Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/60

 guilty! How justly  have  you  deserved  the  pains  of  purgatory! Wherefore humbly  ask  pardon  for  what  is  past, and pray  with  the  psalmist:  "O  Lord,  rebuke  me  not  in Thy  indignation,  nor  chastise  me  in  Thy  wrath.  Have mercy  on  me,  O  Lord,  for  I  am  weak." (Ps. vi.  1,  2.)

II. Our merciful  Lord  has  afforded  us  many  means  in this  world  of  satisfying  for  our  sins,  and  escaping  the pains of  purgatory. Among these  means  are  the  reception of  the  sacraments,  the  celebration  or  hearing  of Mass,  a  devout  application  of  the  indulgences  of  the Church; then  fasting,  alms,  prayers,  mortification,  and  at least  patience  in  all  kinds  of  sufferings. God will  be easily  satisfied  in  this  life,  and  will  be  soon  appeased  by the  poor  services  that  we  can  render  Him. But after our time  of  probation  in  this  world  is  over,  He  will  exact the whole  debt  of  punishment,  even  "to  the  last  farthing." (Matt. v.  26.)  Hence  be  careful  to  do  as  much good as  you  can  while  you  may. "Defraud not  thyself of  the  good  day,  and  let  not  the  part  of  a  good  gift  overpass thee." (Ecclus. xiv.  14.)

III. Among the  best  means  of  escaping  entirely,  or mitigating  the  pains  of  purgatory,  is  to  pray  frequently for the  dead. This kind  of  charity  and  mercy  for  the helpless sufferers  in  purgatory  is  most  acceptable  to God. "Blessed are  the  merciful,  for  they  shall  obtain mercy,"  says  Jesus  Christ. (Matt. v.  7.)  He  will  Himself be merciful  to  those  who  are  merciful  to  the  souls  in purgatory. Wherefore pray  yourself  and  procure  the prayers of  others  for  them:  for,  "with  what  measure you  have  measured,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again." (Matt. vii.  2.)

Note.— If some days  remain  before  Advent,  for  which  there  are  no meditations  appointed,  some  of  the  more  interesting  subjects  that have been  already  considered  can  be  taken  again.