The Deliverance
"Rejoice not, thou my enemy, over me, because I am fallen: I shall arise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light. . . . He will bring me forth into the light, I shall behold His justice." - Micah 7:8,9
Debtors ourselves towards divine Justice, and insolvent debtors, God will only show mercy to us in proportion to the amount of mercy we show towards others. Consequently we should intercede for them if we desire them to intercede for us one day. It is hardly necessar}^ to add that gratitude is not banisiied from heaven, but, on the contrary, increased in that liome of divine love; the souls whose happiness we shall liasten by our prayers will interest themselves in ours by their powerful mediation. Represent to yourself only one of these forsaken souls who, at the height of suffering and weariness, suddenly hears the angels exclaim: "Come, holy soul, the end of your exile has arrived; ascend to heaven. You would still owe to divine Justice a month, a year of suffering, but the sacrifices offered for you, the alms, Indulgences, stations, penances, the Masses heard, the prayers of your pious wife, of your children, have paid the debt. Come to heaven."
At this announcement, what will be the cry of that soul, if not one of gratitude? "Ah! be you blessed of the Lord, you wlio have been merciful to His servant!" Oh! how deeply engraven in his thoughts are the cherished names of his holy intercessors! How he burns with desire to repay their services! And united in the holy city to all the celestial court, with what zeal and success he will pray for the one who has delivered him, for the one who, after Jesus, is his saviour!
Christina the Admirable visits Purgatory, Hell, and Heaven
To the first evidence of a man restored to life, says Cardinal Bellarmine, we will join that of an illustrious virgin, Christina, surnamed the Admirable, whose life has been written by Thomas of Cantimpre, of the Order of Saint Dominic, her contemporary and a very worthy author. The pious and learned Cardinal Jacques de Vitry bestows much praise on holy women in the preface to the life of Saint Mary d'Ognies; but Saint Christina, whose principal actions he briefly relates, receives the largest share.
Listen to her tell her own history: "As soon as my soul was separated from my body, it was conducted by angels to an obscure place occupied by many souls. The torments they suffered seemed tome so excessive, that it is impossible to express their rigor. I was greatly grieved at seeing many of my acquaintances there, and asked what place it was, supposing it to be hell; but those who accompanied me replied that this was only Purgatory, where sinners were punished, who had died contrite for their sins but without having made a suitable satisfaction to God.
"From there they conducted me to hell to look upon the torments of the damned, and liere too I recognized some. Then I was transported to the throne of God in heaven. Our divine Saviour regarded me with a favorable eye, and the tiionght of dwelling there eternally filled me with joy. But as He saw what was passing in my heart, He said to me: "Assure yourself, My dear child, that you will one day be with Me. However, I will give you the choice of two things, either to be with Me for evermore, or to return to earth and undergo great torments, but without dying; in order to deliver from the flames of Purgatory all those souls who have excited your compassion to such an extent, and that the example of a life of sufferings may lead sinners to enter into their duty and expiate their crimes. After this, you will return here full of merit.* Tiie inclination I had to avail myself of so advantageous an offer made me unhesitatingly reply that I wished to return to earth. Behold how I died and came back to life with the sole design of employing myself for the conversion of sinners. I beseech you, therefore, not to be astonished at the thinors vou will henceforth see in me, because they will be so extraordinary that nothing like them shall ever be seen again."
All this is from the Saint. Let us hear now what the historian said, and the various selections I have made from chapters of her life, adds Cardinal Bellarmine.
She commenced to do the things for which she had been sent by God. She threw herself into fiery furnaces and suffered there sucli terrible pains that, not being able to endure them, she uttered cries of anguish. When she came forth no signs of burning were apparent. The winter that the Meuse was frozen she often plunged into it, and once reminded thei*e for six entire days. Sometimes when praying in the water she allowed lierself to be carried away by the current and conveyed to a mill, the wheel of which being in motion caught her, without, however, bruising or dislocating any of her bones. On another occasion, being pursued by dogs who bit and tore her, she ran among thorns till she was covered with blood, notwithstanding which neither wound nor scar was visible.
The author, who was suffragan Bishop of the archdiocese of Cambry, relates this, and we have every reason to credit it, because we have besides the testimony of another eminent author, Jacques de Vitry, Bishop and Cardinal, who said that this happened not only in his. time, but even in his own province, and what this admirable saint endured was not hidden. She wras often seen in the midst of flames which did not consume her, and sometimes covered with sores that disappeared in a very few moments.
In fine, this wonder continued for forty-two years after her restoration to life; and as a proof that what she did was by virtue of power from on high, the signal conversions made by her during life and the evident miracles she wrought after death show clearly it was the work of God. Thus was He pleased to close the mouths of those libertines who professed to believe nothing, and who had the temerity to say in raillery, "Who is this that has returned from the other world? Who has ever beheld the sufferings of hell or Purgatory? " Behold two faithful witnesses who assure us that they liave been seen, and that they are great and numeroas. Wliat follows now, except to avow that the incredulous are inexcusable, and that those who believe without wishing to do penance are still more to be condemned?
Practice
Make the monthly retreat; that is to say, spend, at the close of each month, one day in recollection, so as to examine how you have spent the past month, and to take new resolutions and measures for the coming one. Foresee what more you can do in behalf of the souls in Purgatory.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I resolve to be of the number of fervent Christians, and as a proof of my love generously to apply myself to Thy service and to aid the souls suffering in the purifying flames of Purgatory for not having loved Thee sufficiently, and above all for not preserving themselves pure in Thine eyes. Bless my resolutions; make me ful]\r nnderstand that the fidelity we show in corresponding to Thy orraces is always the measure in which Thou grantest them, that so I may be faithful to all those unceasingly showered on me, and draw new ones upon myself and the holy souls I propose to relieve at any price.
Sweet Heart of Mary, be my salvation!
- text taken from Month of the Dead by Father Celestin Cloquet, translated by a Sister of Mercy, with the Imprimatur of Archbishop Michael Augustine Corrigan, Archdiocese of New York, 18 October 1886