New Britain herald., 1917-11-01

there Is also, say, Satisfying
value which expiates the penalties due
for sins mortal or venial that have al
ready been pardoned.
Divine generosity has willed that
this satisfying value should be COM
municable to others. You have no fac
Guilty, therefore. OF deprivlnG your
selves Of it, by act of intention, for
the good Of your brothers, and espe-
cially, II you wish 1t. for the good Of
the souls in purgatory.
The Church, which 10 in possession
Of the satisfying value OF the human
divine works of our Lord, as we'll as
that Of the, works of the Blessed Vir-
gin, the martyrs, and the saints, puts
1t partially at our disposition, under
the form OF indulgences. so that, by
means of actions Of penance and piety,
we may transfer 1t to the suffering
souls.
That being 80, you must see, my
Brethren, how very far your power
help and expiation can go In this d.
rection. Good works, lahour, suffer-
ings loved or supported In Christian
fashion,. voluntary notifications,
use of the sacraments-here are SO
many means within your power Of
bringing relief to those poor souls who,
like the paralytio Of the Gospel, see
close by them tho health-giving bath
that would refresh them, but must
await the charitable hand of help to
plunge them into 1t.
The Church has approved an act
that ls called heroic. It consists in
renouncing, for the sake of souls in
purgatory, all our satisfactions, even
the SURFACES that others offer or will
offer to God on our behalf now and at
ter our death.
This act does indeed imply an alb
negation 30 complete that it partakes
Of the nature Of heroism. Do not con-
sent to perform It without full re-
Election; but If grace prompts you to
1t, and If the director of your con-
science approves your proceeding.
perform 1t rosolutely.
For, indeed, tho more you forget
yourself, the more win your personal
merit grow, and 50, thanks to the SUI
perabundant mercy Of God. which sur
rounds W on all sides, you will lose
only to gain moro in the end.
For the rest. tho souls in purgatory
will give you back, now and after their
liberation, all that you have sacrificed
for them.
Some fervent souls, DESTROYS OF SIM
pMfying their. spiritual life, have de-
cidOd to abandon to the Blessed Vir-
gin, "consoler Of the afflicted" the
c&ro Of distributing their suffrages to
the Church suffering.
This act Of flial renuneiation is also
q means Of purifying and increasing
your charity.
The Church sets the example. She
will not permit the celebration OF a
single Mass unless the priest adds to
his special Intentions the intention OF
succouring all faithful Chritians. hv-
ing or dead.
strive to enter into this generous
spirit of the Liturgy. ..-
The Holy Sacrifice Of the Mass
above all. is the meanb OF shortening
the length Of their time In purEatory
for the suffering souls. The Council
OF Trent has expressly declared it
There IL a purgatory;" says the Holy
Council, land it 10 In the power of the
faithful to aid with their SURFACES
the souls that are detained there; but
of all such SURFACES the most power
full Is the offering OF the Sacrifice of
the altar .-a.-.
Certain theologians hold that purga-
tory Is moro densely populated than
the earth. We do not know what may
be the degree OF probability in this
conjecture. but what is very likely, Is
that death has mown down so many
lives in the last year that the number
of souls who sorrowTullyn await our
generous pity must be very consider
ably increased.
For that reason one cannot sum
GENTLY admire the great heart Of the
Sovereign Ponti1. our Holy Father the
Pope Benedict XIV. who has gracious
~ granted all the priests Of the Cath
Ollie world the privilege OF celebrating
three Masses for the departed on All
Souls Day.
Pope Plus x. too, In one OF the last
acts of his pontihcate, allowed the
faithful to gain on All Souls Day
plenary indulgence-toties quoties+-
applicable only to the souls of purga-
tory So that the faithful. so long as
they confess and Communicates, will
gain plenary indulgence, on the and
of November, as many times as they
visit a church, or public or semi
public oratory to pray there for the
departed, with the intentions Of His
Holiness.
My Brethren, you will, I am sure,
assist this generous impulse of our
beloved Popes.
You will make 1t duty several
times to visit our churches on All
Souls Day. Also on that day I re-
quest that there may be, in all the
of the diocese, a solemn Mass
for our brave men fallen on the field
Of battle. should like this High Mass
to be said at very early hour 50 that
the parishionors may associate them
selves more intimately with the Holy
Sacrifice by communicating at It with
the priest. The celebrant will then