| Summer Devotions for the Holy Souls |
|
by Susan Tassone Along side the Holy Mass and Holy Rosary, the Way of the Cross is a most powerful, and at the same time easily available means of helping the poor souls and acquiring merit for ourselves. Nothing is more pleasing to Our Lord than devout meditation on His bitter sufferings. Many teachers of the spiritual life assure us that more benefit is derived through loving meditation on the sufferings of Our Lord than by the practice of rigorous penances and the recitation of long prayers. Moreover, contemplating Our Lord in His bitter sufferings is the best means to fill us with contrition for sin and incite us to the practice of penance and mortification. The atoning merit which we thus acquire may be applied to the holy souls, and will without doubt, afford them great relief in their pain. Because of the rich indulgences which Holy Church has attached to this devotion, it is a source of special aid and affords great consolation to the holy souls. In the life of the Venerable Mary of Antigua, a nun of her convent appeared to her after death and complained, "Why is it that you do not perform for me and for other suffering souls the devotion of the Stations of the Cross?" The servant of God stood speechless at these words. Then she heard Jesus say to her, "The devotion of the Stations of the Cross is so profitable to the souls in Purgatory that this soul has come to demand it of you in the name of all. It is a most efficacious suffrage for the souls in Purgatory, who on their part, will be as so many protectors standing and praying for you and defending your cause before My justice." Most souls are released on Christmas Day. We invite everyone to give the Holy Souls "Christmas in July." The summer months is a time to relax, vacation and travel. Unfortunately, for the Holy Souls suffering in Purgatory, they never have time off. They suffer day and night, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. We may tend to forget our Holy Heroes when they need us most desperately. What an ideal time to help them and ourselves! An efficacious means of obtaining favors from Heaven is to assist at Holy Mass and pray the Stations of the Cross for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, by Susan Tassone, daily for 33 consecutive days for the poor souls in honor of Our Lord's 33 years He spent on earth. What a marvelous Summer Devotion for the Holy Souls. Many persons have by this means obtained favors which they did not receive even through the intercession of the Saints. The month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood. St. Thomas Aquinas tells us that "as the dew refreshes and raises up the withering plants and flowers, so does the Blood of Christ revive and comfort and bring renewed hope to the poor souls in Purgatory." But how many poor souls there are in Purgatory, who like the sick man who for many weary years had waited at Bethsaida's pool for someone to assist him into the healing waters, might well raise this complaint, "I have no one to help me. I long for the Precious Blood of Jesus, but there is no one to apply It to me." Let us, then, frequently offer the Precious Blood to the Eternal Father for the relief of the souls languishing in Purgatory. Remember, their is no ungrateful soul in heaven. They will pray for you all the days of your life before the throne of God unceasingly until you are safely home in Heaven! They become your nearest, sincerest, and dearest friends on earth and in Heaven for all eternity! Susan L. Tassone is the founder of the Holy Souls Mass Apostolate. She gives lectures and publishes articles on the Holy Souls in Purgatory and is a regular guest on radio talk shows. In addition, she raises money for Masses for the souls in Purgatory. So far her efforts have contributed $250,000 for 50,000 Masses. Susan has authored The Way of the Cross for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and Praying in the Presence of Our Lord, which she presented to the Pope during private audiences in 1999 and 2001. |
