Our Lord does not forget the souls that He
loves. As at the time of His death He visited Limbo,
so He from time to time manifests Himself
to the Holy Souls in Purgatory, to comfort and
cheer them. What a day of joy must it be for the
Holy Souls when their Lord and King vouchsafes, if
it be but for a moment, to illumine the dark prison-house
with the light of His Divine presence. How
they must sigh after Him when He departs, for
what joy is there like the joy that comes of the
presence of Jesus?
Our Lady, too, comes also with the same
merciful design, especially on a Saturday, on her
great feasts, and above all, on the feast of the Assumption,
when she releases not a few Holy Souls
every year, and carries them with her to Heaven.
What a delight it must be to them to be thus comforted
by the Holy Mother of God! How they must
rejoice in having gained this privilege by their devotion
to her while they were yet alive!
The Angels, too, are often sent by God to
assuage the pains of the suffering souls. Our Lord
does not forget the Angel who consoled Him during
His Sacred Agony, when He took upon Himself
the intolerable weight of the sins of the whole
world; and He knows what it is to be suffering
for sin that has no hold on the soul, but nevertheless
drags it down, like some heavy weight attached
to it by the Divine justice. Hence, there
are Angels appointed to comfort the Holy Souls,
to refresh them amid the devouring flames.
Ask your Guardian Angel never to let you fall into
sin, that so you may not need his help after
life is done.