The Purification of Purgatory

020 8642 8668 www.acnuk.org No 7 • October/November 2016 Published eight times per year “We have an immortal soul to save for eternity. Mary calls us to penance and to the prayer of the Rosary. It would be foolhardy not to respond to her request.” Fr Werenfried van Straaten this involves, as a gift of Divine Mercy – just Dear Friends, to pray for the souls of the as a sick man accepts the need for a serious op - faithful departed is a work of mercy, and one We often tell you about the suffering Church eration in order to be healed. However, after that is often forgotten. And yet we can help which needs our help. But that is the Church our death we can do nothing more for our - these souls, with every little act of love, every we see in this world. However beyond this selves. Only with the help and prayers of oth - sacrifice and prayer, however small it may life there is what we call the “Church Suffer - ers who are still on earth and still able to do be. And the most profound help is the Holy ing”, which is entirely dependent on our help. good can we be helped to pass more quickly Sacrifice of the Mass. There are countless The Communion of the Saints includes not and more easily through God’s purifying fire. souls in Purgatory who have been completely only the visible Church here on earth, which forgotten and for whom no one prays. But we we also call the “Church Militant”, but also In his encyclical Spe Salvi , Pope Benedict can help them, and they too can make inter - the “Church Triumphant” – the Saints in XVI described the wonderful communion we cession for us and will prove to be good Heaven – and the “Church Suf - friends to us. That is why St John fering” which refers to the Holy The purification Vianney, the holy Curé of Ars Souls in Purgatory, who still tells us: “If we only knew what need our prayers. of Purgatory – a gift power these good souls have over the heart of God and what After death, when we stand of God’s loving Mercy. graces we can receive through before the Face of God, not only their intercession, they would not will all the good things we have done be share with the faithful departed: “The belief be so abandoned by us. The prayer for their revealed to us, but also the past sins and that love can reach into the afterlife, that re - release from Purgatory is, after the prayer for imperfections of our lives – the unrepented ciprocal giving and receiving is possible, in the conversion of sinners, the most pleasing sins, the consequences of our sins, the good which our affection for one another continues prayer to God.” things we have failed to do, or done only half- beyond the limits of death – this has been a heartedly… But when we stand before God, fundamental conviction of Christianity My heartfelt blessing on you all, and if we are truly open to His love, then we throughout the ages and it remains a source will have only one desire, namely to love as of comfort today. … No one lives alone. No He has loved us. We will see clearly our lack one sins alone. No one is saved alone. The of love and be filled with remorse. All we will lives of others continually spill over into want is to be totally healed and transformed. mine: in what I think, say, do and achieve. Fr Martin Maria Barta With wholehearted gratitude we will embrace And conversely, my life spills over into that Ecclesiastical Assistant all the painful, yet necessary, purification that of others: for better and for worse.” 1 “Blessed are the peacemakers” “This is my body”: Celebrating Mass in Isabel on the island of Basilan. Your Mass stipends are supporting priests promoting peace between Fr Sebastiano d’Ambra: Christians and other faith groups in the Philippines. “Peace is our vocation”. For Fr Sebastiano, founder of the Silsilah island’s population: the rest are Muslims. movement on the island of Mindanao: Priests and religious live under constant “Dialogue begins with God and brings threat. Many, including Fr Eduardo and Fr people back to God”. He strives to pursue Bernardo, have been abducted. Others, like dialogue with all religious groups and Fr Rhoel Gallardo and Fr Rene Enriquez, especially with the Muslims. For “deep in were tortured to death. Six years ago a the heart of every individual there is always bomb destroyed St Isabela Cathedral. a place of goodness. That is what we must reach.” The goal of Abu Sayyaf is to kill or drive out all the Christians. Instead they are stay - Bishop Martin S. Jumoad: Unfortunately, radical Islamist group Abu ing put and seeking dialogue with their “We stay, and we pray.” Sayyaf is not interested in dialogue. Twice neighbours. But they are poor, and can Fr Sebastiano has survived assassination barely afford to support their 14 priests. So message is clear: “Peace on earth to men of attempts, and twice the Silsilah move - Bishop Martin is seeking Mass stipends for goodwill” (Lk 2:14). Nowhere on earth is ment’s centre has been attacked. Abu his priests. We have given £13,800 . He God’s peace more perfectly present than in Sayyaf’s campaign of terror has gripped the says: “I know the Lord is at work. I am just the Mass. Your help for priests, particularly island of Basilan, threatening Bishop Mar - an instrument; may his will be done.” His in crisis areas, is helping build peace. • tin Jumoad and the 115,000 or so Catholics living there. They make up a quarter of the What are Mass stipends? A Mass stipend is a gift of money for the support of a priest, in return for which he celebrates Holy Mass for our intentions. We cannot “buy” the Mass or the graces it brings, but the offering made unites the giver more intimately with the Holy Sacrifice that is offered. This custom spread in the Middle Ages, but dates back to the 2 nd century. To avoid any abuse, Canon Law (945-958) closely regulates the process of accepting, administering and applying Mass offerings. These may be for individual Masses, triduums (three Dialogue with everyone: a group of Masses), novenas (nine Masses) or Gregorian Masses (30 Masses for the dead). The young people from the Silsilah movement. bishop or religious superior is responsible for observing these regulations. 2 Any donation you kindly give will go to support these, or similar Where the martyrs’ blood flowed Arunachal Pradesh is a mountainous region blessed by the morning sun. But this state on the north-eastern tip of India is also described as a “forgotten land” as government- sponsored development programmes do not reach as far as this region. But the Church has not forgotten the 32 tribes living on the frontier with China, Burma and Tibet – she is helping them. And many are seeking “Jesus is the best doctor”: Celebrating baptism. Mass in the mountain dawn. Arunachal is welcoming the Faith, but until with wholehearted conviction, “Jesus is the some 23 years ago Christians were still best doctor of all. When we call on the being persecuted, their churches burned name of Jesus, we do not have to pay any - down, their crops destroyed. Indeed, thing; we don’t have to give a chicken, or a around the middle of the 19th century there hen.” Despite continuing persecution, In ever-growing numbers: young and old, were even headhunters abroad; missionaries almost 150,000 people have been baptised gathering for catechetical instruction in Neotan. were beaten and tortured, and the blood of in the past 30 years, and the number is martyrs reflected in the red sunlight of the growing. In the newly established Diocese physical challenges of this mountainous mountain dawn. But, towards the end of the of Miao the largest Catholic village is region remain, the heights and distances 20 th century, some of the missionaries Neotan. In the past the villagers were ani - that cannot be compassed in the time invited the local people to visit their outpost mists, or in some cases Protestants. Then in available without a suitable vehicle. The on the border with Assam. Many came, saw the year 2000 the village elders came to the old pickup truck, which Father Felix and the goodness and joy that the Good News conclusion that the Catholic Church was Father Esack use to transport the sick to the of Christ can bring, and took the message the true Church of Christ. Over 500 people nearest hospital – a journey of four hours back to their own villages. Now they say, joined the elders in being baptised. covering 100 miles (160 km) – and they Overnight, the former Baptist church be - also use it to bring food to the three com - came a Catholic church, and the local munities of religious sisters and visit the Catholics built a new chapel for those who villages to celebrate Holy Mass, baptise remained Protestant, “so that they could and hear confessions – this old workhorse continue to meet and pray together”. By is now in the repair shop every couple of now the persecution has ceased. The seed weeks and no longer worth the expense. is beginning to sprout. But the natural and “We feel guilty”, says Father Felix, “in using the savings of the children and their families on maintaining this vehicle – even though they give them gladly, knowing that without it we could only visit them rarely.” More and more children and families are now waiting for the priests to come with the Good News.

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