Heaven,
Hell,
or
Purgatory.
That's it.
There are no other options.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church,
if you die in God's friendship and grace, and you are perfectly purified,
you will be fully united with God in heaven.
If you die in the state of mortal sin,
without repenting,
then you are excluded from the company of God,
and you are in hell.
If you die in God's friendship and grace, but you are not purified from the effects of sin,
then you are in Purgatory until you are purified and the stains of sin are removed from your soul.
November is traditionally the month the Church assigns to remember our dead.
November 2 is known as All Soul's Day.
Yesterday, we remembered our departed who are saints in heaven whether they are canoized or not.
Today, we remember the souls who still suffer greatly in reparation for their sins.
How can we help the souls in Purgatory?
1) Pray for them that they might be released from the bounds of Purgatory and for relief for the sufferings of those who remain.
2) Have Masses offered for those you have loved who have died and for all the Souls in Purgatory.
(We don't know if our loved ones who have died are still in Purgatory or not. They might be there longer than we think. If they have already ascended to heaven, your prayers will be used for others there.)
3) Have Gregorian Masses said for the souls of those you love. They are expensive, but they are worth it to the souls.
4) Recite, from the heart, the prayer of St. Gertrude the Great daily. It is said to release 1,000 souls everytime it is said. Make a 1 day novena of this prayer, and you will have released 9,000 souls that day!)
Eternal Father, I offer You the Most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with all of the Masses of the World said today, in reparation for sin, 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.
5) Offer your daily Rosary for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
6) Recite this short prayer many times through out the day.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you.
Save Souls.
7) Make sacrifices and practice mortifications for the Souls in Purgatory.
a) Give up that extra cup of coffee in the morning. You might need one to function.
b) Refuse to engage in gossip.
c) Give up that evening glass of wine.
d) Fast for a day if physically possible.
e) Attend daily Mass for the Souls.
8) Visit a cemetery and pray for the souls there. Take holy water and sprinkle it on the ground for the Holy Souls.
9) Remember, when it's December or June, pray for the Souls. They are always there. They suffer terribly for their sins. They cannot help themselves. They only have us to pray for them.
Pray! Pray! Pray!
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