Let’s remember the souls in Purgatory

Day and night, the pleading voice of poor souls is heard from the depths of purgatory fire: “Have mercy on us, at least you, our friends, have mercy on us, because the hand of the Lord has touched us!” Look at our sorrow; great is our misery! Don’t wait, help us – because we are suffering unspeakable torments, unspeakable pains!” So the souls in Purgatory are begging, so fervently sighing for help, because they cannot help themselves. So is it not our duty to help these souls? They may be our parents, brothers, sisters, relatives, friends, and benefactors. Perhaps they are souls whose pain we are complicit in; they are souls who, as members of the suffering Church, have the right to our merciful love.

Our help to the souls in Purgatory will be richly rewarded, both in this life and in the next. The souls in Purgatory are the brothers of Jesus Christ, who said: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40) and “Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy” (Mt 5:7). So, a great reward awaits us for help and love!

And maybe you too will become a poor soul in need of help in Purgatory! It will be a great happiness for us if we hear the statement: “Come, you blessed of my Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world” (Mt 25:34). But when instead we hear the terrible statement: “Depart from me, you cursed, into eternal fire” (Mt 25:41). Then the time will come when we too will cry for help from this prison. But will we then find mercy when we did not help the poor souls and could help? Didn’t the Lord Jesus say emphatically: “Give, and it will be given to you… For with the measure you measure, it will be measured to you.” (Lk 6:38)

So let’s be generous towards the souls in Purgatory, let’s help them through the sacrifice of St. mass, prayer, almsgiving, and other God-loving deeds! Many throw up their hands and say: Purgatory is not! With this, let the Florentine Church Council answer, which issued: “With all determination, we determine that truly penitent souls, who died in love, before they had made sufficient satisfaction for sins, transgressions, and abandonment of good, will be purified after death through the torments of purgatory, and that the help of living believers contributes to the payment of these fines, especially the sacrifice of St. masses, prayers, and almsgiving and other acts of piety.’

It is therefore a teaching of the infallible Church, and thus of the Catholic faith: that there is Purgatory, i.e. one place of punishment and purification, where those who have died in the grace of God but have not yet fully atoned for their sins, must suffer for a while, and they will be there until they are cleansed of all stains and thus become worthy to look at God.

Believers on earth can help the souls in Purgatory to be delivered as soon as possible. Therefore, let us not forget the souls in Purgatory in our prayers this month. Let’s not forget to pray to the Queen of Heaven and Earth and offer all our good deeds to the Virgin Mary for the release of souls from Purgatory. Let us remind our dear Virgin that she is the Mother in Purgatory of suffering souls, and she is also the Mother of mercy. Let him speak a good word for those souls, and let him come to the aid of his servants. And so, with her powerful intercession, the infinitely merciful God accepts even our weak requests and indulgences that we give to the souls in Purgatory and frees them, leading them to eternal bliss.