Second Day of November in the book, The Month of the Holy Souls, focuses on the what and why of Purgatory. The story it gives for this day is the following words of a Catholic priest:

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EXAMPLE

A zealous preacher, when terminating a discourse on Purgatory, expressed himself in these words: “A few days ago I received the news of the death of a venerable old man who in life had been a true Catholic, and the pattern of every Christian virtue. This old man was my father, and far from him as I am, the news has broken my heart, for I had not the happiness to see him once more and with my priestly hand close his eyes. In my grief I have but one consolation left, and that is, I have it in my power to succour his soul by offering up Mass for him, and I am able also to recommend him, as I do now recommend him, to your good prayers. When I approach the altar to offer the holy sacrifice for the repose of the soul of my dearly loved father, it seems to me that I have not lost him; it seems to me that he thanks me for this act of filial piety. He blesses me affectionately as he used to bless me when alive. It seems to me that my prayer shortens his sufferings, delivers him from Purgatory, and opens heaven to him—that heaven where he had so often told me to meet him. O what a holy and wholesome thought it is to pray for the dead. How truly is Purgatory an invention of God’s mercy.”

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This anecdote comes from Month of the Souls in Purgatory by Abbé Berlioux, originally published in English in the year 1886. This book contains meditations and an example story for each day of the month. In an effort to preserve short inspiring stories from our Catholic past, every day for the month of November you can find the example story for the day published on the website under people/stories.

The same author also published similar books for the months of March (St. Joseph), May (Our Lady), and June (Sacred Heart). We are planning to post the stories for these months in the future, as well as re-publish a collection of these four books as a set, so be sure to check back in a few months.