The Rosary is often misunderstood. This devotion is not about Mary, but is a meditation on the life of Christ; Our Lady is simply our teacher and chaperone. The fruit of this prayer is to enter deeper into the life of Christ.

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MYSTERIES of the ROSARY

The Joyful Mysteries (prayed Mondays & Saturdays) | fruit of the Mystery

1. The Annunciation | humility
2. The Visitation | love of neighbor
3. The Birth of Jesus | poverty
4. The Presentation | obedience
5. Finding the Child Jesus in the Temple | joy in finding Jesus

The Luminous Mysteries (Thursdays)

1. The Baptism of Jesus | openness to the Holy Spirit
2. The Wedding at Cana | to Jesus through Mary
3. Proclaiming the Kingdom | repentance and trust in God
4. The Transfiguration | desire for holiness
5. The Institution of the Eucharist | Adoration

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays and Fridays)

1. The Agony in the Garden | sorrow for sin
2. The Scourging at the Pillar | purity
3. The Crowning with Thorns | courage
4. The Carrying of the Cross | patience
5. The Crucifixion | perseverance

The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays and Sundays)

1. The Resurrection | faith
2. The Ascension | hope
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit | love
4. The Assumption | grace of a happy death
5. The Coronation | trust in Mary’s intercession

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PRAYERS of the ROSARY

(Prayer title in bold. Leader’s spoken words. Responses are in italics.)

Sign of the Cross. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed. I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sin, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Our Father. Our Father, who art in Heaven; hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come; They will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory Be. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer. Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins. Save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.

Hail, Holy Queen. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, or life, our sweetness and our hope, to thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee to we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears; turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of they womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.

R. That we may be worthy of the promises of life.

V. Let us pray.

R. O God, by the life, death and resurrection of Your only begotten Son, You have purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant, we beseech Thee, that while meditating on these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Mary is the mother of the Church and she will remain so until her son returns in glory.

Mary is the mystical Rose. She lets Castilian Roses to bloom in winter. She is the Rose of Sharon. She is the enclosed garden and the sealed fountain. She is the mother of God. Why is Mary so unique? There is no other human being other than Mary who is so much united with the mysteries of Jesus in such a profound way.

Mary said “Yes” to the plan for human redemption. She carried God in her womb for nine months. Her Son is true man and true God. We all have 46 chromosomes and half comes from our father and half from our mother. Jesus is true man because of Mary. Jesus is true God because he was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Mary, the virgin, gave birth to Jesus. She therefore brought God to earth. We have Jesus because of Mary. God called her the blessed woman full of graces. She endured the humiliation at Bethlehem, the flight to Egypt, and the poverty at Nazareth to bring up her son. She fed him, bathed him and clothed him. Jesus submitted to Mary, the human, for thirty years. He obeyed her in every thing.

Mary initiated the public ministry of Christ. It was not his time. He kept aside his heavenly plan in total obedience to his mother, and started his ministry earlier than scheduled at Cana. It was not his time but he broke the heavenly protocol at the request of Mary and turned water into wine. God often breaks protocols at the request of Mary. Mary is still his mother.

Mary suffered with Christ. When they flogged him, spat upon him and abused him, the mother took those shames in silence. She was at the foot of the cross. Peter fled. Thomas fled. Andrew fled. Mary stayed at the foot of the cross. She saw the death of her son. She accepted the whole humanity as her children at the foot of the cross. The Church was born again through Mary at the foot of the cross when Jesus said, “Behold your son, and behold your mother”. We are the children of Mary and Mary is our mother.

Mary saw the risen Christ and the ascending Christ. Mary received the Holy Spirit at the upper room on the day of Pentecost. She was an early evangelist with her adopted son John, the evangelist.

There is no human being in the whole history who is equivalent to Mary. She conceived God in her womb. She brought God to the world. She brought up God’s son by her toils. She inaugurated the public ministry of Christ. She suffered with Christ in his passion. She stood at the foot of the cross and saw the redemption of man kind unfolding in the sorrows of crucifixion.

She birthed the church at the foot of the cross when she accepted John as her son. She saw the promise of resurrection. She saw the arrival of her eternal spouse, the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. She approved the works of Peter.

Jesus Christ the Returning King.

tApparition to Saint Faustinat
tThe God of Mercy tThe Divine Mercy Chaplet t
tDivine Mercy Chaplet Promises tThe Feast of Divine Mercy t
tFeast of Mercy Promises tThe Divine Mercy Novena tThe Hour of Great Mercy t
tPropagation of Divine Mercy PromisetIndext

The Divine Mercy of God The Revelations of Our Lord to Sr. Faustina

Divine Mercy Sunday! The Novena begins on Good Friday And ends the first Saturday after Easter. Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated the next day. Don't Miss The Opportunity!

"The Lord is compassionate and merciful."

James 5:11

JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!

Psalm 91:2
Say to the LORD,
"My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust,"

Apparitions to the Newly Canonized (April 30, 2000)
Saint Faustina: Crakow, Poland (1931-1938)

The God of Love & Mercy "I desire the entire world know that I am a God of Love, Goodness and Mercy." Our Lord to Sr. Josepha As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him: for he knoweth our frame. He remembereth that we are dust: man's days are as grass, as the flower of the field so shall he flourish. Psalm 102:13-15 "The Greatest outpouring of God's Mercy is reserved for mankind in the Twentieth Century." Fr. Roman Hoppe '...where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more..' Romans 5:20 "I want the whole world to know My Infinite Mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy." Our Lord to Saint Faustina "No soul shall be justified unless it turns with confidence to My Mercy ...[Let] the greatest sinners place their trust in My Mercy. They have the right before others to confidence in the abyss of My Mercy ...Graces are drawn from the fount [Confession] of My Mercy with one vessel only, and that is trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive ... I make Myself dependent upon your trust; if your trust will be great, then My generosity will know no limits ... Sins of distrust wound Me most painfully." Our Lord to Saint Faustina "When you go to Confession, know this, that I Myself am waiting for you in the confessional; I am only hidden by the priest, but I Myself act in the soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of Mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great there is no limit to My generosity." Our Lord to Saint Faustina

The Divine Mercy Chaplet The Chaplet itself only takes about 7 - 8 minutes to say not long at all and may be chanted. Our Lord instructed St. Faustina: "You will recite this chaplet on the beads of the rosary in the following manner: First of all you will say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Apostle's Creed. Then, on the Our Father beads say these words: 'Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Thy Most Beloved Son and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and the sins of the whole world.' On the Hail Mary beads say the following words: 'For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and the whole world.' In conclusion say THREE TIMES these words: 'Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.'

The Lord said to St. Faustina (1905-1938): "Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you.... Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death.... When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the Merciful Savior..... Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy.... Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will." - Imprimatur: John A. Marshall, Bishop of Springfield, Mass. (February 22, 1993)

The Feast of Divine Mercy Our Lord told St. Faustina that it is His will that a Feast of Mercy be officially established in the Church on the first Sunday after Easter. Our Lord said to St. Faustina: "This feast emerged from My most tender pity, and it is confirmed in the depths of My Mercy ... I desire that it be celebrated with great solemnity on the first Sunday after Easter ... I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. The very depths of My tender Mercy are open on that day ... are opened all the divine floodgates through which graces flow." OUR LORD PROMISES: "I will pour out a whole ocean of graces upon souls who will approach the fount of My Mercy... The soul that will go to Confession, and [on the Feast of Mercy] receive Holy Communion, shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishments ... Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet." To avail oneself of this promise, Our Lord prescribes: 1. The reception of Holy Communion on that Sunday. 2. The reception of the Sacrament of Penance [within several days before or after the Sunday, in accord with the Church's present practice in the matter of gaining a plenary indulgence]. Our Lord also recommends; 3. The recitation of The Chaplet of Divine Mercy for nine days preceding the feast (beginning on Good Friday). 4. "On My Feast - On the Feast of Mercy - run through the whole world and lead souls that fainted away to the source of My Mercy. I will heal and strengthen them." 5. "I desire that adoration take place here [in church] for the intention of imploring mercy for the world."

Novena to The Divine Mercy
Taken from the Diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska (1209-1229)

In addition to saying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy often,
Our Lord requested the Novena of Chaplets be prayed
especially the nine days before the Feast of Divine Mercy
[beginning on Good Friday, and ending the first Sunday after Easter].

Our Lord promised:

"By this Novena (of Chaplets) I will grant every possible grace to souls"

"On My Feast - on the Feast of Mercy - run through the whole world
and lead souls that fainted away to the source of My Mercy.
I will heal and strengthen them."

"I desire that adoration take place here [in church]
for the intention of imploring mercy for the world."

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Opening Prayer (optional)

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of mercy for us, I trust in You!

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FIRST DAY
TODAY BRING TO ME ALL MANKIND, ESPECIALLY ALL SINNERS

Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from it. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.

SECOND DAY
TODAY BRING TO ME THE SOULS OF PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS

Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service, that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard - upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.

THIRD DAY
TODAY BRING TO ME ALL DEVOUT AND FAITHFUL SOULS

Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from it. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.

FOURTH DAY
TODAY BRING TO ME THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD AND THOSE WHO DO NOT YET KNOW ME

Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.
Eternal Father, turn You merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet to not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

FIFTH DAY
TODAY BRING TO ME THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO HAVE SEPARATED THEMSELVES FROM MY CHURCH

Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart, Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.

SIXTH DAY
TODAY BRING TO ME THE MEEK AND HUMBLE SOULS AND THE SOULS OF LITTLE CHILDREN

Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father's favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

SEVENTH DAY
TODAY BRING TO ME THE SOULS WHO ESPECIALLY VENERATE AND GLORIFY MY MERCY

Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident of Your mercy; and united to You, O Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy, and their hearts, overflowing with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God: Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them that during their life, but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will venerate this fathomless mercy of His, He, Himself, will defend as His glory. Amen.

EIGHTH DAY
TODAY BRING TO ME THE SOULS WHO ARE DETAINED IN PURGATORY

Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy, so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen.

NINTH DAY
TODAY BRING TO ME SOULS WHO HAVE BECOME LUKEWARM

Most Compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love let these tepid souls, who like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen.

Closing Prayer (optional)

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion - inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself.

Three o'clock (both p.m. & a.m. !) The Hour of Great Mercy "At three o'clock implore My Mercy especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, steep yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. ....In this hour I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion." "... as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world - mercy triumphed over justice." Our Lord asked St. Faustina to make the Stations of the Cross at this hour, if not possible then to step into the chapel for a moment and adore His Heart in the Blessed Sacrament. He said to her: "Should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant."

PROMISE to Those who Spread Devotion
to God's Divine Mercy:

"Souls who spread the honor of My mercy
I shield through their entire life as a tender mother her infant,
and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them,
but the Merciful Saviour."

THE HOLY EUCHARIST AND THE HOLY MASS

"Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had said the blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples. 'Take it and eat,' he said, 'this is my body.' Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he handed it to them saying, "Drink from this all of you, for this is my blood, the blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26: 26-28

Graces Derived from Assisting at Mass

(Note: Assisting at Mass simply means attending Mass. By attending a Mass Catholics are actually assisting in Mass.)

1. The Mass is Calvary continued.

2. Every Mass is worth as much as the sacrifice of our Lord's life, sufferings and death.

3. Holy Mass is the most powerful atonement for your sins.

4. At the hour of death the Masses you have heard will be your greatest consolation.

5. Every Mass will go with you to judgment and plead for pardon.

6. At Mass you can diminish more or less temporal punishment due to your sins, according to your fervor.

7. Assisting devoutly at Holy Mass you render to the sacred humanity of Our Lord the greatest homage.

8. He supplies for many of your negligences and omissions.

9. He forgives the venial sins which you have not confessed. The power of Satan over you is diminished.

10. You afford the souls in Purgatory the greatest possible relief.

11. One Mass heard during life will be of more benefit to you than many heard for you after your death.

12. You are preserved from dangers and misfortunes which otherwise might have befallen you. You shorten your Purgatory.

13. Every Mass wins for you a higher degree of glory in Heaven.

14. You receive the priest's blessing which Our Lord ratifies in Heaven.

15. You kneel amidst a multitude of holy angels, who are present at the adorable Sacrifice with reverential awe.

16. You are blessed in your temporal goods and affairs.

In eternity, we shall fully realize that it was certainly worthwhile to have assisted at Holy Mass daily. PRAY FOR PRIESTS THAT THEY MAY OFFER THE MASS WITH HOLY LOVE AND REVERENCE.

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"WHY Should I Go To Mass Every Day?"

"The Mass is the most perfect form of prayer!"

For each Mass we hear with devotion, Our Lord sends a saint to comfort us at death. (revelation of Christ to St. Gertrude the great).

Padre Pio, the stigmatic priest, said, the world could exist more easily without the sun than without the Mass.

The Cure'd' Ars, St. Jean Vianney said, if we knew the value of the Mass we would die of joy.

A great doctor of the Church, St. Anselm, declares that a single Mass offered for oneself during life may be worth more than a thousand celebrated for the same intention after death. St. Leonard of Port Maurice supports this statement by saying that one Mass before death may be more profitable than many after it.

"The Holy Mass would be of greater profit if people had it offered in their lifetime, rather than having it celebrated for the relief of their souls after death." (Pope Benedict XV).

Once, St. Teresa was overwhelmed with God's Goodness and asked Our Lord, "How can I thank you?" Our Lord replied, "ATTEND ONE MASS".

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE HOLY MASS AND THE HOLY EUCHARIST

The following is from the book CATHOLIC CATECHISM BY Rev. W. Faerber, published by TAN BOOKS AND PUBLISHERS, INC. Rockford, Illinois 61105, Copyright 1978 by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc. Used with permission.

1. THE SACRAMENT

Question 272. What is the Holy Eucharist?

The Holy Eucharist is the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine.

Other names: Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, Lord's Supper, Corpus Christi, Sacred Host, Bread of Angels, Heavenly Manna, Viaticum (food for a journey).

Question 273. How is Jesus Christ present in the Holy Eucharist?

Jesus Christ is present in the Holy Eucharist as He is in heaven.

Jesus is present really; not figuratively, not in a symbol. He is present truly; not imagined, not in a picture. He is present essentially, as God and as man.

Question 274. When did Jesus promise the Blessed Sacrament?

Jesus promised the Blessed Sacrament after the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

"The bread that I will give is My flesh for the life of the world. ...Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you shall not have life in you .... For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed" (John 6: 52, 54). Read John 6:25-70.

Question 275. When did Jesus institute the Blessed sacrament?

Jesus instituted the Blessed Sacrament on the eve of His death.

Holy Thursday.

Question 276. How did Jesus institute the Blessed Sacrament?

Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: "Take ye, and eat; this is My body." He then took the chalice with wine, blessed it, and gave it to His disciples, saying: "Drink ye all of this; for this is My blood. ... Do this for a commemoration of Me."

Question 277. What happened when Jesus said, "This is My body," "this is My blood,"?

When Jesus said, "This is My body," "this is My blood," the bread was changed into His body, and the wine into His blood. Transubstantiation = change of a thing into something else.

Question 278. What power did Jesus give to apostles when He said, "do this for a commemoration of Me"?

When Jesus said, "Do this for a commemoration of Me" He gave to His apostles the power to change bread and wine into His body and blood. The apostles were the first Catholic priests.

Question 279. Who received from the apostles the power of changing bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ?

The bishops and priest received from the apostles the power of changing bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ.

Question 280. When do the bishops and priests change bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ?

The bishops and priests change bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ in the Mass.

Question 281. After the consecration, what is on the altar in the place of bread and wine?

After the consecration there is on the altar in the place of bread and wine, the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Question 282. What remains of the bread and wine after the consecration?

Only the appearances of bread and wine remain after the consecration.

Question 282. What remains of the bread and wine after the consecration?

Only the appearances of bread and wine remain after the consecration.

Question 283. What is meant by appearances of bread and wine?

By appearances of bread and wine is meant all that the senses perceive of bread and wine: the color, taste, etc.

Question 284. Under how many appearances is Jesus present?

Jesus is present under two appearances: those of bread and wine.

Question 285. Is Jesus present whole and entire under each appearance?

Jesus is present whole and entire under each appearance.

Question 286. Is Jesus present whole and entire in each particle of the appearances of bread and wine?

Jesus is present whole and entire in each particle of the appearances of bread and wine.

Question 287. How long does Jesus remain present in the Blessed Sacrament?

Jesus remains present in the Blessed Sacrament as long as the appearances exist.

Question 288. What must we do because Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament?

Because Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament, we must adore the Blessed Sacrament. Genuflection. Holy hour. Forty Hours' Devotion.

Question 289. Why did Jesus institute the Blessed Sacrament?

Jesus instituted the Blessed Sacrament

1. To honor the Blessed Trinity (Mass);

2. To be the food of our souls (Holy Communion).

Application. When we pass a church we should greet our Savior with a short prayer. (Praised be Jesus Christ. O Sacrament most holy, O Sacrament divine, all praise and all thanksgiving, be every moment Thine.) Let us frequently visit our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and love to attend the Benediction service. It is a privilege to contribute to the ornamentation of altar, tabernacle, and sanctuary. This will please Jesus and bring us a rich reward.

2. THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

290. What is a sacrifice?

A sacrifice is a visible gift offered to God.

291. Why is sacrifice offered?

Sacrifice is offered to adore, thank, implore, and propitiate God.

292. What is required for a sacrifice?

For a sacrifice is required

1. a visible gift (victim, host)

2. a priest

3. an altar.

293. Which is the perfect sacrifice?

The perfect sacrifice is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

"By one oblation He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified" (Heb. 10: 14).

294. Is the sacrifice of the cross still offered?

The sacrifice of the cross is still offered in every Mass.

"From the rising of the sun even to the going down, My name is great among the Gentiles, and in every place there is a sacrifice, and there is offered to My name a clean oblation" (Mal. 1: 11).

295. How does Jesus offer Himself in the Mass?

Jesus offers Himself in the Mass to the Blessed Trinity in an unbloody manner.

296. When did Jesus institute the holy sacrifice of the Mass?

Jesus instituted the holy sacrifice of the Mass at the Last Supper.

"Do this for a commemoration of Me" (Luke 22:19).

297. Who is the invisible priest in the Mass?

The invisible priest in the Mass is Jesus Christ.

298. How is the Mass divided?

The Mass is divided into:

1. the preparatory and instructive part (Mass of the catechumens);

2. the sacrificial part (Mass of the faithful).

299. Which are the principal parts of the Mass?

The principal parts of the Mass are:

1. the offertory

2. the consecration

3. the communion.

300. Who are specially benefited by the Mass?

Those specially benefited by the Mass are:

1. the priest who celebrates the Mass

2. those for whom it is especially offered

3. all who take part in it.

301. Why is the Mass offered?

The Mass is offered

1. to honor the Blessed Trinity;

2. to distribute the graces which Christ earned by His death on the cross.

Definition: The Mass is the perfect sacrifice of the New Testament in which Jesus Christ offers Himself to the Blessed Trinity under the appearances of bread and wine.

The Mass is a sacrifice of adoration, thanksgiving, expiation, and petition.

Application. The holiest action that takes place on earth is the Mass. We should go to Mass often, be attentive during the instructive part, and devout during the sacrificial part. The best way to take part in the Mass is to unite with the priest in prayer by using a missal and to receive the Holy Eucharist. It is an honor to serve the priest at Mass.

3. HOLY COMMUNION

The act of receiving the Holy Eucharist is called Holy Communion.

302. What are the effects of Holy Communion?

The effects of Holy Communion are:

1. it unites us most intimately with Christ;

2. it increases sanctifying grace in us;

3. it weakens our evil inclinations;

4. it strengthens us in the practice of all virtues;

5. it cleanses us from venial sins;

6. it preserves us from mortal sins;

7. it is a pledge of eternal life.

Pledge---- guarantee.

"He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, abideth in Me and I in Him" (John 6: 57). "He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath everlasting life and I will raise him up in the last day" (John 6: 55).

303. How must we receive the Holy Eucharist to obtain the graces of this sacrament?

To obtain the graces of this sacrament we must receive the Holy Eucharist worthily.

304. Who receives the Holy Eucharist worthily?

He receives the Holy Eucharist worthily who receives it in the state of sanctifying grace.

Venial sins do not render Holy Communion unworthy, but they lessen the effects.

305. Who receives the Holy Eucharist unworthily?

He receives the Holy Eucharist unworthily who knowingly receives it in the state of mortal sin.

306. Why is an unworthy Communion a fearful crime?

An unworthy Communion is a fearful crime because it is a horrible sacrilege.

"Whosoever shall eat this bread or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord." "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord" (I Cor. 11:27, 29).

307. How often should we receive the Holy Eucharist?

We should receive the Holy Eucharist frequently. The Church recommends daily Communion. For daily Communion there are two requisites:

1. to be free from mortal sin;

2. to have a right intention.

308. How must we prepare for Holy Communion?

To prepare for Holy Communion we must:

1. make a good confession to cleanse ourselves from mortal sin;

2. fast, that is, take no food or alcoholic drinks for one hour or other liquids for one hour, except water, which may be taken at any time.*

"Let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of the chalice" (I Cot. 11:28).

309. How should we approach and leave the holy table?

We should approach and leave the holy table with the greatest reverence.

HOW TO AVOID PURGATORY By Fr. Paul O'Sullivan

HOW TO AVOID PURGATORY By Fr. Paul O'Sullivan

  1. CAN WE AVOID PURGATORY?
 2. HOW CAN WE AVOID PURGATORY?
 3. THE FIRST MEANS: REMOVING THE CAUSE
 4. THE SECOND MEANS: PENANCE
 5. THE THIRD MEANS: SUFFERING
 6. THE FOURTH MEANS: CONFESSION, COMMUNION, HOLY MASS
 7. THE FIFTH MEANS: ASKING GOD
 8. A SIXTH MEANS: RESIGNATION TO DEATH
 9. THE SEVENTH MEANS: EXTREME UNCTION
10. INDULGENCES AND PURGATORY
11. THE THIRD ORDERS
12. THOSE WHO EARNESTLY HELP THE HOLY SOULS MAY WELL HOPE TO AVOID        PURGATORY
13. TO AVOID PURGATORY, DO AS FOLLOWS
14. HOW WE CAN HELP THE HOLY SOULS

* THE BROWN SCAPULAR

FOREWORD

Our Lord came on earth expressly to give us a perfect Redemption. He gave us a Law of Love, a Religion in every way to suit our human hearts, destined to make us holy and happy. His Commandments, counsels and promises all breathe peace, joy, mercy and love.

The idea that nearly all of us shall, notwithstanding, have to pass a period more or less long in the excruciating fires of Purgatory after death seems to be at variance with this all-merciful and all-loving plan of our Divine Lord.

It is true that we are weak and fall many times and that God's justice is rigorous and exacting, but it is equally certain that God's mercy and love are above all His works.

It is no less certain that Our Lord has given us abundant grace and strength to save us from sin and many (and most efficacious) means of satisfying for any sins that we may have committed. This last fact seems to be almost entirely overlooked, or imperfectly understood by the majority of Catholics.

Of course, those who go on deliberately sinning and who make no effort to correct their faults and refuse to use the many wonderful means God offers them for satisfying for sin, condemn themselves to Purgatory.

The object of this little book is to show how we can avoid Purgatory by using the means God has so generously offered us, and, secondly, to show that the use of these means is within the reach of every ordinary Christian.

The careful perusal of these pages will be a source of much benefit and consolation to all who read them.

The author offers them to the loving Heart of Jesus and asks Him to bless them.

Chapter 1  CAN WE AVOID PURGATORY? YES.

Many think that it is practically impossible for the ordinary Christian to avoid Purgatory. Go there we all must--so they say. They laughingly remark: "It will be well for us if we ever get there" Alas! When too late they will recognize how terribly rash their words were. As a
consequence of such fatalistic ideas, many make no serious effort to avoid Purgatory, or even to lessen the term they may have to pass there. Thank God all do not hold such gloomy views.

WE SHALL STRIVE IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES TO SHOW

a) How all can notably shorten their period of expiation in Purgatory; 

b)And how they may even avoid Purgatory altogether. These pages are well
worth reading and re-reading. The fact is that a great number of souls go
to Purgatory and remain there for long years simply because they had never
been told how they could have avoided it.

The means we suggest are easy, practical and within the reach of all. Moreover, far from being irksome, the use of these means will only serve to make our lives on this earth holier and happier and will take away the exaggerated fear of death which terrifies so many.

We ask you, Dear Reader, to put this little booklet into the hands of all your friends. You cannot do them a greater service.

Chapter 2  HOW CAN WE AVOID PURGATORY?

The reason why we have to pass through Purgatory after death is that we have committed sins and have not made satisfaction for them. Every individual sin must be expiated--in this life or the next! Not even the slightest shadow of sin or evil can enter the all-holy presence of God.

The graver, the more frequent the sins, the longer will be the period of expiation and the more intense the pain.

It is not God's fault, nor God's wish, that we go to Purgatory! The fault is all our own.

We have sinned and have not made satisfaction. Even after our sin, God, in His infinite goodness, places at our disposal many easy and efficacious means by which we may considerably lessen our term of expiation, or even entirely cancel it.

Most Christians, with incomprehensible rashness, neglect these means and so have to pay their debts in the dreadful prison house of Purgatory.

We will briefly enumerate some of the principal means by which we can avoid Purgatory-or at least lessen its severity and duration.

Chapter 3  THE FIRST MEANS: REMOVING THE CAUSE

The First Means of avoiding Purgatory is manifestly to remove the cause which sends us there, which is sin.

It may not be easy to refrain from all sin, even the smaller sins, but every ordinary Christian can, by the frequent use of the Sacraments, easily abstain from mortal sin.

Secondly, we can all avoid deliberate and grave venial sin. It is an awful thing to offend the good God deliberately. Deliberation intensifies enormously the malice of sin and offends God much more than faults of weakness, or sins committed when we are off our guard.

Lastly, we must use our best endeavours to break off bad habits. Habits, like deliberation, add seriously to the malice of sin. A deliberate falsehood is very much worse than a hasty lie of excuse, and a lie resulting from the inveterate habit of lying is very much worse than a casual lie.

A lady once told us how she had, when younger, the habit of constantly speaking ill of her neighbours.

Having heard a sermon on the subject, she made a strong resolution never to do so again, and kept it.

That simple, strong resolution changed the whole trend of her life and saved her from thousands of sins, and most surely from a long and painful Purgatory.

Who cannot make a like resolution and keep it?

If a Christian avoids, as he easily can, these three classes of sin, viz., mortal sins, deliberate and grave venial sins, and habits of sin, it will be relatively easy for him to atone for faults of frailty, as we shall presently see.

RESOLUTION

We would be well advised to pronounce with special emphasis and fervour, every time we say the Our Father, the words:

"Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"

These are the very words of God Himself and repeated frequently and fervently will certainly obtain for us pardon of our sins.

Chapter 4  THE SECOND MEANS: PENANCE

The Second Means of avoiding Purgatory is to satisfy for our sins in this life by doing penance. "Do penance or you shall all likewise perish" Do penance, or you will burn long years in Purgatory, is a fact that there is no getting away from.

This is a terrifying thought and one that makes the bravest man shudder. Which of us does not tremble when he thinks of those who have been burnt to death in a slow fire? What fear would not be ours if we had to face a similar death? Yet their suffering was of relatively short duration. The incomparably fiercer fire of Purgatory, which we may have to face, may last 20, or 50 or 100 years!

Many people have such a horror of penance that they never even dream of practicing it. It is like the fear that children have of ghosts, a very great but a very unfounded fear. Their idea is that penance is something awful They think perhaps of the severe penances of the great Saints and of course are afraid to attempt anything of a like kind.

God does not ask us, as a rule, to do what is heroic. When He does, He gives us all the strength necessary, as in the case of the Saints. He asks each one to do a little. If we are afraid of doing much, and it is only natural that some should be, let us do at least a little. No one but a coward is afraid to do a little, especially if he gets much in exchange.

The easy road to Heaven of Saint Therese, the Little Flower, is to do many little things. God was infinitely pleased with the widow's mite; He will be equally pleased with our little penances.

As a result of little mortifications, we can deliver ourselves from the awful fires of Purgatory and amass rich merits for Heaven. To go into the matter further, there is not much difficulty about mortification or penance, notwithstanding the absurd fear that people have of it.

Penance is not only easy, it is useful and necessary, and it will bring us very great happiness. Not to do penance is the greatest penance of all. As a matter of fact, every man of the world naturally, spontaneously mortifies himself. The first principle, for instance, of politeness and good breeding is to sacrifice our whims and tastes for the sake of others. The selfish man is a boor; the generous man is the idol of all.

Again, the only way of securing good health is to eschew the most appetizing viands when they do us harm and to make use of plain foods when they do us good. Overeating is the cause of the vast majority of sickness and premature deaths.

To take another example. The secret of success is strenuous, methodical, regular work. Now generosity, self-denial, method, regularity are other forms of very genuine but practical mortification. Yet no man can get on without them. To insist on our own likes and dislikes, to do only as we please, is to lead a life bristling with difficulties, in which every duty is a burden, every good act an effort and a labor.

Boy scouts and girl scouts are bound to do a kind act every day, even though it costs them a big effort. Christians should surely do more. Daily acts of self-restraint, of patience with others, of kindness to others, the exact fulfilment of duty are splendid penances and a great aid to happiness.

RESOLUTION

If we are afraid to do much, let us do many little things. 

Chapter 5  THE THIRD MEANS: SUFFERING

The Third Means of avoiding Purgatory is very easy. It consists in making a virtue of necessity, by bearing patiently what we cannot avoid, and all the more since suffering, borne patiently, becomes easy and light. Suffering, if accepted with calmness and for God's sake, loses all its sting. If received badly, in the spirit of revolt and with repugnance, it is
intensified a hundredfold, and becomes almost intolerable.

Everyone in this vale of tears has to face sorrows innumerable and infinite in variety. Crosses light and crosses heavy are the lot of us all. Strange as it may seem, these sorrows, which most of us would gladly dispense with, are in truth God's greatest graces. They are the little share He offers us of His Passion and which He asks us to bear for love of Him and as penance for our sins.

Borne in this spirit they will lessen considerably our time in Purgatory and very possibly completely remove it--with this difference, that Purgatory, even a Purgatory of 50 or 100 years, will in no wise increase our merits in Heaven; whereas, every pain and sorrow and disappointment in this life will lessen our suffering in Purgatory, and also bring us more
happiness and glory in Heaven.

How sad it is that so many Christians, for want of thought, make their sufferings a thousand times worse than they are and lose all the immense merits that they could so easily gain.

RESOLUTION

Let us suffer with calmness and serenity for the love of God. We shall thus save ourselves from Purgatory.

Chapter 6  THE FOURTH MEANS: CONFESSION, COMMUNION, HOLY MASS

The Fourth Means by which we can lessen our time in Purgatory, or avoid it altogether, is by frequent Confession, Communion and daily assistance at Mass.

Confession applies to our souls the Precious Blood of Christ, wipes out our sins, gives us light to see their malice, fills us with horror of sin and, above all, it gives us strength to avoid it. In Holy Communion we receive the God of infinite mercy and love, the God of all sanctity, who comes expressly to pardon our sins and help us to sin no more.

He visited the house of Zaccheus once, and in that one visit, Zaccheus obtained complete pardon of all his sins.

How is it possible that the same God of goodness and sweetness can come, not into our houses, but into our very hearts in Holy Communion and not give us the same and even greater graces. He visited Zaccheus once, He visits us every day if we allow Him.

Many, alas, never feel, never grasp the immense joys and consolation of Holy Communion.

The Mass is identical with the Sacrifice of Calvary, in its essence, in its value, in the graces it bestows. The Sacrifice of Calvary was sufficient to save all the world, millions and millions of souls, and was also sufficient to save countless other sinful worlds, had they existed. By assisting at Mass, we can apply all these oceans of graces to our own souls, and that not once, but every day.

RESOLUTION

Let us go to Mass and Holy Communion every day. We can do nothing better. One day with Mass and Communion is worth a hundred days without them.

Chapter 7  THE FIFTH MEANS: ASKING GOD

The Fifth Means of avoiding Purgatory is asking God for this grace. Some wise Catholics have a really great, if simple secret, which is well worth learning and using for our own benefit.

God promises us in the most solemn and deliberate way (and He cannot fail to do what He promises) that He will give us everything we ask in prayer, if it is good for us.

Now two conditions, especially, make prayer infallible, namely perseverance and faith. God cannot refuse such a prayer.

These Catholics we speak of pray expressly every day of their lives that God will free them from Purgatory. In every single prayer they say, in every Mass they hear, in every good act they perform, they have the express intention of asking God first of all and with all their hearts to deliver them from Purgatory.

How? That is for God to decide.

It is not easy to see how God can possibly refuse such constant, unceasing prayer. The fact that such prayers are said daily and many times in the day, for 20, 30, 50 years, shows that they are said with undoubting faith and magnificent perseverance.

We exhort all our readers to adopt this practice. The more they know and think on Purgatory, the more fervently will they make this prayer.

RESOLUTION

Every time we say the Hail Mary let us say with all the fervour of our hearts the words: 

"Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.Amen"

Chapter 8  A SIXTH MEANS: RESIGNATION TO DEATH

A Sixth Means of avoiding Purgatory is given us by some great saints: They say that when a sick person becomes aware that he is dying and offers to God his death with perfect resignation, it is very likely that he will go straight to Heaven.

Death is the awful punishment of sin, and when we accept it, as of course we ought to do, with submission and resignation, our act pleases God so much that it may satisfy perfectly for all our sins.

The idea of Pope St. Pius X was the same when he granted a plenary indulgence at the hour of death to those who say at least after one Holy Communion the following prayer:

"Eternal Father, from this day forward, I accept with a joyful and resigned heart the death it will please You to send me, with all its pains and sufferings"

It will be better still to say this prayer after every Holy Communion we receive.

It is for our best interest to accept God's will in everything that happens to us in life and in death.

Nothing can be easier when we remember that God always wishes what is best for us. If we do what God does not will, we shall surely suffer.

RESOLUTION

Each time we repeat the Our Father, let us say with special fervour the words: Thy will be done. In all our troubles, small and great, let us do likewise. Thus everything will gain us merit. By this simple act we change sorrow into joy, the worries of life into gold for Heaven.

Chapter 9  THE SEVENTH MEANS: EXTREME UNCTION

The Seventh Means of avoiding Purgatory is Extreme Unction: God Himself has given us a Sacrament, the end of which is to take us directly to Heaven. This Sacrament is Extreme Unction, which according to St. Thomas and St. Albert was instituted especially to obtain for us the grace of a holy and happy death and to prepare us for immediate entrance into Heaven.

Many Catholics do not understand this most consoling doctrine, and because they do not understand it, they prepare themselves insufficiently for the reception of Extreme Unction and so lose many of its great graces.

Every Sacrament properly received produces its effect. Baptism cleanses us from Original Sin and any other actual sins that may have been committed by adults before receiving the Sacrament.

The Sacrament of Holy Orders gives a priest all his tremendous powers. Matrimony makes man and woman husband and wife. In the same way Extreme Unction, if devoutly received, prepares the dying Christian for immediate entrance into Heaven, thus delivering him from Purgatory.

How foolish it is, therefore, to put off receiving this Sacrament until very late, when the dying person is too exhausted to receive it with full knowledge of what he is doing and with due fervour and devotion. The moment of death is the supreme moment in our lives. It is the moment which decides our fate for all Eternity.

RESOLUTION

Let us use every means in our power to secure a happy and holy death, especially by receiving most devoutly, and as soon as possible, Extreme Unction.

Chapter 10  INDULGENCES AND PURGATORY

[The grants of indulgences were changed in 1968. See the Enchiridion of Indulgences 1968]

God in His infinite mercy and compassion offers us a most wonderful and easy means for lessening or cancelling our Purgatory.

Fully aware of our weakness, and knowing, too, how fearful many are of penance, He opens wide the treasury of His Goodness and offers us most abundant Indulgences in exchange for some small act of devotion.

For one recitation of short ejaculatory prayers, He grants 100 or 300 or more days Indulgence. These we may say hundreds of times in the day. Those who say the little ejaculation: "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee" one hundred times a day gain 30,000 days Indulgence. Those who say it 1,000 times, as many do, gain 300,000 days Indulgence each day!

Nothing can be easier than to acquire the habit of saying this little prayer all day long, countless times each day.

Then, for each Hail Mary of the Rosary, one gains more than 2,000 days Indulgence!

Besides an immense number of Partial Indulgences, there are very many Plenary (full, complete) Indulgences which may be gained during life and at the hour of death.

These are specially given by the Church to enable us to avoid Purgatory. These Indulgences can be applied to our own souls, and we shall thus directly make satisfaction for our sins. Or, we may apply them to the souls in Purgatory, who will see to it that we do not lose by our generosity.

RESOLUTION

Let us strive to gain all possible Indulgences.

Chapter 11  THE THIRD ORDERS

Among the extraordinary graces which Catholics gain by becoming members of a Third Order is a share in many Masses and prayers.

To mention, for instance, the Third Order of Saint Dominic, Pope Benedict XV, himself a Tertiary, said: "One of the easiest and most effectual ways of reaching a high degree of sanctity is by becoming a Dominican Tertiary" The members of this order receive during life a share every day in thousands of Masses and prayers, and after death, when, alas, so many are neglected by their relatives, those who are members of this Third Order
have a share daily in thousands of other Masses and prayers, this for as long as they remain in Purgatory!

Among the many beautiful characteristics of the Order of St. Dominic is its intense devotion and love for the Holy Souls, especially for the souls of its members, friends and benefactors. So true is this that a young Italian nobleman who consulted the Pope as to which religious order he would do well to enter received for answer: "My dear son, you may with much profit join any of the Orders, for in each you will find abundant means of
becoming a Saint. After death, however, be a Dominican" The Holy Father meant to imply that the suffrages given after death to their deceased members are, indeed, most abundant in the Dominican Order.

The conditions of becoming a member of this order are so easy and the advantages so many that half the world would become Dominican Tertiaries did they know these advantages.

Chapter 12  THOSE WHO EARNESTLY HELP THE HOLY SOULS MAY WELL HOPE TO AVOID PURGATORY

The Holy Souls whom we relieve or release by our Masses and good works pray for us with such indescribable fervour that God cannot refuse to hear their prayers. One of the principal graces they ask for their friends is that these shall have little or no Purgatory. No one knows better than they the awful intensity of the Purgatorial flames; no one, therefore, can pray for us as they do. Let us remember that:

a) God thanks as done to Himself what we do to others. When we relieve or release any of the Holy Souls, we relieve or release, as it were, God Himself. How ready, therefore, will He not be to hear the prayers offered by these souls for us.
b) Our Blessed Lord lays down clearly the great law: "By that measure by which you measure, it will be measured to you again" In proportion, consequently, to our generosity towards the Holy Souls will God's mercy and generosity be towards us. Those who work heart and soul for the relief of the Holy Souls may thus well hope that their Purgatory will be entirely remitted, or notably lessened. On the other hand, those who neglect the
Holy Souls may justly fear a severe judgment and a long Purgatory.

RESOLUTION

Let everyone without fail join the Association of the Holy Souls. All the members of the family should do so. The conditions are very easy. If the Association is not established in your Parish, write to: Association of the Holy Souls, Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary, Pius XII Monastery, Rua do Rosario 1, 2495 Fatima, Portugal, which is one of the centers of the devotion.

St. James the Apostle gives another very effectual method of avoiding or lessening our stay in Purgatory. He says: "He who saves a soul, saves his own, and satisfies for a multitude of sins"

If someone were fortunate enough to save the life of a King's only son, the heir to his throne, from a horrible death, what reward might he not expect to receive from the grateful monarch? No King, however, could be as grateful to and anxious to reward the person who saved his son as God is grateful and ready to reward the person who saves one soul from Hell.

All of us may, in a thousand different ways, save not one but many souls from Hell. For instance :

1. We can do so by praying earnestly for them. How often does not a mother save her son's soul by her fervent prayers. We can save souls by giving good advice and also by our good example. How many boys owe their sterling qualities to the wise counsels of a good Father or friend!
2. Another efficacious method of saving souls is by propagating the Faith, viz., Catholic Action.

The incredible ignorance, apathy and indifference of Catholics is the evil of the day!

It is the bounden duty of Catholics to spread about thousands and thousands of pamphlets of all kinds, full of life, vigour and burning interest, crisp, incisive, clear and strong. Otherwise, these are useless.

Each pamphlet or leaflet must carry a message straight to the heart of the reader, rousing him, convincing him, galvanising him into action.

Chapter 13  TO AVOID PURGATORY, DO AS FOLLOWS

1. In every prayer you say, every Mass you hear, every Communion you receive, every good work you perform, have the express intention of imploring God to grant you a holy and happy death and no Purgatory. Surely God will hear a prayer said with such confidence and perseverance.
2. Always wish to do God's will. It is in every sense the best for you. When you do or seek anything that is not God's will, you are sure to suffer. Say fervently, therefore, each time you recite the Our Father: "Thy will be done"
3. Accept all the sufferings, sorrows, pains and disappointments of life, be they great or small: ill health, loss of goods, the death of your dear ones, heat or cold, rain or sunshine, as coming from God. Bear them calmly and patiently for love of Him and in penance for your sins. Of course one may use all his efforts to ward off trouble and pain, but when one cannot avoid them let him bear them manfully.
Impatience and revolt make sufferings vastly greater and more difficult to bear.
4. Christ's life and actions are so many lessons for us to imitate. The greatest act in His life was His Passion. As He had a Passion, so each one of us has a passion. Our passion consists in the sufferings and labours of every day. The penance God imposed on man for sin was to gain his bread in the sweat of his brow. Therefore, let us do our work, accept its disappointments and hardships, and bear our pains in union with the Passion of Christ. We gain more merit by a little pain than by years of pleasure.
5. Forgive all injuries and offences, for in proportion as we forgive others, God forgives
us.
6. Avoid mortal sins and deliberate venial sins and break off all bad habits. Then it will be relatively easy to satisfy God's justice for sins of frailty. Above all, avoid sins against charity and against chastity, whether in thought, word or deed, for these sins [and the expiation for them] are the reason why many souls are detained in Purgatory for long
years.
7. If afraid of doing much, do many little things, acts of kindness and charity, give the alms you can, cultivate regularity of life, method in work, and punctuality in the performance of duty; don't grumble or complain when things are not as you please; don't censure and complain of others; never refuse to do a favour to others when it is possible.
These and such like little acts are a splendid penance.
8. Do all in your power for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Pray for them constantly, get others to do so, join the Association of the Holy Souls and ask all those you know to do likewise. The Holy Souls will repay you most generously.
9. There is no way more powerful of obtaining from God a most holy and happy death than by weekly Confession, daily Mass and daily Communion.
10. A daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament--it need only be three or four minutes--is an easy way of obtaining the same grace. Kneeling in the presence of Jesus with eyes fixed on the Tabernacle, sure that He is looking at us, let us for a few minutes repeat some little prayer like these: "My Jesus, mercy." "My Jesus, have pity on me, a sinner" "My Jesus, I love You" "My Jesus, give me a happy death"

Chapter 14  HOW WE CAN HELP THE HOLY SOULS

I. The first means is by joining the Association of the Holy Souls. The conditions are easy.

ASSOCIATION OF THE HOLY SOULS

Approved by the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon, June, 1936 

1. The members are asked to send their full name and address to: Association of the Holy Souls, Dominican Nuns of the Perpetual Rosary, Pius XII Monastery, Rua do Rosario 1, 2495 Fatima, Portugal.
2. The members must offer up a Mass once a week for the Holy Souls (Sunday's Mass can fulfil this obligation).
3. The members pray for and promote devotion to the Holy Souls. (We recommend the booklets Read Me or Rue It and How to Avoid Purgatory.)
4. The members are asked to contribute a yearly alms to the Mass Fund. The alms is used to have Masses said for the Holy Souls every month.

II. A second means of helping the Holy Souls is having Masses offered for them. This is certainly the most efficacious way of relieving them.

III. Those who cannot get many Masses offered, owing to want of means, ought to assist at as many Masses as possible for this intention.

A young man who was earning a very modest salary told the writer: "My wife died a few years ago. I got 10 Masses said for her. I could not possibly do more but heard 1,000 for her dear soul "

IV. The recital of the Rosary (with its great indulgences) and the Way of the Cross (which is also richly indulgenced) are excellent means of helping the Holy Souls.

St. John Massias, as we saw, released from Purgatory more than a million souls, chiefly by reciting the Rosary and offering its great indulgences for them.

V. Another easy and efficacious way is by the constant repetition of short indulgenced prayers, offering up the indulgences for the Souls in Purgatory. Many people have the custom of saying 500 or 1,000 times each day the little ejaculation, "Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee" or the one word, "Jesus" These are most consoling devotions and bring oceans of graces to those who practice them and give immense relief to the
Holy Souls.

Those who say the ejaculations 1,000 times a day gain 300,000 days Indulgence! What a multitude of souls they can thus relieve! What will it not be at the end of a month, a year--or 50 years? And if they do not say the ejaculations, what an immense number of graces and favours they shall have lost. It is quite possible and even easy to say these ejaculations
1,000 times a day. But if one does not say them 1,000 times, let him say them 500 or 200 times.

VI. Still another powerful prayer is: "Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Jesus, with all the Masses being said all over the world this day, for the Souls in Purgatory."

Our Lord showed St. Gertrude a vast number of souls leaving Purgatory and going to Heaven as a result of this prayer which the Saint was accustomed to say frequently during the day.

VII. The Heroic Act consists in offering to God in favour of the Souls in Purgatory all the works of satisfaction we practice during life and all the suffrages that will be offered for us after death. If God rewards so abundantly the most trifling alms given to a poor man in His name, what an immense reward will He not give to those who offer all their works of
satisfaction in life and death for the souls He loves so dearly.

This Act does not prevent priests from offering Mass for the intentions they wish, or lay people from praying for any persons or other intentions they desire. We counsel everyone to make this act.

ALMS HELP THE HOLY SOULS

St. Martin gave half of his cloak to a poor beggar, only to find out afterwards that it was to Christ he had given it. Our Lord appeared to him and thanked him.

Blessed Jordan of the Dominican Order could never refuse an alms when it was asked in the name of God. One day he had forgotten his purse. A poor man implored an alms for the love of God. Rather than refuse him, Jordan, who was then a student, gave him a most precious belt or cincture which he prized dearly. Shortly afterwards, he entered a church and found his cincture encircling the waist of an image of Christ Crucified. He, too, had
given his alms to Christ. We all give our alms to Christ.

RESOLUTION

a) Let us give all the alms we can afford; 

b) Let us have said all the Masses in our power; 

c) Let us hear as many more as is possible; 

d) Let us offer all our pains and sufferings for the relief of the Holy Souls.

We shall thus deliver countless souls from Purgatory, who will repay us ten thousand times over.

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Appendix I  THE BROWN SCAPULAR

(The following official information was obtained from the National Scapular center, Darien, Illinois, May 9, 1986.)

Two wonderful promises of Our Lady of Mount Carmel are available to those who have been enrolled in the Brown Scapular.

The great promise of the Blessed Virgin Mary, given to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251, is as follows: "Whoever dies wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal fire."

Our Lady's second Scapular Promise, known as the Sabbatine Privilege (the word "Sabbatine" meaning "Saturday"), was given by the Blessed Virgin Mary to Pope John XXII in the year 1322 and is as follows: "I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death, and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free."

There are three conditions for obtaining this privilege: 

1) the wearing of the Brown Scapular; 

2) the practice of chastity according to one's state of life; 

3) the daily recitation of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Those who cannot read can abstain from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays instead of reciting the Little Office. Also, any priest who has diocesan faculties (this includes most priests) has the additional faculty to commute (change) the third requirement into another pious work--for example, the daily Rosary.

Because of the greatness of the Sabbatine privilege, the Carmelite Order suggests that the third requirement not be commuted into anything less than the daily recitation of seven Our Fathers, seven Hail Marys, and seven Glory Be to the Fathers.