The Advantages of Devotion to the Souls in Purgatory - Cardinal Bacci

The Advantages of Devotion to the Souls in Purgatory

1. As Sacred Scripture says, it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead. (2 Mach. 12:46) Besides being profitable to them, however, it is profitable to ourselves. There are two reasons for this: (a) Devotion to the faithful departed reminds us that even venial sin, carelessness, and tepidity, will one day be punished ...with terrible severity. As a result, we are encouraged in our efforts to lead better lives. (b) In the second place, we know that the souls in Purgatory are holy and are already in the antechamber of Paradise, which they yearn to reach but from which they are kept far apart by the imperfections which they have still to purify. If we can help them by our prayers to enter Heaven even a little earlier than they had expected, they will certainly intercede for us with God at all times and especially at the moment of death. In their gratitude they will implore for us all the graces of which we stand in need. "Whatever we do for the departed souls," says St. Ambrose, "redounds to our own benefit; after death it will be restored to us with interest." While we are assisting our dear ones to ascend as soon as possible into the everlasting happiness of Heaven, it is comforting to know that one day their patronage will enable us to join them there.

2. The story is told of St. John of God that on one occasion when he was finding it difficult to provide for the crowds of sick people whom he had in his hospital, he went about the streets of Granada crying: "My dear brothers, give alms to yourselves." Many were astonished at these words, but the Saint explained that Jesus regards as done to Himself anything which we do for the poor and unfortunate, and that therefore He repays the generous giver handsomely. Since the souls in Purgatory are poor and needy, it is certain that whatever we do for them will redound to our own advantage.

St. Margaret of Cortona had a keen devotion to the faithful departed. It is related of her that when she was dying she saw a band of blessed spirits descending from above in order to escort her into Heaven. These were the countless souls whom her prayers had rescued from the pains of Purgatory. "If only everyone realised," the Cure d'Ars once said to a fellow-priest, "what great influence with God the holy souls in Purgatory possess, and the vast number of favours which we obtain through their intercession, they certainly would not be forgotten. Let us pray earnestly for them, and they will intercede strongly for us." "Whenever I wish to obtain some favour from our Heavenly Father," said St. Catherine of Bologne, "I have recourse to the souls in Purgatory. I beseech them to present my petition to the Divine Majesty in their name, and through their intercession my request is granted."

3. The example of the Saints should inspire us to practise great devotion to the souls in Purgatory. We should ask them to obtain for us everything which we need, but especially the graces necessary for our eternal salvation.

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Cardinal Bacci

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

1. All devotions which have been approved by the Church are valuable because they are acts of religion which have as their object the author of all holiness and source of all goodness. By these acts God is adored, thanked and supplicated by His children who have been redeemed by the Precious Blood of Christ. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin and to the Saints is also directed ultimately towards God, Who has endowed His faithful servants, especially the Mother of Jesus, with His gifts and graces and has established them as mediators by His throne. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, however, is not one of the many pious practices merely permitted or recommended by the Church. Fundamentally, it is a devotion which is essential for any Christian in so far as it is the cult of the love of God made man for our sakes.

We know that Christianity is the religion of love. “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16) Everything flows from God's love for mankind—both the Creation and the Redemption, for God created us out of love and redeemed us with the love of His only-begotten Son Who became man and died for us; and both the Old and the New Law, for the basis of the Old Law was “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength,” (Deut. 6:4) and the commandment of charity was called by Jesus His own commandment, on which His entire teaching was based. The Sacraments, especially the Blessed Eucharist, have their origin in the same infinite love. So have the graces which God gives us, our justification through the merits of our Redeemer, and the final reward for which we hope in Heaven. Devotion to the Sacred Heart is the worship of this infinite love, of which it is a living symbol.

2. When we consider it under its fundamental aspect as the cult of the love of God rather than of the Incarnate Word, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is as old as Christianity, even though it is only in recent centuries that it has assumed its present symbolism. “He who does not love does not know God,” says St. John, “for God is love.” (1 John 4:8) “And we have come to know,” he continues, “and have believed, the love that God has in our behalf. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16) This cult of the love of God, particularly of the love of God made man, vibrates throughout the pages of the Gospel and of the writings of the Apostles, especially of St. John and of St. Paul. In the works of the Fathers there are references to the Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, from which flowed all the infinite graces of the Church for our redemption. We are reminded of this in the Encyclical published by Pope Pius XII in the year 1956. But the specific cult of the love of God as symbolised by the Heart of Jesus was explicitly approved by the Church after Jesus Himself appeared in the year 1674 to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and showed her His Heart on fire with love for men.

3. We should have a very high regard, therefore, for this devotion to the Sacred Heart. We should excite in our hearts acts of love which will compensate in some way for the infinite love which Jesus has for us. Finally, we should try and make our lives correspond with our love by emulating as far as possible the holy and immaculate life of Jesus Christ.

Ejaculation: May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be everywhere known and loved.

Religion and Devotion - Cardinal Bacci

Religion and Devotion

1. St. Thomas concisely expresses the nature of religion in these words: "The object of religion is to give honour to the One God because He is the first principle of creation and order in the universe." (Summa, II-II, q. 81, a. 3)

We know that everything is the work of God. Everything depends on Him both for its being and for its continued existence. This is so from man down to the minutest insect, from the stars in the sky to the invisible atom. It is true that man and the other creatures also work. In fact, the universe is a gigantic workshop. But God is the one and only cause of man and of the whole of nature. We are only instruments of the divine omnipotence. Now, justice demands that we give everyone his due. Everything belongs to God. Therefore, man ought to humble himself before God in an act of adoration and loving obedience. From the highest mountains to the depths of the valley, from the stars of the firmament to the tiny flowers of the fields, all creation unconsciously sings of the glory of God. In the same way man, a creature of intelligence and free will, should offer himself and all his faculties in an act of complete homage to his Creator and Lord. But there is more to it than that. God is not only our Creator and Lord, He is also our Redeemer. The eternal Word of God became man out of love for us. He gave us His teaching and commandments. He redeemed us with His precious blood and left us the Church as our mother and our infallible teacher of truth. So, if religion is to be complete, it will oblige us to be obedient to whatever God has revealed and to whatever the Church which He founded commands and teaches us.

2. Religion, however, should not be a cold, mechanical practice of obedience to the commandments of God and the precepts of the Church. Deep spiritual devotion and supernatural charity are necessary as well as religion. In other words, religion should not be merely external, but should spring from the mind and heart; this is devotion, which is the spirit of religion. "Devotion," writes Aquinas, "seems to be the determination to give one's self readily to the service of God." (Summa, II-II, q. 82, a.2, ad 1) But this determination should be loving and effective because, as St. Thomas also observes, "charity generates devotion." (Summa, II-II, q. 82, a. 2, ad. 2)

St. Francis de Sales analysed and expanded these ideas. "True and living devotion," he writes, "presupposes the love of God; indeed, it really is a true love of God... but a love... which has reached that height of perfection at which it not only causes us to act, but to act zealously, frequently and promptly…" (Filotea, Bk. I, C. 1) He continues: "Since devotion consists in an unique degree of charity, it not only makes us prompt, active and zealous in the observance of all the divine commands, but incites us furthermore to perform readily and lovingly as many good works as we can... even if they are only recommended or suggested." (Ibid.) From this solid and sincere devotion flows that taste for divine things, that inner gentleness and peace of spirit which the Saints enjoyed even in the midst of sorrow and disillusionment.

3. We must not be satisfied simply to carry out the acts of religion, however exactly. We must fulfil them with love. It is the spontaneous homage of the mind and heart that God wants most of all. The body must also pay its tribute of subjection to its creator, but if the mind and heart are cold and distracted, this tribute is worthless. There is no religion without devotion. “This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” (Mt. 15:8; Mark 7:6) Consider this complaint of Our Lord. Let us earnestly examine our conduct. Religion is useless if it is not fed by the active fire of charity. Anyone who is content to go to Mass on feast-days and stand in the church silently and indifferently, like a candlestick without a candle, is not a true and sincere Christian. Religion must be deeply felt. It must be penetrated by devotion and charity. Only then will it inspire real Christian activity.