Page:Prayerbookforrel00lasa 0.djvu/578

 As the  "  New  Raccolta  "  tells  us,  a  plenary  indulgence,  applicable only  to  the  departed,  is  granted  to  all  the  faithful  who shall have  made  this  offering,  whenever  they  go  to  holy communion, provided  they  visit  a  church  or  public  oratory, and pray  there,  for  some  time,  for  the  intention  of  his  Holiness.

A plenary  indulgence,  every  Monday,  to  all  who  hear  Mass in aid  of  the  souls  in  purgatory,  provided  they  fulfil  the other conditions  mentioned  above.

All indulgences  granted  or  to  be  granted,  which  are  to  be gained  by  the  faithful  who  have  made  this  offering,  may  be applied  to  the  holy  souls  in  purgatory.

Although this  act  of  charity  is  called  heroic  vow  of  charity  in some  printed  sheets,  in  which  also  is  given  a  formula  for making the  offering,  no  inference  is  to  be  drawn  therefrom that this  offering  binds  under  sin;  neither  is  it  necessary to make  use  of  the  said  formula,  or  any  other,  since,  in  order to share  in  the  said  indulgences,  no  more  is  required  than a heartfelt  act  of  the  will.

The heroic  act  of  charity  is  not  a  vow;  nor  does  this  offering prevent  the  maker  of  it  from  praying  for  himself,  for his friends,  or  any  other  like  intention,  as  by  it  he  only foregoes that  special  fruit  of  his  good  works,  which  would belong to  himself,  as  a  satisfaction  for  the  temporal  punishment deserved  by  him  on  account  of  his  sins.

"It is  sometimes  objected,"  we  read  in  Murray's  "  Guide  to Indulgences,"  "that  this  act  of  charity  does  an  injustice  to ourselves,  because  it  takes  away  what  is  necessary  to  satisfy God's  justice  for  our  sins,  and  so  leaves  us  much  more  suffering to  endure  in  purgatory  than  would  otherwise  fall  to  our  share.

"The answer  to  this  is,  that  even  if  this  lengthening  of our  own  punishment  was  an  assured  fact,  it  would  be  a small  price  to  pay  for  the  immense  reward  that  God  would bestow  in  heaven  on  those  who  performed  such  an  heroic act  of  charity.  But  it  is  not  true  that  those  who  make this  offering  will  suffer  more  on  account  of  it,  for  we  may be  sure  that  God  would  not  have  it  so.  On  the  contrary, He  will  reward  those  who  are  so  generous  by  enkindling  such a  great  love  for  Himself  in  their  hearts  that  it  will  result in  a  full  forgiveness  not  only  of  sin.  but  also  of  its  temporal punishment;  and,  moreover,  He  has  still  the  right  to make  their  souls,  if  they  go  to  purgatory,  the  beneficiaries of  those  prayers  and  good  works  which  the  living  are  continually offering  Him."

Besides, those  souls  who  may  be  released  from  their  sufferings by  these  heroic  offerings  will  not  prove  ungrateful, but rather  will   they  constantly  intercede  for  those  to