THIS THANKSGIVING

THIS THANKSGIVING

This Thanksgiving holiday may be the only one some of us have left, or it may be the most important one some of us will ever have. Let’s make the most of it. 

From the beginning, this mostly secular holiday has had a somewhat “holyday” dimension to it. After all, the Pilgrims gave thanks to God, mostly for surviving, but surely for the food they had that helped them to survive and ultimately prosper. 

Taking things for granted is an occupational hazard of the human condition. It is easy to forget that all things come from God. Whatever we have is a gift from our Father, “Who art in Heaven,” and on earth, and in every heart and mind that permits him entrance. 

This Thanksgiving some of us are having our own personal struggles, and it is not as easy perhaps to be thankful. Millions of people are nowhere near as well off as they once were. The lines at the local food banks and shelters are longer than they have been in recent times many places. Those of us who are able must help those less fortunate when we can. I spent one Thanksgiving homeless, roaming the streets of Los Angeles when I was younger. I can tell you it is a cold and desolate feeling. 

Some of us are mad at God this Thanksgiving. I can understand that, although it doesn’t do any good to bang your head against the rock wall of Reality. Some of us don’t have what we had last year. I know dozens of people who have lost more than 40-50% of their wealth this past year. I lost my best friend this year. I know what it is to be mad at God too, although it isn’t the right thing to do, and it certainly doesn’t help. God gave us what we had to begin with. 

The Prophets got mad at God at times. They got over it, and so will we. 

Some people lost wives, husbands, and children this year. I can’t imagine the depths of their suffering, but I sympathize with it. I don’t have a wife or children in the normal sense. I acquired a dog ten years ago at a very dark and painful time in my life. He saved my life when he was a puppy by giving me a reason to live. Years later he saved my life from two intruders who broke into my home early one morning. He was my best friend for years. He died tragically from cancer a couple of weeks ago. He bled to death internally and died as I held him on the examination table of the veterinary clinic. He was scared and could hardly breathe as he looked into my eyes. 

I was mad at God for taking the only real friend I had for many years; the only one I lived with and could be close to through many dark and troubling years. He was always the same, day in and day out. He loved me unconditionally, and every morning he greeted me as though he hadn’t seen me for years, although he slept on the same bed that I did every night of the ten years he was with me. 

It’s hard to lose things, harder to lose what we love. Yet, it was God who gave us these things from the beginning. I remember that there were over 3,000 sunrises and sunsets that I spent with Sage. He loved to walk with me anyplace we went. He loved to swim more than anything else. He was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and it was in his genes to be that way. He was loyal and he was loving, and he is gone, but I am thankful to God for the years He gave me to live with Sage. He always slept with one back leg over my ankle, as though he wanted to keep track of me through the night. He liked to watch football games on television, and sat next to me on the sofa with one paw draped over my leg. 

He would often steal my shoes or socks and race joyously through the house and prance and dance until I told him to hand them over, which he always did as though it was his highest and happiest mission in life. 

Loss is hard, but sometimes it is only in loss that we realize what we’ve had, the greatness of the gift and how much it has contributed to our life. It’s easy to give thanks when everything goes well. It’s easy to love when all is comfortable. It’s the highest and best thanks and love when we can do it from a place of loss. Be thankful for what you have, and for what you had, even if it was only for a little while, for as a wise man said, “Tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.” 

So, this Thanksgiving let’s be thankful indeed for all we have, and for all we’ve had. It is all evidence of the love and care of God our Father. 

Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving,

  Fr. John Corapi

The Month of November: Thoughts on the "Last Things"

http://www.fathercorapi.com/Webpage.aspx?WebpageId=27&CategoryId=25

The Catholic Church dedicates each month of the year to a particular devotion or consideration. Traditionally, the month of November is dedicated to praying for the deceased that are undergoing the final purification, or Purgatory. One of the oldest and most essential doctrinal teachings of the Church concerns what we have called ‘the last things’: judgment, heaven, hell, and purgatory. I always try to emphasize these essential and mandatory doctrinal teaching during this month of November. They are always relevant, but not always comfortable for people.

 

Every human being will be judged by God, both at the instant of death (the particular judgment), and when the Lord comes again in glory (the general judgment). Some very true, and very simple things to remember:

God is perfectly merciful. Jesus, the Son of God, suffered and died so that each and every one of us can be happy in Heaven forever. God wills our salvation more than we ever could. Mercy is for now, while we are still on this earth.

God is perfectly just. In the end, as Jesus say, “every penny will be paid.” We must answer for all of our sins, sins of commission and sins of omission. This means the sins that we have not repented of, the guilt of which is still on our soul at the moment of death. Justice can begin in this life, to be sure, but the ultimate justice is extracted from the moment we pass from time into eternity.

The spiritually and morally intelligent way to live is in a state of grace. As Catholics that means we go to the sacrament of Confession or Reconciliation (Penance) frequently, confessing at least any and all serious or mortal sins we are conscious of. Live well so as to die well.

Purgatory is real. It is part of the sacred deposit of the doctrine of the faith. I think many people think it’s inconvenient, however. Unless the soul is perfect, it cannot bear to stand in the immediate presence of God, the Light is simply too bright. Therefore both remission of guilt and purification of the temporal punishment due to sin is necessary—in this life, or the next. Purgatory is the final purification. It is truly the mercy of God. It is not a negative thing. It is incredibly positive. Without it there is only absolute spiritual and moral perfection which = Heaven; or not, which = hell. Purgatory is a great blessing and the mercy of God.

 

I strongly recommend that this November each of us read the Catechism of the Catholic Church #992-1050. This will help to give you a better understanding of the Church’s teaching on “The Last Things”: Judgment, purgatory, heaven, and hell. My series “Heaven and Hell”, which is available on both DVD and CD, directly deals with these subjects.

 

Sometimes reality disturbs people. In fact “disturbed people” can be said to be out of touch with reality. The truth is not negative, so long as you accept it and embrace it, then live in accordance with it. It not, then it is extremely disturbing, upsetting, and unsettling. No amount of wishing, imagining, or denying will ever make the realities of judgment, purgatory, heaven, or hell go away. The truth is what it is, whether we believe it or not, like it or not, accept it or not. In the Catholic Church belief in the last things is a matter of faith. It isn’t optional. We don’t have to necessarily understand it, but we do have to believe it. “We walk by faith, not by sight.” Nonetheless, if you give the assent of faith, then you will begin to have some light to understand better too. Never perfectly in this life, but one day more beautifully and more perfectly than you could ever imagine.

 

For now let’s pray for the souls in Purgatory, and ask them to pray for us. It is a spiritual work of mercy and highly intelligent to do so.

God bless you,

Fr. John Corapi, SOLT, STD

 

How To Gain a Plenary Indulgence

How To Gain a Plenary Indulgence

An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints. (1983 Catechism ¶ 1471)

In other words, an indulgence can take away some or all of the temporal punishment due to sin, either for ourselves or for others, as we choose. Temporal punishment is one of the consequences of sin, which does not go away even if the sinner truly repents of the sin in this life; the other is eternal punishment, which is due the unrepentant sinner.  The amount of punishment due a particular sin includes all the possible consequences of the sin, not only to the sinner but to the community in the present and the future. Temporal punishment can occur in this life (penance and mortification are two examples of voluntary acts that can count to reduce temporal punishment; suffering the consequences of the sin involuntarily can count as well) or in Purgatory in the hereafter. Indulgences both partial and plenary are two other ways to reduce temporal punishment. Partial indulgences take away some of the punishment, but plenary indulgences take away all of it! Like all the best deals, there are rules. Plenary indulgences are not easy to obtain.  

Plenary Indulgences can be acquired only once each day for the same work (unless one is at the moment before death, in which case the person may acquire another). Another exception is on All Souls Day — November 2 — when the faithful may gain a plenary indulgence, only for the souls in Purgatory, as often as they want). Notice that one might acquire additional plenary indulgences the same day as long as they are for different works.

Plenary indulgences are much more demanding than partial indulgences, for they require one to do all the following. These are “the usual conditions” for receiving a plenary indulgence:

• have the intention of gaining the indulgence

• receive the Sacrament of Penance (within several days before or after the prescribed action of the indulgence, though the same day is best, if possible)

• receive the Eucharist (within several days before or after the prescribed action of the indulgence, though the same day is best, if possible)

• pray 6 Paters (Our Fathers), 6 Aves (Hail Marys), and 6 Glorias (Glory Be’s) for the intentions of the Holy Father (within several days before or after the prescribed action of the indulgence, though the same day is best, if possible). The most recent Enchiridion [Church's official handbook on indulgences] prescribes at least one of each, but 6 is the traditional number.

• perform the prescribed action of the indulgence. If the prescribed action of the indulgence requires a visit to a church or oratory, one must visit devoutly and recite 1 Our Father and the Creed. This doesn’t refer to any visits to a church for Confession or the Eucharist in order to fulfill the requirements listed above; it refers to such indulgences as those granted to the faithful for visiting a church on the day of its consecration, visiting their parochial church on its titular feast day, visiting the stational churches of Rome, etc.

• be free from all attachment to sin, including venial sin. This last is most difficult, but if it can’t be fulfilled, a partial indulgence at least will be gained.

Some examples of actions to gain a plenary indulgence:

• Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for at least one hour

• Making the Way of the Cross or, if unable to get to a church, the pious meditation and reading on the Passion and Death of Our Lord for a half an hour

• Private recitation of five decades of the Rosary. This must be done vocally, continuously, and while meditating on the Mysteries

• Public recitation of five decades of the Rosary. This must be done vocally, continuously, and with the Mysteries announced out loud and meditated on.

• A plenary indulgence is granted on each Friday of Lent to the faithful who after Communion piously recite before an image of Christ crucified the prayer: “Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus.” On the other days of the year the indulgence is partial. The prayer is written below.

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus, while before your face I humbly kneel, and with burning soul pray and beseech you to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments of faith, hope and charity, true contrition for my sins, and a firm purpose of amendment, while I contemplate with great love and tender pity your five wounds, pondering over them within me, calling to mind the words which David, your prophet, said of you, my good Jesus: “They have pierced my hands and my feet; they have numbered all my bones” (Ps 21, 17-18).

• A plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful who renew their baptismal promises in the liturgy of the Easter Vigil

• A plenary indulgence is granted when an Act of Consecration is publicly recited on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (go to end to see this prayer)

• A plenary indulgence is received by those who publicly make the Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart on the Feast of Christ the King (last Sunday in October per the traditional calendar, last Sunday of Pentecost per the Novus Ordo calendar) (Go to end to see this prayer)

• A pious visit to a church, a public or chapel on All Souls’ Day (November 2) with the prayers of one Our Father and the Creed; this indulgence is applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory.

• A devout visit to a cemetery with a prayer, even if only mental, for the departed souls, from the first to the eighth day of November.

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.

I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants.

Act of Consecration of the Human Race to the Sacred Heart

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thy altar. We are Thine, and Thine we wish to be; but to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known Thee; many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee; grant that they may quickly return to their Father’s house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger. Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Be Thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism, and refuse not to to draw them all into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of that race, once Thy chosen people: of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may It now descend upon them, a laver of redemption and of life. Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: “Praise be to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to It be glory and honor for ever.” Amen.

Source:

thewhitelilyblog

The Roman Sacristan: Obtaining a Plenary Indulgence for a soul in Purgatory on All Souls Day

http://romansacristan.blogspot.com/2008/11/obtaining-plenary-indulgence-for-soul.html
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1-8 November: Plenary indulgences aplenty! « The Practicing Catholic

http://thepracticingcatholic.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/1-8-november-plenary-indulgences-aplenty/
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Plenary Indulgence on Nov 1-8. Let us avail and share info!

Praying for the Dead and Gaining Indulgences During November

Explaining indulgences and practices Catholics can do during the month of November for the Poor Souls in Purgatory.

Directions

It is during November that the Church meditates on the Communion of Saints, which is the charitable link with the faithful who have already reached heaven (Church Triumphant), the faithful departed who are still expiating their sins in Purgatory (Church Suffering) and of the pilgrim faithful here on earth (Church Militant). "In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1475).

On November 1st the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints, a holyday of obligation, honoring all those faithful in heaven. Throughout November the Church also remembers our faithful departed. The need and duty of prayer for the departed souls has been acknowledged by the Church at all times. It is recommended in the Scriptures of the Old Testament: "It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins."(2 Macch. 12, 46). This duty has found expression not only in public and private prayers but especially in the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the repose of souls.

Throughout November the Church prays for all who are in the purifying fires of Purgatory, waiting for the day when they will join the company of the saints in heaven. The celebration of Mass is the highest means the Church can provide for charity for the dead, but we can also relieve their sufferings through our prayers, sufferings and penances. We an also help the Poor Souls by doing acts and prayers that have indulgences attached to them. There are many indulgences, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, that can be obtained during the month of November.

An indulgence is "the remission before God of the temporal punishment due for sins already forgiven as far as their guilt is concerned." To obtain this remission there are proper dispositions and certain conditions predetermined by the Church that must be met by the faithful. The remission is acquired through the intervention of the Church, who has the power to loose and bind granted through Jesus Christ. "As minister of the Redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the satisfaction won by Christ and the Saints" (Enchiridion of Indulgences).

To understand this practice of indulgences, the Catechism explains:

[I]t is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.

The forgiveness of sin and restoration of communion with God entail the remission of the eternal punishment of sin, but temporal punishment of sin remains. While patiently bearing sufferings and trials of all kinds and, when the day comes, serenely facing death, the Christian must strive to accept this temporal punishment of sin as a grace. He should strive by works of mercy and charity, as well as by prayer and the various practices of penance, to put off completely the "old man" and to put on the "new man." (1472, 1473)

An indulgence can either be partial or plenary. It is partial if it removes only part of the temporal punishment due to sin, or plenary if it removes all punishment.

To be able to gain an indulgence, one must have the intention to gain them, and perform the works at the time and in the manner prescribed.

To attain a plenary indulgence, three conditions must accompany the prescribed act:

1. the faithful must receive the sacrament of confession, either eight days before or after the pious act is performed,
2. receive Holy Communion on that day
3. and recite prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father (one Our Father and one Hail Mary is the minimum, but any other additional prayers may be added).

All attachment to sin, even venial sin, must be absent. If one's disposition is less than perfect or if some of the above conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence becomes partial.

One must also remember that one can acquire one plenary indulgence a day.

Indulgenced Acts for the Poor Souls A partial indulgence can be obtained by devoutly visiting a cemetery and praying for the departed, even if the prayer is only mental. One can gain a plenary indulgence visiting a cemetery each day between November 1 and November 8. These indulgences are applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory.

A plenary indulgence, again applicable only the Souls in Purgatory, is also granted when the faithful piously visit a church or a public oratory on November 2. In visiting the church or oratory, it is required, that one Our Father and the Creed be recited.

A partial indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, can be obtained when the Eternal Rest (Requiem aeternam) is prayed. This is a good prayer to recite especially during the month of November:

Requiem aeternam dona ei (eis), Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei (eis). Requiescat (-ant) in pace Amen.

Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Many families add to the "Prayer Before Meals" the second half of the "Eternal Rest" prayer:

Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, Which we are about to receive, from Thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord, Amen. And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Other families recite the "Eternal Rest" prayer in between decades of the rosary.

It is a good devotion to pray for the departed all through the year, not just November. After these Souls in Purgatory are in heaven, they will intercede for us. We should all develop prayerful habits, such as praying the "Eternal Rest" prayer when passing cemeteries, to remind us of our eternal destiny.

For more information on the Church's teachings on indulgences, read the Enchiridion of Indulgences given by the 1968 Decree of the Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary.

Also see The Catechism of the Catholic Church section on Indulgences, Part 2, Section 2, Chapter 2, Article 4, Subsection 10, 1471-1479..

Jennifer Gregory Miller Jennifer G. Miller

Activity Source: Original Text (JGM) by Jennifer Gregory Miller, © Copyright 2003-2009 by Jennifer Gregory Miller

Source:

http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1178