Cardinal Arinze: What is Purgatory?

"In my infinite Wisdom I formed my Church: and do they know of what material? From the substance of love, and in all its fibers, and in all its arteries, and in all its dispositions, they will see love and only love. And consequently, I became man, to unite the divine and the human, and to bring to heaven souls WITHOUT DUST.

"Purgatory itself is Love."

~ Jesus to Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida ~

St. Padre Pio: Spiritual Counsel

"Charity is the measure by which Our Lord judges all things."

"You ought to ask Our Lord for just one thing, to love Him.

All the rest should be thanksgiving."

~ St. Padre Pio ~

Preparation for Eternal Life: Grateful, Attentive Love for Jesus in the Eucharist

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying.

Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day.

Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now!

There are only so many tomorrows.”

~ Pope Paul VI  (1897-1978) ~

"On earth you simply do not know what God is. There, each one of you has an idea of what you think God is, according to your very limited knowledge, but when we leave our covering of clay and when nothing impedes the liberty of our souls, we at last begin to know God, His goodness, His mercy, His love. After this clearer view and the thirst for union, our souls yearn for God. This is our very life and we are forever repulsed because we are not sufficiently pure. This, in a word, is our worst suffering, the hardest, the most bitter. Oh, if only we were allowed to come back to earth, after knowing what God really is, what a different life we would lead! But what useless regrets, and yet on earth you do not think of these things and live as if you were blind. Eternity is of no account to you. The earth, which is only a journey and receives only the body which in itself turns to dust, is the sole object to which almost all of your desires tend and you do not even think of Heaven while Jesus and His love are entirely forgotten."

"On earth, people attach themselves to everything and everyone except to Him, who alone ought to have our love and to whom we refuse it. Jesus in the Tabernacle waits for souls to love Him and He finds none. Hardly one soul in a thousand loves Him as it should. You love Him and make up to Him for this guilty indifference which exists all over the world.

"But in Purgatory souls really love, do they not?

"Yes, but it is a love of reparation, and if on earth we had loved Him as we ought to have done, there would not be so many of us here in this place of expiation.

"Is Jesus well-loved in Heaven?

"In Heaven they love Him very much, there He is compensated. But Jesus wants more than that. He wants to be loved on earth, on that earth where He annihilates Himself in every Tabernacle, in order to be approached more easily and yet He is refused. People pass before a church with more indifference than they would before any public monument. If by chance, they go into the holy place, it is only to insult still more the Divine Captive who dwells there, namely, by their coldness and their irreverence. Their prayers are said hurriedly and without attention, instead of speaking to Him from their hearts and saying words of friendship and gratitude for all His favors to them."

~ Sr. M.G., a soul from Purgatory to Sr. M. de L.C: 
excerpts from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~

Hail Mary, Full of Grace: A Tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Prince of Peace Should be the Highest Priority in Our Lives

The Imitation of Christ: Vanities of the World

St. Gertrude the Great: Offering Holy Communion for the Souls in Purgatory

 One day, after Communion, the Saint offered the Host which she had just received for the souls in Purgatory; and perceiving the great benefit they obtained thereby, she was amazed, and said to her Spouse: "My God, since I am obliged to declare for Thy glory that Thou dost honor me continually with Thy presence, or rather, that Thou abidest in my soul, unworthy as I am, how is it that Thou dost not work through me as Thou hast done today after I have received Thy adorable Body?" He replied: "It is not easy for everyone to approach a king who remains always in his palace; but when his love for his queen induces him to go forth, then all may behold, through her kindness, his pomp and magnificence; thus, when, moved by My love, I visit one of the faithful (who is free from mortal sin) in the Sacrament of the Altar, all who are in Heaven, on earth, or in Purgatory, receives immense benefits thereby."

On another occasion the Saint humbled herself deeply before approaching the Holy Communion, in honor and in imitation of the humility of the Son of God in descending into limbo. Then, uniting herself with His descent, she found herself descending to the very depths of Purgatory; and humbling herself still lower, she heard Our Lord say to her: "I will draw you to Me in the Sacrament of the Altar in such a manner that you will draw after you all those who shall perceive the odor of your desire."

Having received this promise from Our Lord, she desired after Communion this promise from Our Lord, she desired after Communion that He would release as many souls as she could divide the Host into particles in her mouth; but as she tried to effect this, He said to her: "In order that you may know that My mercy is above all My works, and that the abyss of My mercy cannot be exhausted, I am ready to grant you, through the merit of this life - giving Sacrament, more than you dare ask Me."

~ Excerpt from The Life and Revelations of St. Gertrude the Great ~

"If you make the intention,

God will accept whatever you do,

for all the souls in Purgatory,

just as if applied to one particular soul."

~ Revelation of a deceased nun, from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~

Eternal Father, by virtue of your generosity and love, I ask that you accept all my actions and that you multiply their value in favour of every soul in Purgatory. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

~ Prayer from Prayers and Heavenly Promises, by Joan Carroll Cruz ~

St. Alphonsus Liguori: Offering Holy Mass for Souls in Purgatory

"St. Augustine says that God will cause those who in this life have most succored those holy souls, when they come to purgatory themselves, to be most succored by others. l may here observe that, in practice, one of the best suffrages is to hear Mass for them, and during the Holy Sacrifice to recommend them to God by the merits and passion of Jesus Christ. The following form may be used:

'Eternal Father, I offer you this Sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ,

with all the pains which He suffered in His life and death;

and by His passion I recommend to you the souls in purgatory,

and especially that of...' etc.

And it is a very charitable act to recommend, at the same time, the souls of all those who are at the point of death."

~ St. Alphonsus Liguori ~

Childlike Hearts, Mangers for Christ

Fr. Leo Clifford, O.F.M.: What's Your Philosophy of Life?

Reasons for Hope--Divine Mercy--Bishop Robert Baker

St. Alphonsus Liguori: Fortunate Clients of Our Mother of Mercy

"The clients of this most merciful Mother are very fortunate. She helps them both in this life and in the next, consoling them and sponsoring their cause in Purgatory. For the simple reason that the Souls in Purgatory need help so desperately, since they cannot help themselves, our Mother of Mercy does so much more to relieve them. She exercises over these Poor Souls, who are the spouses of Christ, particular dominion, with power to relieve them and even deliver them from their pains. See how important it is then to have devotion to this good Lady, because she never forgets her servants as long as they suffer in these flames. If she helps all the Poor Souls, she is especially indulgent and consoling to her own clients."

~ Saint Alphonsus Liguori, excerpt from The Glories of Mary ~

Call Upon Our Blessed Mother

"In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary.

Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart.

And that you may obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps.

With her for guide, you shall never go astray;

while invoking her, you shall never lose heart;

so long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception;

while she holds your hand, you cannot fall;

under her protection you have nothing to fear;

if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary;

if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal."

~ Saint Bernard of Clairvaux,  Doctor of the Church ~

The Hard and Rugged Way to Spiritual Perfection

"Oh, if you only knew how paltry these little nothings are about which some make such a fuss. The devil makes use of these little straws to check the progress of a soul and obstruct all the good that she is called to do. Do not let yourself be caught in these meshes. Have a large heart and pass over all these little miseries without even noticing them. Jesus should be a sufficient attraction for you to prevent your being hindered by anything whatsoever outside of Him. See everything as coming from His bounty, whether He afflicts or consoles you. It is His love that arranges everything for the benefit of His friends. Never allow yourself to be discouraged. In a few hours, or even in the twinkling of an eye, Jesus could bring you to the summit of perfection which He desires for you. But no, He prefers your own efforts and He wants you to see for yourself how hard and rugged is the way to perfection."

~ Sr. M.G., a nun soul from Purgatory: excerpt from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~ 

Our Eternal Fate

Archbishop Fulton Sheen: The Way to World Peace

"As God was physically formed in Mary, so He wills to be spiritually formed in you.

If you knew He was seeing through your eyes, you would see in everyone a child of God.

If you knew that He worked through your hands, they would bless all the day through...

If you knew that He wants to use your mind, your will, your fingers, and your heart,

how different you would be.

If half the world did this, there would be no war!"

~ Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, How to Find Christmas Peace ~

St. Francis Xavier and St. Therese: We Are All Called to Be Missionaries

"I'd like to travel all over the world, making Your Name known and planting Your Cross on heathen soil; only I shouldn't be content with one particular mission, I would want to be preach­ing the Gospel on all five continents and in the most distant islands, all at once. And even then it wouldn’t do, carrying on my mission for a limited number of years; I should want to have been a missionary ever since the creation, and go on being a missionary till the world came to an end."

~ St. Therese of Lisieux ~

The Word of God is Reality That Will Never Pass Away

"All things pass and pass quickly.

Do not fret so much about things that will end one day.

Aim at what will never end.

By our holy actions united to Jesus, let us embellish our heavenly throne.

Let us raise it up a few steps nearer to Him

whom we shall contemplate and love throughout eternity."

~ Sr. M.G., a nun soul from Purgatory:  excerpt from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~

St. Padre Pio: "I Belong to Everyone."

“I belong to everyone. Everyone can say, ‘Padre Pio is mine’.

I love my exiled brothers very much.

I love my spiritual children as much as my own soul, and even more.

I have restored them to Jesus with pain and with love.

I can forget myself, but not my spiritual children,

and I assure you that, when the Lord calls me, I will say to Him:

‘Lord, I shall remain at the gates of Paradise;

I shall enter only when I have seen the last of my children enter’.”

~ St. Padre Pio ~

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