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
A widow had an only son, whom she loved tenderly. One day, when amusing himself with young companions of his own age, a stranger, passing that way, tried to annoy him. The widow’s son spoke harshly to him, whereupon the stranger drew out his dagger, and, plunging it into his breast, left the unfortunate youth dying on the ground. With the bloody instrument of his crime still in his hand, the assassin fled, and took refuge in the first house that was open, beseeching the woman to whom it belonged, to hide him for the love of God, little knowing she was the mother of the young man he had murdered. The good woman consented, and the men who were in search of the culprit, not being able to find him, addressing her said: “You are probably not aware that your son has been killed, for if you were you would denounce his murderer, who, we still think, may be here.” The poor mother, on hearing the fatal news, nearly died of grief; but, after a time, her charity and courage returning, she said to the young man: “Wretch, that you are, you have killed my son, who was the support of my old age, and my only hope. It is in my power to deliver you up to justice, and you will be put to death, but I prefer, through charity, to return good for evil. You may stay here: I will obtain your pardon, and adopt you, and I hope God will in return open Heaven to my dear son.”
Some days later the deceased son appeared to his mother and said: “Wipe away your tears and be joyful, for you have saved me, I should have remained long in Purgatory, but you have delivered me by your generosity, and the charity you showed to him who deprived me of life. O, my mother, be comforted; I now ascend to Heaven.” How true it is that charity is all powerful.
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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.