A question concerning Souls in Purgatory

[blessedstar]

I don’t know about that. While one Mass CAN free a soul from purgatory, there is no assurance that it WILL free that soul from purgatory. As was said earlier by others, that is entirely up to God.

We should continue to pray for our dead regularily with rosaries and Mass offerings confident that if that person is already free from Purgatory, God will apply those prayers and Masses to where ever in His infinite wisdom they will do the most good and are most needed – so nothing is ever “wasted” in that regard.

One single Mass is enough, because one death, one ressurrection of Christ Jesus was enough to redeem us from our sins. This is the power of the Eucharistic Lord. This is the power of our faith in the Eucharistic Lord by His grace.

Always pray; pray constantly, this is right and merciful.

 

[AnnaTherese]

It’s impossible to know exactly how many masses free a person’s soul from Purgatory, unless you have a divine revelation. Just keep praying about it and ask God to lead you in that decision.

 

[Andruschak]

It’s impossible to know exactly how many masses free a person’s soul from Purgatory, unless you have a divine revelation. Just keep praying about it and ask God to lead you in that decision.

I would like to express gratitude to you and all others who have responded to this post, helping me to clarify things. This morning I stopped by the CNEWA website and have ordered a set of Gregorian Masses for my father, Harry Hulyk Andruschak. Again, my thanks to all for your support and advice

 

[Andruschak]

One single Mass is enough, because one death, one ressurrection of Christ Jesus was enough to redeem us from our sins. This is the power of the Eucharistic Lord. This is the power of our faith in the Eucharistic Lord by His grace.

Always pray; pray constantly, this is right and merciful.

I would like to express an attitude of gratitude to you and all others who have responded to my questions. This morning I stopped by the CNEWA website to order a set of Gregorian Masses for my father, Harry Hulyk Andruschak,

I picked up this neat little pamphlet from Requiem Press with daily prayers for the Church Suffering. Seven different sets of prayers for each day of the week.

 

[Sir_Knight]

One single Mass is enough, because one death, one ressurrection of Christ Jesus was enough to redeem us from our sins. This is the power of the Eucharistic Lord. This is the power of our faith in the Eucharistic Lord by His grace.

By that reasoning, one Mass should be enough to release ALL of the souls in purgatory but I don’t recall any church teaching telling us that is what happens.

 

[blessedstar]

By that reasoning, one Mass should be enough to release ALL of the souls in purgatory but I don’t recall any church teaching telling us that is what happens.

There was a Saint and I can’t recall his name, but he had visions of souls in purgatory and of Jesus. He was asked by Jesus to say one Mass annually and to pray for all those who had died and had gone to purgatory. For the life of me I can’t recall this Saints name. Ideas anyone who this Saint is?

 

[jmcrae]

There was a Saint and I can’t recall his name, but he had visions of souls in purgatory and of Jesus. He was asked by Jesus to say one Mass annually and to pray for all those who had died and had gone to purgatory. For the life of me I can’t recall this Saints name. Ideas anyone who this Saint is?

Was it St. Pio? (Padre Pio)

 

[blessedstar]

By that reasoning, one Mass should be enough to release ALL of the souls in purgatory but I don’t recall any church teaching telling us that is what happens.

Why would it not be? Directly after Jesus died He decended to the dead, preached the Gospel to them and the gates of heaven were opened.

Our faith is not in a God who has no mercy. Our God is merciful, if we believe this, have faith in this, then why is it inconceivable that God would not release all souls from purgatory in the perfect offering of His Son, Christ Jesus?

 

[blessedstar]

Was it St. Pio? (Padre Pio)

No I don’t think it was St Padre Pio. Thank you for the suggestion though, keep thinking please because this Saints name has totally escaped me! I’ll know it when I see it.

 

[wcknight]

Prayers for the Holy Souls in Purgatory are a great “investment”. You will get back far more than you put in. When they are released they will pray for us and our intentions. Small prayers all during the day, every prayer in the Rosary, builds up tons of indulgences for the souls in Purgatory IF we direct them that way.

It is estimated that some saints helped to release millions of souls from Purgatory with their prayers. The vast majority of folks end up in Purgatory, so if you want folks to pray for you while you’re there or for them to pray that you don’t have to do any Purgatory, direct your prayers in that direction.

I’ve resolved to pray regularly for the souls in Purgatory. I want them to pray for me and my loved ones and friends in turn. I consider them the mutual funds of the spiritual realm. You will get back a whole lot more than what you put in.

 

[Andruschak]

I’ve resolved to pray regularly for the souls in Purgatory. I want them to pray for me and my loved ones and friends in turn. I consider them the mutual funds of the spiritual realm. You will get back a whole lot more than what you put in.

Thank you for your posting. This has become very much what I now believe and practice. Hence the Gregorian Masses for my father, which are also intended to heal the the anger and resentment I have had towards him, so that I can completely forgive him.

 

[mommyof4]

Thank you for your posting. This has become very much what I now believe and practice. Hence the Gregorian Masses for my father, which are also intended to heal the the anger and resentment I have had towards him, so that I can completely forgive him.

Wonderful! I found that website that you mentioned earlier too. It seems that not only do you get the benefit of having masses said for your loved ones, but your money goes to help some very worth while causes, too. Thank you!

 

[Sir_Knight]

There was a Saint and I can’t recall his name, but he had visions of souls in purgatory and of Jesus. He was asked by Jesus to say one Mass annually and to pray for all those who had died and had gone to purgatory. For the life of me I can’t recall this Saints name. Ideas anyone who this Saint is?

Why would it not be? Directly after Jesus died He decended to the dead, preached the Gospel to them and the gates of heaven were opened.

Our faith is not in a God who has no mercy. Our God is merciful, if we believe this, have faith in this, then why is it inconceivable that God would not release all souls from purgatory in the perfect offering of His Son, Christ Jesus?

I also recall stories from the lives of the saints where people came from purgatory asking for prayers and it took more than one mass to get them released.

It isn’t that one Mass can not get them released but the sacrafice of the Mass pleases God so much that He wishes it to be continously offered since during the Mass we are united with the sacrafice that Christ made for us and we present His own Son back to the Father which is very pleasing to Him.

 

[blessedstar]

I also recall stories from the lives of the saints where people came from purgatory asking for prayers and it took more than one mass to get them released.

It isn’t that one Mass can not get them released but the sacrafice of the Mass pleases God so much that He wishes it to be continously offered since during the Mass we are united with the sacrafice that Christ made for us and we present His own Son back to the Father which is very pleasing to Him.

The Holy Mass is offered just about everyday on most Altars of the world and there are a thousand million different petitions to make without repeating petitions for the same intention. What I am saying is that it pleases God greatly if we trust in His Divine Mercy, this is a greatly pleasing act of faith. It pleases Him even further if we are willing to suffer for our souls and the souls of others and unite ourselves to Him in the Eucharist truly dying to ourselves and live only in Him so that it is Him who only lives in us.

Jesus was never unmerciful to the sinner, the only ones He ever showed sterness with was with the Pharisees who loved the Law and formula more than they loved God and loved the power they could manipulate to their own ends from the Law; worst still persecuted others with the Law and were unmerciful. The more extravagant a sinner was in their trust and faith in Jesus, even though they may have had little understanding, the more merciful and extravagant the Lord Jesus was with the sinner (Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and my servant will be healed) Jesus didn’t even enter his house and healed the servant, then the woman who only touched the hem of His garment and the Good Thief who defended Jesus and made, at the last minute, a great act of faith and trust in Jesus and Jesus told Him that that very day he would be in Paradise with Him.

God is a passionate and extravagantly generous Lover and He seeks souls to be passionate and extravagant in their faith, love and trust in Him because this is a great act of faith and humility, Jesus never once refused such a soul even though their sins may have been many and great.

‘Do not pray using many words like the pagans do’ The trusting soul does not make many petitions using many words, but makes many petitions for many things and reasons asking only for God’s will because many Masses and many words with little trust will not change God’s will, such fretting robs the heart of the joy of the Eucharistic Lord

We cannot judge the state of another’s soul, especially those who are deceased, we commend them to God and trust in His mercy because no man, not one of us can stand up to the Law.

We put matters into God’s hands, pray, hope, trust, wait and don’t worry.

 

[Sir_Knight]

‘Do not pray using many words like the pagans do’ The trusting soul does not make many petitions using many words, but makes many petitions for many things and reasons asking only for God’s will because many Masses and many words with little trust will not change God’s will, such fretting robs the heart of the joy of the Eucharistic Lord

You missed the point of Christ’s teaching. Jesus’ focus was not on “repetition” but on VAIN repetition. In Luke 18:13 we see the tax collector kept beating his breast and praying “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” This repetitive prayer was pleasing to God because it was offered with a sincere and repentant heart. Jesus, Himself, in Matt. 26:44 prayed a third time in the garden of Gethsemane, saying the exact same words. If repetitive prayer is wrong or not necessary, then why did Jesus do it? Because it is not the repetition that is the issue. It’s the vanity.

We cannot judge the state of another’s soul, especially those who are deceased, we commend them to God and trust in His mercy because no man, not one of us can stand up to the Law.

We put matters into God’s hands, pray, hope, trust, wait and don’t worry.

Exactly. And just as we can not judge another soul, we can not state with any degree of certainity that one mass on their behalf will free them from purgatory. We trust in God’s mercy and continue praying for them and offering up masses for them confident that if they are already freed from purgatory, God will apply those Masses & prayers to where ever they are most needed.

 

[blessedstar]

You missed the point of Christ’s teaching. Jesus’ focus was not on “repetition” but on VAIN repetition. In Luke 18:13 we see the tax collector kept beating his breast and praying “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” This repetitive prayer was pleasing to God because it was offered with a sincere and repentant heart. Jesus, Himself, in Matt. 26:44 prayed a third time in the garden of Gethsemane, saying the exact same words. If repetitive prayer is wrong or not necessary, then why did Jesus do it? Because it is not the repetition that is the issue. It’s the vanity.

Exactly. And just as we can not judge another soul, we can not state with any degree of certainity that one mass on their behalf will free them from purgatory. We trust in God’s mercy and continue praying for them and offering up masses for them confident that if they are already freed from purgatory, God will apply those Masses & prayers to where ever they are most needed.

Sir Knight I must apologise to you. I have sat with my head in my hands with my head aching!

What I am poorly expressing is this.

There are no ifs or buts, if we truly believe 100% that God will be merciful, then He will be merciful, it is when we mistrust His mercy and goodness that we face His justice because we only trust then in His justice.

Perhaps I am naive, but in my mind I am certain of God’s Mercy, everytime I look at the Cross I see it. I pray for people this side of life and the next and situations I know or hear of and then I never think to worry about it, and it’s not because I am lazy at praying, it is because I trust God will take my meagre hopes and trust in Him and will do His will with it. I don’t go on and on at Him pleading on and on at Jesus because I trust Him. I talk to Him in my prayer with my heart… I commend people to Him constantly because they are always present in my heart, but I don’t go on and on in words to Him making many prayers, it is one simple continuous prayer.

Jesus returned three times not because He thought the Father would not grant anything He asked of Him (Jesus told us to already believe we have received what we have prayed for), not because He didn’t trust Him, Jesus is God, Jesus returned three times (He did not return endless times) to be assured and strengthened in the Father’s will and to console Himself in prayer with His Father.

Jesus shows us how to pray, with great faith and trust and whatever Jesus asked of the Father was granted because He asked for the Father’s will, so whatever we ask in Jesus’ Name and in the Father’s will we too will receive because God is merciful, we deserve nothing and yet in God’s mercy we are made heirs.

Faith is not a nagger and prayer is powerful.

 

[Myangel]

Another way to help the Holy Souls, here is some info:

KNOCK
Our organization really owes its existence to the apparitions of Our Lady at Knock in Ireland on Thursday the 21st of August 1879. On that day at about 8pm in the evening Our Blessed Mother appeared to 14 people at the Parish church of Knock. This occurred just after the saintly parish priest, Venerable Archdeacon Cavanagh, had completed 100 consecutive Masses for the souls in Purgatory. It is generally understood that, apart from its other significance, this was a sign of approval from Our Lady with regard to the Masses said by Archdeacon Cavanagh for the Holy Souls.

**OUR BEGINNING **
In the early eighties a group of people in Australia, in imitation of what Archdeacon Cavanagh had done, got together and each made a contribution in order to raise a stipend to have 100 consecutive Masses said for the benefit of the souls in Purgatory. That there does exist a Purgatory is a dogma of the Church and that the best way to assist the souls in Purgatory is by having Mass said for them is defined by the Council of Trent.
After the first novena was completed another was organized and still another and out of these efforts came to exist the Friends of the Suffering Souls, each member undertaking to have one Mass said each year for the souls in Purgatory. This Mass is offered on behalf of the whole organization and therefore, because of the number of members, there is a continuous novena of several Masses each day being offered on behalf of the organization for the benefit of the souls in Purgatory. Each Mass is offered for all of the Holy Souls but with a special commemoration for deceased members.

**BENEFITS TO MEMBERS **
As a result of belonging to the organization each member receives the following benefits:

In spiritual matters the merit is multiplied by participation and not divided. Therefore each member receives the same merit as if he had arranged each and every individual Mass himself.

The many souls who benefit from this great number of Masses will be eternally grateful and will pray for the interests of members whilst they are in Purgatory and when they are released into Heaven. They will never forget the members because the members did not forget them.

All of the Masses are offered for all of the souls in Purgatory but especially for deceased members. Therefore after a members death his or her soul will enjoy the benefit of every single Mass organized by this organisation. If a deceased member has to pass through Purgatory, as most of us will, then they will be grateful they took care of others so that now others take care of them.

DECEASED PERSONS
There is however a special commemoration for Deceased Members of the Association in all of our Masses. This is fitting as it is our members who make the novena possible. We trust that all deceased persons will obtain benefit from our Masses but you can, if you wish, obtain the benefit of the special commemoration for deceased members by enrolling them as members and undertaking each year to organise a Mass on their behalf as part of our novena. The day usually allotted for such a deceased person is the anniversary of his or her death. Because the person is deceased then as soon as they are enrolled then they are a “deceased member” and as such will be entitled to the benefits of the special commemoration.

You can read more HERE

 

[InLight247]

Luke 11:5-8
**
Luke 18:2-8**

 

[Sir_Knight]

Thank you InLight247 The passages that you provided do seem to point to the fact that “repetition” in prayers and Masses are required in order to obtain what we seek: * And he said to them: Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and shall say to him: Friend, lend me three loaves, Because a friend of mine is come off his journey to me, and I have not what to set before him. And he from within should answer, and say: Trouble me not, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend; yet, because of his importunity, he will rise, and give him as many as he needeth. – Luke 11:5-8.

• Saying: There was a judge in a certain city, who feared not God, nor regarded man. And there was a certain widow in that city, and she came to him, saying: Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not for a long time. But afterwards he said within himself: Although I fear not God, nor regard man, Yet because this widow is troublesome to me, I will avenge her, lest continually coming she weary me. And the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge saith. And will not God revenge his elect who cry to him day and night: and will he have patience in their regard? I say to you, that he will quickly revenge them. But yet the Son of man, when he cometh, shall he find, think you, faith on earth? – Luke 18:2-8.

 

[InLight247]

Thank you, Sir Knight for typing out the Bible verses.

Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy are both prayer of repetition.

Sincere repetition is to pray earnestly. God likes our heartfelt petition. We ought to keep on praying until the answer comes.

The answer may be a “YES”, a “NO”, or a “WAIT”, but we don’t stop praying until the answer arrives. Keeping on asking, seeking and knocking is not lack of faith but full of persistence. If we only need to request once and stop, there is no need for the teaching of persistence.

Persistence is what Jesus taught in Luke 11 and Luke 18.