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| Pope St. Pius X: Anti-Modernist Oath |
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Posted by: Stone - 11-02-2022, 06:27 AM - Forum: In Defense of Tradition
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To be sworn to by all clergy, pastors, confessors, preachers, religious superiors, and professors in philosophical-theological seminaries.
I . . . . firmly embrace and accept each and every definition that has been set forth and declared by the unerring teaching authority of the Church, especially those principal truths which are directly opposed to the errors of this day. And first of all, I profess that God, the origin and end of all things, can be known with certainty by the natural light of reason from the created world (see Rom. 1:19), that is, from the visible works of creation, as a cause from its effects, and that, therefore, his existence can also be demonstrated: Secondly, I accept and acknowledge the external proofs of revelation, that is, divine acts and especially miracles and prophecies as the surest signs of the divine origin of the Christian religion and I hold that these same proofs are well adapted to the understanding of all eras and all men, even of this time. Thirdly, I believe with equally firm faith that the Church, the guardian and teacher of the revealed word, was personally instituted by the real and historical Christ when he lived among us, and that the Church was built upon Peter, the prince of the apostolic hierarchy, and his successors for the duration of time. Fourthly, I sincerely hold that the doctrine of faith was handed down to us from the apostles through the orthodox Fathers in exactly the same meaning and always in the same purport. Therefore, I entirely reject the heretical’ misrepresentation that dogmas evolve and change from one meaning to another different from the one which the Church held previously. I also condemn every error according to which, in place of the divine deposit which has been given to the spouse of Christ to be carefully guarded by her, there is put a philosophical figment or product of a human conscience that has gradually been developed by human effort and will continue to develop indefinitely. Fifthly, I hold with certainty and sincerely confess that faith is not a blind sentiment of religion welling up from the depths of the subconscious under the impulse of the heart and the motion of a will trained to morality; but faith is a genuine assent of the intellect to truth received by hearing from an external source. By this assent, because of the authority of the supremely truthful God, we believe to be true that which has been revealed and attested to by a personal God, our creator and lord.
Furthermore, with due reverence, I submit and adhere with my whole heart to the condemnations, declarations, and all the prescripts contained in the encyclical Pascendi and in the decree Lamentabili,especially those concerning what is known as the history of dogmas. I also reject the error of those who say that the faith held by the Church can contradict history, and that Catholic dogmas, in the sense in which they are now understood, are irreconcilable with a more realistic view of the origins of the Christian religion. I also condemn and reject the opinion of those who say that a well-educated Christian assumes a dual personality-that of a believer and at the same time of a historian, as if it were permissible for a historian to hold things that contradict the faith of the believer, or to establish premises which, provided there be no direct denial of dogmas, would lead to the conclusion that dogmas are either false or doubtful. Likewise, I reject that method of judging and interpreting Sacred Scripture which, departing from the tradition of the Church, the analogy of faith, and the norms of the Apostolic See, embraces the misrepresentations of the rationalists and with no prudence or restraint adopts textual criticism as the one and supreme norm. Furthermore, I reject the opinion of those who hold that a professor lecturing or writing on a historico-theological subject should first put aside any preconceived opinion about the supernatural origin of Catholic tradition or about the divine promise of help to preserve all revealed truth forever; and that they should then interpret the writings of each of the Fathers solely by scientific principles, excluding all sacred authority, and with the same liberty of judgment that is common in the investigation of all ordinary historical documents.
Finally, I declare that I am completely opposed to the error of the modernists who hold that there is nothing divine in sacred tradition; or what is far worse, say that there is, but in a pantheistic sense, with the result that there would remain nothing but this plain simple fact-one to be put on a par with the ordinary facts of history-the fact, namely, that a group of men by their own labor, skill, and talent have continued through subsequent ages a school begun by Christ and his apostles. I firmly hold, then, and shall hold to my dying breath the belief of the Fathers in the charism of truth, which certainly is, was, and always will be in the succession of the episcopacy from the apostles. The purpose of this is, then, not that dogma may be tailored according to what seems better and more suited to the culture of each age; rather, that the absolute and immutable truth preached by the apostles from the beginning may never be believed to be different, may never be understood in any other way.
I promise that I shall keep all these articles faithfully, entirely, and sincerely, and guard them inviolate, in no way deviating from them in teaching or in any way in word or in writing. Thus I promise, this I swear, so help me God. . .
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| Japan and Turkey are testing digital currencies combined with digital ID |
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Posted by: Stone - 11-01-2022, 06:29 PM - Forum: Global News
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Japan and Turkey are testing digital currencies combined with digital ID
Plans to end privacy.
Reclaim the Net | November 1, 2022
The Japan Credit Bureau, in collaboration with fintech company Soft Space and payment card provider Idemia, launched a pilot program to test CBDC acceptance.
The companies said they want to complete the development of JCBDC (JCB Digital Currency) by the end of the year and conduct pilot tests with merchants in Tokyo up to March 2023.
Idemia will provide offline payment options for digital currencies for people without smartphones, including biometric payment cards.
“We at Idemia firmly believe that CBDCs are redefining the very fundamentals of the payment ecosystem,” comments the company’s managing director of APAC financial institutions, Romain Zanolo.
“We’re proud that our ability to innovate has enabled CBDC payments with existing card and POS terminal hardware. Idemia’s, JCB’s, and Soft Space’s joint payment system expertise will usher in worldwide CBDC growth.”
Turkey has a similar project. The government said it was working on a CBDC system that will be integrated with the country’s central bank FAST instant payments service and its digital identity system.
The new phase of the CBDC project, which was announced in September 2021, will involve testing the CBDC’s use in payments and wholesale banking transactions.
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| "A miracle, since it is the work of God, must be ordained to the glory of God." |
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Posted by: Stone - 11-01-2022, 11:43 AM - Forum: Articles by Catholic authors
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Taken from Miracles - True and False by Rev. Gregory O’Connor, O.P, published in the Dominicana, vo1. 13, issue 1, 1928, pp. 31-37 (taken from here).
Quote:A miracle, since it is the work of God, must be ordained to the glory of God.
It would be contradictory to the divine wisdom and goodness to permit any created agent to perform a true miracle which would tend to confirm error or immorality. The extraordinary event is to be considered miraculous only when it confirms revealed truth and moral practice.
Hence, we must remember that the Eucharistic "miracles" related to the Novus Ordo Mass can only be considered in fact to be false, as it would be 'contradictory to the Divine Wisdom' to seemingly confirm the errors of an schismatic Rite of Mass.
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| Pope St. Pius V: De Defectibus - On Defects That May Occur In The Celebration Of Mass |
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Posted by: Stone - 11-01-2022, 11:09 AM - Forum: Papal Documents and Bulls
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De Defectibus
On Defects That May Occur In The Celebration Of Mass
Pope St. Pius V - 1570
I - Defects of the Missing
1. The priest who is to celebrate Mass should take every precaution to make sure that none of the things required for celebrating the Sacrament of the Eucharist is missing. A defect may occur with regard to the matter to be consecrated, with regard to the form to be observed and with regard to the consecrating minister. There is no Sacrament if any of these is missing: the proper matter, the form, including the intention, and the priestly ordination of the celebrant. If these things are present, the Sacrament is valid, no matter what else is lacking. There are other defects, however, which may involve sin or scandal, even if they do not impair the validity of the Sacrament.
II - Defects of the matter
2. Defects on the part of the matter may arise from some lack in the materials required. What is required is this: bread made from wheat flour, wine from grapes, and the presence of these materials before the priest at the time of the Consecration.
III - Defect of bread
3. If the bread is not made of wheat flour, or if so much other grain is mixed with the wheat that it is no longer wheat bread, or if it is adulterated in some other way, there is no Sacrament.
4. If the bread has been made with rose-water or some other distillation, the validity of the Sacrament is doubtful.
5. If the bread has begun to mold, but it is not corrupt, or if it is not unleavened according to the custom of the Latin Church, the Sacrament is valid but the celebrant is guilty of grave sin.
6. If the celebrant notices before the Consecration that the host is corrupt or that it is not made of wheat flour, he is to replace that host with another, make the offering at least mentally and continue from where he left off.
7. If he notices this after the Consecration, or even after having consumed the host, he is to put out another host, make the offering as above and begin from the Consecration, namely from the words Qui pridie quam pateretur. If he has not consumed the first host, he is to consume it after taking the Body and the Blood, or else reserve it somewhere with reverence. If he has already consumed the first host, he is nevertheless to consume the one that he has consecrated, because the precept of completing the Sacrament is more important than the precept of fasting before Communion.
8. If this should happen after the Blood has been consumed, not only should new bread be brought, but also wine with water. The priest should first make the offering, as above, then consecrate, beginning with the words Qui pridie. Then he should immediately receive under both species and continue the Mass, so that the Sacrament will not remain incomplete and so that due order will be observed.
9. If the consecrated host disappears, either by some accident such as a gust of wind or by some animal's taking it, and it cannot be found, then another is to be consecrated, beginning from the Qui pridie quam pateretur, having first been offered as above.
10. In the cases referred to in paragraphs 5-9 above, the elevation of the Sacrament is to be omitted, and everything is to be done so as to avoid, as far as possible, any scandal or wonderment on the part of the faithful.
IV - Defect of wine
11. If the wine has become mere vinegar, or is completely bad, or if it has been made from sour or unripe grapes, or if so much water has been mixed with it that the wine is adulterated, there is no Sacrament.
12. If the wine has begun to turn to vinegar or to become corrupt, or if it is souring, or if it is unfermented, being made from newly pressed grapes, or if it has not been mixed with water, or if it has been mixed with rose-water or some other distillation, the Sacrament is valid, but the celebrant is guilty of grave sin.
13. If the celebrant notices before the consecration of the Blood, even if the Body has already been consecrated, that there is no wine in the chalice, or no water, or neither wine nor water, he should immediately put in wine and water, make the offering as above and consecrate, beginning with the words Simili modo, etc.
14. If after the words of the Consecration he notices that there was no wine in the chalice, but only water, he is to pour the water into some vessel, put wine and water into the chalice and consecrate, starting again from the words Simili modo, etc.
15. If he notices this after consuming the Body, or after drinking the water in question, he is to set out another host to be consecrated, together with wine and water in the chalice, offer both, consecrate them and consume them, even though he is not fasting.
16. In the cases referred to in paragraphs 13-15 above, the elevation of the Sacrament is to be omitted, and everything is to be done so as to avoid, as far as possible, any scandal or wonderment on the part of the faithful.
17. If he finds out, before or after the Consecration, that the wine is completely vinegar or otherwise corrupt, he is to follow the same procedure as above, as if he were to find that no wine had been put into the chalice, or that only water had been put in.
18. If the celebrant remembers before the consecration of the chalice that there was no water added, he is to put some in at once and say the words of the Consecration. If he remembers this after the consecration of the chalice, he is not to add any water, because the water is not necessary to the Sacrament.
19. If a defect either of bread or of wine is discovered before the consecration of the Body, and the material needed cannot be obtained in any way, the priest should not continue any further. If after the consecration of the Body, or even of the wine, a defect in either species is discovered, and the material needed cannot be obtained in any way, then the priest should continue and complete the Mass if the defective material has already been consecrated, omitting the words and signs that pertain to the defective species. But if the material needed can be obtained with some little delay, he should wait, in order that the Sacrament may not remain incomplete.
V - Defects of the form
20. Defects on the part of the form may arise if anything is missing from the complete wording required for the act of consecrating. Now the words of the Consecration, which are the form of this Sacrament, are: Hoc est enim Corpus meum, and Hic est enim Calix Sanguinis mei, novi et aeterni testamenti: mysterium fidei: qui pro vobis et pro multis effundetur in remissionem peccatorum. If the priest were to shorten or change the form of the consecration of the Body and the Blood, so that in the change of wording the words did not mean the same thing, he would not be achieving a valid Sacrament. If, on the other hand, he were to add or take away anything which did not change the meaning, the Sacrament would be valid, but he would be committing a grave sin.
21. If the celebrant does not remember having said the usual words in the Consecration, he should not for that reason be worried. If, however, he is sure that he omitted something necessary to the Sacrament, that is, the form of the Consecration or a part of it, he is to repeat the formula and continue from there. If he thinks it is very likely that he omitted something essential, he is to repeat the formula conditionally, though the condition need not be expressed. But if what he omitted is not necessary to the Sacrament, he is not to repeat anything; he should simply continue the Mass.
VI - Defects of the minister
22. Defects on the part of the minister may arise with regard to the things required in him. These are: first of all the intention, then the disposition of soul, the bodily disposition, the disposition of vestments, the disposition in the rite itself with regard to the things that may occur in it.
VII - Defect of intention
23. The intention of consecrating is required. Therefore there is no consecration in the following cases: when a priest does not intend to consecrate but only to make a pretense; when some hosts remain on the altar forgotten by the priest, or when some part of the wine or some host is hidden, since the priest intends to consecrate only what is on the corporal; when a priest has eleven hosts before him and intends to consecrate only ten, without determining which ten he means to consecrate. On the other hand, if he thinks there are ten, but intends to consecrate all that he has before him, then all will be consecrated. For that reason every priest should always have such an intention, namely the intention of consecrating all the hosts that have been Placed on the corporal before him for consecration.
24. If the priest thinks that he is holding one host but discovers after the Consecration that there were two hosts stuck together, he is to consume both when the time comes. If after receiving the Body and Blood, or even after the ablution, he finds other consecrated pieces, large or small, he is to consume them, because they belong to the same sacrifice.
25. If, however, a whole consecrated host is left, he is to put it into the tabernacle with the others that are there; if this cannot be done, he is to consume it.
26. It may be that the intention is not actual at the time of the Consecration because the priest lets his mind wander, yet is still virtual, since he has come to the altar intending to do what the Church does. In this case the Sacrament is valid. A priest should be careful, however, to make his intention actual also.
VIII - Defects of the disposition of soul
27. If a priest celebrates Mass in a state of mortal sin or under some ecclesiastical penalty, he does celebrate a valid Sacrament, but he sins most grievously.
IX - Defects of the disposition of body
28. If a priest has not been fasting for at least one hour before Communion, he may not celebrate. The drinking of water, however, does not break the fast.
29. The sick, even though they are not bed-ridden, may take non-alcoholic liquids as well as true and proper medicine, whether liquid or solid, before the celebration of Mass, without any time limit.
30. Priests who can do so are earnestly invited to observe the ancient and venerable form of the Eucharistic fast before Mass.
X - Defects occurring in the celebration of the rite itself
31. Defects may occur also in the performance of the rite itself, if any of the required elements is lacking, as in the following cases: if the Mass is celebrated in a place that is not sacred, or not lawfully approved, or on an altar not consecrated, or not covered with three cloths; if there are no wax candles; if it is not the proper time for celebrating Mass, which is from one hour before dawn until one hour after noon under ordinary circumstances, unless some other time is established or permitted for certain Masses; if the priest fails to wear some one of the priestly vestments; if the priestly vestments and the altar cloths have not been blessed; if there is no cleric present nor any other man or boy serving the Mass; if there is not a chalice, with a cup of gold, or of silver with the inside gold-plated; if the paten is not gold-plated; if both chalice and paten are not consecrated by a bishop; if the corporal is not clean (and the corporal should be of linen, not decorated in the middle with silk or gold; and both corporal and pall should be blessed); if the priest celebrates Mass with his head covered, without a dispensation to do so; if there is no missal present, even though the priest may know by heart the Mass he intends to say.
32. If, while the priest is celebrating Mass, the church is violated before he has reached the Canon, the Mass is to be discontinued; if after the Canon, it is not to be discontinued. If there is fear of an attack by enemies, or of a flood or of the collapse of the building where the Mass is being celebrated, the Mass is to be discontinued if it is before the Consecration; if this fear arises after the Consecration, however, the priest may omit everything else and go on at once to the reception of the Sacrament.
33. If before the Consecration the priest becomes seriously ill, or faints, or dies, the Mass is discontinued. If this happens after the consecration of the Body only and before the consecration of the Blood, or after both have been consecrated, the Mass is to be completed by another priest from the place where the first priest stopped, and in case of necessity even by a priest who is not fasting. If the first priest has not died but has become ill and is still able to receive Communion, and there is no other consecrated host at hand, the priest who is completing the Mass should divide the host, give one part to the sick priest and consume the other part himself. If the priest has died after half-saying the formula for the consecration of the Body, then there is no Consecration and no need for another priest to complete the Mass. If, on the other hand, the priest has died after half- saying the formula for the consecration of the Blood, then another priest is to complete the Mass, repeating the whole formula over the same chalice from the words Simili modo, postquam cenatum est; or he may say the whole formula over another chalice which has been prepared, and consume the first priest's host and the Blood consecrated by himself, and then the chalice which was left half-consecrated.
34. If anyone fails to consume the whole Sacrament aside from cases of necessity of this kind, he is guilty of very grave sin.
35. If before the Consecration a fly or spider or anything else falls into the chalice, the priest is to pour out the wine in a suitable place, put other wine into the chalice, add a little water, offer it, as above, and continue the Mass. If after the Consecration a fly or something of the kind falls into the chalice, he is to take it out, wash it with wine, burn it after the Mass is over, and throw the ashes and the wine which was used for washing into the sacrarium.
36. If something poisonous falls into the chalice after the Consecration, or something that would cause vomiting, the consecrated wine is to be poured into another chalice, with water added until the chalice is full, so that the species of wine will be dissolved; and this water is to be poured out into the sacrarium. Other wine, together with water, is to be brought and consecrated.
37. If anything poisonous touches the consecrated host, the priest is to consecrate another and consume it in the way that has been explained, while the first host is to be put into a chalice full of water and disposed of as was explained regarding the Blood in paragraph 36 above.
38. If the particle of the host remains in the chalice when he consumes the Blood, he is to bring it to the edge of the cup with his finger and consume it before the purification, or else he is to pour water in and consume it with the water.
39. If before the Consecration the host is found to be broken, it is to be consecrated anyway, unless the people can see plainly that it is broken. But if there may be scandal for the people, another host is to be taken and offered. If the broken host has already been offered, the priest is to consume it after the ablution. If the host is seen to be broken before the offerings however, another complete host is to be taken, if this can be done without scandal and without a long delay.
40. If the consecrated host falls into the chalice, nothing is to be repeated on that account, but the priest is to continue the Mass, performing the ceremonies and making the usual signs of the Cross with the part of the host that is not moistened with the Blood, if he can conveniently do so. But if the entire host has become wet, he is not to take it out; he is to say everything as usual, omitting the signs of the Cross that pertain to the host alone, and he is to consume the Body and the Blood together, signing himself with the chalice and saying: Corpus et Sanguis Domini nostri, etc.
41. If the Blood freezes in the chalice in winter time, the chalice should be wrapped in cloths that have been warmed. If this is not enough, it should be placed in boiling water near the altar until the Blood melts, but care should be taken that none of the water gets into the chalice.
42. If any of the Blood of Christ falls, if it is only a drop or so, nothing need be done except to pour a little water over the spilled drops and dry it afterwards with a purificator. If more has been spilled, the corporal or the altar cloth or other place is to be washed in the best way possible, and the water is then to be poured into the sacrarium.
43. If, however, all the Blood is spilled after the Consecration, the little that remains is to be consumed, and the procedure described above is to be followed with the rest which has been spilled. But if none at all remains, the priest is to put wine and water into the chalice again and consecrate from the words Simili modo, postquam cenatum est, etc., after first making an offering of the chalice, as above.
44. If anyone vomits the Eucharist, the vomit is to be gathered up and disposed of in some decent place.
45. If a consecrated host or any particle of it falls to the ground or floor, it is to be taken up reverently, a little water is to be poured over the place where it fell, and the place is to be dried with a purificator. If it falls on clothing, the clothing need not be washed. If it falls on a woman's clothing, the woman herself is to take the particle and consume it.
46. Defects may occur in the celebration of the rite itself also if the priest does not know the rites and ceremonies to be observed, all of which have been fully described in the above rubrics.
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| SSPX adopts the Conciliar Conditions for Indulgences for the Poor Souls |
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Posted by: Stone - 11-01-2022, 10:02 AM - Forum: The New-Conciliar SSPX
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SSPX adopts the Conciliar Conditions for Indulgences for the Poor Souls
To begin with, the EWTN website lists the Novus Ordo version of the Conditions for a Plenary Indulgence:
Quote:Norm of Confession for Gaining a Plenary Indulgence
Apostolic Penitentiary
The following was received by EWTN in response to a question directed to the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Roman dicastery responsible for the administration of Indulgences. The question asked was whether the norm enunciated in the Jubilee document Gift of the Indulgence, which allowed about 20 days before or after doing an indulgenced work to make one's confession, applied only to the Jubilee Year or continues in force. The traditional norm, still cited by many Catholic sources, is 8 days before or after (counting the day of the work).
As the response notes, the norm of about 20 days was given under "General remarks on indulgences" in Gift, and so remains in effect.[/b] Remaining in effect also, therefore, would be the entirety of the "General remarks" in Gift, as a reflection of the mind of the Holy See.
Official Response
APOSTOLIC PENITENTIARY
Prot. N. 39/05/I
APOSTOLIC PENITENTIARY to a doubt proposed on 16 February 2005, by the beloved in Christ Fr. (sic.) Colin B. Donovan, STL: <<regarding the force of the norm in "Gift of the Indulgence" which provided that sacramental Confession could be made "about 20 days" before or after the indulgenced work. Did this norm apply only to the Indulgences granted during the Great Jubilee or does it apply in perpetuity, so that even today a plenary indulgence may be gained based on a confession made within "about 20 days before or after the indulgenced work" >>, it is responded: Negative as far as the first part, Affirmative as far as the second (for this was not written under "Specific Aspects of the Jubilee Year", but in "General remarks on indulgences").
Given in Rome, from the offices of the Apostolic Penitentiary, 18 February 2005.
IOANNES FRANCISCUS GIROTTI, O.F.M. Conv.
Regent
Ioannes Maria Gervais
Assisting in Studies
[unofficial translation]
The new Conciliar-SSPX's main website lists the same condition of the extended 20 days - from the traditional 8 days - of Confession and Communion before or after the indulgenced act.
This is also seen in this past Sunday's (October 30, 2022) St. Mary's Kansas Sunday Bulletin:
Apparently the SSPX Canadian website hasn't caught up with the rest of the SSPX - it still lists the traditional 8 days:
How unfortunate to see yet another example of the SSPX turning embracing the Novus Ordo. And yet another reason for the (True) Resistance to the new direction of the SSPX.
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| Fathers of the Church: Private Revelation |
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Posted by: Stone - 11-01-2022, 07:39 AM - Forum: Fathers of the Church
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Fathers of the Church: Private Revelation
Taken from here
![[Image: ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2F...ipo=images]](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2Ff%2Fff%2FThe_Four_Fathers_of_the_Latin_Church_-_Nationalmuseum_-_17598.tif%2Flossy-page1-250px-The_Four_Fathers_of_the_Latin_Church_-_Nationalmuseum_-_17598.tif.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=0529370de31e31615dc7c251437b4f949f7c92f482748438fe6b4868da525a2c&ipo=images)
HERMAS
“The vision which I saw, my brethren, was of the following nature . . . [An] old woman approached, accompanied by six young men . . . [And] she said to me . . . ‘Lo! do you not see opposite to you a great tower, built upon the waters, of splendid square stones?’ For the tower was built square by the six young men who had come with her. But myriads of men were carrying stones to it, some dragging them from the depths, others removing them from the land, and they handed them to these six young men. . . . [And the woman said:] ‘The tower which you see building is myself, the Church . . . the tower is built upon the waters . . . because your life has been and will be “saved through water” [1 Pet. 3:20–21] . . . the six young men . . . are the holy angels of God . . . the other persons who are engaged in carrying the stones . . . also are holy angels of the Lord . . . [And] when the tower is finished and built, then comes the end’” (The Shepherd 1:3:1–8 [A.D. 80]).
THE MARTYRDOM OF POLYCARP
“While he [Polycarp] was thus at his prayers, three days before his arrest, he had a vision in which he saw flames reducing his pillow to ashes; whereupon he turned to his companions and said, ‘I must be going to be burnt alive.’ . . . [After his arrest, the crowd called] loud demands for the Asiarch Philip to let loose a lion at Polycarp. However, he told them that the rules would not allow him to do so, since he had already declared the beast-fighting closed; whereupon they decided to set up a unanimous outcry that he should have Polycarp burnt alive” (Martyrdom of Polycarp 5, 12 [A.D. 155]).
“Polycarp was . . . bishop of the Catholic Church at Smyrna, and a teacher in our own day who combined both apostle and prophet in his own person. For indeed, every word that ever fell from his lips either has had or will have its fulfillment” (ibid., 16).
JUSTIN MARTYR
“For the prophetical gifts remain with us [Christians], even to the present time. And hence you [Jews] ought to understand that [the gifts] formerly among your nation have been transferred to us” (Dialogue with Trypho the Jew 82 [A.D. 155]).
IRENAEUS
“In like manner we do also hear many brethren in the Church who possess prophetic gifts and who through the Spirit speak all kinds of languages and who bring to light for the general benefit the hidden things of men, and declare the mysteries of God” (Against Heresies 5:6:1 [A.D. 189]).
PIONIUS
“I, Pionius, have made a fresh transcript of [The Martyrdom of Polycarp]. I found them after Polycarp the Blessed had revealed their whereabouts in a vision, as I will explain hereafter. Time had reduced them almost to tatters, but I gathered them carefully together in the hope that the Lord Jesus may likewise gather myself amongst his elect into his heavenly kingdom. To him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Martyrdom of Polycarp, copyist note 2 [A.D. 250]).
CONSTANTINE THE GREAT
“And while he [the Emperor Constantine] was praying with fervent entreaty, a most marvelous sign appeared to him from heaven, the account of which it might have been hard to believe had it been related by any other person. But since the victorious emperor himself long afterwards declared it to the writer of this history [Eusebius], when he was honored with his acquaintance and society, and confirmed his statement by an oath, who could hesitate to accredit the relation, especially since the testimony of after-time has established its truth? He said that about noon, when the day was already beginning to decline, he saw with his own eyes a trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, and bearing the inscription, ‘Conquer By This.’ At this sight he was struck with amazement, and his whole army also, which followed him on this expedition, and witnessed the miracle. He said [to me], moreover, that he doubted within himself what the import of this apparition could be. And while he continued to ponder and reason on its meaning, night suddenly came on; then in his sleep the Christ of God appeared to him with the same sign which he had seen in the heavens, and commanded him to make a likeness of that sign which he had seen in the heavens, and to use it as a safeguard in all engagements with his enemies. . . . eing struck with amazement at the extraordinary vision, and resolving to worship no other God save him who had appeared to him, he sent for those who were acquainted with the mysteries of [God’s] doctrines and inquired who that God was and what was intended by the sign of the vision he had seen” (Eusebius, Life of Constantine 1:28–32 [A.D. 337]).
[b]ANTHONY OF EGYPT
“[Anthony told his monks:] When, therefore, they [demons] come by night to you and wish to tell the future, or say ‘We are the angels,’ give no heed, for they lie. . . . But if they shamelessly stand their ground, capering, and change their forms of appearance, fear them not, nor shrink, nor heed them as though they were good spirits. For the presence either of the good or evil by the help of God can easily be distinguished. The vision of the holy ones is not fraught with distraction: ‘For they will not strive, nor cry, nor shall anyone hear their voice’ [Matt 12:19; cf. Is. 42:2]. But it comes quietly and gently that an immediate joy, gladness, and courage arise in the soul. For the Lord who is our joy is with them, and the power of God the Father” (Ambrose, Life of St. Anthony 35 [A.D. 359]).
AUGUSTINE
“For even now miracles are wrought in the name of Christ, whether by his sacraments or by the prayers or relics of his saints . . . The miracle which was wrought at Milan when I was there . . . [and when people] had gathered to the bodies of the martyrs Protasius and Gervasius, which had long lain concealed and unknown but were now made known to the bishop Ambrose in a dream and discovered by him” (City of God 22:8 [A.D. 419]).
“[T]he martyrs, by the very benefits which are given to them that pray, indicate that they take an interest in the affairs of men . . . For not only by effects of benefits, but in the very beholding of men, it is certain that the confessor Felix . . . appeared when the barbarians were attacking Nola, as we have heard not by uncertain rumors but by sure witness” (ibid., 19).
“A certain man by [the] name Curma [was in a coma] . . . Yet he was seeing many things as in a dream; when at last after a great many days he woke up, he told that he had seen. . . . [He also saw] Hippo, where he was seemingly baptized by me . . . After much that he saw, he narrated how he had, moreover, been led into paradise and how it was there said to him, when he was dismissed to return to his own family, ‘Go, be baptized if you want to be in this place of the blessed.’ Thereupon being admonished to be baptized by me, he said it was done already. He who was talking with him replied, ‘Go, be truly baptized, for you only saw that in a vision.’ After this he recovered, went his way to Hippo. . . . He was baptized [and] at the close of the holy days [of Easter] returned to his own place . . . Why should we not believe these to be angelic operations through the dispensation of the providence of God?” (The Care to be Had for the Dead 15 [A.D. 421]).
SOZOMEN
“Gregory of Nazianz presided over those who maintain the consubstantiality of the Holy Trinity, and assembled them together in a little dwelling, which had been altered into the form of a house of prayer, by those who held the same opinions and had a like form of worship. It subsequently became one of the most conspicuous in the city, and is so now, not only for the beauty and number of its structures, but also for the advantages accruing to it from the visible manifestations of God. For the power of God was there manifested, and was helpful both in waking visions and in dreams, often for the relief of many diseases and for those afflicted by some sudden transmutation in their affairs. The power was accredited to Mary, the Mother of God, the holy Virgin, for she does manifest herself in this way” (Church History 7:5 [A.D. 444]).
PATRICK OF IRELAND
“And there truly [in Ireland] one night I heard in my sleep a voice saying to me, ‘You fast well; soon you will go to your fatherland.’ And again, after I very short time, I heard the heavenly voice saying to me, ‘Lo, your ship is ready.’ And it was not near at hand, but was distant, perhaps two hundred miles. And I had never been there, nor did I know any person living there. And thereupon I shortly took flight and left the man with whom I had been for six years. And I came in the strength of God, who prospered my way for good; and I met with nothing to alarm me until I reached that ship” (Confession of St. Patrick 17 [A.D. 452]).
“And once more, after a few years, I was in Britain with my family. . . . And there indeed I saw in a vision of the night a man whose name was Victoricus coming as it were from Ireland with countless letters. He gave me one of them, and I read the beginning of the letter, which was entitled ‘The Voice of the Irish.’ And while I was reading aloud the beginning of the letter, I thought that at that very moment I heard the voices of those who dwelt beside the Wood of Foclut [in Ireland], which is nigh unto the Western Sea. And thus they cried, as with one mouth, ‘We beseech you, holy youth, to come and walk once more among us!’” (ibid., 23).
“Let those who will, laugh and mock. I shall not be silent nor conceal the signs and wonders which were shown to me by the Lord many years before they came to pass, since he knows all things even before the world’s beginnings” (ibid., 45).
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| Fathers of the Church: On Apostolic Tradition |
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Posted by: Stone - 11-01-2022, 07:12 AM - Forum: Fathers of the Church
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Apostolic Tradition
Taken from here.
![[Image: proxy-image?piurl=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-...2f306a2ad9]](https://www.startpage.com/av/proxy-image?piurl=https%3A%2F%2Fm.media-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F71SmjnVriyL._AC_SY450_.jpg&sp=1667300937T5b073eb366b23e777e5b344223fbb6accf59c6a2de1e032caaac8e2f306a2ad9)
PAPIAS
“Papias [A.D. 120], who is now mentioned by us, affirms that he received the sayings of the apostles from those who accompanied them, and he, moreover, asserts that he heard in person Aristion and the presbyter John. Accordingly, he mentions them frequently by name, and in his writings gives their traditions [concerning Jesus]. . . . [There are] other passages of his in which he relates some miraculous deeds, stating that he acquired the knowledge of them from tradition” (fragment in Eusebius, Church History 3:39 [A.D. 312]).
EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA
“At that time [A.D. 150] there flourished in the Church Hegesippus, whom we know from what has gone before, and Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, and another bishop, Pinytus of Crete, and besides these, Philip, and Apollinarius, and Melito, and Musanus, and Modestus, and, finally, Irenaeus. From them has come down to us in writing, the sound and orthodox faith received from tradition” (Church History 4:21).
IRENAEUS
“As I said before, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although she is disseminated throughout the whole world, yet guarded it, as if she occupied but one house. She likewise believes these things just as if she had but one soul and one and the same heart; and harmoniously she proclaims them and teaches them and hands them down, as if she possessed but one mouth. For, while the languages of the world are diverse, nevertheless, the authority of the tradition is one and the same” (Against Heresies 1:10:2 [A.D. 189]).
“That is why it is surely necessary to avoid them [heretics], while cherishing with the utmost diligence the things pertaining to the Church, and to lay hold of the tradition of truth. . . . What if the apostles had not in fact left writings to us? Would it not be necessary to follow the order of tradition, which was handed down to those to whom they entrusted the churches?” (ibid., 3:4:1).
…
“It is possible, then, for everyone in every church, who may wish to know the truth, to contemplate the tradition of the apostles which has been made known throughout the whole world. And we are in a position to enumerate those who were instituted bishops by the apostles and their successors to our own times—men who neither knew nor taught anything like these heretics rave about.
“But since it would be too long to enumerate in such a volume as this the successions of all the churches, we shall confound all those who, in whatever manner, whether through self-satisfaction or vainglory, or through blindness and wicked opinion, assemble other than where it is proper, by pointing out here the successions of the bishops of the greatest and most ancient church known to all, founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul, that church which has the tradition and the faith which comes down to us after having been announced to men by the apostles.
“With this church, because of its superior origin, all churches must agree—that is, all the faithful in the whole world—and it is in her that the faithful everywhere have maintained the apostolic tradition” (ibid., 3:3:1–2).
CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
“Well, they preserving the tradition of the blessed doctrine derived directly from the holy apostles, Peter, James, John, and Paul, the sons receiving it from the father (but few were like the fathers), came by God’s will to us also to deposit those ancestral and apostolic seeds. And well I know that they will exult; I do not mean delighted with this tribute, but solely on account of the preservation of the truth, according as they delivered it. For such a sketch as this, will, I think, be agreeable to a soul desirous of preserving from loss the blessed tradition” (Miscellanies 1:1 [A.D. 208]).
ORIGEN
“Although there are many who believe that they themselves hold to the teachings of Christ, there are yet some among them who think differently from their predecessors. The teaching of the Church has indeed been handed down through an order of succession from the apostles and remains in the churches even to the present time. That alone is to be believed as the truth which is in no way at variance with ecclesiastical and apostolic tradition” (The Fundamental Doctrines 1:2 [A.D. 225]).
CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE
“[T]he Church is one, and as she is one, cannot be both within and without. For if she is with Novatian, she was not with [Pope] Cornelius. But if she was with Cornelius, who succeeded the bishop Fabian by lawful ordination, and whom, beside the honor of the priesthood the Lord glorified also with martyrdom, Novatian is not in the Church; nor can he be reckoned as a bishop, who, succeeding to no one, and despising the evangelical and apostolic tradition, sprang from himself. For he who has not been ordained in the Church can neither have nor hold to the Church in any way” (Letters 75:3 [A.D. 253]).
ATHANASIUS
“Again we write, again keeping to the apostolic traditions, we remind each other when we come together for prayer; and keeping the feast in common, with one mouth we truly give thanks to the Lord. Thus giving thanks unto him, and being followers of the saints, ‘we shall make our praise in the Lord all the day,’ as the psalmist says. So, when we rightly keep the feast, we shall be counted worthy of that joy which is in heaven” (Festal Letters 2:7 [A.D. 330]).
“But you are blessed, who by faith are in the Church, dwell upon the foundations of the faith, and have full satisfaction, even the highest degree of faith which remains among you unshaken. For it has come down to you from apostolic tradition, and frequently accursed envy has wished to unsettle it, but has not been able” (ibid., 29).
BASIL THE GREAT
“Of the dogmas and messages preserved in the Church, some we possess from written teaching and others we receive from the tradition of the apostles, handed on to us in mystery. In respect to piety, both are of the same force. No one will contradict any of these, no one, at any rate, who is even moderately versed in matters ecclesiastical. Indeed, were we to try to reject unwritten customs as having no great authority, we would unwittingly injure the gospel in its vitals; or rather, we would reduce [Christian] message to a mere term” (The Holy Spirit 27:66 [A.D. 375]).
EPIPHANIUS OF SALAMIS
“It is needful also to make use of tradition, for not everything can be gotten from sacred Scripture. The holy apostles handed down some things in the scriptures, other things in tradition” (Medicine Chest Against All Heresies 61:6 [A.D. 375]).
AUGUSTINE
“[T]he custom [of not rebaptizing converts] . . . may be supposed to have had its origin in apostolic tradition, just as there are many things which are observed by the whole Church, and therefore are fairly held to have been enjoined by the apostles, which yet are not mentioned in their writings” (On Baptism, Against the Donatists 5:23[31] [A.D. 400]).
“But the admonition that he [Cyprian] gives us, ‘that we should go back to the fountain, that is, to apostolic tradition, and thence turn the channel of truth to our times,’ is most excellent, and should be followed without hesitation” (ibid., 5:26[37]).
“But in regard to those observances which we carefully attend and which the whole world keeps, and which derive not from Scripture but from Tradition, we are given to understand that they are recommended and ordained to be kept, either by the apostles themselves or by plenary [ecumenical] councils, the authority of which is quite vital in the Church” (Letter to Januarius [A.D. 400]).
JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
“[Paul commands,] ‘Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or by our letter’ [2 Thess. 2:15]. From this it is clear that they did not hand down everything by letter, but there is much also that was not written. Like that which was written, the unwritten too is worthy of belief. So let us regard the tradition of the Church also as worthy of belief. Is it a tradition? Seek no further” (Homilies on Second Thessalonians [A.D. 402]).
VINCENT OF LERINS
“With great zeal and closest attention, therefore, I frequently inquired of many men, eminent for their holiness and doctrine, how I might, in a concise and, so to speak, general and ordinary way, distinguish the truth of the Catholic faith from the falsehood of heretical depravity.
“I received almost always the same answer from all of them—that if I or anyone else wanted to expose the frauds and escape the snares of the heretics who rise up, and to remain intact and in sound faith, it would be necessary, with the help of the Lord, to fortify that faith in a twofold manner: first, of course, by the authority of divine law [Scripture] and then by the tradition of the Catholic Church.
“Here, perhaps, someone may ask: ‘If the canon of the scriptures be perfect and in itself more than suffices for everything, why is it necessary that the authority of ecclesiastical interpretation be joined to it?’ Because, quite plainly, sacred Scripture, by reason of its own depth, is not accepted by everyone as having one and the same meaning. . . .
“Thus, because of so many distortions of such various errors, it is highly necessary that the line of prophetic and apostolic interpretation be directed in accord with the norm of the ecclesiastical and Catholic meaning” (The Notebooks [A.D. 434]).
POPE AGATHO
“[T]he holy Church of God . . . has been established upon the firm rock of this Church of blessed Peter, the prince of the apostles, which by his grace and guardianship remains free from all error, [and possesses that faith that] the whole number of rulers and priests, of the clergy and of the people, unanimously should confess and preach with us as the true declaration of the apostolic tradition, in order to please God and to save their own souls” (Letter read at fourth session of III Constantinople [A.D. 680]).
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| Potentially Lethal New Super Strain Of COVID Created In London Lab; Report |
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Posted by: Stone - 11-01-2022, 06:56 AM - Forum: Health
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Potentially Lethal New Super Strain Of COVID Created In London Lab; Report
ZH | NOV 01, 2022
Authored by Steve Watson via Summit News,
A potentially deadly new strain of COVID has been created in a University lab in London, according to a report.
The Daily Mail reports that researchers at Imperial College London have hybridised the original Wuhan strain of the disease with both the Omicron or Delta variants separately.
The College is yet to reveal how effective the strain they have created is, and has denied that the work constitutes gain of function, the process now widely believed to have been responsible for the original strain in Wuhan.
Molecular biology expert Dr. Richard Ebright warned that the new mutant strain, which was injected into hamsters in London, “is insanity, both in terms of the redundancy and waste,” and that it has zero “foreseeable practical applications.”
“This should be a wake-up call,” the biologist urged, adding “If the world wishes to avoid new pandemic waves and pandemics caused by lab-generated enhanced potential pandemic pathogens, then it is urgently necessary to restrict senseless high-risk, low-benefit research that creates enhanced potential pandemic pathogens and to implement effective national oversight, with force of law, on such research.”
Dr. Ebright further warned that the development is huge “especially, in terms of the risk of triggering a new pandemic wave upon accidental or deliberate release of the laboratory-generated viruses.”
The development comes after Boston University created a new strain with an 80 percent KILL RATE in a similar fashion.
A former director of the Israeli Government’s Institute for Biological Research, Professor Shmuel Shapira, described the research as “playing with fire.”
Last week, a new interim report released by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions concluded that the origins of Covid-19 more likely than not came from a “research-related incident,” rather than “natural zoonotic spillover.”
“While precedent of previous outbreaks of human infections from contact with animals favors the hypothesis that a natural zoonotic spillover is responsible for the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 that resulted in the COVID-19 pandemic was most likely the result of a research-related incident,” the report states, while conceding that “This conclusion is not intended to be dispositive.”
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| The 15-Minute City |
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Posted by: Stone - 10-31-2022, 07:42 AM - Forum: Great Reset
- Replies (5)
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The new Feudal Age; how the 15 Minute City will mean the return of the Middle Ages to Britain
Article referred to in the video:
Anger after travel chief announces traffic filters are 'going to happen, definitely' ahead of decision
![[Image: 14842216.jpg?type=mds-article-962]](https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/resources/images/14842216.jpg?type=mds-article-962)
Oxford Mail | 27th October
Traffic filters will 'definitely' be introduced in Oxford, said a travel chief, implying the controversial plan would go ahead whether people liked it or not.
A cabinet decision on the traffic restrictions will be made on November 29 following a consultation which closed earlier this month.
But Duncan Enright, cabinet member for travel and development strategy, has already told the Sunday Times: "It's going to happen, definitely."
The filters stopping most motorists from driving through Oxford city centre will divide the city into six "15 minute" neighbourhoods, he said with the aim of reducing congestion and making city life more pleasant.
But his premature announcement hardened residents' suspicions that the county council does not listen to them.
Hotelier Jeremy Mogford, who owns the Old Bank Hotel in High Street and the Old Parsonage Hotel and Gees, in Banbury Road, said: “It’s outrageous. We are all hoping that, as we live in a democracy, that a consultation means what it says.
"We should all be concerned about the fact that it’s not a democratic decision because what he is saying is, irrespective of what we say, they will go ahead anyway.
“He’s saying he could not give a monkeys for god’s sake.”
He added: "I’m told Enright lives in Witney. He’s making decisions that are going to be life-changing for us in the city. I bet he very rarely comes here except for council meetings. If it wasn’t so serious it would be funny.
"We’re being dictated to by councillors who don’t even live here.”
The county council has faced accusations that its public consultations are a token gesture before.
LTNs in Cowley were made permanent despite a consultation showing that 63 per cent of respondents objected.
The permanent closure of a section of Witney High Street and the introduction of paid parking in Woodstock town centre also went ahead despite public consultations showing most respondents objected.
Despite this, councillors are repeatedly urging the public to take part in the consultation on east Oxford low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) which is running until November 30.
Mr Enright explained in the Sunday Times that the heart of the traffic filters policy was to turn Oxford into "a 15-minute city" with local services within a small walking radius.
The new traffic filters on St Cross Road, Thames Street, Hythe Bridge Street and St Clements would operate seven days a week from 7am to 7pm.
Two more filters on Marston Ferry Road and Hollow Way would operate from Monday to Saturday.
People can drive freely around their own neighbourhood and can apply for a permit to drive through the filters, and into other neighbourhoods, for up to 100 days per year. This equates to an average of two days per week.
The alternative is to drive out on to the ring road and then back in to the destination.
A maximum of three permits a household will be allowed where there are several adults with cars registered to the address.
Buses, coaches, taxis, delivery vans, HGVs, motorbikes and bikes are exempt and there are exceptions for blue badge holders and people with caring responsibilities.
Mr Enright told the Sunday Times: "It is about making sure you have the community centre which has all of those essential needs, the bottle of milk, pharmacy, GP, schools which you need to have a 15-minute neighbourhood."
But Jeremy Mogford called the plan "a ridiculous experiment" and said it would be disastrous for business and drastically reduce quality of life for city dwellers as well as visitors.
“We live in a small city, why divide it into six? Each area works with the others and needs the others to support it commercially.
“It’s not necessary – do not divide this city. We are not in Glasgow or Manchester – although it probably wouldn’t happen in Manchester, only in Oxford could something so crazy be put forward as an idea.
“They are experimenting on us. It’s a giant experiment at the expense of those who run businesses and those who live in the city.
“But those who will also suffer are the people who live just outside the city who want to come into Oxford and want to drive in as you usually would. People just outside Oxford are going to be the unwitting victims of this too.”
Referring to the proposals for wider traffic measures such as bus gates Mr Mogford said they were ‘ridiculous’ and ‘unecessary’.
“In the city there are these little bits of congestion that we all know about which could be fixed for very little money with a bit of intelligence.
“Yes, there is congestion but very specific congestion to do with term times and the universities starting breaks. There are a limited number of reasons for it to be congested. All of these could be solved without spending these millions of pounds that the council seems determined to spend."
Mr Mogford has received hate mail for publicising his views.
A postcard said: "Oxford has been very good for you. Why do you hate Oxford so much?"
Mr Enright insisted to the Oxford Times that the council is "committed to engaging with and listening to residents and all our partners in an active and inclusive way".
For a year it has engaged with businesses, residents, hospitals and community groups on the traffic filters scheme.
He said responses to a public consultation that took place from 5 September to 13 October 2022 are being analysed by an independent organisation.
But he added: “Car use remains too high for our historic centre to cope. All road users, including people who drive, cycle or travel by public transport are facing the consequences of traffic congestion.
“Traffic filters are just one proposed part of a broader set of measures to reduce congestion and offer alternative travel options to get around without a car.
"We know that we need to take action to improve our transport system and make it fit for the future. The knowledge and experience of residents and businesses in shaping these plans is invaluable.”
He said cabinet members will consider a range of information before making a decision.
"This includes feedback received during consultation as well as data on traffic patterns and air quality, legal advice, and equality and climate impact assessments."
If approved by the cabinet, the traffic filters would be implemented as a trial for approximately six months.
During this, the council would collect information on the effects of the scheme and a decision about its long-term future of the traffic filters would be made after that.
Similar to the WEF's Goals: https://www.forbes.com/sites/worldeconom...eff5e71735
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| The Recusant #59 - Advent 2022 |
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Posted by: Stone - 10-31-2022, 06:15 AM - Forum: The Recusant
- Replies (5)
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Contents
• “New Mass Already Condemned by the Church” et alia (Abp. Lefebvre)
• Mass Attendance - Applying the old SSPX’s Doctrinal Clarity: - “Is The New Mass Legit?”
- “Should One Attend the Indult Mass?”
- “What About SSPX Masses?”
• “Sorrowful Heart of Mary SSPX -MC” Newsletter (Fr Hewko)
• “Red Light Fake Resistance & SSPX!” (Fr Rafael Arizaga OSB)
• “Is the Resistance Justified?” (A Response to a Correspondent)
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| Novena for the Relief of the Poor Souls in Purgatory [1931] |
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Posted by: Stone - 10-31-2022, 06:03 AM - Forum: For the Souls in Purgatory
- Replies (2)
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Novena for the Relief of the Poor Souls in Purgatory
BY A MISSIONARY OF THE SACRED HEART
REV. J. F. DURIN
Sixteenth Edition, Revised by Rev. B. Dieringer
" He that stoppeth his ear against the cry of the poor, shall also cry himself and shall not be heard." (Prov. XXI, 13.)
Nihil obstat quominus septima vice edatur.
H. B. Ries. Censor Librorum.
St. Francis, Wis., Jan. 28, 1931
Imprimatur.
Milwaukee, Jan. 27, 1931.
+ Samuel Alphonsus Stritch Archieseopus Milwaukiensis
---------------------------
May the Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere.
(100 days Ind., once a day; Plus IX. Pr. Ma., Sept. 23, 1860.)
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, pray for us.
(100 days Ind. each time; Plus X, Br., July 9, 1904.)
St. Joseph, model and patron of those who loved the Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.
(100 days Ind., once a day; Leo XIII, Dec. 19 1891.)
Contents:
Approbation
Introduction: To the Pious Reader
First Day of Novena: Existence of Purgatory
Second Day of Novena: Pains of Purgatory
Third Day of Novena: The Pain of Loss
Fourth Day of Novena: The Pain of Sense
Fifth Day of Novena: Duration of Purgatory
Sixth Day of Novena: Obligation of Assisting the "Poor Souls"
Seventh Day of Novena: Cruelty of those who Abandon the "Poor Souls"
Eighth Day of Novena: The Communion of Saints
Ninth Day of Novena: Benefit of the Devotion to the "Poor Souls"
Prayers for the Dead: De Profundis
Prayers for Every Day of the Week
Efficacious Prayer for the "Poor Souls"
Pious Exercise
Prayer for the Souls In Purgatory
The Heroic Act of Charity
The Rosary for the Poor Souls
Do Not Forget
Ejaculatory Prayers
For the Relief of the Poor Souls in Purgatory
TO THE PIOUS READER
We present this small treatise to pious persons, entreating them to peruse it. Long ago the Holy Ghost said: "It is a holy and wholesome thing to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins." (II Macab. XII., 46.) Our Lord shed tears in seeing the tomb of Lazarus, and the Church, well acquainted with the feelings of her Divine Founder, is incessently recommending charity for the Souls suffering in Purgatory. One of her eminent doctors, St. Thomas of Aquinas, has said that: "Of all prayers, the most meritorious, the most acceptable to God are prayers for the dead, because they imply all the works of charity, both corporal and spiritual."
But there are many people unconscious of the fact that charity for the "Poor Souls" is profitable to the living as well as to the dead. It is the teaching of the most learned theologians, viz: St. Ligorius, Sylvius, Bellarmin, Bonacina, and Suarez. "It is true," says St. Alphonsus, "they are unable to pray or merit anything for themselves, yet, when they pray for others, they are heard by God." Let us refer to Bellarmin: "The Souls in Purgatory," says he, "can pray for those, who address to them their petitions, and obtain from God help, forgiveness, assistance against temptations, and, all favors, both temporal and spiritual, which they may need."
Many Saints have experienced this wonderful assistance. St. Catherine of Bologna assured her Sisters that: "She obtained many favors by the prayers of the holy Souls in Purgatory, which she had asked in vain, through the intercession of the Saints." St. Theresa affirms that: "She always obtained the favors which she asked from God, through the intercession of the Poor Souls." We read also in the book of St. Bridget's Revelations that: "Being one day conducted by an Angel into Purgatory, she heard a soul say: "Oh Lord, vouchsafe to reward those who assist us! Return hundredfold blessings to those who help us and introduce us into the light of Heaven." St. Leonard of Port Maurice emphatically affirms that: "The blessed Souls, delivered by our prayers, will come down from Heaven to assist us in our temporal and spiritual affairs." The Venerable Cure d' Ars, replying to a priest said: "If one knew what we may obtain from God by the intercession of the Poor Souls, they would not be so much abandoned. Let us pray a great deal for them, they will pray for us."
Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque had a special devotion for the Souls in Purgatory and has often accepted the charge of suffering for them. "Would that you knew," she said, "how my soul was replenished with joy, when speaking to those Souls, and seeing them immersed in glory as in a deep ocean. As I requested them to pray for you, they replied: "An ungrateful soul is not to be found in Heaven!" No, we cannot be deceived! If we have an ardent charity, a sincere piety, a true devotedness for the Poor Souls, we will be favored with their protection.
Let us try it! When we are in trouble, when we long for a favor, let us perform some pious or charitable work for the relief of the "Poor Souls." They will be grateful, they will plead for us, and present our requests to the Eternal Father, Who loves them.
May God bless this humble work! May He deign to enkindle generous hearts with zeal for the "Poor Souls."
"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." (Matt., V., 7.)
DE PROFUNDIS (Ps. 129.)
(To be said every day of the novena.)
Out of the depths I have cried to Thee, O Lord: Lord hear my voice.
Let Thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
If Thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities; Lord, who shall stand it?
For with Thee there is merciful forgiveness: and by reason of Thy law,
I have waited for Thee, O Lord.
My soul hath relied on His word: my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
From the morning-watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord.
Because with the Lord there is mercy: and with Him plentiful redemption.
And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
V. Eternal rest give unto them. O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. From the gate of Hell.
R. Deliver their souls, O Lord.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto Thee.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with Thy Spirit.
(50 days three times a day to all who say the De Profundis with V. and R. "Requiem aeternam
(Eternal Rest)." Leo XIII., Feb. 3, 1888.)
Let us pray:
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, we beseech Thee to grant to the Souls of Thy servants the remission of their sins, so that by our prayers they may obtain pardon for which they long. O Lord, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
May they rest in peace. Amen.
FIRST DAY
Existence of Purgatory
PREPARATORY PRAYER:
Act of Faith: My God, I believe in Thee, because Thou art Truth itself; I firmly believe the truths revealed to the Church.
Act of Hope: My God, I hope in Thee, because Thou art infinitely good.
Act of Charity: My God, I love Thee with all my heart, and above all things, because Thou are infinitely perfect; and I love my neighbor as myself, for the love of Thee.
(Indulgence 7 years, 7 quarantines, each time. Benedict XIV., Jan. 28, 1756. Plenary once a month, if said every day. Benedict XIII., Jan. 15, 1728.)
MEDITATION: There is a place for the purification of Souls which, after death, are yet stained with venial sins, or have not yet entirely satisfied for their pardoned sins. The Holy Catholic Church teaches it. I believe it firmly. By the light of the flames of Purgatory, I understand better Thy holiness, Thy Justice, Thy Mercy, O my God! "Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord? or who shall stand in His Holy Place? The innocent in hands, and clean of heart." (Ps. 23.) "There shall not enter into Heaven anything defiled." (Apoc. 21.) For Thou art Holy! Holy! Holy! O Lord, inspire my soul with the horror of sin! Grant me the grace to atone for my faults here below! Thou art just, O Lord, and Thy judgments are right. Who will dare to say: "Do not condemn me: tell me why Thou judgest me so?" (Job, X, 2.) "To Thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before Thee." (Ps. 50, 6.) I have deserved eternal punishment, but Thy mercy will follow me---it will follow me into the depth of death, and I will be spared.
Oh, Purgatory! where reigns Hope! There I will say with the Prophet: "When I was in distress Thou hast enlarged me!" (Ps. IV., 1.) If there were no Purgatory, where would so many lazy, negligent, immortified souls go? "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, Who comforteth us in all our tribulation." (II Cor. 1., 3., 4.)
PRACTICE: To pray the Divine Heart of Jesus that He deign to enkindle many souls with an ardent charity for the Souls in Purgatory.
RESOLUTION: Every day of my life I will pray or do some good work for the "Poor Souls."
EXAMPLE: It is related in the Acts of St. Perpetua, Martyr, that, being thrown into prison, she was favored with a vision. She saw her young brother, Dinocrates, in a dark place. He was surrounded by flames, thirsty, his face was ugly, pale, covered with an ulcer, which caused his death, when seven years old. She prayed fervently for him during seven days, and then he appeared to her in a very different condition. He was bright, clothed with a beautiful white dress, and there was no ulcer on his face. She understod that he had been delivered.
PRAYER: De Profundis
Let us pray for our departed parents:
O God, Who has commanded us to honor our Father and Mother, have pity on them, deliver them from the pains which they have deserved, and grant that I may see them in the glory of Heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
(300 days each time for saying these VV. and RR., applicable only to the dead. Pius X., Feb. 13, 1908.)
SECOND DAY
Pains of Purgatory
PREPARATORY PRAYER
MEDITATION: Let us go with our Guardian Angel to Purgatory, to that place where the Divine Justice purifies Souls before they are admitted into Heaven.
There we will meet again our parents and our friends. Had this devotion no other advantage than that of reminding us of our departed ones, we should be grateful to God for such a consolation.
Oh, my father! Oh, my mother! Oh, brothers! Oh, sisters! Oh, friends! I had forgotten you! What do you suffer, beloved Souls? What shall I do to deliver you?
Our pains, they reply, are beyond description. When separated from our body, we saw the face of God, our Supreme Good, the Infinite Perfection. Then would we rush into His bosom, but we were driven back by His Justice, we were banished! Oh, no! on earth below you will never understand our pain, our grief, because we are separated from God! Your troubles, your sorrows, are the mere shadow of our affliction. But we suffer through our fault. If we would return to our former place on earth, we would be glad to accept the hardest mortification in exchange for Purgatory. "BaNe pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord hath touched me!" (Job. 19, 21.) Appease the Divine Justice with your good works, pay our debts, hasten the day when we shall enter into Heaven, and then we will return our gratitude forever.
PRACTICE: Encourage all the works established for the relief of the Souls in Purgatory.
RESOLUTION: At night, in the examination of conscience, I will question myself: What have you done today for the relief of Poor Souls?
EXAMPLE: The soul of a pious lady, deceased at Luxemburg, appeared on All Saints' Day to a young girl of great piety, to beg the assistance of her prayers. When the latter was going to church, when approaching the holy rails, she was followed by the soul. Outside the church it could not be seen. As the young girl inquired the reason for it, she was answered: "You cannot understand how painful it is to be away from God. I am attracted to God by impetuous transports, by intolerable anxiety, and I am condemned to live far away from Him. My sorrow is so intense, that the ardor of fire, which surrounds me, is a lesser suffering. To soothe my pain, God, in His mercy, has allowed me to come into this church, and to adore Him, veiled under the Host, until I might see Him face to face in Heaven." She entreated the young girl to pray for her deliverance. It was done with so much fervor, that, on the 10th of December, the soul appeared, as bright as the sun, going to Heaven.
PRAYER: De Profundis
Let us pray for our benefactors and friends:
O God, Who bestowest forgiveness and salvation, we address Thy clemency that, through the intercession of the blessed Virgin Mary and of all the Saints, the Souls of our departed brethren, relatives and benefactors, may be admitted into the eternal glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
(300 days each time for VV. and RR., applicable only to the dead. Pius X., Feb. 13, 1908.)
THIRD DAY
The Pain of Loss
PREPARATORY PRAYER
MEDITATION: During the long captivity, God's people, sitting on the shores of the Euphrates, moaned and cried in remembering Sion. So the Souls in Purgatory, plaintive and doleful, long for the joys of the heavenly mansion. They have had a glimpse of its glory and happiness, but because they were too much attached to earthly pleasures, they will be deprived, perhaps for a long time, of the celestial joys. They remember all the negligence of their former life, which now obstructs their way to Heaven. What sorrows! what remorses! because they have preferred a moment of pleasure to the enjoyment of Heaven. Then the poor, desolate Souls accuse themselves, saying with the Prophet: "I know my iniquity, and my sin is always before me." Ps. 50, 5)
Since God has granted us the power of paying the debts of the "Poor Souls" with our works, let us appreciate this immense privilege. A noble heart should be delighted in relieving the poor, in consoling the afflicted, in bringing peace and hap- piness to those who suffer. Such is the privilege of those who assist the Souls suffering in Purgatory, because they deliver them from the hardest captivity and they open to them the gates of Heaven.
Moreover our charitable deeds for the "Poor Souls" will secure for us the gratitude of God Himself. "When," said our Lord to His holy servant Gertrude, "a Soul is liberated by your prayers, I accept it, as if I had been Myself liberated from captivity, and I will assuredly reward you according to the abundance of My mercy."
PRACTICE: Perform today an act of mortification or obedience for the relief of the "Poor Souls."
RESOLUTION: Be faithful in little things. Everything is great which is done for the Glory of God.
EXAMPLE: At the close of September, 1870, there died at GH, France, a banker, renowned for his piety and his charity. By Divine permission his Soul appeared to his daughter, a member of a sisterhood in Belgium, to implore the assistance of her prayers. At first he was seen surrounded by flames, saying: "Have pity on your father, my child! If Purgatory were known, everyone would strive to escape its torments." Sometimes he would loudly complain: "I thirst! I thirst!"
Fervent prayers were offered for him at the convent, and he appeared again, enveloped in a dark cloud, but free from fire. He said to his daughter: "It seems that I am here during a century. My great suffering now is the thirst for the Vision of God and the enjoyment of His presence. I rush to Him and I am incessantly repulsed into the abyss because I have not yet paid all my debt to the Divine Justice."
Prayers were continued and on Christmas night he was seen in a halo of light, and addressing his daughter, said: "My pains are over. I owe this favor to the prayers offered for me. I come to thank you and your community. I will not forget you in Heaven."
PRAYER: De Profundis
Let us pray for Bishops and Priests deceased:
O God, Who has deigned to raise to the pontifical or sacerdotal dignity Thy servants N. N., grant us the grace of enjoying with them eternal felicity. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
(300 days each time for VV. and RR., applicable only to the dead. Plus X., Feb. 13, 1908.)
FOURTH DAY
The Pain of Sense
PREPARATORY PRAYER
MEDITATION: The pain of loss, the deprivation of the Vision of God, constitutes the supreme suffering in Purgatory. To this suffering of deprivation other sufferings of a positive nature are added. These are conditioned by the number and gravity of the sins which call for expiation and we have every reason to conceive of them as alike terrible and prolonged. Though the Church has not pronounced any decision on this point, it is the opinion of its doctors that the Souls in Purgatory are tormented by fire which penetrates them and burns them as gold in the crucible (Prov. 17, 3) until it has reduced them to such a degree of purity, that they may be worthy to appear before God.
When a fire is raging, everybody is excited. The people rush to the spot and everyone tries to save those who are already surrounded by the terrible element. Why are we unmoved at the sight of so many Souls who are tormented in the fire of Purgatory and who claim our assistance? Let us not abandon them.
PRACTICE: Let us pray our Lord today to apply the merit of His death on the Cross to the Souls in Purgatory.
RESOLUTION: I will observe the abstinence and fast prescribed by the Church, unless prevented by sickness.
EXAMPLE: Two Spanish monks, bound together by a long and warm friendship, agreed that: if God would allow it, the one who should die first, would appear to the other to make known his condition in the other world. Some time later, one of them died, and appeared to his friend, saying: "I am saved, but condemned to suffer in Purgatory. It is impossible to describe such torments. Will you allow me to give you a sensible demonstration?" Then he placed his hand on the table and imprinted on it a mark as deep as if it had been made by a red hot iron. This table was preserved at Zamora (Spain) up to within the last century.
PRAYER: De Profundis
Let us pray for a deceased man:
Hear, O Lord, the prayers which we address to Thy mercy, and grant us that the soul of Thy servant N.N., which is gone into another world, be received into the abode of light and happiness to enjoy the felicity of the Saints. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
(300 days each time for VV. and RR., applicable only to the dead. Plus X., Feb. 13, 1908.)
THE FIFTH DAY
Duration of Purgatory
PREPARATORY PRAYER
MEDITATION: How long do the pains last in Purgatory? Nobody knows. God has allowed some Souls to appear to their friends and benefactors to announce their departure for Heaven, but it seldom happened, and we cannot draw any conclusion from such cases. The period of confinement in Purgatory is probably much longer than we are inclined to think. Oh! how much combustible matter---how many imperfections, venial sins and tem-oral punishments due to mortal and venial sins---do you think they took with them to be cancelled in the flames of Purgatory? Centuries may pass until Divine Justice is satisfied and the Poor Soul is so purified as to be admitted to the Vision of God. The Venerable Bede relates that it was revealed to Drithelm, a great servant of God, that the Souls of those who spend their whole lives in the state of mortal sin, and are converted only on their death bed, are doomed to suffer the pains of Purgatory to the day of Last Judgment. Father Faber, commenting on this subject, says very justly: "We are not to leave off too soon praying for our parents, friends or relatives, imagining with a foolish and unenlightened esteem for the holiness of their lives, that they are freed from Purgatory much sooner than they really are!"
Let us consider the purity which is necessary to a soul, before being admitted into the presence of God! Let us remember the multitude of our venial sins, and see what light penance we have done for them. On the Day of Judgment the book of our deeds will be opened, and then we will be obliged to pay the last farthing. How guilty we are in abandoning so easily the Souls who need our assistance so much! The Saints are wiser. St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, was dead for twenty years, and she was still remembered by her son in the Holy Sacrifice. St. Ambrose promised solemnly and publicly to pray, during his entire life, for the soul of Theodosius the Great.
And supposing that we had delivered the Souls of our relatives and friends, have we emptied the prison of Purgatory?
How many poor, abandoned Souls linger in such horrible pains, imploring the assistance of some charitable heart. Cardinal Belllarmin has affirmed that: "Some Souls would suffer in Purgatory till the Day of Judgment, if they were not relieved by the prayer of the Church." Therefore, he authorizes the foundation of Masses to be said in perpetuity.
PRACTICE: Would it not be a holy thought to form, among relatives and friends, an association of seven members, so that each would employ a day of the week for the relief of the "Poor Souls."
RESOLUTION: Each time I hear the clock strike, I will say:
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
(50 days each time for saying this V. and R., applicable only to the dead. Leo XIII Br., March 22, 1902.)
EXAMPLE: Sister Denis, one of the first members of the order of the Visitation, was a zealous promoter of the devotion of the "Poor Souls." It was revealed to her that a prince, one of her relatives, had been condemned to suffer in Purgatory until the Day of Judgment. She offered herself as a victim for the relief of this soul. On her death-bed she said to the mother-superior that she had obtained for the poor soul the remittance of some hours of his pain. As the superior wondered at this fact, she replied: "O Mother, time in Purgatory is not counted as on earth; years passed here in sorrow, in poverty, in sickness, in suffering, are nothing, if we compare them with one hour in Purgatory!"
PRAYER: De Profundis
Let us pray for a deceased woman:
We humbly request Thee, O Lord, to grant mercy to the soul of Thy Servant, N. N., in order that, being delivered from the contagion of sin, she may enter into eternal salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
(300 days each time for VV. and RR., applicable only to the dead. Pius X., Feb. 13, 1908.)
THE SIXTH DAY
Obligation of Assisting the "Poor Souls."
PREPARATORY PRAYER
MEDITATION: The Souls in Purgatory cannot help themselves; they are unable to shorten their captivity. This reason alone should urge us to come to their assistance.
After death there is no more place for mercy, the time for justice commences. The soul is no longer free to choose between good and evil, therefore she cannot obtain any merit and her sufferings are accounted only as a payment for her debts. Alas! to be condemned to such sufferings, to be afflicted perhaps during centuries! How bad it is for those "Poor Souls!"
Could we see an unfortunate man, lying on the road, wounded, bleeding and would we pass and abandon him! We hold the key of a prison, crowded with prisoners; they crave for liberty and shall we leave them in their pitiable situation! So we have received from the mercy of God the privilege of liberating the Souls detained in Purgatory. We may say that we are the Providence of the dead; we, and we alone, may open the gates of Heaven to the Souls who are longing for their deliverance. It is the teaching of the Church, that the prayer of the living can be applied to the Souls in Purgatory. As your prayers ascend to Heaven, graces come down as a refreshing shower, bringing to the Souls forgiveness, liberty, and glory. The supplications of Mary and Martha obtained the resurrection of Lazarus. Let us address our prayers to the heart of Jesus, and we will deliver from their pains our dear departed ones. Shall we not be guilty if we do not employ our credit in favor of the unfortunate prisoners in Purgatory?
PRACTICE: St. John Chrysostom recommended to every Christian family that they have a box at some convenient place in the house and that they put into it pennies, which will be used to have Masses said for the "Poor Souls."
RESOLUTION: Pray today for the most abandoned Souls.
EXAMPLE: At the Benedictine monasteries, when one of the monks died, his ordinary meals are distributed among the poor during thirty days. In the year 830, when a terrible plague was raging, many religious died. The abbot Rabanun Maurus gave the order to distribute the alms, according to the ancient usage, but the procurator did not obey. One night the stingy monk, having been delayed by his work, to shorten his way to his cell, passed through the Chapter room. There he was surrounded by all the monks, recently dead, who whipped him, leaving him half dead on the floor. Early the next morning he was found by the religious, who were going to the chapel. He related the event, made his confession, received the last rites and died two days afterwards.
PRAYER: De Profundis
Let us pray:
We humbly beseech Thee, O Lord, to release the Souls of Thy Servants, in order that they may obtain the glory of the resurrection and that they may be joined to the Saints and elect in Heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
(300 days each time for VV. and RR., applicable only to the dead. Pius X., Feb. 13, 1908.)
THE SEVENTH DAY
Cruelty of Those Who Abandon the "Poor Souls."
PREPARATORY PRAYER
MEDITATION: Our Lord reproved the cruelty of the rich man, who refused even the crumbs of his table to poor Lazarus. while he himself was feasting sumptuously every day. Are they not imitating the wicked rich, who stand unmoved, seeing the sufferings of the "Poor Souls?" Those unfortunates, who appeal to our Compassion, are not strangers. Among them there are our parents, our benefactors, our friends. Not long ago, they were living among us in the same house. We bear their names, we inherited their lands; and we forgot them! We abandon them! They may say with Job: "My kinsmen have forsaken me, and they that knew me have forgotten me. They that dwell in my house, and my maid-servants, have counted me as a stranger, and I have been like an alien in their eyes." (Job 19, 15) To forget the dead is a crime. Solemn promises were made at the death-bed. A child has said to his father and to his mother dying: I will not forget you! But where is the sign of this remembrance? Does it pray for them? Perhaps a vague, shadowy remembrance of the departed comes to its mind, but where is the profit to the "Poor Souls?" Useless and vain compassion! Empty love! Where are the works, alms, and holy Masses to assist, to relieve, to deliver the "Poor Souls?" Those who forget them will also be abandoned! "With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again." (St. Matt. 7, 22)
PRACTICE: After the Evening Angelus say: Our Father and Hail Mary, once; or the De Profundis, as a daily tribute to the "Poor Souls."
RESOLUTION: I will endeavor to propagate devotion to the "Poor Souls."
EXAMPLE: A poor servant-girl had the pious custom of having a Mass said every month for the Souls in Purgatory, and she prayed especially for the Soul that was nearest to Heaven. After a long, protracted illness, she was leaving the hospital and setting out in search of a position. On her way she passed a church and, remembering that her monthly Mass had not been said, she entered the sacristy, requesting the priest to say this Mass. When she left the church a young man came up to her. He was tall and pale, and of a noble demeanor. "My good girl," he said, "I think you are looking for a position." "Yes," said the girl, somewhat surprised. "Well," said the young man, "if you go to Mrs. N. (here he named the street and number), I think you will find a good place;" and suddenly he disappeared among the crowd of passersby. The girl went, found the house, was introduced, and presented her petition. "But," said the lady of the house, "who could have sent you here? Nobody knows that I need a servant." Suddenly the girl, looking at the wall, noticed a portrait. "Look here, madam," said she, pointing to the picture, "that is the exact likeness of the man who told me to come here." At these words the old lady turned pale. "Ah!" said she, "that is the portrait of my son, who died two years ago. You shall henceforward remain with me, not as a servant-girl, but as my daughter, and we will always pray together for the "Poor Souls" in Purgatory."
PRAYER: De Profundis
Let us pray:
May our prayers be profitable, O Lord, to the Souls of Thy servants, that being absolved from their sins, they may have a share in the fruits of redemption. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
(300 days each time for VV. and RR., applicable only to the dead. Pius X., Feb. 13, 1908.)
THE EIGHTH DAY
The Communion of Saints
PREPARATORY PRAYER
MEDITATION: How grand and consoling is the doctrine of the Communion of Saints! While we, in this world, are struggling for the celestial crown, and assist our brethren in Purgatory, we are protected by those who are triumphing in Heaven. We form, in reality, but one and the same family here below, in Purgatory, and in Heaven. If a member of our body is suffering, all other members come to its assistance. God loves the Souls in Purgatory as His dear spouses. He would open to them the gates of Heaven, but there are barriers. Let us present to His justice our prayers, our good works, and the obstruction will be removed; God will be satisfied.
It is often an obligation of justice to pray for the Poor Souls, but it is always a duty imposed by charity and by the compassion which we owe to one another.
There are in Purgatory Souls abandoned even by their parents and their friends, and for whom no one cares. Forgotten is their life, no thinking of it anymore; forgotten is their name; forgotten is their grave, which is visited no more; forgotten is their Soul, which is lingering in the fire of Purgatory. How their pain is increased by such neglect; They may say with the Prophet: "I am forgotten as one dead from the heart. I am become as a vessel that is destroyed." (Ps. 30, 30.)
PRACTICE: Let us pray often and do some good works for the most abandoned Souls. Let us be to them like a father, a mother, a sister, a friend.
RESOLUTION: To offer the abandonment of our Lord Jesus, in His passion, for the most abandoned Souls.
EXAMPLE: Catherine of Cortona was hardly eight years old when her father died. One day he appeared to her, wrapt in fire. "My daughter," said he, "I will be plunged in fire till you have done penance for me." Then the child, with a rare courage, decided to practice the hardest mortifications, in order to pay the spiritual debts of her father. She succeeded. Her father appeared again, as bright as a Saint, saying: "God has accepted your suffrages and your satisfactory works, my daughter. 1 am going to enjoy eternal happiness. Do not cease to offer yourself as a victim for the salvation of Suffering Souls. This is the will of God."
PRAYER: De Profundis
Let us pray for those who rest in the cemetery:
O God, by whose mercy the Souls of the departed rest in peace, we beseech Thee to grant to Thy servants, and to all who rest in the Lord, the forgiveness of their sins, and life everlasting. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
(300 days each time for VV. and RR., applicable only to the dead. Pius X., Feb. 13, 1908.)
THE NINTH DAY
Benefit of the Devotion to the "Poor Souls."
PREPARATORY PRAYER
MEDITATION: This Novena is coming to a close. Do we understand the benefits and the consolation derived from devotion to the holy Souls? Do we need stronger motives to increase our zeal? Then let us consider that: Nothing is more glorious to God, nothing gives more honor to His Holy Name, nothing rejoices His Heart more, nothing is more pleasing to Him than charity for the "Poor Souls."
To open Heaven to the Poor Souls is praise and glorify God, the number of hearts that love Him. "Such a work," says Bourdaloue, "is an apostolate more noble, more meritorious than the conversion of sinners, and even of heathens."
How we will please the Heart of Jesus, Who loves the Souls redeemed by His Precious Blood! He would willingly come into this world again and offer Himself for their deliverance; but all justice must be accomplished, and the debts of the Souls must be paid. Therefore, He has inspired His Church with the practice of praying for the dead every time the Holy Sacrifice is offered.
The Blessed Virgin is the Queen of Purgatory and will be highly gratified when we contribute to the relief of the "Poor Souls."
St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death, will also present our requests to the Lord, who has been called His Son. He will repay us generously if we come to the rescue of the suffering Souls.
What joy among the Saints in Heaven when they will see another elect---a Soul coming out of Purgatory! Her Guardian Angel, the Holy Patron, will welcome and congratulate her! It will be a great joy in Heaven. The Saints know the benefactors of the "Poor Souls," and they will, in return, protect them.
We have already said that the Saints in Purgatory will remember their benefactors. No, they cannot forget them! They will attentively provide for them in needs both temporal and spiritual. They will protect us and defend us in troubles, in dangers, in temptations. On our death-bed they will surround us. At the tribunal of God they will be our advocates; and, if we are cast into Purgatory, they will come to visit us, to console us, until the day of our entrance into a glorious eternity.
PRACTICE: Give alms to the poor; insure your soul with prayers and good deeds against the fire of Purgatory. Money will be useless at the hour of death, but your good works will follow you.
RESOLUTION: I will never miss the opportunity of assisting the "Poor Souls."
EXAMPLE: A pious lady was praying for the recovery of her health. She had exhausted every means and made novenas after novenas to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to St. Joseph, etc., without success. But she was advised to commence novenas for the relief of the "Poor Souls" in Purgatory. She did so and entirely recovered. She was accustomed to say: "All that I ask through the intercession of the "Poor Souls" I obtain easily. With them I am never discouraged, and I hope against hope."
PRAYER: De Profundis
Let us pray for all the faithful departed:
O God, Creator and Redeemer of all men, we beseech Thee to grant to the Souls of Thy servants the remission of their sins, so that by our prayers they may obtain the indulgence for which they long. O Lord, Who reigns and lives, world without end. Amen.
V. Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.
V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.
(300 days each time for VV. and RR., applicable only to the dead. Pius X., Feb. 13, 1908.)
The Practice of this novena is especially and earnestly recommended to those who mourn the death of their parents and friends. They should commence it on the very day of the death of the person, and continue it during the nine following days. It will be a consolation for them and a relief for the dear departed one.
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