The book, The Month of the Holy Souls, presents daily considerations for the month of November in the form of meditations and practical examples. The example for today is as follows.
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EXAMPLE
When St. Monica was dying, she called her son, Augustine, to her bedside and said: “My son, I die happy, I have obtained from God what was the one wish of my life. Yes, I die happy. My dear son, when I shall have breathed my last, forget not in your prayers, and forget not at the altar her who is doubly your mother. Remember always the soul of Monica.” Augustine, deeply affected, could reply only with his tears, and Monica expired in the joy of the Lord. During the twenty years that he survived his mother, Augustine never ceased to pray and offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the repose of her who had loved him so much. He went further. He begged all the priests of his acquaintance, and all who should read his books in future ages, to be mindful, at the altar, of his mother Monica; “so that,” added he, “these numerous supplications may open heaven to her.”
Let us, Christian soul, follow the example of St. Augustine and pray much for our dear deceased relatives; let us pray always and without ceasing for them. And if we have had the misfortune to lose our mother, let us never forget her.
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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.