The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-11-04
THE MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS


Holy souls are the dead who have
died in the Lord by being prepared
to meet Him, and yet not fully happy
souls we must regard them, as long
as they are separated from Him in
the cleansing fires of Purgatory, says
Bishop Cotton. 1t is for us, their
friends, to hasten their release by our
prayers We think much of the dead
while their lifeless bodies lie before
us, but with their consignment to the
grave they are often quite forgotten.
We recall every good thing we know
: about them, and praise them for it;
and we crown them with flowers and
unite in their last obsequies; but in
most cases that is the end of it all.
Is this Christian? Do not the pagans
do all this and more? What says Holy
Church about our Christian duty to
our dead?
Basing its doctrine on the words of
Holy Writ, that it is holy and a
wholesome thought to pray for the
dead, that they may be loosed from
their SINS" the Church from the first
ages taught the faithful to pray for
the dead, as we see by the teachings
of the Fathers. If we have any faith
in our own immortality we must think
of those who have gone before us, and
have the expectation of meeting them
again in the life to come. But as we
know ourselves, even the best OF us, do
we think we are ready to enter into
the happiness of heaven Immediately
at our death? Or do. we think as Holy
Church teaches, that there must be
for many a purgation for time, when
our souls will be cleansed from the
dross of this worlds defilement and
the remains of sin not fully atoned
for, before we will be adjudged worthy
to enter into the joy of our Lord?
Now, if we think this for ourselves,
then we must think it for others, and
if we would be glad to have our rela-
tives and friends pray for us after our
death and hasten our entrance into
heaven, then we ourselves should pray
for departed relatives and friends.
But, alas, this is not the practice with
many; at least they do not pray for
them as often and as effectively as
they might.
Of all means of propitiating the di-
vine mercy, surely the Mass is in
finitely greater than all others, since
it is the offering of the Immaculate
Lamb, the Son of God, in whom the
Father is well pleased, and yet how
few, comparatively, are the Masses
that the faithful have offered for their
departed ones. Some few have "a
requiem on the funeral day; some
have few Masses said privately then
or little latter; but in most cases
that is the end of it; they thenceforth
confine their. efforts for their dead to
an occasional remembrance in their
prayers. This is contrary to the spirit,
the teaching and practice of Holy
Church, which is always praying for
the souls in Purgatory. Every hour
of the holy Office, as recited by the
priests the world over, every public
Mass, every devotion, includes prayers
for the suffering souls.
Now, what is the practice of the
Church should be the practice of her
children, and so she teaches them. 1t
is not neglect, but thoughlessness, this
failure of so many in having Masses
said for the dead. A failure to re-
member the infinite majesty and glory
of God, and how nothing defled can
enter the kingdom of heaven, is the
reason why the poor, departed, suf-
fering souls in purgatory are SO often
forgotten. How wise they act, who,
to provide against this forgetfulness,
make provision to have Masses said
for themselves after they have depart
ed this world! Nor should it go un-
mentioned, the good for the living that
may be done by this effective service
to the dead. We do not here speak
of the blessings that will come to them
from God, who will reward their char
ity for the dead as an act done for
Himself, since He longs to possess
those souls, but of the material help
that thus will come to poor priests OF
God, struggling in this and still more
in foreign lands, building up for Gods
kingdom amidst the greatest want and
privation Let us, then, have Masses
said, and as many and as frequently
aswe can, If we would really love and
do for our dead all that we can. It
will be the best way to help them
and help ourselves to bear their loss