TENTH DAY
THE SOULS IN PURGATORY ARE IN THE ARMS OF THE DIVINE JUSTICE, WITHOUT
BEING ABLE TO MERIT OR HELP THEMSELVES.
The souls of the just, says the Book of Wisdom, are in the hands of God,
and cannot die eternally, for they are in peace. But we cannot say this of the
holy souls in purgatory. It is true that they are just, and cannot lose the
grace and friendship of God; but it is also true that, having come to the limits,
not of glory, but of grace, they cannot merit any more or help their own
selves. The souls of the dead, it is said in Ecclesiastes, cannot gain
themselves any more reward. Which sentiment St. Jerome explains thus: "While men live, they can become just; but after their death, there is no
further motive to do good works, nor can they any more practice acts of justice
or of virtue.'' These souls, therefore, must be subjected to the rigor of
Divine justice until they have entirely satisfied what they owe, without being
able by their sufferings to acquire merit or help their own selves. Who among
us, then, will not feel himself moved by these reflections to compassion, and
will not endeavour, by his suffrages, to draw those blessed souls from the
hands of Divine justice, and to place them in those of Divine mercy?
Ejaculation
The scowling heaven threatens bolts Of thunder and the lightning's
flame! Yet soon 'tis calm: — and shall Thy wrath Against these souls still keep
the same?
De profundis
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.
St. Bonaventure, the Franciscan Bishop, Cardinal, and Doctor, will be
the protector of this day, who, to his prayers in behalf of the souls in
purgatory, added, in his works, exhortations thereto, and especially inculcated
the Sacrifice of the Altar for them. Charity and compassion for your neighbours
forces you, said the Saint, to this holy table, nothing being more efficacious
towards obtaining the repose of the souls of the departed.
(Ap. Pepe, Par. I. Serm. 16.)
Example
Among all the works which can be applied to the advantage of the souls
in purgatory, the most efficacious is, without doubt, the holy Mass, as being
that (says the Angelic Doctor) which contains that precious hidden gift which
extinguishes the pains of purgatory, lightens and shortens them. In order to
increase in those who are devout to these souls zeal in the practice of suck suffrages,
we have prescribed above an act of virtue tending greatly towards it, and here
cite the following example: The blessed Henry Suso had a holy and close
friendship with a religious companion, in his studies at Cologne. These two
friends had made a mutual compact, that whichever of them was the first to die,
the one should celebrate for the other two Masses a week for a whole year. The
good religious died, and the blessed Henry had information of it: although he
had quite forgotten the promise, he did not fail fervently to recommend his
friend's soul to the Lord, and to apply all his severest penances for him. But
the dead, appearing to him with an appearance half sorrowful and half angry,
complained of him for having forgotten to assist him by celebrating the Divine
Sacrifice; and when he excused himself that still he had recommended him
continually to the Lord, the dead man cried out, " Blood, blood, my dear
brother, is what we want to cool us — Masses, Masses, according to your
promise, is what is wanted." And, in fact, when he had celebrated several
Masses for him, he saw him a little after, mounting, all bright, to heaven. So
true is it, that Jesus Christ alone washes us from our sins with His blood.
(Bened. XIII. Trig. ii. Serm. 11.)
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