Sanctus Simplicitus

Around the Year with the Trapp Family
All Souls Day

Toward the end of the year, on November 2nd, the Church sets a day aside which is devoted to the suffering souls in Purgatory. Just as we turn to our big sisters and brothers, the saints, to intercede for us at the throne of God, the poor souls are also turning toward us: "Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you, my friends, because the hand of the Lord has trouched me" (Job 19:21; Office of the Dead). Helpless in themselves, since the purification they are undergoing is passive suffering, they can be helped by us. We canpray for them. We can offer up sacrafices and good works with the desire that God may accept them and, seeing in them the prayer and suffering rise from the Mystical Body of His only Son, hasten the delivery of those souls whom He deems worthy and ready for such help. On the day of "all the faithful departed" the Church reminds her children to listen to the message of the Scriptures in her liturgy and to do some thinking and meditating on Purgatory and the holy souls there. (Continue reading in this blog post, scroll down to get to the section on All Souls' Day)

Read our past posts on All Soul's Day tradtions:

Fr. Weiser on All Souls Day Traditions

From Catholic Life

Visit our Liturgical Year page on All Souls Day

Coloring Page for All Souls' Day

Catholic Life
Impr. 1908

 "To relieve the souls of the departed is to perform all the works of mercy in a single act." -St. Francis De Sales
 
The souls in Purgatory are Saints who love God intensely, but are
prevented from enjoying Him on account of some debts to Divine Justice because
of sin. Their pains are great . Their greatest torment is their unsatisfied
desire of being with God. They have already seen Him at their judgment, and they
now know His perfections in a way far different from anything possible in this
life. If we  only thought of this,
how careful we should be not to commit venial sins.

 There are many motives to induce us to help the poor souls, such as
the glory that their praises will give to God when they are before His
throne;  pity for them - suffering
without being able to help themselves; and our own interest, as charity to them
brings blessings from God, and puts them under an obligation to assist us by
their prayers.
 
We may relieve them by prayers, indulgences, almsgiving, Holy
Communion, and particularly by the holy Sacrifice of the
Mass.

 One special effect of this devotion to the poor souls is to cause
us to lead a very pure life, because, as we are pleading for those, some of whom
have offended God only slightly, we are constantly reminded of the punishment,
and so it is not likely that we will commit similar
offences.

 So many reasons, then, urge us to help the poor souls; it was no
wonder that Holy Church should encourage us by her own example. No Mass can be
celebrated, no Divine Office recited, and no grace after meals should be said,
without a prayer for the happy repose of their souls.
 
"In pains beyond all earthly pains,
 Favourites of Jesus! There they lie,
 Letting the fire wear out their stains,
 And worshipping God's purity."
 
Example -SS. Monica and Augustine

 Augustine - the wayward Augustine - having at last been converted
as the result of a mother's tears and prayers, St. Monica felt that her work on
earth was done, and henceforth she sighed for Heaven. "Son," said she to him, "I
have now no tie to earth. I have nothing more to hope for in this world. One
thing there was for which I did desire to tarry a little longer in this life,
which was that I might see thee a Christian Catholic before I died. My God hath
granted me more than this, in that I see thee now despising earthly felicity,
entirely devoted to His service. Why, therefore, do I tarry here? Lay this body
anywhere, be not concerned about that; only this I beg of you, that wheresoever
you be, you make remembrance of me at the Lord's altar."
 
From that moment Monica was silent, wholly absorbed in preparing
herself for the advent of her heavenly Bridegroom. Augustine, full of love and
fortitude, remained by his mother; though alternately lost in wondering
admiration, and overcome by sorrow, with his prayers, and ardent love he aided
her in this last painful struggle.
 
After her happy death, he says: "I let go my tears, which I had
kept in before, that they might flow as much as they pleased, and found rest to
my soul in weeping for her, who so long had wept for me."

 To the very day of his death he ceased not to mourn for his mother.
In compliance with her dying request, he daily remembered her in his prayers,
and at the holy altar. "And now," writes St. Augustine thirty years after her
death, "my heart being healed of that wound in which a carnal affection may have
had too great a share, I pour out to Thee, O Lord, in behalf of that servant of
Thine, a far different sort of tears, flowing from a spirit freighted with the
consideration of the perils of every soul that dies in Adam.... Therefore, O God
of my heart, my glory and my life, setting aside her good deeds, for which I
give Thee thanks, I entreat Thee at present for my mother's sins. Hear me now, I
beseech Thee, through that Physician of our souls Who hung upon the Cross, and
Who now intercedeth for us at Thy right hand. I know that mercifully, and from
her heart, she forgave her debtors their trespasses; do Thou likewise forgive
her her debts, if she has contracted any during those many years she lived after
her Baptism. Forgive them, O Lord, forgive them, I beseech Thee .... Let her
therefore rest in peace, together with her husband, her only spouse, whom she
dutifully served that she might be worthy of gaining him to Thee. And do Thou
inspire, O Lord my God, my brothers, my masters, whom I wish to serve with my
voice, heart and writings, that as many as shall read this may remember at Thy
altar Thy handmaid Monica, with Patricius, her husband, by whom Thou broughtest
me into this life. Let them remember with a pious affection those who were my
parents in this transitory life, that so my mother's last request to me on her
death-bed may be more abundantly performed for her by the prayers of many than
by mine alone."

A dear friend and her family has put out another issue of the St. Catherine
Academy Gazette. As in every issue, it features stories from old imprimatured
books along with pictures, games for the kids, cathecism questions, color pages and so forth. You will find the most recent copy below along with issue number 17. If you missed the first issue we shared here please click here to print issue 18. If you would like to be on the email list to receive these please find the contact information on the last page of the newsletter.