What Every Catholic Knew...

Friends of the Suffering Souls

divinemercy — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:56:48 +0000

As I have stated before, the souls suffering in Purgatory have a place in my heart. I do hope you have increased your charity towards this during this month of the dead. One way in which you can assist the holy souls is by having Masses said for them. I am part of a ministry known as the “Friends of the Suffering Souls.” As an FOSS member, I am obligated to have at least one Mass said annually (on my birthday). I have also obliged myself to enroll living members of my family, and every year on their birthdays I have a Mass said for the suffering souls in their name. I have also enrolled several deceased friends and family, whom I have a Mass said for the suffering souls in their name on their dates of death. This means that they, both living and dead, whom I have enrolled enjoy the benefits of the society. Those in purgatory are prayed for through out the world at Mass several times per day. Those still living enjoy the prayers of those whom the Masses are offered, as well as the grace that comes through the Holy Spirit, should their hearts be open to it. I have enrolled family members who have left the Faith and are living sinful lives, in hopes that grace will save them.

I strongly encourage you to do what you can to assist the suffering souls. Having one Mass/year offered for them is surely not too much to ask.

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew: The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the most powerful prayer, and especially helps those who have died and are still awaiting their entrance into the House of Our Lord.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do: Become a Friend of the Suffering Souls

http://www.knocknovena.com/index.htm

Apostle of the Exiled

divinemercy — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:48:16 +0000

I chose my latest book review selection in honor of St. Damien’s canonization, not sure what to expect. I admit total ignorance of this man’s life prior to reading this book. I knew he had something to do with Hawaii and Leprosy, but that was it. I must say I am pleasantly please with my selection.

I enjoy reading about the lives of the Saints, even if some are poorly written. I believe that in order to really understand what makes a person a Saint however, the reader must be placed into that person’s world. So many biographies of the Saints tell us of their work among the poor or the miracles they procured, but leave us in the dark about what their lives were actually like. What did the world surround them with at the time that made their courage so exemplary? While so many stories of the Saints lack this information, Apostle of the Exiled: St. Damien of Molokai overflowed with it, much to my satisfaction.

The brief contemporary history of the islands of Hawaii begin the story of this man, whom the words brave and courageous do not even begin to describe. He fought past the prideful attitude of his superiors, who looked upon him as unworthy of the priesthood, to become ordained. His arrival on the islands was greeted with the staunch anti-Catholicism of the time. He had to fight the local bureaucracy that he could even set foot upon the islands where the exiled were being held. All of this turmoil, and he had yet to even encounter the disease that ravaged those he came to serve.

The story of his love for those who were cast aside is a most beautiful story of how one sees Christ in others. His reminds me of Mother Teresa, whom said she could not touch a leper for millions of dollars, but only for the love of Christ. In fact, his story parallels hers in many ways. They both set out to help the ostracized, and nothing was going to stop them. Honolulu’s bishop John J. Scanlan captured the beauty of Damien’s life when he spoke these words at the unveiling of the statue of Fr. Damien in Statuary Hall in the Rotunda of our nation’s Capital:

Our country today is blessed beyond measure with the material things made possible by the intelligence, energy and industry of our people, but we need greater values for the human spirit. We need the understanding of and the dedication to the values to which the life of Damien gives witness. We need the recognition of the value of human life itself from its very beginnings. We need the recognition of the dignity of the human person, even the poorest and most wretched. We need a humanity possessed of a pity which is not condescending and of humility which thinks of duties before rights.

St. Damien’s story is that of true beauty and true love, things that few consider when they think of leprosy and its victims. Damien’s love for Christ within them brought a worldwide change in the attitude towards the disease and those it afflicted. It is a story worth reading.

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew: The story of this remarkable man’s life.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do: Purchase this book, learn of the beauty of St. Damien and his mission, and find someway to bring this beauty into your own.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on St. Damien of Molokai – Apostle of the Exiled .

The Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great

divinemercy — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:53:07 +0000

St. Gertrude was a Benedictine nun who spent much of her time meditating on the Passion of Christ. Our Lord appeared to her many times, and during one of these visits, He dictated the following prayer to her:

“Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.”

Christ told her He would release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it was said. St. Gertrude’s feast day is on the 16th of November, making today the perfect day to begin a novena in her honor. Why not commit to saying this prayer each day for the following nine days?

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew: This most powerful prayer.

What I Would Every Catholic Would Do: Write it down. Say it often. Do not ever forget your suffering brothers and sisters in Christ.

I Choose Suffering Here and Now, not Later.

divinemercy — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:34:52 +0000

Please forgive this more personal post; I wanted to share a personal revelation I had last night.

A friend of mine posted the following:

http://www.devinrose.heroicvirtuecreations.com/blog/2009/11/02/all-souls-day/

I wondered what I would prefer. Would I choose, if given the choice, to suffer here on earth or put it off until purgatory?

Before losing my daughter, I probably would have had the same response my friend did. I would rather continue enjoying my indulgences in this life and deal with the consequences later. Isn’t that how most of us feel about most things?

Now that I have experienced what I never imagined I would have to go through, and still am doubting that I can survive, I have a far different answer.

I have had for many years a special affection for the suffering souls in purgatory, and have read many accounts of their appearances to the Saints. I have read the writings about visions of purgatory and what one can expect. Despite all of the physical, mental and emotional suffering that is possible in this merciful afterlife ‘option’, it is believed that the greatest suffering a soul undergoes in purgatory in the yearning for God. It is the knowledge that God is there and that one’s soul is meant to be united with Him, but that this reunion must be postponed. It is the ‘in-your-face’ separation from God that one cannot deny that causes the most pain.

If this is true, then this kind of suffering is a suffering beyond our imaginations. It is pain that we cannot even fathom.

My daughter was stillborn. We heard her heartbeat many times, watched her on the 20-week ultrasound, and I felt her moving within my womb. I had just gotten into my maternity clothes and had begun preparing the house for our new little one. And then no heartbeat could be found. The next ultrasound confirmed the fear; she was dead. I was admitted into the hospital that evening and labor was induced. I labored, pain and all, through out the night and into the next morning. I went though it all, only to deliver a dead child. And now, five weeks later, I am still in pain. I am still agonizing over what has happened. I am still struggling to get through the days, and it so very difficult to find any joy in anything, including my children here with me now (which is very scary to me). Losing my daughter the way I did has crushed me, and I honestly wonder how God can put these pieces back together. I know what it is like to feel truly empty inside, and to struggle to find any hope for the future.

So I reflect on purgatory and the suffering that takes place there. I realize that if I go through such incredible pain for the loss of another mere creature, one that I hardly knew, then the pain one experiences when they are knowingly separated from their very Creator must be excruciating. To know that my daughter exists, but that I cannot hold her, stroke her, kiss her, kills me. I now understand the Saints who yearned for death. I understand what it means to hate this world. I understand how unimaginably strong the yearning to be done with this place and to be with God must be. For if I feel this way for my child, the feelings that those Saints have had for God is spectacular. And to see Him face-to-face, to have one’s admission into heaven postponed, and then to have Him walkaway…I now know the meaning of unimaginable. And that is a pain that I never want to feel.

When I first lost my daughter, I vowed that I would get to heaven no matter what it takes. I had to see her as soon as possible. But now I realize that it is not her that I should have this longing for, but God. And while I am still not on the most friendly of speaking terms with Him right now, the gift of knowledge that the Holy Spirit has graciously given me allows me to continue in the knowledge of what is true, even when I don’t want to think about it.

I do not know what the Lord has in store; I am still unable to lift my head to look forward. What I do know is that I have had but a very small taste of the ultimate suffering, that of begin separated from the Creator. And if that is the type of suffering that purgatory has in-store, then I say no thank you. I just hope and pray that I can withstand the pains of this life that it is going to take to wash away my so many sins.

Holy Father’s Prayer Intentions for November

divinemercy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:15:09 +0000

General: That all the men and women in the world, especially those who have responsibilities in the field of politics and economics, may never fail in their commitment to safeguard creation.

Mission: That believers in the different religions, through the testimony of their lives and fraternal dialogue, may clearly demonstrate that the name of God is a bearer of peace.
What I Wish Every Catholic Knew: The Holy Father calls the Church top pray as one for specific intentions each month.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do: Include the Holy Father’s prayer intentions along with your own.

Please, pray for the dead.

divinemercy — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:58:23 +0000

Tomorrow is the feast of All Souls (which, in my insignificant opinion, should be a holy day of obligation). Having a special love for and seeming obligation towards the suffering souls in purgatory, I believe everyone should pray for the dead every day. The Requiem Aeternam should be prayed at least once every day, as well as every time one passes a cemetery. Our family follows our grace before meals prayer with “May the souls of the faithful departed, though the mercy of God, rest in peace”. There cannot be too many prayers for the holy souls, and we must remember that the soul who is released from purgatory on account of our prayers and sacrifices becomes our intercessor in heaven. Their gratitude has no bounds.

Beginning today, and continuing through November 8th, one may receive a plenary indulgence for visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead. The usual conditions must be met (see below). What is unique about this particular indulgence is that it may be applied only to the dead.

Visiting a church or oratory tomorrow, on the feast day itself, one may obtain a plenary indulgence if an Our Father and Credo are recited.

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew: That the souls in purgatory are suffering, and the quickening of their release can only be obtained by our prayers and good deeds.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do: Obtain these indulgences, and make it a daily habit of praying for the holy souls.

Requiem Aeternam

Réquiem ætérnam dona ei (eis) Dómine; et lux perpétua lúceat ei (eis). Requiéscat (Requiéscant) in pace. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto him/her (them), O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him/her (them). May he/she (they) rest in peace. Amen.

What are the rules to receive an indulgence?

To receive an indulgence, one must be baptized, in a state of grace and in full communion with the Catholic Church.

A partial indulgence requires that the action be performed devoutly and with a spirit of contrition.

A plenary indulgence requires five things:

• The first, of course, is the fulfillment of the particular act. We have to participate in some act of love or devotion — for example, make a pilgrimage.

• No attachment to sin, even venial sin.

• Reception of holy Communion (may be a few days before or after the act).

• Reception of sacramental confession (may be a few days before or after the act).

• Prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father (ideally on the day of the act).

(ht to theCatholicSpirit.com for providing this information online, therefore saving me the time and effort to type them up myself!)

~ A practice of my own, which I enjoy doing every year on All Souls Day: I bring with me to a cemetery bottles of holy water and as many flowers as I can afford. I stand over a grave, pray the Requiem Aeternam for that soul, sprinkle holy water over the grave, and leave a flower on his/her grave. Holy water is reported to be yearned for by the suffering souls.

DO NOT give your money to support abortion and other immoral acts! Boycott the CCHD collection in November.

divinemercy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:29:09 +0000

You may have noticed a new button in my sidebar. It is a link to a website I just discovered regarding the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. This is a collection organized by the USCCB that is suppose to aid organizations which promote the Church’s teachings on social justice. Unfortunately, many of the organizations which are selected to receive funds from this collection support abortion, gay “marriage”, party politics, and other immoral acts. While these same organizations may in deed support parts of the Church’s teachings, they are not worthy of one penny from the Church so long as they support grave evil.

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew: The second collection for the CCHD (your money) is distributed to organizations which are NOT in line with the Church’s teachings (as of last year, ACORN was one of the recipient. With the recent scandals being revealed, I do not know if this is still the case or not).

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do: Click on the link, visit the website, and print out your coupon to be placed in the collection basket on the day of the collection. Then help to get the word out. Email a link to the site to every Catholic you can, post a link to the site on Facebook, send out a Twitter, place the link to the site on your blog, etc.

What is Your Sign? The Cross.

divinemercy — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:19:11 +0000

“Why, to avoid confessing your own evil deeds, do you ascribe the blame to the guiltless stars? Pay no attention henceforth to astrologers, for concerning them Holy Scripture says, ‘Let the astrologers stand forth to save you’, and further on: ‘Behold, they all shall be consumed by fire as stubble and they shall not deliver their soul from flame.” ~ St. Cyril of Jerusalem

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to ‘unveil’ the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone” (CCC 2116).

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew: Astrology is from the evil one, and consulting such rubbish is offensive to our Lord.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do: Stop reading your horoscope, even if you think its just for fun or a joke. Remove the horoscope displays from the websites you use. And when someone asks you for your sign, hold up a crucifix.

St. Teresa of Avila, pray for our Perseverance.

divinemercy — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:35:25 +0000

“As I have been commanded and left at liberty to describe at length my way of prayer, and the workings of the grace of our Lord within me, I could wish that I had been allowed at the same time to speak distinctly and in detail of my grievous sins and wicked life. But it has not been so willed; on the contrary, I am laid herein under restraint; and therefore, for the love of our Lord, I beg of every one who shall read this story of my life to keep in mind how wicked it has been; and how, among the Saints who were converted to God, I have never found one in whom I can have any comfort. For I see that they, after our Lord called them, never fell into I saw that I was thereby bound to serve Him more earnestly, knowing, at the same time, that of myself I could not pay the least portion of my debt.

May He be blessed for ever Who waited for me so long! I implore Him with my whole heart to send me His grace, so that in all clearness and truth I may give this account of myself which my confessors command me to give; and even our Lord Himself, I know it, has also willed it should be given for some time past, but I had not the courage to attempt it. And I pray it may be to His praise and glory, and a help to my confessors; who, knowing me better, may succour my weakness, so that I may render to our Lord some portion of the service I owe Him. May all creatures praise Him for ever! Amen.” ~ St. Teresa of Avila (from her autobiography)

So there you are. A Saint who felt herself unworthy, who felt no consolation in the stories of the Saints, for surely she was nothing like them. Who saw the many sins of her life and counted them greater in number than her virtuous acts. This coming from the reformer of the Carmelites, a doctor of the Church and well-known canonized Saint! For all of her great accomplishments, her stories contains so many of the attitudes, trials and fears which so many of us “common folk” endure. Her autobiography is a spiritual classic, and holds many treasures for those who read it.

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew: Saints are not perfect, and often times, it was their struggles with sin that made them Saints.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do: Read the Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila. (If you read this post, you have already finished the introduction!)

Mercy Minutes with Jesus

divinemercy — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:26:52 +0000

I always had the good intention of placing the Diary of St. Faustina (my favorite book) on my nightstand and reading a little from it each day. Considering the pile of books on my nightstand, all of which I intended to read from each day, I should have known better than to think that I would actually do it. What a sorry creature I can be! Mercy Minutes, however, would certain assist me, and anyone else, in the endeavor to remind themselves of God’s love and mercy each and every day. And who doesn’t need that?

The book, written by Fr. George W. Kosicki, CSB (an expert on Divine Mercy), is divided into several themes. These include trust/distrust, misery, proclaiming His mercy, striving for sanctity, suffering for souls and many others. For several days, one reads small excerpts from the diary on the given theme. Considering the pain I have recently undergone, I went straight to the theme of misery and read. I was able to find the words of Our Lord, directed towards someone dealing with an immense amount of suffering such as myself, without having to plow through the diary. And for this I am thankful.

I believe this book would be a wonderful resource to those who wish to fulfill the Lord’s request of sharing His mercy with the world. A short read each morning, one is provided with a direction for the day, an area of spreading His mercy on which to concentrate. And what better goal could one have each and every day than that of sharing the mercy of God.

(please forgive my brief and not-as-well-written-as-I-would-like-it-to-be review. In light of recent events, my mind does not focus well right now. I did, however, feel obliged to complete this review as soon as possible).

What I Wish Every Catholic Knew: What a spiritual treasure the diary of St. Faustina is.

What I Wish Every Catholic Would Do: Read the diary and shape one’s life after the words of Our Lord.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Mercy Minutes with Jesus.