IF WE ONLY KNEW
…the power in one tiny drop of blessed water.
Yet we give it so little thought. A single drop of blessed water, whether used for oneself or for another; consider the supernatural benefits for a soul in Purgatory.
Understand, there is a boundless chasm between the all-consuming fires of hell, which cast only darkness, and the refining purifying fire of the God’s Spirit. This latter is the fire known by the souls in purgatory. Where Hell is endless darkness, Purgatory is full of light. The light of certitude. “The soul is sure that it belongs to God forever.”*
Satispassion is the purifying suffering that souls undergo to atone for sins and prepare for Heaven. Christian theology helps us understand that this is essential for achieving complete holiness and entering into communion with God.”
The state of purification is both harsh and redemptive. The Latin root for redeem, redimire, means to buy back. It is a state of final atonement. The soul cannot be purified by its own efforts. It atones joyfully, embracing the final preparation for Heaven. All in conformity with the will of God as “before His gaze, all falsehood melts away.”**
Imagine then, the power and graces contained within a single drop of blessed water. The intentional sprinkling of holy water, for a soul, greatly alleviates their searing parchedness. It brings inexplicable relief and refreshment. “Thereby you will allay the heat of the flames that torture them.”*** The holy souls in Purgatory are the ‘church suffering’. We are the ‘church militant’. Our intercessions are critical. They enliven the souls with awareness that we have not forgotten them. They are aided and relieved in their greatest longing, their deepest thirst for God and Heaven. All in one tiny drop of blessed water.
Along with the sprinkling of holy water, we are encouraged to say this traditional Catholic prayer:
“God in Thy mercy, multiply these drops of holy water into as many drops as there are souls in purgatory, and allow them not to fear [these] pains, as long as the moisture of this blessed water is present. May this holy water, and Thy precious blood, cleanse me of my sins, O Lord, and deliver the Holy souls in purgatory.’”
“As we enter Heaven, we will see them, so many of them, coming toward us and thanking us. We will ask ‘who are you?’ and they will say, ‘a poor soul you prayed for in purgatory’. ”
There is a most devout and humble religious sister, of our own time, who was heard to say, with a quaver, “I don’t want to go to Purgatory.” In response, she was asked “Oh, Sister, tell us more.” To which she offered, that having read Padre Pio’s experiences with the Holy Souls, “it scares me”. “Perhaps, sister, we should read this together.” And so, they did. The Holy Souls, viva Padre Pio, penned by Fr. Alessio Parente O.F.M. Cap., is an equally jarring and illuminating account, wherein Padre Pio, again, proves himself to be a Man of Hope.
It has been estimated that greater than 20 million people attended his Masses. We learn, through his own words and the accounts of his spiritual children, that more Holy Souls [in purgatory], visited this Saint and attended his Masses than had all the living.
In the 2007 encyclical, Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict XVI reminds us “Our lives are involved with one another; through innumerable interactions they are liked together. No one lives alone. No one dies alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone.”
If these words prompt an interior voice, or an urging to know more, do pay attention. Do act on it. There will be unprecedented spiritual graces and friendships to follow.
Resources:
*What Happens in Purgatory, The Catholic Truth Society/St. John Paul II
**Spe Salvi Pope Benedict
***How to Avoid Purgatory, by Fr Paul O’Sullivan, Purgatorial Society, via tumblr.com