I was rewatching the film , 'Amazing Grace' there now for the umpteenth time and one of the characters in the folm John Newton reminded me so much of Purgatory. John Newton was the Captain of a slave ship and transported some 20,000 African slaves to the New World. As such I suppose he would not only have been a slaver but a mass murderer, since it was common practise in those days to dump live slaves in the sea, loaded down with chains if a storm approached. John converted after a storm early sank his ship of the coast of Donegal, Ireland in the course of which he cried to God for help and had the most profound conversion experience , leading him to become an Anglican Cleryman , an ardent abolitionist and to write a number of hymns including perhaps the Queen of all Hymns, 'Amazing Grace'. Modern research seems to indicate that , 'Amazing Grace', may have been modelled on an African Slave chant. How beautiful if it were true! But how does John Newton remind me of purgatory. Well for some time after his conversion he had the strong urde to do Penance. He used to go about in his bare feet with sackcloth cleaning a Church. This is so much in line with Catholic Teaching on the need to do Penance in order to expiate the effects of our guilt, to avoid Purgatory. ..and here is an explanation of what may have been the musical source of the hymn:
Thank you Padraig, wonderful and inspiring! I've always loved African American gospel, blues, soul and rhythm music! I believe all Nations have some unique gift of God to give to peoples of other Nations. I think one of the gifts given by God to the African people and their descendents, is their music which often can lift the spirit of man to an understanding of God and Love that goes beyond human reasoning. It's the place where, Gods gift of soul meets Gods gift of sound.
John Newton reminds me of a young man in Belfast, a few years back who was a chronic alcholic. He had a radical conversion experience and went off the drink and tunred back to the Church, beoming very devout. Anyway a few years later he felt the call to become a priest and approached a Religous Order to see if they would accept him. They did under the condition he go to all the people he had hurt when he was a drunk , apoligise and pay back any money he owed. He did and he said it was the hardest thing he ever did in his life. I thought myself the Penance was far, far too severe, but he said he found it the most healing experience of his life. That I think is what Penance for our sins does, its heals us and helps avoid the fires of Purgatory. I love sometimes hearing that priest preach and say mass now, what a story!! That is why every year I go to Divne Mercy Sunday. My won sins have been so numerous Penance, no matter how arduous would suffuce but the Divine Promises attached to Divne Mercy give me great hope and confidence. Perhaps the most wonderful aid of all to avoiding Purgatory. The Promise. According to St. Faustina, Our Lord promises to those who go to confession and communion on this day, the remission of the guilt and the punishment of sins. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. (Diary of Sr. Faustina, 699)
Albert Finney was outstanding in this film. He made me feel the anguish of deep regret. What an actor. Must watch it again.
How beautiful. Perhaps the less we have have and the more we suffer in this life the more we shall have in the next. I heard about a group of Protestant missionaries who went to a very poor village in India to Evngelise and help. The group of Elders in the village asked to talk to the Pastors and said how sorry they felt for people in the West because they are so spiritually poor and offered to send a group of villagers to the West to help them rediscover their spirit.
I just clapped and sang my way through sweet chariot and was memerised by the beauty of Ladysmith black Mambazo's Homeless. I'll have to take time to find these gems myself as they fill me with such happiness and take me to a heavenly place however I know I wont get time, so its great to find them here! Thank you both.
I have been noticing that at every single mass I have gone to this November the preist has mentioned the Holy Souls. Not only that but time and time again they offer up the entire mass for the Holy Souls. What a Harvest of souls released from heaven this must be! What a great, great idea to set aside this month for the Holy Souls! St. John Chrysostom - “Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice (Job 1:5), why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them” (Homilies on 1 Corinthians 41:5 [A.D. 392]). “Weep for those who die in their wealth and who with all their wealth prepared no consolation for there own souls, who had the power to wash away their sins and did not will to do it. Let us weep for them, let us assist them in the extent of our ability, let us think of some assistance for them, small as it may be, yet let us somehow assist them. But how, and in what way? By praying for them and by entreating others to pray for them, by constantly giving alms to the poor on their behalf. Not in vain was it decreed by the apostles that in the awesome mysteries remembrance should be made of the departed. They knew that here there was much gain for them, much benefit, when the entire people stands with hands uplifted, a priestly assembly, and that awesome sacrificial Victim is laid out, how, when we are calling upon God, should we not succeed in their defense? But this is done for those who have departed in the faith, while even the catechumens are not reckoned as worthy of this consolation, but are deprived of every means of assistance except one. And what is that? We may give alms to the poor on their behalf” (Homilies on Philippians 3:9-10 [A.D. 402]}. St. John Chrysostom also recommends to every Christian family that they have a box at some convenient place in their home and that they put into it pennies, which will be used to have masses said for the Poor Souls. http://friendsofthepoorsouls.blogspot.co.uk/2006/05/what-saints-say-about-purgatory.html
Thinking about this prayer today, so I share a reminder. Pelianito posted on her blog, a link to a prayer we can all pray after each Hail Mary of the Rosary during the month of November for the souls in Purgatory. "Our Lord promised through His Mother that for every Hail Mary prayed with the petition: “spread the effect of the Grace of thy Flame of Love over all of humanity”, our Lord would release 10 souls from Purgatory in November. Thus, over the month of November, we can release 530 souls each time we pray the Rosary!" https://divineantidote.wordpress.com/
I don't know if these messages are true BUT when I prayed this prayer given for the souls in Purgatory, I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit: December 30, 2015 ....I have given you a special prayer much like the prayer I gave to St. Gertrude but with more detail for the desperate times we are in. Oh Divine and Eternal Father I offer You the Most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with all the Masses, rosaries, prayers, and sacrifices that were ever offered from the beginning to the end of time, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, all the lost souls on earth, all the souls in the universal church, all the souls in my own home and in my own family. Amen. http://www.childrenoftherenewal.com/#!holyfamilyrefuge/cdow
Today is my dear Mom's 5th anniversary of her passing. I do believe she has "made it", but I still pray for her soul and other members of family if they are still in Purgatory. I know these payers are efficacious for other souls. I was inspired one time at Mass after my dad passed back in 2000 that at the moment the priest said "this is my blood" and raised the chalice, I begged Jesus to let just one drop of his blood to fall onto the soul of the person I was thinking of in Purgatory and in that great moment when time stands still to ask His Father to open up the Gates of Paradise for them. It brings me comfort and I know in the mystery of the altar at that moment I'm with my beloved dead in communion. Don't know if it's "theologically correct", but it's comforting to me.
So beautiful. I also ask for souls I love to be released from purgatory at the consecration...the most powerful moment of the mass.
I had a dream yesterday of my husbands grandmother. Her name was CUQUITA FLORES. I have a few dreams of her in the last couple years and fully knowing that she is in purgatory and in need of prayers and Masses. Yesterdays dream was very clear. I went into a bedroom where she was sleeping. All the linens were white but she needed my help in propping up her pillows and she told me she was cold. I lifted her out of bed and then propped up her pillows and as I did I noticed that there was some clutter of items on her bed. After I awoke from the dream I KNEW she needed my prayers to help and comfort her and I interpreted that items/clutter on her bed as meaning that she still had some things in her life on earth that needed to be purified/cleaned by the fires of purgatory. The ALL WHITE LINENS gave me the sign that she was indeed being purified and perhaps ALMOST in a place of light a refreshment in purgatory. I awoke after the dream and said a rosary for her. PLEASE IF YOU CAN.....offer a prayer for her. Thank you very much!! God bless you all!
