Did you know that the Holy Souls in Purgatory are desperate for our prayers? Did you know that they will pray for you until YOU enter heaven if you pray for them? Have you always wanted some terrific books to share with your students and your family? I’ve got some recommendations for you, and I hope you’ll pick one and start your own personal inquiry into one of the Catholic Church’s most fascinating and hope-filled devotions.
The devotion to the Holy Souls is a long-standing practice of the Catholic Church, based on scripture and the consistent teaching of the Magisterium, as well as many confirming messages from the Blessed Mother and the saints, through apparitions, visions, and private writings. If you’re unsure if you should believe such things, stop in to this lovely Catholic website and do a little reading!
The Catholic Company sent out an intriguing e-newsletter today (Oct. 31) advertizing a book I am definitely ordering, called, “Hungry Souls: Supernatural Visits, Messages, and Warnings from Purgatory.” It’s packed with eyewitness accounts of visits to living persons from the Holy Souls — just in time for All Hallows Eve celebrations and our November devotions to the Holy Souls!
I also wanted to personally recommend two more terrific books on the subject – each unique and a gem to share with adults and children:
The first is a tiny daily devotional for November with brief prayers, saint quotes, and teachings of the Church, by Susan Tassone, “Thirty-Day Devotions for the Holy Souls.” https://www.amazon.com/Thirty-Day-Devotions-Souls-Susan-Tassone/dp/159276052X I really love this book and have used it for 4 or 5 years. It has brought me so much comfort and increased my devotion to the Holy Souls. (Susan Tassone has several more books on the Holy Souls, which you can find at her website.)The second is a book I borrowed from a dear friend a few years ago (you know who you are!), about Maria Simma, an Austrian mystic acting under obedience to her bishop, who receives visits from the Holy Souls and has Masses said (or whatever they request) to release their souls from purgatory. Her stories are amazing and humble. These personal accounts, told so lovingly, convinced my then eleven-year-old daughter of God’s mercy in a new way. Such a blessing! It’s called, “The Amazing Secret of the Souls in Purgatory: An Interview with Maria Simma by Sister Emmanuel of Medjugorje,” and can be found here.
A friend of mine with a longstanding devotion to the Holy Souls once told me that if we pray for them, they will pray for us. They can do nothing for themselves, so they need our prayers, but their prayers for us are powerful. Nice to have friends!
A blessed All Hallows Eve to everyone!
Love,
Lisa
