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Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Worth Repeating: Imagine

Imagine a place you’ve never seen before, a place you might not have believed was real.  A place covered in a mist so thick that you cannot see your hands or your feet, yet, it’s solid and real.  Imagine a place of great suffering, filled with the cries of longing, moaning, and groaning, but a place of incredible joy!  Imagine a place where, before you entered,  you had seen the Face of God, and now, your longing for God causes such great pain, you fear your heart will break.  Imagine a place where the pain is so great, you know that if the skin was burned off your body, leaving only raw nerves exposed to the air, you would feel less pain.  Imagine a place where a fire burns so coldly that the pain caused to your body by a hot flame would be a welcome respite.

The time for merit is over when we die.  We know that God is a God of great Mercy.  What we often forget is that God is a God of Justice, too.  Justice must be met by each of us in our judgment.  One of the gifts of God’s Mercy, in the expiation of our sins, is Purgatory.  Purgatory is a place of final cleansing for our souls, so that one day, when we have paid our debt to our merciful and loving God, we will meet Him face to face, never again fearing Hell, but knowing that we are safe and in Paradise.  satan is no longer a threat to our immortal souls.  We rejoice!

The souls in Purgatory cannot help themselves.  They are completely dependent on the mercy of God and on our prayers and sacrifices on their behalf.  Masses said for the souls bring them great relief.  The Mass can also shorten the time of the souls in Purgatory, and it can bring about their release.  The souls have no recourse except to stay in Purgatory until their debt is paid or to depend on us, the living, for relief and release. 

While in Purgatory the souls can pray for their loved ones (which are all people) on earth.  They can pray for their intentions.  They cannot pray for themselves.  The souls become wonderful intercessors while they are cleansed of their sins in Purgatory, and they do so with great joy!  They are saved.  They know this, but they also know that they must make up for what evil they did on earth.  (Sin is evil.)

Their pain is nearly unbearable, but the pain must be borne by the souls who were not purified on earth.  The souls rejoice because they have been saved from hell.  They know that because of God’s love for all, they are in Purgatory.  They know that the pain they feel is great, but it will lead to great joy when they see God in His Glory!

The souls also pray for those who intercede for them on earth.  They do this with great joy, in spite of their great pain.  The souls in Purgatory can be your intercessors while they are there.  When they reach heaven, they do not forget you.  They continue to pray and intercede for you.  In heaven, they are more powerful than they were on earth.  Ask the souls for help.  Trust them. They will do their best for you.  They will love you with incredible love because you helped them.

The souls in Purgatory are so dear to me.  They have helped me.  They have prayed for me.  They have brought about great spiritual healing for me.  Pray for them daily.  They can only love now.  They are full of love, but they suffer in ways greater than we can imagine, and they do so with great love and joy. 

Help them. 
Have masses said for them.
Offer your masses for them.
Pray the St. Gertrude prayer daily.  It is said to release 1,000 souls each time it is prayed.  Yes, there are a lot of souls in Purgatory!

Eternal Father,
I offer you the Most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with all the Masses offered today,
for the Holy Souls in Purgatory,
for sinners everywhere,
for sinners in the Universal Church,
those within my own home and within my family.
Amen.

Pray a rosary, daily, for the souls.
Offer a fast up for them.
Give up that candy bar for the souls.
Give up that immoral TV show for the souls.

Continue to pray for your loved ones who have gone before you.  They might not be out of Purgatory yet. 

As Our Lady says, “Pray, Pray, Pray.”

The Souls will love you for it.  One day, if you aren’t ready to enter heaven yet, and you aren’t hell bound, then you will find yourself in the mist of purgatory suffering willingly for your sins.  Joy will fill your heart!  You will welcome any help you can get from the souls on earth.  Pray now!  You will have intercessors in heaven to help you reach Paradise! They will greet you at the door of heaven, and join you at the Throne of God when you behold His face.  

As St. Paul says,
“Pray without ceasing.”
Remember the Souls when you do!

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