Virgo Potens

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 14th ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ 14th Day ~ The Fire of Purgatory 1. Every work of God is perfect in its kind, and that which He does immediately by the exercise of His divine power has always a greater force than that which He does through the agency of others. God Himself kindles the fire of purgatory. "The breath of the Lord, like a flame of fire, doth kindle it." Hence the fierceness of the torment it inflicts. It tortures the soul in purgatory far more than the material fire of earth torture the body. It reflects in some way the Infinite Majesty of God. (continued)

2 of 2 13th Day ~ The Sorrows in Purgatory 2. They will also sorrow at the thought of the happiness they have lost to all eternity. They will appreciate the measurable loss that they will suffer to all eternity for each venial sin, nay, for each deliberate neglect of grace. On earth they never appreciated as they do now how it would have been better to accept any temporal anguish rather than lose one single degree of glory in heaven, but now they are cut to the heart at thinking how they have thrown away, not one degree alone, but countless degrees of the happiness after which they long; all this too thrown away irreparably and forever! 3. This sorrow swallows up their present suffering, or, rather, they would willingly endure their present suffering for ten thousand years more if only they could regain the happiness they have for feited. What is any temporal pain compared with an eternal loss? and a loss, too, which means loss of God and loss of heaven— and that forever. Pray for greater sorrow now, and a sorrow that may avert the sorrow of purgatory. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 13th ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ 13th Day ~ The Sorrows in Purgatory 1. What is it that will cause the chief sorrows of purgatory? Above all and before all, the holy souls will sorrow at the thought of their having ventured to offend that God whom they love with every power of their soul, and whose love eclipses all other love. "How could we have dared to offend a God so holy, a God so loving, a God of infinite power, glory, and majesty?" They will hate and loathe themselves at the thought, and would gladly endure their physical pain multiplied a thousandfold , if only they could be rid of the gnawing pain at the thought of their having sinned against God. (continued)

PRAYER For the Forgiveness of Sins Almighty and eternal God, Who hast dominion over the living and the dead, and art merciful to all whom Thou foreknowest that they will be Thine by faith and good works, we humbly beseech Thee, that they for whom we have resolved to pour forth prayers, whether this world still retaineth them in the flesh or the other world hath already received them freed from the body, may by the grace of Thy loving-kindness, and through the intercession of all Thy saints, obtain the forgiveness of all their sins. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. ~ The New Roman Missal (1937) (Additional Prayers)

2 of 2 12th Day ~ Some further Meditations of the Souls in Purgatory 2. "If we had taken all the means in our power to atone while on earth for sins already committed, we might have anticipated a part, or perhaps the whole, of our purgatory. But we were satisfied with confessing our sins, and so getting rid of the guilt, and then we thought that we had done all that was necessary, instead of making frequent acts of contrition, and performing penances and good works with the object of freeing ourselves from the punishment still due." 3. "How generous God would have been to us in remitting the penalty still remaining if we had shown an anxiety to do our part in freeing ourselves from the debt that still had to be paid. How liberal He would have been in rewarding each prayer, each aspiration, each kind word or thoughtful act! Fools that we were to prefer our own will, comfort, ease, to the holy will of God !" See what you can do to expiate past sins. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 11th ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ 12th Day ~ Some further Meditations of the Souls in Purgatory 1. There are other thoughts still more painful which will be continually present to the holy souls. "If we had used our time on earth more prudently, we might have avoided our purgatory altogether. How often the whispers of God's grace suggested to us some pious work, some deed of charity to others, some little sacrifice of present comfort for the sake of helping those in need, some mortification of our senses, some visit to the Blessed Sacrament, the devotion of some portion of time to prayer or spiritual reading! If we had only listened and obeyed, we should be in heaven now instead of in the agony of the tormenting fire." Am I obedient to such daily inspirations? (continued)

2 of 2 11th Day ~ The Meditations of the Souls in Purgatory 2. " Fools that we were!" they will again cry out, "in that we did not accept with resignation the sorrows and trials of earth. By our impatience, our murmuring, our discontent, we only made ourselves more miserable, and for this very misery added to our lot on earth by our own folly, we are suffering now far greater misery in these torturing flames, and by our separation from Him Who is the source of all happiness and all joy. 3. “Fools that we were! We might have turned all those sufferings into happiness, if we had used them as we ought. We might have lightened them, and made them comparatively easy to bear, if we had been resigned to the holy will of God; nay, we might have earned merit from each and all, and learned willingly and of our own accord that lesson of patience that here we learn, willingly indeed, but nevertheless painfully, and as a just penalty of our impatience." Reflect what will be to you the chief cause of suffering when you come to purgatory. Pleasures wrongfully indulged? or self-love? or sufferings badly born? ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 11th ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ 11th Day ~ The Meditations of the Souls in Purgatory 1. The holy souls will mourn and lament over their blindness and folly in accepting the miserable satisfaction of the transitory pleasures of earth at the cost of the separation from God and the physical torment that is their due. "Fools that we were!" they will cry out; "all the pleasures of our past life are not worth mentioning in comparison with the pain of one hour, nay, of one moment in purgatory. They were but a shadow that passed by, the remembrance of them does but add to our suffering." (continued)

2 of 2 10th Day ~ The Employments of Purgatory 2. Will the holy souls in purgatory be able to pray? Yes, insofar as prayer is the expression of a longing desire for that which we have not. But they will not gain any merit from their prayers; there will be none of the consolations, nothing of the happiness of prayer. Their entreaties to be relieved will receive no answer from their God save that which is conveyed in Our Lord's words: "I tell thee, thou canst not go out thence till thou hast paid the very last farthing." How foolish shall I be if I neglect prayer here, and so have to pray for long years the fruitless prayer of purgatory! 3. Will the holy souls praise God? Yes; by the painful process of their suffering they will glorify the justice ofGod. But in this praise there will not be the element of present joy that always enters into praise in heaven and on earth. It will be the acknowledgment of God's justice. We have sinned, and done wickedly; therefore is this anguish come upon us. If I am wise, I shall seek to anticipate this joyless praise by thanking God not only for the happiness of my life, but for its sorrows and chastisements also. Learn to employ your time better in this life. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

✿ It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, That they may be loosed from their sins. ✿ Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 10th ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ 10th Day ~ The Employments of Purgatory 1. The one continual occupation of the holy souls in purgatory will be to suffer. There will be the dull monotony of constant suffering. No light from heaven to cheer them in their anguish, no pleasant sights to see, no sweet sounds to hear, nothing but the passive endurance of unceasing pain. How tediously will the hours and days pass away! Nothing makes the time seem so long as the gnawing of ceaseless pain, the absence of all that cheers and makes existence bright. (continued)

2 of 2 9th Day ~ The Punishment of Purgatory 2. It is not so with the punishment of purgatory. It is purely a pæna vindicativa, a penalty which has for its object the reparation, as far as may be, of the outrage offered to the majesty of God by sin. It is this which gives it its character of awful severity. The sinner has no opportunity of making good use of it to learn a lesson for the future. He has not the consolation of knowing he can turn it into a source of heavenly joy. It must simply be endured as long as God shall please, and at the end will have produced no fruit of additional glory in heaven for our selves. 3. The punishment of purgatory, moreover, does not for the most part follow close on the offences of which it is the penalty. God waits, and this always means a heavier and more terrible penalty. In the days of the Flood He waited one hundred and twenty years. So God waits to see whether the sinner will expiate in this life the sins for which temporal punishment still remains. He gives him the graces necessary, and if these are neglected, God takes into His own hands the vindication of His majesty. What reason have I to fear God's terrible wrath for my sins! Ask for the privilege of atoning for your sins in this life. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 9th ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ 9th Day ~ The Punishment of Purgatory 1. Every punishment that God sends in this life upon sin has a double object, to satisfy His justice, and to bring about the reformation of the offenders. God always has in view the salutary effects of the punishment on him who suffers it, and with this object He gives a grace to enable him to use it aright. Through the divine mercy, the very punishment of our sins may thus promote our happiness here and our glory in heaven. (continued)

2 of 2 8th Day ~ Purgatory under the New Law 2. The punishment of sins committed by Christians will be far heavier than that of those committed by non Christians. He that knew his Lord's will and did it not shall be beaten with many stripes. The fire shall try every man's work, and it will indeed be a searching, penetrating fire. Just in proportion to the light and grace given will be the punishment for refusing it. When I think of the clear light and strong grace I have enjoyed, what must I expect? 3. That which makes sin so grievous now is that it is not only an offence against God, but an act of unkindness and ingratitude to Jesus Christ. It basely returns Him evil for His love to us. God treated far more leniently those who lived in days of ignorance, when He had not revealed Himself in His Son. Now, He calls on us all to do penance in this life, else we shall have to do a terrible penance hereafter. Pray for a conviction of the evil of sin as an insult to Him Who died on the Cross to save us from our sins. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 8th ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ 8th Day ~ Purgatory under the New Law 1. Though Our Lord brought fresh graces without number and privileges without end, which made the path to heaven easy to find compared with what it had been before, yet at the same time those additional graces involved additional responsibility for those on whom they were bestowed. Under the light of the Gospel, with the sight of Christ crucified before them, with all the privileges of the Church, their venial sins were far worse than those of the Jews and pagans. Do I ever remember all that Christ has done for me , and think how it increases my guilt? (continued)

2 of 2 7th Day ~ Purgatory under the Old Law 2. The sacred writer commends the piety of Judas Machabeus, who collected a large sum of money to have sacrifices offered for the sins of those who had died in battle. His charity was very pleasing to God. Amid the distresses and anxieties of the war in which he was engaged with the enemies of God, he did not forget the holy dead. What a firm belief he must have had in purgatory! What a vivid realization of the needs of those who suffer there! Yet I too often seem to forget the very existence of purgatory and of those who suffer there! 3. Judas recognized the duty of special prayers and sacrifices for our own countrymen and friends; for those whom we have known and with whom we have associated on earth. Surely if he had this zeal, I, a child of the Church, ought to do more than I do for my friends, acquaintances, and connections. Pray for more devotion to those who have a special claim on you. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 7th ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ 7th Day ~ Purgatory under the Old Law 1. It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins (2 Mach. xii. 45). These words of Holy Scripture, approving the custom of praying for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins, implies that they are bound by sin in a prison-house, from which one day they will be released. The phrase would be meanihgless were there no purgatory. Even apart from inspiration, the passage bears witness to the prevalent belief of the whole Jewish people. If they were so much impressed with the fear of the sufferings of purgatory, and ready to help those imprisoned there, how much more should I! (continued)

2 of 2 6th Day ~ The Justice of Purgatory 2. Venial sin has also in it an intensity of evil that we do not understand. It is a greater evil than all the physical evil, all the misery, all the pain in the whole world. We too often overlook venial sin in our acts of contrition, we forget its baseness, meanness, treachery. Our hands are not clean when we appear before God, and we do not trouble ourselves to cleanse them. Hence we have to be cleansed in the searching fires of purgatory that God's justice may be vindicated. 3. How few there are who, when they come to die, have learned to hate sin as those must who are to appear before God in heaven. They still cling to the things of earth, and prefer them in some way to that which they know God desires of them. "O Death!" says the Wise Man, "how terrible thou art to the man who has peace in his possessions." For such an one there is also a terrible purgatory, for this sort of peace is sure to involve many venial sins that have passed almost unnoticed. Pray for a wholesome fear of the just judgments of God. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 6th ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ 6th Day ~ The Justice of Purgatory 1. Every mortal sin has in it an intensity of evil that cannot be measured, inasmuch as it is a deliberate and wilful offence against a God of infinite holiness. Our Lord, by the satisfaction of infinite value He offered for sin, saved us from the eternal punishment which is incurred by each mortal sin. But the divine justice requires on our part that we should suffer in some way a penalty that at least reflects in its intensity something of the intensity of the evil of mortal sin. Either in this life or in purgatory man must expiate each single sin committed. (continued)

2 of 2 5th Day ~ The Reason of Purgatory 2. Most men have never had a sorrow for sin corresponding to its true character. It has not been in anywise equivalent to the malice of sin, or the insult offered by it to Almighty God. They have paid but a very small portion of the debt due, and though Our Lord's merits are of infinite value, yet they have not availed themselves of them as they might. The remainder of this debt must be paid before the justice of God is satisfied. 3. Most men up to the end of their lives are still attached to some fault or imperfection displeasing to God. They know it is not a serious sin and therefore they think too lightly of it, and do not make the efforts they might to overcome it. When death comes, they see it in its true light, and are pierced with sorrow and dismay and hatred of themselves, and a desire to make satisfaction to God by suffering the penalty of their sin. Ask yourself whether you have reason to fear on any of these accounts. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the The Holy Souls in Purgatory ~ November 5th ✧✿✿✧❁❁✧✿✿✧ 5th Day ~ The Reason of Purgatory 1. The doctrine of purgatory is, like all the teaching of the Church, perfectly reasonable. There are many good men and women loving God above all things, who have often made good acts of contrition for their past sins, who are nevertheless still very imperfect. It would be strange if they who commit many daily faults, of which some are deliberate and are done with a full knowledge that they displease God, should at once take their place in the company of the saints. It would jar upon our ideas of what is required by the holiness and majesty of God. (continued)