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Please pray for the men making this weekend's Encounter With Jesus.
We Hope You Join Us...
Sunday, Nov.19 For 10:00 am Mass and Reception As we give thanks to God and our friends For MDM's 22nd Anniversary
Can They Help Us?
Last week we wrote of the importance of praying for the souls in Purgatory. And in past years we have given many examples from the life of St. Faustina who had encounters with the Poor Souls who begged her for prayers and Masses to be said for their release. She did and they were.
But while souls in Purgatory can no longer pray for themselves, can they intercede for us?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: "Our prayer for them [souls in Purgatory] is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective." (CCC#958)
Many saints have stated that the Holy Souls can pray for us. St. Robert Bellarmine and St. Alphonsus Liguori both wrote about the ability of the Holy Souls to pray for those of us on earth. St. Catharine of Bologna said that whenever she needed a favor she asked for the intercession of the Holy Souls and was immediately heard.
Here are two more excerpts from Nicky Eltz' interview with Maria Simma (1915-2004), an Austrian woman with a lifelong apostolate to pray for the souls in Purgatory.
Question from Eltz: Is there any evidence that the Poor Souls help us with what they learned during their life? For instance, if a seamstress needs help with her work, would it do her more good were she to specifically ask seamstresses in Purgatory to help her?
Answer from Simma: Yes, there is evidence for that....I know of a man who often had to smuggle things across the borders here during the war. He always asked Custom's Officers in Purgatory to help him get across without getting caught. He wasn't caught once in many years of doing it. But what he was smuggling was for God's people in the form of Bibles and other religious articles. A drug, money or weapon's smuggler should not try to get the Poor Souls' help for his work. They NEVER help us with bad endeavors.
Question from Eltz: How else can they help us?
Answer from Simma: I believe that it is only limited by our imagination as long as our imagination stays holy and good.They will never help us to accomplish something that is contrary to God's wish. And please do not lose hope if, on occasion, the help is not clearly evident. Do not forget that for everything they do they need to get permission from Jesus through His Blessed Mother. And as we all know, Jesus' plan for us is not always in line with our wishes even if they are good ones. Also their work often remains unnoticed because the peace resulting from their protection is so often silent and invisible. ("Get Us Out of Here")
Nov.10 2023 Mission of Divine Mercy
Help Us Get to Know You Better Add Your Photo to Your Profile!
You are now able to create your own Personal Information Profile (PIP) from our website. [Just go to LOGIN] Your PIP allows you to manage your communication preferences and monitor your financial contributions to MDM. But you can also add your photo, or your family photo; this is something we really encourage you to do! This allows us to put faces and names together, which is very helpful since we are always meeting new people. It is also a way for us to see the faces of friends who never get to visit.
"This is what MDM is called to be: a growing communion of trust in His Mercy for our needy world." ~ Fr. John Mary
MDM started encouraging people to pray "Jesus, I trust in You" ten times a day back in 2011. Recently we felt it was important to remind people to turn to Jesus with this simple, powerful prayer in a world that feels more and more out of control. We are suggesting 20 times, but some people find themselves repeating it hundreds of times. It reminds our troubled souls that GOD IS IN CONTROL.
Many of you have put your name on our growing list and have also left a prayer intention or testimony:
Dear Lord, we ask You, Who always hears us, for Bryan Guerrero's health. He is very young and suffers from cancer. May Your will be done.~Teresa
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Jesus, I trust in You. ~ David
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I am trying very hard to be a better Christian but seem to be slipping in the last month and losing hope. I feel comfort since finding and doing The Divine Chaplet the last several months but have gotten out of the habit this last few weeks so getting back to it. ~ Anonymous
