will have to render a severe account? "A most severe judgment shall be for them that bear rule." It is the Holy Ghost that declares it. (Wisdom vi.6)

Now, Innocent reigned for eighteen years, and during most turbulent times; and, add the Bollandists, is it not written that the judgments of God are inscrutbale, and often very different from the judgments of men? Judica tua abyssus multa. (Psalm xxxv.7)

The reality of this apparition cannot, then, be reasonably called into question. I see no reason for omitting it, since God does not reveal mysteries of this nature for any other purpose than that they should be made known for the edification of His Church.

Pope Innocent died July 16, 1216. The same day he appeared to St. Lutgarda in her monastery at Aywieres, in Brabant. Surprised to see a spectre enveloped in flames, she asked who he was and what he wanted.

"I am Pope Innocent," he replied. "Is it possible that you, our common Father, should be in such a state?" "It is but too true. I am expiating three faults which might have caused my eternal perdition. Thanks to the Blessed Virgin Mary, I have obtained pardon for them, but I have to make atonement. Alas!
It is terrible; and it will last for centuries if you do not come to my assistance. In the name of Mary, who has obtained for me the favor of appealing to you, help me."

With these words he disappeared. Lutgarda announced the Pope's death to her sisters, and together they betook themselves to prayer and penitential works in behalf of the august and venerated Pontiff, whose demise was communicated to them some weeks later from another source.

Taken from: Purgatory Explained Authored by: Father F.X. Schouppe, S.J.
Published by: www.TanBooks.com

St. Malachy and His Sister

St. Bernard highly praises St. Malachy for his devotion towards the souls in Purgatory. When he was a deacon, he loved to assist at the funerals of the poor, accompanying their remains to the cemetery with as much zeal as he ordinarily saw those unfortunate creatures neglected after their death. He had a sister, filled with the spirit of the world who thought her brother degraded himself and his family by associating with the poor. She understood neither Christian Charity nor the excellence of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. He told his sister that she had forgotten the teaching of Jesus and that she would one day repent of her thoughtless words.

His sister died while still young and went to render an account to the Sovereign Judge of the worldly life she had led. St. Malachy offered the Holy Sacrifice for her and prayed much for her. In time, having many others to pray for, he neglected his poor sister. She appeared to her brother during his sleep. He saw her standing in the middle of the area before the church, sad, clad in mourning, and entreating his compassion, complaining that for the last thirty days he had neglected her. He awoke suddenly and remembered in reality it was thirty days since he had celebrated Mass for his sister. On the following day he began anew to offer the Holy Sacrifice for her. Then she appeared to him at the door of the church, kneeling upon the threshold, and lamenting that she was not allowed to enter. He continued his suffrages. Some days later he saw her enter the church and advance as far as the middle of the aisle, without being able to approach the altar. He saw it was necessary to persevere, so he continued to offer the Holy Sacrifice for the repose of her soul. Finally, after a few days he saw her near the altar, clad in magnificent attire, radiant with joy, and free from suffering.

“By this we see,” adds St. Bernard, “how great is the efficacy of the Holy Sacrifice to remit sins, to combat the powers of darkness, and to open the gates of Heaven to those souls which have quitted this earth.”

The Story of St. Peter Claver & Two Women

St. Peter Claver, of the Company of Jesus, Apostle of the Negroes of Carthagena, knew of the Purgatory of two souls, who had led poor and humble lives upon earth; their sufferings were reduced to a few hours. We find the following account of it in the Life of this great servant of God.

He had persuaded a virtuous negress, named Angela, to take into her house another negress named Ursula, who had lost the use of her limbs and was covered with sores.

One day when he went to visit them, as he did from time to time, to hear their confessions and to carry them some little provisions, the charitable host told him with grief that Ursula was at the point of death."No, no," replied the Father, consoling her, "she has yet four days to live, and she will not die until Saturday."

When Saturday came, he said Mass for her intention, and went out to prepare her for death. After spending sometime in prayer, he said to the hostess with an air of confidence, "Be consoled, God loves Ursula; she will die to-day, but she will be only three hours in Purgatory. Let her remember me when she shall be with God, that she may pray for me, and for the one who until now had been a mother to her." She died at noon, and the fulfilment of one part of the prophecy gave great reason for belief in the accomplishment of the other.

Another day, having gone to hear the confession of a poor sick person whom he was accustomed to visit, he learned that she was dead. The parents were extremely afflicted, and he himself, who had not believed her to be so near her end, was inconsolable at the thought of not having been able to assist her in her last moments.

He knelt down to pray by the corpse, then suddenly rising, with a serene countenance he said, "Such a death is more worthy of our envy than our tears; this soul is condemned to Purgatory, but only for twenty-four hours. Let us endeavour to shorten this time by the fervour of our prayers."

Enough has been said on the duration of the pains. We see that they may be prolonged to an appalling degree; even the shortest, if we consider their severity, are long. Let us endeavour to shorten them for others and to mitigate them for ourselves, or better still to prevent them altogether.

Taken from: Purgatory Explained by: Father F.X. Schouppe, S.J.

Bl. Ana of the Angels--a lover of the Holy Souls

Bl. Ana of the Angels, was a Dominican cloistered nun of Peru. Like any Dominican nun worth her salt she lived to a good old age, dying at 90 years of age! Following is a brief account of her life:

Ana de Monteagudo y Ponce de Leon was born in the Peru in the city of Arequipa in 1602. At the age of fourteen Ana was withdrawn from school for a marriage arranged by her father but she resisted vehemently. Persecution by her father and family only served to intensify her decision to become a Dominican nun. St. Catherine of Siena appeared to her and showed her a white habit, saying: "Ana, my child, I have prepared this habit for you. Leave all to God. Nothing will be wanting to you."

Ana's fears vanished and she fled to the monastery of St. Catherine by night. Next morning her irate father rushed to the monastery and heaped verbal abuse on his daughter, humiliating her in front of the nuns and telling her he would never pay the dowry needed for her profession. She was disinherited and abandoned by her father. Eventually, her brother who was a priest, provided the dowry. Once professed in the monastery, Ana's nobility, courage, modesty, prayerfulness, and humility won the heart of the community. She was elected successively novice-mistress, sacristan, and prioress. At a hint of the bishop, she undertook a reform of the community whose worldliness and laxity had begun to cause gossip in the city. However the rigor of her reform aroused lively resentment and even threats of resistance and bodily harm. Heaven blessed the courage of Ana with remarkable charisma. She became universally admired among the people for prophecy, bilocation, supernatural discernment, visions, and miracles. Peruvians and foreigners sought her prayers and counsel.

King Phillip IV of Spain, a Dominican tertiary, appeared to Ana after his death in 1665 asking her intercession and revealed to her later that he entered heaven three days after his death thanks to her prayers. Ana's spiritual life was molded largely on that of St. Nicholas of Tolentino, Patron of Holy Souls. One day she beheld in a vision the Mother of God seated on a golden throne with St. Nicholas and a legion of angels beside her. St. Nicholas conducted her to Purgatory where she saw with horror a great throng of souls crowded together in the purifying flames. The saint said to her: "On earth I helped the Poor Souls; I now consign that noble office to you." The compassionate nun offered to take upon herself the sufferings of the most abandoned souls in Purgatory and God accepted the offer. Although she was by this time 80 years of age, she accepted the unusual apostolate and suffered ten years of moral and physical torments. She was a beautiful model of the purest chastity and of the communion of saints. Ana's decade of atonement, during which she lost her sight completely, was sweetened by periods of divine consolation. Angels came to relieve her suffering and souls from Purgatory appeared at her bedside to thank her for her prayers.

St. Bernard appeared with the Sacred Host for her communion and adoration. St. Nicholas showed her the thousands of souls which had entered heaven thanks to her charity.

Ana died on January 10, 1686 at the age of ninety and when her body was later exhumed it was found incorrupt and fragrant. Many miracles of healing occurred during and after her burial. Pope Paul VI declared her venerable in 1975 and Pope John Paul II beatified her in February of 1985.

The Cause of Suffering, Doctrines of Suarez & St. Catherine of Genoa

Why must souls thus suffer before being admitted to see the face of God? What is the matter, what is the subject of these expiations? What has the fire of Purgatory to purify, to consume in them? It is, say the doctors, the stains left by their sins.

The souls in Purgatory retain not the slightest stain of guilt; the venial guilt which they had at the moment of their death has disappeared in the order of pure charity, with which they are inflammed in the other life, but they still bear the debt of suffering which they had not discharged before death.

This debt proceeds from all the faults committed duing their life, especially from mortal sins remitted as to the guilt, but which they have neglected to expiate by worthy fruits of exterior penance.

Such is the common teaching of theologians, which Suarez sums up in his "Treatise on the Sacrament of Penance”. "We conclude then," he says, "that all venial sins with which a just man dies are remitted as to the guilt, at the moment when the soul is separated from the body, by virtue of an act of love of God, and the perfect contrition which it then excites over all its past faults. In fact, the soul at this moment knows its condition perfectly, and the sins of which it has been guilty before God; at the same time, it is mistress of its faculties, to be able to act.

On the other hand, on the part of God, the most efficacious helps are given to her, that she may act according to the measure of sanctifying grace which she possesses. It follows, then, that in this perfect disposition, the soul acts without the least hesitation. It turns directly towards its God, and finds itself freed from all its venial sins by an act of sovereign loathing of sin. This universal and efficacious act suffices for the remission of their guilt.

All stain of guilt has then disappeared; but the pain remains to be endured, in all its rigor and long duration, at least for those souls that are not assisted by the living. They cannot obtain the least relief for themselves, because the time of merit has passed; they can no longer merit, they can but suffer, and in that way pay to the terrible justice of God all that they owe, even to the last farthing. (Matt 5:26)

These debts of pain are the remains of sin, and a kind of stain, which intercepts the vision of God, and places an obstacle to the union of the soul with its last end. Since the souls in Purgatory are freed from the guilt of sin, writes St. Catherine of Genoa, there is no other barrier between them and their union with God save the remains of sin, from which they must be purified.

This hindrance which they feel within them causes them to suffer the torments of the damned, of which I have spoken elsewhere, and retards the moment when the instinct by which they are drawn towards God as to their Sovereign Beatitude will attain its full perfection. They see clearly how serious before God is even the slightest obstacle raised by the remains of sin, and that it is by necessity of justice that He delays the full gratification of their desire of everlasting bliss.

This sight enkindles within them a burning flame, like that of Hell, yet without the guilt of sin.

Taken from: Purgatory Explained Authored by: Father F.X. Schouppe, S.J.

ST. GERTRUDE AND THE POOR SOULS

St. Gertrude entertained a deep compassion for the souls in Purgatory. At Holy Communion she besought our loving Savior with tender, fervent petitions, to be merciful to these dear sufferers. Once Gertrude prayed with particular fervor for the faithful departed. On asking Our Lord how many souls His mercy would deliver, she received this reply: “My love urges Me to release the poor souls. If a beneficent king leaves his guilty friend in prison for justice’s sake, he awaits with longing for one of his nobles to plead for the prisoner and to offer something for his release. Then the king joyfully sets him free. Similarly, I accept with highest pleasure what is offered to Me for the poor souls, for I long inexpressibly to have near Me those for whom I paid so great a price. By the prayers of thy loving soul, I am induced to free a prisoner from purgatory as often as thou dost move thy tongue to utter a word of prayer!”

Our Savior also instructed Gertrude for whom she should pray most. On the day when the community commemorated in common the death of their parents, our saint saw the happy souls ascend from dense darkness like sparks from a flaming forge. She inquired if all these were relatives. Our Lord replied: “I am thy nearest relative, thy father and thy mother. Therefore, My special friends are thy nearest relatives, and these are among those whom I have liberated.”

(taken from St. Gertrude the Great by Tan Books and Publishers)

An Account of Purgatory -St Magdalen de Pazzi-

The following is an account of that of St. Magdalen de Pazzi, a Florentine Carmelite, as it is related in her Life by Father Cepare.

Some time before her death in 1607, the servant of God, Magdalen de Pazzi, being one evening with several other Religious in the garden of the convent, was ravished in ecstasy, and saw Purgatory open before her. At the same time, a voice invited her to visit all the prisons of Divine Justice, and to see how truly worthy of compassion are the souls detained there.

At this moment she was heard to say, "Yes, I will go." She consented to undertake this painful journey. In fact, she walked for two hours round the garden, which was very large, pausing from time to time. Each time she interrupted her walk, she contemplated attentively the sufferings which were shown to her. She was then seen to wring her hands in compassion, her face became pale, her body bent under the weight of suffering, in presence of the terrible spectacle with which she was confronted.

She began to cry aloud in lamentation, "Mercy, my God, mercy! Descend, O Precious Blood, and deliver these souls from their prison. Poor Souls! you suffer so cruelly, and yet you are content and cheerful. The dungeons of the martyrs in comparison with these were gardens of delight. Nevertheless there are others still deeper. How happy should I esteem myself were I not obliged to go down into them."

She did descend, however, for she was forced to continue her way. But when she had taken a few steps, she stopped terror-stricken, and, sighing deeply, she cried, "What! Religious also in this dismal abode! Good God! how they are tormented! Ah, Lord!" She does not explain the nature of their sufferings; but the horror which she manifested in contemplating them caused her to sigh at each step. She passed then into less gloomy places. They were the dungeons of simple souls, and of children in whom ignorance and lack of reason extenuated many faults. Their torments appeared to her much more endurable than those of the others. Nothing but ice and fire were there. She noticed that these souls had their guardian angels with them, who fortified them greatly by their presence; but she saw also demons whose dreadful forms increased their sufferings.

Advancing a few paces, she saw souls still more unfortunate, and she was heard to cry out, "Oh! how horrible is this place; it is full of hideous demons and incredible torments! Who, O my God, are the victims of these cruel tortures? Alas! they are being pierced by sharp swords, they are being cut into pieces." She was answered that they were the souls whose conduct had been tainted with hypocrisy.

Advancing a little, she saw a great multitude of souls which were bruised, as it were, and crushed under a press; and she understood that they were those souls which had been addicted to impatience and disobedience during life. While contemplating them, her looks, her sighs, her whole attitude was compassion and terror.

A moment later her agitation increased, and she uttered a dreadful cry. It was the dungeon of lies which now lay open before her. After having attentively considered it, she cried aloud, "Liars are confined in a place in the vicinity of Hell, and their sufferings are exceedingly great. Molten lead is poured into their mouths; I see them burn, and at the same time tremble with cold."

She then went to the prison of those souls which had sinned through weakness, and she was heard to exclaim, "Alas! I had thought to find you among those who have sinned through ignorance, but I am mistaken; you burn with an intenser fire."

Farther on, she perceived souls which had been too much attached to the goods of this world, and had sinned by avarice.

"What blindness," said she, "thus eagerly to seek a perishable fortune! Those whom formerly riches could not sufficiently satiate, are here gorged with torments. They are smelted like metal in the furnace."

From thence she passed into the place where those souls were imprisoned which had formerly been stained with impurity. She saw them in so filthy and pestilential a dungeon that the sight produced nausea. She turned away quickly from that loathsome spectacle. Seeing the ambitious and the proud, she said, "Behold those who wished to shine before men; now they are condemned to live in this frightful obscurity."

Then she was shown those souls which had been guilty of ingratitude towards God. They were prey to unutterable torments, and, as it were, drowned in a lake of molten lead, for having by their ingratitude dried up the source of piety.

Finally, in a last dungeon, she was shown souls that had not been given to any particular vice, but which, through the lack of proper vigilance over themselves, had committed all kinds of trivial faults. She remarked that these souls had share in the chastisements of all vices, in a moderate degree, because those faults committed only from time to time rendered them less guilty than those committed through habit.

After this last station the saint left the garden, begging God never again to make her witness of so heartrending a spectacle: she felt that she had not strength to endure it. Her ecstasy still continued, and, conversing with Jesus, she said to Him, "Tell me, Lord, what was your design in discovering to me those terrible prisons, of which I knew so little, and comprehended still less? Ah! I now see; you wished to give me the knowledge of your infinite sanctity, and to make me detest more and more the least stain of sin, which is so abominable in your eyes."

Taken from: Purgatory Explained
Compiled by: Father F.X. Schouppe, S.J.

The Story of St. Vincent Ferrer and his Sister

St. Vincent Ferrer, the celebrated wonder-worker of the Order of St. Dominic, who preached with so much eloquence the great truth of the Judgment of God, had a sister who remained unmoved either by the words or example of her saintly brother. She was full of the spirit of the world, intoxicated with it's pleasures, and walked with rapid strides towards her eternal ruin.

Meanwhile, the saint prayed for her conversion, and his prayer was finally answered. The unfortunate sinner fell mortally sick; and, at the moment of death, entering into herself, she made her confession with sincere repentance.

Some days after her death, whilst her brother was celebrating the Holy Sacrifice, she appeared to him in the midst of flames and a prey to the most intolerable torments. "Alas! my dear brother," said she, "I am condemned to undergo these torments until the day of the last judgment. Nevertheless, you can assist me. The efficacy of the Holy Sacrifice is so great: offer for me about thirty Masses, and I may hope the happiest result."

The saint hastened to accede to her request. He celebrated the thirty Masses, and on the thirtieth day his sister again appeared to him surrounded by angels and soaring to Heaven. Thanks to the virtue of the Divine Sacrifice, an expiation of several centuries was reduced to thirty days.

This example shows us at once the duration of the pains which a soul may incur, and the powerful effect of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, when God is pleased to apply it to a soul. But this application, like all other suffrages, does not always take place, at least not in the same plenitude.

Taken from: Purgatory Explained
Authored by: Father F.X. Schouppe, S.J.
Imprimatur: Herbertus Card.Vaughan Archiep. Westmonasterien

Let’s get their souls out as soon as possible.
The Story of Venerable Catherine Paluzzi and Sister Bernardine

Let us cite some other examples which will serve to convince us still more of the long duration of the sufferings of Purgatory. We shall see therein that Divine Justice is relatively severe towards souls called to perfection, and who have recieved much grace. Does not Jesus say in the Gospel, Unto whom much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have committed much, of him they will demand more? (Luke 12:48)

We read in the Life of Venerable Catherine Paluzzi that a holy Religious, who died in her arms, was not admitted to eternal beatitude until after she had passed an entire year in Purgatory.

Catherine Paluzzi led a holy life in the diocese of Nepi, in Italy, where she founded a convent of Dominicans. There lived with her a Religious named Bernardine, who was far advanced in the ways of the spiritual life. These two saints emulated each other in fervour, and helped each other to progress more and more in the perfection to which God called them.

The biographer of Venerable Catherine compares them to two live coals that communicate heat to each other; and again, to two harps tuned to harmonise together in one perpetual hymn of love to the greater glory of God.

Bernardine died: a painful malady, which she bore with Christian patience, carried her to the grave. When about to expire, she told Catherine that she would not forget her before God, and, if God so permitted, she would return to converse with her on such spiritual matters as would contribute to her sanctification.

Catherine prayed much for the soul of her friend, and at the same time asked God to allow her to appear to her. An entire year elapsed and the deceased did not return. Finally, on the anniversary of the death of Bernardine, Catherine being in
prayer, saw a pit from which issued volumes of smoke and flames; then she perceived coming out of the pit a form surrounded by dark clouds.

By degrees these vapors were dispersed, and the apparition became radiant with an extraordinary brilliancy. In this glorious personage Catherine recognised Bernardine and ran towards her.

"Is that you, my dearest sister?" she said. "But whence do you come? What signifies this pit, this fiery smoke? Does your Purgatory end only today?"

"You are right," replied the soul; "for a year I have been detained in that place of expiation, and today, for the first time, shall I enter Heaven.

As regards yourself, persevere in your holy exercises: continue to be charitable and merciful, and you will obtain mercy."

Taken from: Purgatory Explained
Authored by: Father F.X. Schouppe, S.J.

TESTIMONIALS FROM PRAYER WARRIORS

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Several of our Prayer Warriors have emailed us with experiences they have had regarding the Souls in Purgatory. We welcome any of your stories whether in dreams or reality. Just email them to us at holysouls@att.net Here are a few of the stories:

I wanted to tell you something that happened to me last night. While praying the Seven Sorrows Chaplet, I happened to become so relaxed and while still praying I began to witness something beautiful. I saw a woman (like looking at a movie) from behind her. She was with her little boy about 6 or 7 years old. She let him run up ahead of her in a playful manner and he was laughing. He turned around to look at his mother; he was so beautiful. My hand reached out in the same manner that our Lady’s had when she let his hand go, and I said Wow! I woke up with my hand outstretched and saying Wow! I realized that I was just looking at this and not a part of the image being shown to me. I just wanted to share this experience with you because it happened while I was praying the Seven Sorrows Chaplet. F.J.

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Our Lord has given me a beautiful gift of love for the Holy Souls. They are the family that I cannot see. They do so many things for me such as: I haven’t used an alarm clock for years, they show me where lost things are, they remind me to do things, etc. etc. etc. I’m living this earth as a prayer to the Holy Souls. I made the “Heroic Act” many years ago. I renew it each day. K.G.

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I want to share this with you, even though we only pray the Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows once a month. I truly believe that I could feel something had happened because of it – I cannot explain exactly what had happened, but definitely something had happened. God willing we will pray the Rosary of Our Lady of Sorrows next month. A.K.

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May this day be the beginning of emptying Purgatory. In prayer this morning I saw the face of Padre Pio. I claimed it as a confirmation of this mission. T.T.

My little Story - Several people keep mentioning a book called "GET ME OUT OF HERE" by Nicky Eltz. I finally read it and it has changed my life. I promised the Holy Souls immediately that I would have Masses said for them and that I would say the Rosary every day for them. I immediately heard knocking when I made this promise. I say the rosary each night but when I forget and I'm ready to get into bed the knocking starts again. It's the Holy Souls reminding me of my promise and when I am finished saying the Rosary they knock a few times to say "THANK YOU MY FRIEND. By S.L.

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Here is another experience with the Souls in Purgatory: I think I was dreaming, but even today I am not certain that I wasn't awakened by a group of young people "standing" around the foot of my bed in a foggy or light, smoky haze up to their knees or waists and dressed in regular clothes one would expect to see on youth. One of the two nearest the foot of the bed appeared to be the oldest of these children, pre-teens and teenagers. Many children and teens stood behind this older sandy-blonde-curly-headed boy in the "haze" in the distance (the depth of this distance didn't seem to matter to the walls of my tiny bedroom). A teenage boy was standing the closest at the foot of the bed with a paper on which was written a petition he was holding out towards me with both hands. I could not see what was written on the paper. The others were looking on without saying anything but their faces were clearly imploring me to grasp what he meant when he said in a soft but convincing voice, "Pray for us. You don't know how bad it is here." They stood there for a little while longer and the haze seemed to swirl slightly as if disturbed by movements and then they disappeared along with the haze.

I remember coming fully awake and shaken; filled with a sense of extreme urgency about what he had told me to do. From that day forward I have prayed for the children in the world and those who are sent to help them as well as the children in purgatory. I have no way of knowing if my prayers have made any difference, but over the years, I have been thankful for the international, federal and local government agencies and non-profits that have made some headway in the area of services or protections for children that hopefully will help protect our children from the evil influences of those who prey on children who don't have the guidance they need. I also try to recite the Eternal Father prayer often because of the promises made to one Saint that souls would be released from Purgatory upon the reciting of that prayer." J.E.

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A.A.writes the following two incidents: One experience was the end of my bed linens, near my feet, being pulled very hard as I trailed off to sleep, not finishing whatever prayers I was saying on behalf of the Poor Souls. That has happened twice on different days. Another time was when I heard a very deep but muffled voice of a man saying “help me”. It woke me up immediately and I started praying again.

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M.D. has had some experiences: I was in a light sleep and am not sure if this was truly happening or it was my imagination. At the side of my bed was the Blessed Mother and someone, I think a man, whose face I could not see but he was all dressed in a very bright white. At the foot of my bed sat a man all in gray (clothes and face) and very sad. I decided first to say an eternal rest for the man at the foot of my bed but nothing happened. I said an eternal rest once again and he stood up and started to go back away from my bed towards the wall and I no longer saw him. I then proceeded to concentrate on the Blessed Mother and the man in white. I told the Blessed Mother that I would pray more for the Souls in Purgatory and have masses said for them. They both disappeared and I lay in my bed with such a feeling of peace and tranquility.

Contact Us

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To contact us with inquiries, orders, suggestions or to enlist names for the Golden Book, please write to us at:

Friends of the Poor Souls

436 Vasey Oak Drive

Keller, TX 76248

or email:

holysouls@att.net

Pious Prayers for the Poor Souls

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PRAYER OF ST. GERTRUDE THE GREAT
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. Amen
OUR LORD told St. Gertrude that the above prayer would release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said. The prayer was extended to include living sinners as well.

PRAYERS FOR THE DEPARTED

O Christ, rest in the souls of your servants with the saints, where there is no sickness, nor sadness, nor sighing, but life without ending. Remember, O Lord, our friends and relatives who sleep in the hope of resurrection to eternal life, and all who have departed in faith. Forgive them their sins, voluntary and involuntary, which they have committed by deed, word, or intention. Place them in refreshing places, where all sickness, sadness and sighing have been driven away, and where the light of Your countenance shines and gladdens all Your saints forever. O God, you have authority over life and death. We pray to You for the eternal repose of Your servants. Heal the sorrow of those who are left to mourn. Grant unto us all that we may be in the company of Your Saints and elect in your everlasting kingdom. Amen.

Eternal God, our Father, grant to the faithful departed the remission of all their sins, that they may enter without delay into their reward. This we ask through the Risen Christ, your Son and

our Lord.

FOR DECEASED PRIESTS

O Lord, hear our prayers for all our deceased priests, who served Your people as preachers of the Word and dispensers of the Divine Mysteries. Pardon their sins and faults and lead them into the heavenly sanctuary to take part in the liturgy of Paradise. This we ask through your Son, Jesus Christ, Lord and Priest forever. Amen.

FOR DECEASED RELATIVES
Eternal God, Father of all souls, we implore your loving kindness for the dear ones for whose absence we grieve. Forgive them their sins and grant them a speedy and merciful deliverance from distress. May our hearts continue to be knit together in the love of Christ, and may we be reunited with them throughout the endless ages of ages.

FOR DECEASED FRIENDS
O God, you are the Author of all true and tender affections. We thank you for the friends you had given us. We implore you to bring them home to you in the celestial places of light and joy. May we live with the sure expectation of a joyous welcome from them when you shall call us to yourself. Take our friendships into Your keeping and grant that they may endure in life everlasting. Amen.

TO OUR LADY
Mother of Mercy, your power is so great that your divine Son will refuse you nothing. Implore Him, please, to release from the pains of Purgatory our parents, friends, and benefactors, that they may join the heavenly choirs in praising Him and in interceding for us.

DAILY PRAYER FOR NOVEMBER
Most gentle 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 souls of the faithful departed.
Be not severe in your judgments, but let some drops of Your Precious Blood fall upon the devouring flames and do You, O Merciful Savior, send y our Angels to conduct them to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen.

O GOD OF ALL CONSOLATION
O God of all consolation, author of the salvation of souls, have pity on those who suffer in Purgatory, and grant them, together with entire deliverance from their sufferings, the happiness You promised to Your servant, Abraham and his posterity.
Be moved, O Lord, by the consideration of the fidelity with which they served You during life, and forget the faults which through human frailty they have sometimes committed; take them from this place of punishment and darkness, and bring them to the place of peace and light.
Hear O Lord, my humble prayer, and grant this grace to those for whom I pray. Amen.

PRAYER FOR A HAPPY DEATH
Father, when You are ready to lead me through death to eternal life, be with me as You were with Your people of old. As the last breath of life pours from me, take away all fear and let me embrace You with joy. Give me the grace to die, as did St. Joseph, with Jesus and Mary at my side. Amen.

PRAYER FOR ALL SOULS
Almighty and Merciful God, Your Son Jesus loved us so much that He died and rose again to bring us new life. We pray for our brothers and sisters who have died. Grant them Your forgiveness and bring them to eternal life in the company of all Your saints. Amen.

Prayer for the Holy Souls
Immortal God, holy Lord, Father and Protector of all You have created, we raise our hearts to You today for those who have passed out of this mortal life. In Your loving mercy, Father, be pleased to receive them in Your heavenly company, and forgive the failings and faults they may have done from human frailty.
Your only Son, Christ, our Savior, suffered so cruelly that He might deliver them from the second death. By His merits may they share in the glory of His victory over sin and death. For all the faithful who have died we pray, but in particular for those dear to us, parents, relatives, and friends. Nor do we forget all who did good to us while on earth, who helped us by their prayers, sacrifices, and example. We pray also for any who may have done us harm, and stand in special need of Your forgiveness.
May the merits and prayers of our Virgin Mother, Mary, and those of all Your angels and saints, speak for us and assist them now. We ask this in Christ's name. Amen.

PRAYER FOR THE MOST FORGOTTEN SOUL
O Lord God Almighty, I beseech Thee by the Precious Body and Blood of Thy divine Son Jesus, which He Himself on the night before His Passion gave as meat and drink to His beloved Apostles and bequeathed to His Holy Church to be the perpetual Sacrifice and life-giving nourishment of His faithful people, deliver the souls in purgatory, but most of all, that soul which was most devoted to this Mystery of infinite love, in order that it may praise Thee therefore, together with Thy Divine Son and the Holy Spirit in Thy glory for ever. Amen.

PRAYER OF ST. ALPHONSUS
Jesus Christ, my God, I adore Thee and I thank Thee for the many favors Thou hast bestowed on me this day. I offer Thee my sleep and all the moments of this night, and I pray Thee to preserve me from sin. Therefore, I place myself in Thy most Sacred Side, and under the mantle of our Blessed Lady, my Mother. May the Holy Angels assist me and keep me in peace, and may Thy blessing be upon me. Amen

Prayer to Holy Souls in Purgatory
Oh 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 to 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 petition} so that I may obtain relief and assistance from God. In gratitude for your intercession I offer to God in your behalf the satisfactory merits of my prayer and work, my joys and sufferings of this day.

PRAYER WHILE VISITING A CEMETERY
Father, into your hands we commend our brothers and sisters who are buried in this cemetery. We are confident that with all who have died in Christ they will be raised to life on the last day and live with Christ forever.
We thank you for all the blessings you gave them in this life to show your fatherly care for all of us and the fellowship which is ours with the saints in Jesus Christ.
Lord, hear our prayer:
Welcome our brothers and sisters to paradise and help us to comfort each other with the assurance of our faith until we all meet in Christ to be with you and with our brothers and sisters forever. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
An indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed. The indulgence is plenary each day from the 1st to the 8th of November; on other days of the year it is partial.
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O Lord, we pray for all who die and are not mourned, but are ignored in death like a stone by the wayside.
We pray also for all who are lost in war and prison, for those who have committed suicide and those who are lonely in life and death, that God may hear them and keep them in His heart.

PRAYERS FOR THE DEPARTED
O Christ, rest in the souls of your servants with the saints, where there is no sickness, nor sadness, nor sighing, but life without ending.
Remember, O Lord, our friends and relatives who sleep in the hope of resurrection to eternal life, and all who have departed in faith. Forgive them their sins, voluntary and involuntary, which they have committed by deed, word, or intention. Place them in refreshing places, where all sickness, sadness and sighing have been driven away, and where the light of Your countenance shines and gladdens all Your saints forever.
O God, you have authority over life and death. We pray to You for the eternal repose of Your servants. Heal the sorrow of those who are left to mourn. Grant unto us all that we may be in the company of Your Saints and elect in your everlasting kingdom. Amen.
Eternal God, our Father, grant to the faithful departed the remission of all their sins, that they may enter without delay into their reward. This we ask through the Risen Christ, your Son and our Lord.

TO THE SOULS IN PURGATORY
O HOLY SOULS in Purgatory, who are the certain heirs of Heaven, souls 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 to the blessedness of eternity in Heaven.
Dear Suffering Souls, who languish in your prison of pain and long to be delivered in order to praise and glorify God in Heaven, by your unfailing pity help me at this time, particularly……..that I may obtain relief and assistance from God.
In gratitude for your intercession, I offer God on your behalf the satisfactory merits of all my works and sufferings of this day (week, month or whatever space of time you wish to designate).
Assist at Holy Mass and have a Mass offered for them, if possible. Offerings of the Precious Blood and the Way of the Cross are all powerful means of helping them and obtaining their help.

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF SORROWS
I compassionate thee, O most sorrowful Mother! Thy heart was pierced with a sword of grief when Simeon foretold to thee in the Temple the ignominious death and the desolation of thy divine and most dear Son, which thou west destined one day to witness. By the great anguish of thy suffering heart, O gracious Queen of the universe, impress upon my mind, in life and in death, the sacred Passion of Jesus and shine own sorrows. Amen.

-Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

PRAYER FOR THE DEAD
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Your departed servants the remission of all their sins that through our prayers they may obtain that pardon which they have always desired. Amen.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIED
Lord God, to your mercy we owe our forgiveness and salvation. Grant that your servant (name), who has departed from this life, may be admitted into everlasting happiness through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all your saints.

PRAYER FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY
O gentle Heart of Jesus, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever consumed with burning love for the poor captive souls in Purgatory, have mercy on them.
Be not severe in Your judgments, but let some drops of Your Precious Blood fall upon the devouring flames.
And, Merciful Savior, send Your angels to conduct them to a place of refreshment, light and peace. Amen.

RESURRECTION PRAYER
Most merciful Father, we commend our departed into your hands. We are filled with the sure hope that our departed will rise again on the Last Day with all who have died in Christ. We thank you for all the good things you have given during our departed’s earthly life.
O Father, in your great mercy, accept our prayer that the Gates of Paradise may be opened for your servant. In our turn, may we too be comforted by the words of faith until we greet Christ in glory and are united with you and our departed. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

ASPIRATIONS FOR THE HOLY SOULS
Dear Lord Jesus, grant them eternal rest.
We therefore beseech Thee, help the souls detained in the flames of Purgatory, whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy Precious Blood.
My God, we offer Thee for the souls in Purgatory all the acts of love with which the Sacred Heart of Jesus has glorified Thee when He was on earth.
Hail Mary, our Deliverer, pray for us and for the souls in Purgatory.

INVOCATIONS
After each invocation please add the ejaculation: My Jesus Mercy!
O Lord Jesus, by the precious Blood which Thou did shed in the Garden of Olives, deign to help and release the souls in Purgatory, particularly the soul that is most abandoned. Place it today in Heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.
O Lord Jesus, by the precious Blood Thou did shed during Thy scourging, deign to help and release the souls in Purgatory, particularly the soul that did most good during life. Place it today in Heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.
O Lord Jesus, by the precious Blood Thou did shed during Thy crowning with thorns, deign to help and release the souls in Purgatory, particularly the soul that was most devoted to the Blessed Virgin. Place it today in Heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.
O Lord Jesus, by the precious Blood which Thou did shed in the carrying of Thy Cross, deign to help and release the souls in Purgatory, particularly the soul that is suffering because of my bad example. Place it today in Heaven that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.
O Lord Jesus, by the merits of the chalice of Thy precious Blood which Thou did present to Thine Apostles at the last supper, deign to help and release the souls in Purgatory, particularly the soul that is most devoted to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. Place it today in Heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.
O Lord Jesus, by the merits of the precious Blood which flowed from Thy sacred wounds, deign to help and release the souls in Purgatory, particularly the souls of those whose care Thou did confide to me on earth. Place them today in Heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother they may praise Thee forever. Amen.
O Lord Jesus, by the merits of the precious Blood which flowed from Thy Sacred Heart, deign to help and release the souls in Purgatory, particularly the souls that did most to propagate devotion to Thy Sacred Heart. Place them today in Heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother they may praise Thee forever. Amen.
O Lord Jesus, by the merits of Thy holy resignation on the cross, deign to help and release the souls in Purgatory, particularly the soul that has most to suffer through me. Place it today in Heaven that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother it may praise Thee forever. Amen.
O Lord Jesus, by the merits of the tears shed by the Blessed Virgin at the foot of Thy cross, deign to help and release the souls in Purgatory, particularly the soul that is dearest to Thee. Place it today in Heaven, that united with the Angels and Thy Blessed Mother, it may praise Thee forever. Amen.

Let us Pray
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Thy servants departed, the remission of all their sins, that through pious supplications they may obtain that pardon which they have always desired, who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen. May they rest in peace. Amen.

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To become a Prayer Warrior for the Holy Souls or to enlist names for the Golden Book, please print and fill out the following, and send to:

Mary Ann & Bob Luetkemeyer
Friends of the Poor Souls
436 Vasey Oak Drive
Keller, TX 76248

Please enroll me in the “Prayer Warriors” of the Cenacles for the Poor/Holy Souls
Name __________________________________________________
Address __________________________________________________
City ___________________ State____________Zip Code_________ *Email__________________
Your support to continue this spiritual ministry would be greatly appreciated.
I also wish to inscribe the following names in the “GOLDEN BOOK” for the Poor Souls
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
Members receive a newsletter regarding the Poor/Holy Souls. Also planned is the distribution of prayer cards and additional materials on the Poor Souls. We also accept prayer petitions and have priests who are willing to do Mass intentions as well as the Gregorian Mass.

*Email preferred

Catechesis and Instruction on Purgatory

2006-05-24T00:35:00.000-04:00

OUR CATECHESIS/INSTRUCTION ON PURGATORY

What is Purgatory?
Purgatory is a state of transition between earth and paradise. In this state are found those souls who, having died in a state of grace, are not yet worthy of being admitted to the contemplation of God, for nothing enters heaven which is not thoroughly purified of stain. Purgatory is a state of purification and of reparation.
The Church has defined only two things regarding Purgatory:
It’s existence, and the possibility of offering suffrages (Holy Masses, prayers, etc.) for the souls there.

These two simple sentences are heavily backed up by the constant doctrine of the church, especially by the Council of Trent, the Catechism of the Catholic Church #1030-1032, and Sacred Scripture (the Bible), Second Book of Macabies (12:43-45). More on this is found in the New Testament, especially in Matthew 12:32.
Why Pray for the Souls in Purgatory?
Our prayers for them can serve to understand God’s justice and mercy.
Our prayers help to have them make satisfaction for the things that displeased God and did not make up for while on earth.
It is a serious obligation to pray for the Souls in Purgatory. That is why we have “suffrages” for our relatives and friends through Masses, prayers and other works.
Our helping the Poor Souls in this manner guarantees our help when we need it in Purgatory (St. Augustine).

Novena

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Novena for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

This Novena, written by St. Alphonsus Liguori, has different prayers for each of the 9 days, followed by the Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory which is at the bottom of the section.

First Day: Jesus, my Savior I have so often deserved to be cast into hell how great would be my suffering if I were now cast away and obliged to think that I myself had caused my damnation. I thank Thee for the patience with which Thou hast endured me. My God, I love Thee above all things and I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee because Thou art infinite goodness. I will rather die than offend Thee again. Grant me the grace of perseverance. Have pity on me and at the same time on those blessed souls suffering in Purgatory. Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.