November 2
(the commemoration of all faithful departed)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that all who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.
All Souls day, celebrated by the Church on November 2, is a day for us to remember all of the suffering souls in Purgatory. We can help them by praying for them, offering up our sacrifices and good works, and most importantly, having Masses said for them to relieve their suffering and hasten their delivery from Purgatory. The Holy Souls will repay us a thousand times over. When they are in heaven at last, they will pray unceasingly for the friends on earth who helped them. They are even able to obtain for us the grace of a shortened stay in Purgatory, or a complete pardon!
Remember, the best gift we can give to our departed loved ones is to have a Mass offered for them! Many parish Mass Intention Books are filled for months or years, but a great avenue to have Masses offered is through the missions. These priests depend on offering your Masses in order to spread the Gospel, provide food and medical supplies, and bring the Eucharist to the the poor of the world. Below are several links to Missions:
The following is a beautiful analogy of Purgatory by Gus Lloyd, host of Seize the Day on the Catholic Channel
Purgatory
Today we celebrate the Feast of All Souls. It is the day we remember all the souls in Purgatory. Purgatory can be a controversial topic, and hard to explain. So, I would like to help you with that. Following is the copy of A Minute in the Church, a series of apologetics minutes that I have written for the radio. I hope this helps.
A family was having Thanksgiving dinner. So they took out their finest china, their most prized possession, for the feast. After a long and delicious meal, their fine china was full of gunk. Rather than put the china directly into the china hutch, the most beautiful place imaginable where it would stay forever, they put it into the sink and lovingly washed off the gunk.
This little parable may be a good way for us to understand Purgatory. You see, you are that fine china…God’s most precious possession. The table represents our lives on earth, where we accumulate a lot of gunk. And the beautiful china hutch represents heaven, where we will live forever.
In 1 Cor. 3:13-15, St. Paul speaks about the person who is being saved, in other words on their way to heaven, but who is being purified as through fire. The word purgatory simply means “to be purified.” Now the Book of Revelation 21:27 says that nothing unclean will enter heaven. So think of Purgatory as the sink, where God lovingly washes us clean, so that we can take our place with all those who have gone in faith before us.
Father, we pray for all the souls in Purgatory, that they may be released and behold your face in heavenly glory. Amen.
A True Account of Purgatory
An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory, which has received the Imprimatur, offers us an amazing glimpse of Purgatory. In the 1800s, a deceased nun appeared to a living nun, giving her astonishing revelations of Purgatory - what it's like, its levels and sufferings, the value of suffering, and how to avoid the lowest level. Everyone should read this book - it will dramatically affect the way you view the rest of your life!
There is a good article about the booklet at Spirit Daily (the Catholic site with spiritual news from around the world) - the booklet can also be ordered from this site.
The following are a few excerpts from the book:
If you could only know what I suffer! Pray for me, please. I suffer intensely everywhere. My God, how merciful You are! No one can imagine what Purgatory is like. Be kind and take pity on the poor souls . . .
Yes, I suffer very much, but my greatest torment is not seeing God. It is a continuous martyrdom. It makes me suffer more than does the fire of Purgatory.
August 15, 1875. Yes, we have seen the Blessed Virgin, she has gone back to Heaven with many souls, but I am still here. You feel the heat? Alas! if you knew what the heat of Purgatory is compared to yours! A little prayer does us so much good. It is like a glass of water given to a thirsty person.
On All Souls' Day many souls leave the place of expiation and go to Heaven. Also, by a special grace of God on that day only, all the suffering souls, without exception, have a share in the public prayers of the Church, even those who are in the great Purgatory. Still the relief of each soul is in proportion to its merits. Some receive more, some less, but all feel the benefit of this extraordinary grace. Many of the suffering souls receive this one help only in all the long years they pass here and this by the justice of God. It is not, however, on All Souls' Day that the most go to Heaven. It is on Christmas night.
PROVIDES MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN HELP THE POOR SOULS:
- Enroll your living and deceased friends and relatives in The Golden Book
- Become a prayer warrior - Pray the Rosary for them, Make the Stations of the Cross
- Have Masses said for them.
- Offer up all of your pains and sufferings for the relief of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
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