A scary Hollow'een tale. https://www.churchpop.com/2015/07/27/exorcising-a-former-abortion-clinic-an-eye-opening-true-story/ Exorcising a Former Abortion Clinic: An Eye-Opening True Story It was the highest sacrilege. A building that had been originally constructed as a Jewish synagogue, then used as an Greek Orthodox church, was sold and re-opened as an abortion clinic. And a successful one at that, growing to become the largest abortion facility in western Michigan. Local pro-life activists worked and prayed for many years to shut it down, but to no avail. That is, until 2004, when they had a big breakthrough: they were able to convince the owner of the building to sell it to them, and then they immediately evicted the abortion practice. After eight heart-breaking years, and an estimated 20,000 abortions, the abortion clinic closed. The overjoyed pro-lifers made plans to turn the building into a pro-life pregnancy resource center. David Bereit, founder of 40 Days for Life, was invited to tour the gruesome site a few days after the abortionists left and was told an amazing story. According to the new owners, a day or two after taking control of the building, a small group of Christian pro-life leaders gathered in the building to pray. They chose to specifically pray by the back-alley entrance that had been used by the abortionist to enter and exit the building. They held hands in a circle and prayed that God would cleanse the space of evil. Suddenly, at the very moment a local pastor in their group concluded their prayer with “Amen,” the back-alley door swung open on its own and a rush of air went through the room and out the door. A few seconds later, a cool breeze began blowing in from the open door. The group quietly walked back to the front of the building. While meditating on what they had just witnessed, a neighbor stopped by and asked what they had done with the statue of a demon that had been on the roof. The pro-life group had never seen such a statue and hadn’t removed anything, yet the woman insisted she had seen it on top of the building for some time, but that it was now gone. So what exactly happened in that building? One of the pro-life leaders present later described it in simple yet profound terms: “a spiritual transfer of ownership.” And the building? It’s now home to LIFE International, a pro-life organization dedicated to creating pro-life materials and training pro-life leaders around the world. 72 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan
One thing about Padre Pio and the Holy Souls set me back a little. During the Second World War many thousands of Italians frought on the Eastern Front in Russia and were never heard of again. Their nearest and dearest often came to Padre Pio and asked them if they were dead or alive and Padre Pio always knew after a moments prayer. ..and let them know. This took great courage and certainty on the saints part. An amazing man. As far as I recall he also could tell the Eternal detination of dead souls too and was not afraid to say so.. ...astonishing. He also said more poor Holy Souls came to visit him from Purgatory than living ones...
I always liked the Churches teaching on Purgatory because it always seemed to me so logical. People in this life are always on such journey in this life, making choices some of them good some of them not so good. The idea that our journey at the end of life would end in a simple binary choice seems to me unsatisfying. It seems much more reasonable to suppose that we would still be a work in process in most cases. Also the Churches belief that there are nine levels in heaven and in hell and levels too in purgatory seems so right. In life itself we find such levels, people are so different. https://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2012/04/amazing-stories-from-purgatory-and.html
Purgatory is also clearly Biblical - like a refiner's fire -purging imperfections 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw – each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. November begins - let us make a real effort to pray more for the Holy Souls this month - they need our help.
Will these children who were murdered without baptism not be able to see the face of God immediately? it seems that the Church denied the existence of Limbo even during the pontificate of Benedict XVI, and I have already heard that we must perform the baptism of aborted children; but I'm not sure this is canonical.
I love that at this time of year , Autumn we turn to pray for the Holy Souls. Somehow Autumn seems so right. I believe Maria was right when she said certain times and places and people draw the Holy Souls like moths to lights. They love the Mass, they love Churches, they love Our Lady's altar and St Joseph's..they love grave yards... They draw close to souls that pray for them . They are permitted for a while after their deaths to for a while around those who have a Duty of Prayer care for them. People forget them because they have lost the sense of sin. They simply think souls don't need them. That everyone who dies is somehow perfect. Also let's face it the Church has become more and more Protestant in it's way of looking at things.
I am inclined to think these little souls go the same place were people like Moses and Abraham went before Christ's death on the Cross before He went down to free them. I believe this was part of the message of the Transfiguration when they appeared with Christ on Mount Tabor. They were in the place which we call Limbo or it might be described as a kind of in between Paradise which some call Limbo. A kind of supernatural Garden of Eden but not heaven...a waiting place...an entrance hall. Very beautiful and joyful but not heaven. Again we have lost this understanding as we grew more and more Protestantized...
If Medjugorje is true, miscarried babies are in Heaven, according to Mary. Perhaps God speaks to them when they die and gives them a chance at baptism of desire?
The idea of Limbo can be quite a difficult one. They kind of buried the idea of if after Vatican 2. However I do believe mystics like Catherine Emmerich and Ven Mary of Agreda spoke and wrote about it. I must look it up when I have a chance. It is particularly relevant with something like Abortion...however I don't think Limbo was ever seen as a place of suffering..but a kind of mini Paradise..a waiting room to heaven..
.as to Medugorje.. well I might be a little careful sometimes. There was a report a few years back that Our Lady had said that the holiest person in Medugorje was a Muslim woman. This was reported everywhere but when I tried to trace it back no such message had ever been given. But everyone believed Our Lady said that. In fact she never had...it was just a rumour... ..also there can be difficulties in translations and understandings...we get that even in Scripture...
I must also look up what the Council of Trent taught about Limbo..also what people like Fulton Sheen taught. It is hard at the moment as I am pulling 8 night shifts in a row and am like a Zombie. also and especially Fr Hardon.. Fr Hardon is like a Modern Jewel of sound teaching...
Limbo was a Theological construct trying to reconcile the need for Baptism for entrance into heaven. Although not completely impossible, Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II certainly showed they were sceptical of this theory. Baptism of desire is accepted by the Church in the case of martyrs etc. who desired Baptism but were not able to receive it. Baptism of infants shows that others can supply the desire for Baptism. So in the case of infants who die before being Baptized, I see no reason that the the desire of the members of the Church for their salvation cannot supply the desire nessesary for Baptism of desire. As to going to a waiting place like Moses or Abraham... They are now in heaven since Christ has resurrected. So there would be no reason for the babies to wait....they have no personal sin to be purified in a purgatorial state, and their eternal destiny hinges on the acceptance of our merciful God accepting them by Baptism of desire. The Church also does not require a formal Baptismal ceremony for those who obtain Baptism by Baptism of desire.
The Church celebrates the feast of the Holy innocents.... They were not formally Baptized, and had not reached the age of reason.
As I say Limbo is controversial. But it was something taught by the Church for centuries. I think a lot of bad stuff crept in since the 1960's. I am not quite so ready to toss it out the window as others. many, many Popes and saints and mystics upheld it...I am very hesitant about tossing it...
