IN COMMEMORATIONE OMNIUM FIDELIUM DEFUNCTORUM - Helping our Friends, the Holy Souls

PRESENTATION: The sufferings of Holy Souls

Far too often, the traditional Requiem Mass is defamed and denigrated. Called depressing and dour because of its black vestments, called scary because of the ancient sequence Dies Irae penned by Pope St. Gregory the Great under divine inspiration.

Meanwhile, the Novus Ordo Mass for the Dead is considered hopeful and uplifting, celebrated in white vestments (though nowhere does the Church say that white vestments should be used), with the Paschal Candle, the symbol of the risen Christ placed front and centre.

Of course, these are caricatures of reality. The traditional Requiem Mass is filled with hope for the life to come. Take as an example the text of the Epistle:

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall all indeed rise again: but we shall not all be changed. 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall rise again incorruptible. And we shall be changed.

Or indeed the words of the Gospel:

25 Amen, amen, I say unto you, that the hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

What the Traditional Mass does not shy away from, however, is the reality of sin, which prevents souls from immediate entrance into the heavenly realms, and detains them in Purgatory, where they must satisfy divine justice.

It is a great act of mercy on the part of Holy Mother Church to presume that all of Her dead are in Purgatory. So often today, we see many assume that the dead are already in heaven, which deprives them of so many prayers and suffrages, because Purgatory is not a place anyone should desire to be or to remain.

Purgatory is a place of immense suffering, fueled by the scorching heat of divine retribution. St. Alphonsus Liguori lists nine sufferings of Purgatory in his Novena for the Holy Souls:

The realization that their sins are the cause of their present torments and that avoiding sin would have spared them their punishment.

The reflection on all of the time they wasted in life when they could have been gaining merits for heaven.

A clear and true vision of the hideousness of their guilt before God for which they now suffer.

The recognition of how much, during life, they displeased that God whom they so ardently love.

The ignorance of the time of their deliverance. They know they will one day be released but remain uncertain of the time when their punishment will end.

The recollection of their ingratitude for the gifts of Holy Mass and Holy Communion.

The deprivation of the beatific vision; known as the pain of loss.

The recognition of all the graces they had been provided in life, for which they were ungrateful.

Lastly, of course, is the fire, grief, and darkness in which they suffer.

EXPLANATION: A wise young lady makes friends

There was once a young lady, the daughter of wealthy parents, who was about to be married. She was to have a large dowry, and the gentleman to whom she was engaged was also rich. Every morning he sent her a magnificent and expensive bouquet.

One day, the bride-to-be, who was certain that the flowers were very expensive, asked him what they cost. He told her what he paid for them. “Well,” she replied, “we are going to be married in ten days’ time. If you go on sending me these bouquets every day, you will have spent a small fortune. If you wish to please me, be so good as to give me the money instead.”

He complied with her request and gave her the money. She then said: “I am sure that you will have no objection to my giving this sum to a poor family who have met with great misfortunes. They will pray for us, and that will do us more good than the most splendid bouquets would.”

If the suffering souls in Purgatory could speak to us, they would say much the same as this sensible young lady.

By offering prayers and sacrifices for the Holy Souls, not only do we relieve them of some of their sufferings, something they could not do on their own, but we make friends for ourselves of the best kind, those who will pray for us in return, especially when they are finally released from their punishments, and go onward to heavenly glory.

IMPLICATION: Praying for the Holy Souls

At this point, I am sure we are all familiar with the means of obtaining a Plenary Indulgence for the Holy Souls during this eight-day period from November 1st to the 8th.

A partial indulgence for the Holy Souls can be obtained any day of the year by visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead, devoutly praying Lauds or Vespers from the Office of the Dead, or simply praying the Requiem æternam verse.

However, those are indulgences specifically for the Souls in Purgatory; any other indulgence we gain can be applied to the Holy Souls instead of ourselves.

Likewise, any of our daily prayers, our Rosary, our corporal mortifications, our penances, and our daily sufferings can be offered for the Holy Souls. Every day of the year, we should seek to find ways to relieve the suffering of those in Purgatory, not only those close to us but the forgotten souls, those who have no one to pray for them, and any other soul in need of our help.

There is also the lesser-known practice called the Heroic Act of Charity for the Souls in Purgatory. This consists of a voluntary offering made in their favour to the Divine Majesty, by any one of the faithful, of all works of satisfaction done by him in his life, as well as of all the suffrages which shall be offered for him after his death.

By this offering, he foregoes on their behalf, only that special fruit which belongs to himself, so he is not hindered thereby in praying for his own necessities or those of others.

This act of charity will not deprive us of any merit. In fact, by resigning our own claims on all works of satisfaction in favour of the departed souls, we shall gain for ourselves the special love of God, the Blessed Virgin, and all the saints. Furthermore, the gratitude of the holy souls will induce them, in turn, to pray for us in Heaven so that we may either escape Purgatory or be blessed by a speedy deliverance.

As we pray today for the Holy Souls, let us never neglect to make offerings for these saints-to-be so that not only will we ease their sufferings but make for ourselves friends among these souls beloved to God.