Monthly Archives: October 2023

Devotion to the Holy Souls

The holy souls in purgatory (the church suffering) are part of the communion of saints - Christ's Mystical Body

The Holy Souls in Purgatory

The Church dedicates the month of November to praying for the holy souls in Purgatory. This should be a constant devotion for us, since through the Communion of Saints we can help these souls and they can intercede for us. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and saints to consider:

  • Why there should be a state of purification of the soul after death
  • The pains experienced by the holy souls, along with the love and joy they experience
  • That Purgatory is a manifestation of God’s holiness, justice and mercy
  • Accounts of souls in Purgatory who have communicated with people on earth
  • How from the earliest days the Church has prayed for the faithful departed
  • The benefits for the holy souls and for ourselves of devotion to the souls in Purgatory

Love for the Church

Our love for the church

As we love our mothers, so we should naturally love our holy mother the Church. But it can sometimes be difficult to do so, especially when we see the human failings of members of the Church and the many difficulties she faces at the present time. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, Fathers of the Church, Popes and St Josemaria Escriva to consider how:

  • To love Jesus Christ is to love the Church, which is his Mystical Body
  • The Church is truly our spiritual mother
  • The Church is not a merely human institution but the Communion of Saints, with Christ as its head and the Holy Spirit as its soul
  • The very survival of the Church to this day in spite of all the problems it has faced throughout the centuries can fill us with faith
  • From the time of the apostles, there have always been human failings in members of the Church
  • We should love the Church and pray very much for the Pope, the bishops and all in the Church.