At Holy Mass with my Mom and Dad

Discussion in 'Scriptural Thoughts' started by Mario, Dec 22, 2016.

  1. Mario

    Mario Powers

    It's been many years since my parents went to be with the Lord. My Mom died in 1975 and my Dad in 1984. Today's Holy Mass impressed upon my heart a deep sense of their presence and love. The first reading from Song of Songs contained my Mom's favorite passage from Scripture:

    8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. 9 My beloved is like a gazelle, or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice. 10 My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; 11 for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. 12 The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

    My Mom's fondness for this passage was twofold. Her beloved was my father John, whom my Mom tenderly called Brud. But in the winter of her suffering I realized it referred to Jesus, her Beloved, who would come soon and lead her to the eternal springtime.

    And my Dad was there at the Consecration where I heard him give the same instruction as in my early years:
    "When the Host is elevated, lower your head and beat your breast and say: My Lord and my God, for Jesus has come once more!"

    Thank you Lord at this Christmastide for our parents and past ancestors who passed on the Faith! Praise you Holy Spirit for breathing your grace anew in our souls with each passing generation!

    Glory to our humble Lord!:ROFLMAO:
     
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  2. padraig

    padraig Powers

    At Christmas time the heart turns to family. I was thinking last night as I walked the dogs of our family in purgatory and how several mystics ( including those at Medugorje have said that Christmas Night is the night when most souls get released from Purgatory:

    http://www.spiritdaily.net/Christmaspurge.htm

    I was thinking of this and how the souls down there must be filled with expectation and joy that Mary and the Child Jesus are about to visit , releasing many and relieving the pain of all. I was thinking of the souls deepest down in Purgatory who I often think of and pray for. I thought to myself that, well, they are too deep down to get out right away and was filled with sadness for them. But then I thought , why not? Why could not God through the intercession of the Mother of God release at least a few from those deepest, deepest depths, right next door to hell? Joy again. I think a lot of the joy of Christmas has to do with the Holy Souls being released. It is not hard to imagine we hear their laughter at Christmas.
     
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  3. padraig

    padraig Powers

    The Song of Songs is such a source of consolation, such a wonderful road map to prayer and its ups and downs. So many generations of mystics have wrote commentaries on it. How could any Irish person not delight in the idea that God could speak to us in a great song/ poem?

    http://www.pathsoflove.com/bernard/songofsongs/contents.html

    The Name of Jesus

    Sermon 15 on The Song of Songs
    Wisdom is a kindly spirit, and easy of access to those who call upon him. Quite often he anticipates their request and says: "Here I am." Listen now to what, because of your prayers, he has revealed to me about the subject we postponed yesterday; be ready to gather the ripe fruit of your intercession. I put before you a name that is rightly compared to oil, how rightly I shall explain. You encounter many names for the Bridegroom scattered through the pages of Scripture, but all these I sum up for you in two. I think you will find none that does not express either the gift of his love or the power of his majesty. ...

    Here is one of St Bernard's hymns:

     
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  4. Beth B

    Beth B Beth Marie

    Amen.
     
  5. Beth B

    Beth B Beth Marie

    As I grow older and hopefully wiser, I find myself praying for these poor souls throughout the day...every time I think of a loved one who is not with us, I pray for them to be released from purgatory. I pray that anyone I might have offended in any way ....in reparation. If our loved ones are already released, God will use those prayers for someone who has no one to pray for them. They are never wasted. I hope I'm prayed out of purgatory when I'm gone.
     
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  6. padraig

    padraig Powers

    I always feel a certain relief Beth when I hear of souls in purgatory, for at least I know they will see heaven at some point. What throws me sometimes , for some of the people I have known in this life who I fear may well be in hell. I think of those I have known who forsook the Faith and practice of their religion, people whom I urged to return but they refused. This always causes me the deepest sadness. Never to meet them again in heaven. Deep, deep, deep sadness.

    Most Christians these days I fear do not believe in hell anymore. Not really.

    But I do, with all my heart and I fear that people I have known in this life have gone there.

    The fear of the Lord, as Scripture tells us, is the beginning of Wisdom.
     
    sterph, josephite and Beth B like this.
  7. Beth B

    Beth B Beth Marie

    Dear Padraig,
    I feel the same, but mostly I have a deep faith that our prayers for these faithless souls may have made it to purgatory...if we have prayed for them. ...offered mass for them....suffered for them. If at the moment their soul was departing their body, Gods grace via our prayers enter their souls, God in His infinite mercy offers them the opportunity to accept His mercy, they may have accepted it....even at the last moment. There is a real hope that you may see them in heaven someday...even if they spend a long time in purgatory.
    Our lady at Fatima said that many souls go to hell because there is no one that prays for them....which means, that if we pray for them...their souls can be saved...in spite of their unbelief. God willing....Gods mercy!
     
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