A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right

Once again, we turn our hearts and minds to the Holy Souls in Purgatory, whom the Church remembers in a special way during the month of November. Today we'll do that by recalling the little remembered (never mind practiced), "Heroic Act of Charity" towards the souls in Purgatory.

With this act, we offer all our good works for the benefit of the Holy Souls reserving nothing for our own benefit. The Holy Souls, while they are ultimately assured a reward in Heaven, cannot do anything to help themselves anymore. That's why we're encouraged to pray for them. But instead of our only praying for the intention of the Holy Souls - something all Catholics should do in the ordinary course of their spiritual lives - those who practice the Heroic Act make the explicit intention that each and every good work they perform will be directed to the benefit of those in Purgatory to help them get to Heaven as soon as possible. The "Heroic Act" is best explained by Fr. F.X. Schouppe, S.J. (1823 - 1904):

This act consists in ceding to them all our works of satisfaction, that is to say, the satisfactory value of all the works of our life and of all the suffrages which shall be given to us after our death, without reserving anything wherewith to discharge our own debts. We deposit them in the hands of the Blessed Virgin, that she may distribute them, according to her good pleasure, to those souls which she desires to deliver from purgatory. 

We hold back nothing for ourselves:

...we offer to God in their behalf all the good we do, of any kind whatsoever, either in thought, word or works, all that we suffer meritoriously during this life, without excepting anything that we may reasonably give them, and adding even those suffrages which we may receive for ourselves after death. It must be well understood that the matter of this holy donation is the satisfactory value of our works, and not the merit, which has a corresponding degree of glory in heaven; for merit is strictly personal, and cannot be transferred to another.

When I learned of this extraordinary practice and considered applying my own good works (such as the are) to the Holy Souls, I confess it was a bit daunting. At first I thought such a practice would be a bit like exercising diligently every day, except the actual results of your effort would benefit someone else's body. I frankly found it a bit disconcerting. If, like me, you like the idea of lending a hand to those Holy Souls, but have some misgivings about donating all your good thoughts, words, and deeds to their cause, Father Schouppe offers some comforting and encouraging advice:

 ...in order to dissipate all subsequent fear which might arise in the mind, we add three remarks: 1. This act leaves us perfect liberty to pray for those souls in whom we are most interested; the application of these prayers is subject to the disposition of the adorable will of God, which is always infinitely perfect and infinitely loving. 2. It does not oblige under pain of mortal sin, and can at any time be revoked. It may be made without using any particular formula; it suffices to have the intention, and to make it from the heart. Nevertheless it is useful to recite the formula* of offering from time to time, in order to stimulate our zeal for the relief of the Holy Souls by prayer, penance, and good works. 3. The Heroic Act does not subject us to the direful consequences of having to undergo a long purgatory ourselves; on the contrary, it allows us to rely with more assured confidence on the mercy of God in our regard, as is shown by the example of St. Gertrude.

(You can find more on St. Gertrude HERE.)
 
I found this somewhat comforting. It encouraged me to consider the Heroic Act. However since I'm not in St Gertrude's league when it comes to holiness and sanctity, I was a bit unsure that I could make this sort of commitment. It seemed to leave me hanging out there steeped in my sins with no recourse. In the end, two things convinced me to consider seriously the Heroic Act.

First, it occurred to me that taking a leap of faith into the loving mercy of God isn't the worst bet I've ever made in my life. Not that I think I'm in any way worthy of God's mercy. But that's the beauty of it: He really is All-Merciful, even to us sinners.

Second, if just contemplating God's mercy that doesn't quite do it, Father Schouppe recounts this about St. Gertrude:

Venerable Denis the Carthusian relates that the virgin St. Gertrude had made a complete donation of all her works of satisfaction in favor of the faithful departed, without reserving anything wherewith to discharge the debts which she herself might have contracted in the sight of God. Being at the point of death, and, like all the saints, considering with much sorrow the great number of her sins on the one hand, and, on the other, remembering that she had employed all her works of satisfaction for the expiation of the sins of others, she was afflicted, lest, having given all to others and reserved nothing for herself, her soul, on its departure from this world, should be condemned to horrible suffering. In the midst of her fears Our Lord appeared to her and consoled her, saying: "Be assured, my daughter, your charity towards the departed will be no detriment to you. Know that the generous donation you have made of all our works to the holy souls has been singularly pleasing to Me; and to give you a proof thereof, I declare to you that all the pains you would have had to endure in the other life are now remitted; moreover, in recompense for your generous charity, I will so enhance the value of the merits of your works as to give you a greater increase of glory in heaven."

While I don't anticipate Our Lord speaking to me with this degree of tenderness and solicitude, knowing how even the great St. Gertrude had some misgivings, only to ultimately be reassured by Our Lord, helped me to bite the bullet and forge ahead.

Now this extraordinary practice may not be for you. And I'm not putting my own decision out there as some sort of example to push you to embrace the Heroic Act. But if you do discern - with God's grace - that you should at least try the Heroic Act, I hope today's post has been helpful.

Happy Sunday!

* Here's a version of the traditional formula:

“O my God, in union with the merits of Jesus and Mary, I offer Thee, for the souls in purgatory, all my propitiatory works, and all those which others may apply to me during life or after my death. I beseech Thee, O my God, to accept this offering, for Thy honor and for the salvation of my soul. Amen.”