Please pray for a very good family friend of ours whose funeral was today. She was not a church-goer nor an explicitly religious person but she lived the gospel message of love of neighbour. She helped me very much when my children were small. She died last Tuesday (which will be the feast day, next yr of Pope John Paul II) and her funeral was today. Please, as we begin the month of remembering the Holy Souls, could you say one prayer for Barbara. If it was up to me she'd get a free pass to heaven. We know God is merciful and we trust in his decisions, but I have been anxious this past week, hoping that she is in a safe place. Thankyou. B.
Bella...could you give a first name so we can pray for her...also...I would ask you to remember Father Bill Nolan in your prayer.
In that moment may Our Lady surround Barbara with her mantle of maternal love and may she find in Jesus her Judge, the Merciful King! Safe in the Flames of the Sacred Heart!
Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially Barbara and those who are in most need of Thy mercy.
Thankyou all. At Mass this morning, the readings were very sobering: entering through the narrow gate. Not all who call on the Lord's name will be saved. Locked out. The Psalm talked about God's mercy. Will pray for Fr Bill, Timothius.
I always console myself Bella that some purgatories are not so very bad. Some souls for instance get just to spend sometime in front of the Blessed Sacrament. They don't have to be deep down. I saw my brother and his wife in Church shortly after they had died in a car crash. They looked a little woe begon but nothing serious. But what you don't do in this life you'll be made to do in the next. I can think of worse things than being made to stand in front of a tabernacle. http://christtotheworld.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/apparition-of-soul-from-purgatory-padre.html
Thankyou for the insight, Padraig. I did wonder whether there might be different levels of purgatory, plugging the gaps in our spiritual lives. I would guess that God gives each of us what we need to become ready for the beatific vision. That is encouraging. Our priest is going to say a Requiem Mass for Barbara. I am going to find out more about plenary indulgences and try and do some for her this November. We have Eucharistic adoration all day every first Saturday so I will do it for her on Saturday 2nd (which happily happens to be the Holy Souls Day). God is good. His mercy overshadows all our doubts. This site is such a blessing. I do not know where else I could have gone to share this little burden this week. B.
I would guess since you feel drawn to extend this charity to Barbara she could probably use it and the Holy Spirit is giving you a little nudge in that direction. I can't think of a better time of the year to do so. I would say unless we have very good reason to know otherwise we should assume that the recently deceased are in need of prayer even if they were very holy or even saintly. I will offer up my mass tomorrow for her. There's nothing like the mass for getting them out. Even a mild purgatory is no joke.
