"Get Us Out Of Here!"

I just finished reading a book so riveting that I couldn't put it down. 

"Get Us Out Of Here" is a record of interviews with Maria Simma which was written by Nicky Eltz.  For those who have never heard of Maria Simma, she was an Austrian mystic who had the charism of being visited by souls from purgatory who were allowed to make requests of her.  Most of the requests were of masses and prayers and some were for messages to be conveyed to family.

This book was given an imprimatur in its eighth printing (October, 2010).  Which means that there is nothing in the book that is against church teaching.

Here are some excerpts from the book:

Excerpt 1
Maria, what happened the first time a Poor Soul visited you?
             The very first time I woke up because someone was pacing back and forth in my room.  I was never scared easily and really wouldn't be unless someone actually jumped into my face.  So I thought,"Who's this?"  It was a complete stranger walking impatiently back and forth at the foot of my bed and I called out,"Hey! Who are you?"  No answer.  Then I jumped out of bed, ran at him and tried to grab him, calling,"Now see to it that you  get out of here.  Get lost!  There's nothing here of yours!"  But nothing was there!  Then I thought,"I wasn't dreaming.  I saw him, I heard him."
.......
The next day, I quickly went over to my Priest and told him what had happened.  "I don't know what happened to me last night.  Have I gone mad?"  To this he said,"Why should you have gone mad?  If it was to happen again, do not ask,'Who are you?', but rather ask,'What is it that you need from me?'  It could be a Poor Soul."
.......
The next night, there he was again!  This time I did ask,"What is it that you need of me?"  The fellow stopped, turned and looked at me, saying,"Have three Masses celebrated for me: then I will be delivered."  And he disappeared instantly.

Excerpt 2

Is there any official recognition by the Church when it comes to your particular experience?
            I am obedient to my Priest and to my Bishops who have said that as long as everything is theologically correct, as it has been so far, to continue with my apostolate.
            At first, Bishop Wechner did have problems with my being able to get answers for other people.  He called me in to see him and asked me from where these answers came, so I responded exactly the way I had found out myself when all this started.
           Very early on I asked a soul where it was getting the information.  I thought perhaps that it would go out into Purgatory to find the other soul and then ask the second what it needed to be delivered.  But the one in front of me instead answered,"No, all the information that we bring to you comes from and with the permission of the Mother of Mercy."  When the good Bishop heard this he said,"Well, in that case I cannot and will not say anything against it."

What do you mean by the mother of mercy?
           Oh, the Mother of Mercy is one of the many titles given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus and therefore the mother of all of us.

Excerpt 3

What exactly is the difference between your experience and that of spiritists or so-called mediums or channelers?
           If the public believes only one thing that I say, I would want it to be this.  The difference is very simple and very clear, and we MUST hold to it with ALL SERIOUSNESS.  What happens with spiritists is that they THINK they are calling the souls of the deceased; but if there is any reaction to their calling them, it is ALWAYS and without exception SATAN and his agents who are responding.  Spiritists and channelers are doing something extremely dangerous both to themselves and to the people who go to them for advice.  They are living an enormous pack of lies.  We are NOT permitted to call the deceased!  That is STRICTLY FORBIDDEN!  In my case, I NEVER called them, NEVER do and NEVER will.  Jesus has permitted this through His Mother.
           But Satan, of course, can and does copy and fake anything and everything that comes from God.  He monkeys God and monkeys everything God does.  He can copy the souls' voices, and he can copy their looks, but whatever reaction there is, it's ALWAYS from the Evil One.  Don't forget, Satan can even heal, but these healings never last.

Excerpt 3 is supported by so many other sources, among which is the Bible.  Plus a book I read recently written by Father Jose Francisco C. Syquia of the Archdiocese of Manila, Philippines also mentions this very crucial difference.

If someone you know calls souls or spirits, that is a clear sign that what he is doing is NOT good.  It is a signal for all discerning people to quickly distance themselves from the person doing the calling.  It is not worth the risk to your soul.

I tried to find Nicky Eltz's book on local online bookstores but they didn't carry it.  I tried to locate ebook formats but no such luck.  All I have is a photocopy... sigh...

First Week Of Lent 2012

It's now the first week of Lent.  I need to reset priorities (focus more on God and realign time allocations).

Some of the things in my List Of Lenten Observances has got to be :
a) The Way of The Cross
b) Daily rosaries
c) Charity
d) St Bridget of Sweden's Fifteen Prayers

Yes, St Bridget remains one of my top favourites, if only because saying the prayer has such tangible effects on my life.
 

Hunting for Scapulars

First, a quick intro to the Brown Scapular.

The scapular is a small piece of cloth that is a part of the Carmelite Order, a religious community. Those who wear the scapular are sharing in the order's special devotion to the Mother of Christ. They who wear the scapular in a spirit of true devotion and love have a special claim to Mary's intercession and protection.

On the surface, some people may think scapulars are superstitious "good luck charms" that guarantee our entrance into heaven. They do not. Only living in a state of grace will guarantee us eternal salvation. However, scapulars are a special gift from God by which we attain protective graces.

The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock in the year 1251. She promised that all who wear the brown scapular "shall not suffer eternal fire; if wearing it when they die, they shall be saved." This assumes, of course, that one does not deliberately lead a sinful life and make a mockery of God's law.

For me, the brown scapular has been a constant source of comfort.  I also believe that when I wear it, I am showing our blessed Mother my faith in Her intercession.

All these years, I've been buying countless pieces of scapulars.  Where I live, the pieces sold are of poor quality.  They fall apart so easily.  The cords are thin and the images on the felt pieces look weird.  One friend even said it reminded him of Chucky.  Brrrr.

This scapular is a slightly better-looking version compared to the ones I can buy in my hometown. 
But the figure of baby Jesus looks weird.

I tried searching in religious shops for better-looking and more durable scapulars.  Finally I gave up.  Today I ventured online and what a treasure trove of scapulars have I found.  Here are some of the available scapulars... gorgeous!

 The Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel
(the traditional scapular)

 The Scapular of Mount Carmel

 The Divine Mercy Scapular

 The Red Passion Scapular

 

Children's Scapular

 The Crusader Scapular

For more information about the Brown Scapular, read 'Garment of Grace'.

The Heroic Act of Charity

From my previous post on Indulgences, I quoted from the Cathechism of the Catholic Church something about the Heroic Act.

This refers to the Heroic Act of Charity.

There may be some among us who feel sad for the neglected and forgotten Holy Souls in Purgatory and want to help as much as possible.  Besides the Prayer of St Gertrude, we can also offer all the satisfactory value of our prayers, alms, fasts, penances, and the suffrages given to us after our deaths, without reserving anything at all with which to discharge our own debts. We do not do this of our own, but instead deposit our offering with the Blessed Virgin Mary that she might distribute them, as the Mediatrix of All Graces, according to her good pleasure, to those souls she chooses to deliver from Purgatory.

Since by doing this, we forgo the lessening of our own time in Purgatory, hence the title Heroic Act.  St Gertrude and St Therese of Lisieux made this vow while still alive.

This vow is revocable at any time.

By making this vow, we greatly increase our merits in Heaven, especially because we put our total faith in God's Mercy on us.

The Heroic Act of Charity

O Holy and Adorable Trinity, desiring to aid in the relief and release of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, through my devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, I cede and renounce, on behalf of these souls, all the satisfactory part of my works, and all the suffrages which may be given to me after my death. In their entirety, I offer them to Mary, the Most Holy Mother of God, that she may use them, according to her good pleasure, for those souls of the faithful departed whom she desires to alleviate their suffering. O my God, deign to accept and bless my offering which I make to Thee through the most august Queen of Heaven and Earth. Amen.

For those who may argue against praying 'for the dead'.
II Maccabees 12:43-46 : "And making a gathering, he [Judas] sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection, (For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins."

Under Attack? Say the Fifteen Prayers of St Bridget!

Do you feel like your life is spiralling out of control?  And the meds aren't helping?
Do you feel unexplained aches and pains?  And the doctors can't figure out what's wrong with you?
Do you suffer feelings of worthlessness and depression?  And you just don't know why because you have a great job, fantastic friends and a marvellous family?
Do you hear voices that tell you to kill yourself?  For whatever reason?  And nothing's wrong with your hearing?

Then perhaps you should stop taking the pills, stop seeing the doctors and stop sitting in a dark room, and STOP feeling panicky because you just don't know what is wrong.

Say the Fifteen Prayers of St Bridget (see tab above) and don't stop even if things seem to be get worse.  They WILL get worse for a day or two before they get better.  And the darkness lifts from your life.

Take it from one who let the darkness stay for ten years.  That was too big a chunk of my life to lose.

Why Do I Believe In Purgatory?

Actually I find myself shaking my head at this question.  For a Catholic like me, the belief in Purgatory is dogma. 

Canon XXX Session VI Of The Council Of Trent
"If any one saith that after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishement is blotted out in such wise that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged, either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven can be opened to him - let him be anathema."

Decree Concerning Purgatory : Council of Trent : Session XXV
"Whereas the Catholic Church, instructed by the Holy Ghost, has, from the sacred writitngs, and the ancient tradition of the Fathers, taught in sacred councils and very recently in this Ecumenical Synod, that there is a Purgatory and that the souls there detained are helped by the suffrages of the Faithful, but particularly by the acceptable Sacrifice of the Altar - the Holy Synod enjoins on bishops that they diligently endeavour that the sound doctrine concerning Purgatory, transmitted by the holy Fathers and sacred councils, be believed, maintained, taught, and everywhere proclaimed by the Faithful of Christ."

I'm not going to bother going into the explanation of why I have to be obedient to the shepherds of my church... just read the lives of the saints and anyone can see how much obedience was relevant to their spiritual lives.

But, being a questioning person and someone who likes to know why, I thought about finding out about Purgatory.  I am not going to be like some of the people I have come across on the Internet who proclaim loudly that Purgatory is a lie Purgatory is a falsehood... and when I ask them to tell me why, they fall silent.  I think they have put so much faith in someone in their lives that they believe everything the person tells them but they do not know why.

Logically when something is already put in place and you are obedient to it, especially when it has been the tradition and  belief of CENTURIES, it is not wrong.  For hundreds and thousands of people (and most of them so much more exalted and saintly compared to my poor self) have all these years of experience in this.  I'd rather believe them than someone who only began thinking about Purgatory two years ago.  Makes sense, don't you think?  After all, a lot of the people who have had encounters with souls from Purgatory have been canonised.  Am I going to say all of them are wrong, misled and high on drugs?  

Just take a look at this incomplete list of saints who have prayed and offered suffrages for the souls in Purgatory.

1.  St Catherine of Genoa (lived 1447-1510)She personally experienced the flames of Purgatory and wrote The Treatise on Purgatory http://www.catholictreasury.info/books/treatise_on_purgatory/.

2.  St Gertrude the Great (lived 1256-1302)

3.  St John Chrysostom (lived 347-407)

4.  St Augustine (lived 354-430)

5.  St James The Apostle (born in the First Century)

6.  St Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690)

7.  St John Vianney (1786-1859)

8.  St Nicholas of Tolentino (1245-1305)
In 1884 Nicholas was proclaimed by Pope Leo XIII "Patron of the Souls in Purgatory".

9.  St Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938)
Was given the grace of being with the souls in purgatory.

10.  St Lidwina (1380-1433)
She visited Purgatory.

11.  St. Lutgarda

12.  St Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153)

13.  St Peter Damien (1007-1072)

14.  St Magdalen de Pazzi (died 1607)
Was brought to see the souls in purgatory.

15.  St Malachy (1094-1198)

16.  St Peter Claver (1580-1654)

17.  St Vincent Ferrer (1357-1419)

18.  St Gregory of Nyssa (died 386)

19.  Blessed Anna of the Angels Monteagudo (1602-1686)

20.  Blessed Eugenie Smet (1825-1871)
Also known as Blessed Mary of Providence, she established the Society of Helpers of the Holy Souls in France, Paris (19 Jan 1856). 

21.  Venerable Catherine Paluzzi

All one has to do is look at the years these saints lived and died and you can see that they are spread out throughout known history.  If purgatory is a lie, it is a very well-crafted and well-organized lie.  Imagine getting all these people to lie consistently about the same details.  And I'm getting pretty tired of hearing of how good the Vatican is at putting together falsehoods to keep their 'sheep' in ignorance. 

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.

Abraham Lincoln, (attributed) 16th president of US (1809 - 1865)

The way some people talk about the Catholics as if we are all dull-headed and stupid and mindless sheep borders on the insulting and actually inspires me to stay away from them.  They are so blinded in their erroneous beliefs that they refuse to hear other than what they are saying.

It's so SIMPLE.  If you want to find out about something, do your research.

And there are so many books and articles on Purgatory.  Anyone who reads the books with an open heart should be more than satisfied as to Purgatory's existence. 

Besides, Purgatory is a LOGICAL state.  For if we are not so evil that we deserve Hell and yet not so saintly that we deserve Heaven, where do we go, especially when the Bible keeps telling us in many verses that sin cannot enter heaven.

"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Revelation 21:27

So where are we purified?  There has to be a middle state, other than Heaven or Hell.  Some say we are purified on earth.  Ah but what if you die before you have begun atoning?  What happens then?

There are also those who believe that once you have accepted salvation in Christ, you are saved.  All you need is faith.  Well, sorry, but here's another Bible verse :

"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2:19

So you've got company with the devils.  But don't tell me the devils go to Heaven too.

Here are some of the books I have been reading... and I RECOMMEND them most highly.  May God bless all in search in truth!

 

Charity For The Suffering Souls by Rev. John A. Nageleisen

 

 Purgatory : Explained By The Lives and Legends of The Saints by Fr. F. X. Schouppe

  
Hungry Souls : Supernatural Visits, Messages, and Warnings from Purgatory by Gerard J.M. Van Den Aardweg and Janusz Rosikon

Susan Tassone's books on purgatory http://susantassone.com/books/

Reading The Lives of The Saints

In the beginning of my quest to learn more about God and to become closer to Him, I came across a suggestion by someone.  That person suggested that one can read the lives of the saints.  I forgotten who said it but I also came across the same thing in Sr Emmanuel's book where she wrote that the Gospa wishes us to read about the lives of the saints.

Since then I have read countless books and articles on saints such as :

St Bridget of Sweden
St Therese of Lisieux
The Cure of Ars
Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
St Anne
St Joachim
Blessed Mary of Agreda
St Gertrude

and many more!

What I have found is the great love they all had for God.  The way they lived their lives were done as closely as possible to what they thought God wanted.  And as a result, they put into word and action their love for their fellow men, in whose faces they saw Jesus.

In the beginning, I found it hard to accept some of the things I read, for I am a product of this world... I have read the magazines & books and I have watched thousands of hours of television programs that keep on telling me, in a sort of mantra :

Put yourself first.
Go for success.
Money is king.
Image is important.
Be assertive and don't let others push you around.
Don't let others cheat you.

But all of these things are WRONG for...

How can I put myself first when God wants me to put myself least?
Success in this world is symbolized by bank account total and size of assets...but how can I accumulate all that if I am required to be charitable and to share what I have with those in need??  And there are so many more people in need than there is money in my pocket :(
To have the right image for this world requires a certain amount of vanity and money invested in hair saloons makeup studios boutiques.
The saints accepted all their suffering and even calumny in silence.  They didn't hit back and just offered their suffering up to God. 
The best part yet, all the suffering offered up to God were able to save souls!

But it's been three years now... and I have not stopped reading the lives of the saints.  Amazingly my way of thinking is also changing.  For once in my life, I now understand the bible verses Matthew 5:38-40. 

I will tell anyone that reading the lives of the saints would be very very beneficial... just read with an open heart and you'd be amazed at the gems you will discover.