Virgo Potens

Chapter 2 Proofs of the Existence Purgatory (continued) 1st. In Holy Scripture. (continued) In the New Testament our Lord plainly tells us there are sins which shall not be forgiven in this world or in the world to come (St. Matt. xii.); again in St. Matthew we read of a prison which the debtor shall not leave until he has paid the last farthing (St. Matt. v.); and St. Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians says: Every man’s work shall be manifest: for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire: and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work burn, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved: yet so as by fire. (I Cor. iii. 13, 15.) 2d. In all tradition, which is thus incontestably confirmed by the following decree of the Council of Trent: “If any one claim that a penitent sinner when he receives the grace of justification obtains the remission of the guilt and the eternal punishment, so that neither in this life nor in Purgatory has he any temporal punishment to undergo before he can enter heaven, let him be anathema!” (Sess. 6th) ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory (1922)

Het is een vrome en heilzame gedachte voor de overledenen te bidden. 2. Mach. 12, 46. It is a devoutly wholesome thought to pray for the dead. Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 8th PART ONE Chapter 2 Proofs of the Existence Purgatory Purgatory is a state of suffering where the souls of those who die in grace but without having fully satisfied the justice of God, remain for a time, to pay the debt of temporal punishment due to their sins, and to be purified for heaven, into which, according to Holy Scripture, nothing defiled can enter. Proofs of the existence of Purgatory are to be found: 1st. In Holy Scripture. In the Old Testament we read of Judas Machabeus sending twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem, to be offered in sacrifice for the dead who died in battle; and we are told in the same chapter that it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from sins. ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory (1922)

Chapter 1 Purgatory (continued) Purgatory in the Divine Plan (continued) Think of the fire of Purgatory, and you will endeavor to avoid the least faults; think of the fire of Purgatory, and you will practice penance, that you may satisfy Divine Justice in this world rather than in the next. Let us, however, guard against excessive fear, and not lose confidence. Let us not forget the mercy of God, which is not less infinite than His justice. Thy mercy is great above the heavens, says the Prophet; (1) and elsewhere, The Lord is gracious and merciful: patient, and plenteous in mercy. (2) This ineffable mercy should calm the most lively apprehensions, and fill us with a holy confidence, according to the words, In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in æternum—“In Thee, O Lord, I have hoped; let me never be put to confusion.” (3) If we are animated with this double sentiment, if our confidence in God’s mercy is equal to the fear with which His justice inspires us, we shall have the true spirit of devotion to the souls in Purgatory. (Rev. F. X. Schouppe, S.J., Purgatory, 1893) (1) Ps. cvii (2) Ps. cxliv (3) Ps. lxx ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory (1922)

Chapter 1 Purgatory (continued) Purgatory in the Divine Plan (continued) Prayer for the departed, sacrifices, and suffrages for the dead form a part of Christian worship, and devotion toward the souls in Purgatory is a devotion which the Holy Ghost infuses with charity into the hearts of the faithful. It is a holy and wholesome thought, says Holy Scripture, to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. (II Machab. xii, 46) . . . . In order to be perfect, devotion to the souls in Purgatory must be animated both by a spirit of fear and a spirit of confidence. On the one hand, the sanctity of God and His justice inspires us with a salutary fear; on the other, His infinite mercy gives us boundless confidence . . . . This fear of Purgatory is a salutary fear; its effect is, not only to animate us with a charitable compassion toward the poor Suffering Souls, but also with vigilant zeal for our own spiritual welfare. (Rev. F. X. Schouppe, S.J., Purgatory, 1893) ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory (1922)

Faith + Love   The door of Heaven will be opened to the Christian soul that has been polished by Love.  (Basset) Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 6th

Chapter 1 Purgatory (continued) Purgatory in the Divine Plan Purgatory occupies an important place in our holy religion: it forms one of the principal parts of the work of Jesus Christ, and plays an essential role in the economy of the salvation of Man. Let us call to mind that the Holy Church of God, considered as a whole, is composed of three parts: The Church Militant, the Church Triumphant, and the Church Suffering, or Purgatory. This triple Church constitutes the mystical body of Jesus Christ, and the souls in Purgatory are no less His members than are the faithful upon earth and the elect in heaven. In the Gospel, the Church is ordinarily called the Kingdom of Heaven; now Purgatory, just as the heavenly and terrestrial Church, is a province of this vast kingdom. The three sister Churches have incessant relations with one another, a continual communication which we call the Communion of Saints. These relations have no other object than to conduct souls to eternal glory, the final term to which all the elect tend. The three Churches mutually assist in peopling heaven, which is the permanent city, the glorious Jerusalem. What then is the work which we, members of the Church Militant, have to do for the souls in Purgatory? We have to alleviate their sufferings. God has placed in our hands the key of this mysterious prison: it is prayer for the dead, devotion to the souls in Purgatory. . . . (Rev. F. X. Schouppe, S.J., Purgatory, 1893) ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory (1922)

Museum of the Holy Souls, Rome Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 4th Chapter 1 Purgatory (continued) Location of Purgatory (continued) “A very probable opinion,” says St. Thomas (2) “and one which, moreover, corresponds with the words of the saints in particular revelation, is that Purgatory has a double place for expiation. The first will be destined for the generality of souls, and is situated below, near to hell; the second will be for particular cases, and it is thence that so many apparitions occur.” The holy Doctor admits, then, like so many others who share his opinions, that sometimes Divine Justice assigns a special place of purification to certain souls, and even permits them to appear either to instruct the living or to procure for the departed the suffrages of which they stand in need; sometimes also for other motives worthy of the wisdom and mercy of God. (2) Suppler. part. iii. sues. ult. ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory (1922)

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 3rd Chapter 1 Purgatory (continued) Location of Purgatory (continued) Although faith tells us nothing definite regarding the location of Purgatory, the most common opinion, that which most accords with the language of Scripture, and which is the most generally received among theologians, places it in the bowels of the earth, not far from the hell of the reprobates. Theologians are almost unanimous, says Bellarmine,(1) in teaching that Purgatory, at least the ordinary place of expiation, is situated in the interior of the earth, that the souls in Purgatory and the reprobate are in the same subterranean space in the deep abyss which the Scripture calls Hell. (1) Catech. Rom., chap. vi. Para. 1 ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory (1922)

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 2nd PART ONE Chapter 1 Purgatory The word Purgatory is sometimes taken to mean a place, sometimes as an intermediate state between hell and heaven. It is, properly speaking, the condition of souls which, at the moment of death, are in the state of grace, but which have not completely expiated their faults, nor attained the degree of purity necessary to enjoy the vision of God. Purgatory is, then, a transitory state which terminates in a life of everlasting happiness. It is not a trial by which merit may be gained or lost but a state of atonement and expiation. The soul has arrived at the term of its earthly career; that life was a time of trial, a time of merit for the soul, a time of mercy on the part of God. This time once expired, nothing but justice is to be expected from God, whilst the soul can neither gain nor lose merit. She remains in the state in which death found her; and since it found her in the state of sanctifying grace, she is certain of never forfeiting that happy state, and of arriving at the eternal possession of God. Nevertheless, since she is burdened with certain debts of temporal punishment, she must satisfy Divine Justice by enduring this punishment in all its rigor. Such is the signification of the word Purgatory, and the condition of the souls which are there. On this subject the Church proposes two truths clearly defined as dogmas of faith: first, that there is a Purgatory; second, that the souls which are in Purgatory may be assisted by the suffrages of the faithful, especially by the holy sacrifice of the Mass. ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory (1922)

“All ye, who would honor The saints and their Head, Remember, remember, To pray for the dead; “And they, in return, From their misery freed, To you will be friends In the hour of need.” ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory (1922)

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 1st Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory, Rev. F. X. Lasance, (1922) FORWARD IN OFFERING the present volume to the faithful our object is to aid in cultivating among them, with the help of God’s grace, a special devotion—a more fervent, a more persistent, a more practical, a more fruitful devotion—to the holy souls in Purgatory. This devotion, while it solaces the Holy Souls, in whose behalf it is directly exercised, is eminently pleasing to God, and beneficial to ourselves. St. Francis de Sales says: “We do not sufficiently remember our dead.” The holy Curé d’Ars once said: “Oh, my friends, let us pray much, and let us obtain many prayers from others, for the poor dead; the good God will render us back the good we do to them a hundredfold. Ah! If every one knew how useful this devotion to the holy souls in Purgatory is to those who practice it, they would not be forgotten so often; the good God regards all that we do for them as if it were done to Himself.” We read in the Second Book of Machabees: “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” It is hoped that the “Reflections” contained in the first part of this little book will stimulate the pious reader to make frequent use of the prayers and devotions which are found in the second part for the solace of the suffering souls in Purgatory. Let us heed the cry of these Holy Souls from the depths of torturing flame: “Miseremini!” “Have pity on us!” Day by day may the richly indulgenced versicles and responses for the dead fall, as it were unceasingly from our lips: ℣ Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord. ℟ And let perpetual light shine upon them. ℣ May they rest in peace. ℟ Amen. ~ Rev. F. X. Lasance, Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory (1922)

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. May their souls, and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

November ~ Month of The Holy Souls in Purgatory This month, our readings will be taken from the prayer book entitled The Holy Souls Book: Reflections on Purgatory by Rev. F. X. Lasance, with an Imprematur from Patrick J. Haynes, D.D., Archbishop of New York, dated May 30, 1922. In former times, the laity were instructed far more on the teachings of Holy Mother Church regarding Purgatory than are received from many pulpits today. Given that there is much to contemplate, bite-sized portions of this volume seem ideal for meditation during the month of November. May God bless you and richly reward and encourage you in your study of the immemorial truths taught by the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

November ~ Month of The Holy Souls in Purgatory Beginning tomorrow, having concluded, for now, our study of the Rosary, we will change our focus to the Poor Holy Souls in Purgatory. There is so much more to know about the dear Angels, our heavenly guides, and they receive so little attention from us, that our study of the Angels will continue, although perhaps not as intensely. I humbly ask that you would say two sets of three Hail Mary’s’: one for the repose of the soul of Fr. Paul O’Sullivan O.P., author of All About the Angels, and one for the repose of the soul The Rev. Mark J. Smith, S.J., author of The Rosary Devotions: A Thought for Every Day in October. Both have long since gone to their eternal reward, and while we hope that they are in heaven, in gratitude for the wisdom and insight that they have given us on our spiritual journey during this month of October, let us be charitable toward them! May God bless you!

The Month of the Holy Angels October 31st WHERE ARE THE ANGELS? This is a vastly important question and deserves our best attention. The Angels are everywhere. Millions of them ever stand before God; millions of them, too, minister to us on earth, as we have already seen. They have charge not only of us but of all material things, of the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, oceans, rivers, kingdoms, provinces. But what interests us most is that each man, each woman, each child, pagan or Christian, baptized or unbaptized, has an Angel all to himself or herself. ~ Fr. Paul O’Sullivan O.P., All About the Angels (1945)

Queen of the most Holy Rosary, pray for us. Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary CONCLUSION The month of October ends today, and with it we close the beautiful devotion of the Holy Rosary. The Joys, the Sorrows, the Glories of Mary have been proposed to us for our meditation and prayer and slight indeed has been the profit reaped from these suggestions if we have not increased our love for Mary, and resolved earnestly to strive to imitate her unselfish generosity. Prayer, labor and sacrifice were so constantly practiced by her that they became part of her nature. They were habits so thoroughly fixed in her life and conduct that we cannot think of her without their association. After the Grace of God, and with that grace's aid, it was these habits that made her what she is to-day, the most perfect of all God's creatures. Prayer, labor and sacrifice, in imitation of Mary, will sweeten our lives, and render them pleasing to her, and to her Divine Son, Jesus. ~ The Rev. Mark J. Smith, S.J., The Rosary Devotions: A Thought for Every Day in October (circa 1924)

The Month of the Holy Rosary October 31st