EARLIER, I HAD the chance to talk to Sis. Chit. I asked what you do here in the Prayer Warriors of the Holy Souls. She told me you have a special devotion to help the poor souls by praying for them. You know, these are poor souls because they cannot help themselves; however, they can help us in many ways. They are poor because they suffer a lot. If we know exactly why they are poor, this ministry should help us to do our best in all ways possible, to avoid landing in Purgatory ourselves, but straight to heaven.

You know God is loving, but he is also just. Debts must be paid; nothing imperfect can ever escape God’s judgment. When we do 

Bishop Jesus Cabrera

something wrong, however little it may be; I tell you we owe that and we need to pay for it. Even just a word, if it is a bad word, we will pay for it. A look, like what you call the "daggerlook" which intends to frighten or threaten others, we will pay for that. Even the use of our ears, if we use it to listen to gossip or slander, things that are not good for someone, we will pay for that. Of course, the source of what you heard that is not good owes more and needs to pay more. The Lord wants us to be perfect before we come to Him. This is why He said, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." But we are confronted with all our weaknesses. How can we be perfect? We are very weak, very sinful.

Earlier, we heard a beautiful message from Fr. Arevalo about the mercy of God. Yes, there is justice but there is also the mercy of God, "Haurietis Aqua." There is also the Sacred heart that burns like a furnace with God’s love. In fact, even purgatory, we can look at it as a burning furnace, not only of God’s justice but also of God’s love. And don’t be surprised if I tell you that even hell can be a sign of God’s love? Isn’t it frightening? But it is a sign of God’s love in a sense that when we understand the reality of hell, we will fear it and would not want to go there. We will fear sin and try hard to avoid committing it. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, as the proverb says. And what the poor souls want is that we ourselves will be able to avoid purgatory. And of course, it is understood already that poor as they are, we need to help them out.

So I ask again, what do you do to help the poor souls in purgatory? Yes that is obvious, prayer. Now it is not enough that you say, "Eternal rest grant unto them, oh Lord and let your perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace!"

If you hear about someone who just died, pray for him/her at once. And aside from these prayers, you can actually carry with you this poor soul your entire life. Meaning, you make them your regular and lifetime beneficiary of your sufferings, sacrifices, pains, good works, etc. For example, instead of complaining about the hot weather, say, "Lord I offer this pain for this poor soul in purgatory." When you go to mass and you are already tired of the long sermon, say, "Lord I offer this long-winding sermon of Father for the poor souls." Or when you are sick. There are a lot of sicknesses, eye disease, ear, heart, kidney, cancer, pain in the pocket, etc. again offer all these to the Lord for the benefit of the poor souls in purgatory.

But the most important benefit is that which is given by Christ to all of us: the Holy Mass. You see the merits of the Holy Mass is infinite. But your participation should be as perfect as possible. How can you gain merits for the poor souls if you are sleeping or if your sitting or standing or kneeling is not appropriate? How can you gain the benefits of the Mass for the poor souls if you don’t participate? The priest says, "The Lord be with you." and you don’t say anything. He says, "lift up your hearts." And you just stare. How is that? You see your response affects the priest’s enthusiasm to celebrate the Mass with you. When I celebrate Mass and I see that people are very participative, wow! I am very inspired! Yes, I perspire but I am inspired. But when people don’t even sing, or they hardly answer in prayer; and they look like they are occupied with other things, aside from the one that is necessary…the priest would want to finish the mass in a hurry, and maybe with less devotion. And that is your fault, amen?

How beautiful my dear friends, especially the Holy Mass. It is primarily for the living, remember that. Please do not offer Mass for you husband, or wife, or for your children when they’re already dead. Offer Mass when they are still alive. The sacraments are meant for the living. So offer the Holy Mass for your loved ones, pray for them. The more you are able to go to Mass, the more benefits you are able to gain not only for yourself but for all those that you pray for.

When you pray for the poor souls in purgatory, you are exercising an act of love. The merits or benefits you are giving to them will return to you a hundred-fold. And don’t worry that by offering it to other people, say even your enemies and the poor souls in purgatory, no more benefit will be left for you. That is wrong. In fact, because of your love, you gain more.

If I ask you, how many commandments are there? You will say, 10. But you know the Jews multiplied the commandments and reached up to about 700. And while they were discussing about it, one asked Jesus: "Which is the first and the greatest commandment?" and 

Jesus answered, "Love." The bottom-line is love; love God, love your neighbor.

And may I also say, when you love, as St. Paul said, you have fulfilled all the commandments. And if you have no love, if you do not love all, if you are not the first one to love, sorry to say but you have no place in heaven. So start loving, love all. The only thing that is necessary is to love God. If you do not love those who are near you; if you do not love your neighbors; if you do not love your husband or your wife, or your children; if you do not love your bishop; if you do not love your parish priest to the extent of not wanting to attend mass in your parish anymore but elsewhere; sorry but you are already preparing yourself for purgatory or even worse, for hell.

"Love All the Time"

The one important commandment that contains all is LOVE. And when it comes to the poor souls, love. Love them not only while you are praying. Love them all the time and I guarantee you they will also love you and once they are up in heaven, they will be the ones to welcome you. And how nice it is when suddenly as you leave earth, you find yourself at the door of heaven so many of them waiting to welcome you and these are the poor souls whom you have loved in your lifetime.