The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1952-10-17
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or lneonsiderste


occasion from some circumstance or other of this
autumn time, to eXclaim that Christmas is almost
here, and suggests that we do not overlook the
matter of foam rubber cushions when we are MAX
ing up gift lists This is what people who love a
PIN ase will call timely thought while others will
regard 1t as peculiarly poisonous recommendation.
Despite the advertisers and these tiresome peo-
pie with the long view ever foreshortened before
them, there are still good many days between
us ana Christmas and more days, one hopes pious-
ly, between us and foam rubber cushions. We have
a good deal of important business to transact before
1t becomes absolutely imperative to decide what
shall be sent to Aunt Belinda and what will do
for Uncle Rupert. We have football to attend to,
and President to elect, and one thing and anoher
besides earning the years taxes.
We still have a fortnight of golden October
weather ahead with its golden opportunity of get
ting better acquainted with the better-eaid Rosary.
And we have the whole long month of the Holy Souls.
All this before Advent brings on the proximate
preparation for Christmas.
The month of the Rosary should have taught us
TO pray better and thus prepared us for November,
before the Feast of All Souls sees us fairly launched
on the most stimulating and rewardng work of char.
ity in the book,-the helping of the souls in purga-
tory II IS good for US all to review the points Of
sacred docrne touching upon this great work
Our Faith teaches us two things on this point
first that purgatory exists second that the souls
in purgatory are helped by our prayers and suf-
frages their behalf That the souls in purgatory
help us is matter of general experience, although
this fact is not defined article of the faith.
Purgatory exists. 1t is a state and place in
which human souls undergo cleansing punishment
for the yenal sins, or the remains of forgiven sins,
which burdened them at the moment of their death
and judgment The souls in purgatory are helped
by prayers and good works offered here on earth
for their benefit
The souls in purgatory can no longer help them
selves The time OF mans mertng always through
Ou Lord and Savior Jesus Christi is the span of his
responsible life earth. If person is not cleansed
from even the slightest guilt of sim and from the
remains of sin he cannot Immediately enter heaven
when he dies, for nothing defiled can enter heaven
He must first purge away the defemcnt not by
meriting,-for the time for that is gone,-but by
suffering unless VIC earth come to his aid
pirgatory is most mercifui dispensation. With.
out it, what could those souls do which stained,
not mortally with sin at the moment of death? They
simply tUoHld not enter heaven even if entrance
we're offered them, until they fully ready fully
cleansed from all defilement Purgatory is not so
much an evidence of stern justice as II is maniieS-
tation OF Gods infinite love and kindness, II is kind
ness to the departed souls and il is a marvellous
kindness to the faithful earth, since II is at once
warning and an admonition for their guidance
and also an opportunity to share magnlficently in
the redempve work of Christ
We may help The souls in purgatory by praying
for them by offering or hearing Holy Mass for
them or causing Masses to be offered, by hearing
trials and suferngs with patience for their benefit,
by gaining indugences for them by asking God
TO accept on their behalf the merits we may claim,
through Our Lord for our own good works To be
eager and energetic in helping the Holy Souls is
ever the mark of a thorough Catholic.
Perhaps the easiest way of lending aid to the
souls suffering in Purgatory found in gaining in
dulgences for them The Church, loving mother of
all the faithful living departed makes this pos
sbe. Exercising her diviney given power of loos-
ing and binding the Church attaches to certain
simple prayers and practices value of merit
drawn from the ineXhaustible treasury OF the mer.
its of Christ and His Saints,--whch we may obtain
to satisfy the temporal debt of punishment due to
sins,-our own OF those of the souls in purgatory.
We may, for certain prayers works, gain a
full or penary indulgence That is to say, the
Church has attached to these actions, when per
fcctly performed with perfect dispositions, com
plete cancellation of The temporal punishment bur
denlng Gin fact on IN senteneel the soul for whose
benefit the indulgence is won A partial indulgence
cancels part of the temporal punishment due. A
person may gain an indulgence for himself or for
the departed but not for any other living person.
A partial indulgence is expressed in terms of
years or days, but We are not sure of the exact
value and extent Of these partial cancellations OF
temporal punishment Purgatory lies in the myster-
ous realm between earthly time and heavenly
timelessness; il is temporal state but our units
of time are not accurate and adequate measures of
It's enduring To gain an indulgence OF ten days
may mean that as much temporal punishment is
cancelled would be wiped out by ten days OF
severe penanee.-but this is only an opinion We
do not know just how much temporal punishment
is cancelled by gaining partial indulgence But
do know that God is infinitely generous and that
the value Of even the least of partial indulgenees
is immensely great.
We need to learn the practice of gaining indul
rences,-for our own sake What better schooling
could We have than by applying ourselves delgent
ly to the gaining of indulgences for the holy souls
in purgatory7