'Get us out of here' ; Nicki Eltz

While I was away camping I spent some time reading Nicki Cruz's book , 'Get me out of here', which i did with great joy, interest and profit.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/HERE-Maria-Simma-Speaks-Nicky/dp/0972744509

 

I don't know if you know much about the subject of the book Maria Simma?



Maria Simma (1915-2004): The fascinating thing about Maria Simma of Austria is that she received her information about the afterlife directly from the souls who appeared to her from purgatory. The souls visiting Maria always wanted something from this holy woman – namely prayers, sacrifices, and suffering on their behalf to gain their release from purgatory (p. 183). Maria, a widow, devoted her life to helping them.



While the souls were in her home, Simma took the opportunity to ask them questions – questions about everything from what happens just after death to which sins earn the most time in purgatory. Simma, who lived in the mountainous village of Sonntag, Austria, had the support of her bishop – Bishop Bruno Wechner (1908-1999) of Feldkirch, Austria – in her ministry.



The visits began in 1940 and were still continuing in 1991 – the period in which author Nicky Eltz visited her home. The countless souls who appeared her in her home share with her fascinating stories and facts they learned in purgatory. To read her whole story, read “Get Us Out of Here!!” (2002) by Nicky Eltz who interviewed Simma for the book on Jan. 1, 1991.



Asked which sins earned the most suffering in purgatory, Simma cited “sins against love, meaning hostility, hard-heartedness and divorce” as well as “lack of active faith” and “immorality.” Which sins were responsible for putting nuns in purgatory? Lack of humility, lack of modesty and disobedience.



Asked if she had ever been visited by souls who had been Jews or Moslem on Earth, Simma replied, “Yes, and they are happy when they appear to me, understanding things now much better than they did before…” (p. 96). Simma added that although the Catholic Church benefits a soul on Earth the most, unchurched individuals who lived by a clean conscience, always loved and assisted neighbors, and protected life, are loved and blessed by God.



Asked what the souls in purgatory stated about divorce, Simma answered, “They have said it is one of the greatest of all sins against God himself. It hurts everyone tremendously, and of course, the innocent ones the most. It is nothing less than spiritual, emotional, and mental murder . . . . No child of divorce will ever grow to the fullness God had planned for it ….” (p. 153). Asked what the souls said about annulments, Simma said, “they have told me that the Church grants far too many annulments today…” (p. 153)



Other insights from Simma . . . President John F. Kennedy entered heaven not long after his assassination, but Hitler is in hell. Pope Paul IV, who had died in the 16th century, appeared to Simma from purgatory, still there in the 20th century because he had not done enough as pope (p. 26). One of the most ancient souls who appeared to Simma was a priest from Cologne who had died in 555 A.D.



Souls also told Simma that sixty percent of all cases of depression could be eliminated if everyone went to Confession, and that the most spiritually healthy continent currently is Africa (America and Western Europe are the worst). Do guardian angels stay with a person when in purgatory? Yes, but the person does not get to see their angel all of the time. How often should people go to Mass? Every day. Why do so many souls appear in their work clothes? Simma said this is “because our duty here is the most important . . . Our daily work is our mission.”



Do people who had disabilities on Earth appear disabled from purgatory? No. Simma added, “Wheelchairs are gone. Deformations and scars are gone. Once, however, a soul came with a large goiter. Yet this was only so that the family would believe me when I told them that their relative had appeared to me” with instructions for the family. Simma adds that the souls she had seen were mostly from the higher level of purgatory, and that others had seen wounds and sufferings on souls in the lower levels, but not that same wounds from the Earthly lives.



Do aborted and stillborn babies go to heaven? Yes, but first they go to a temporary children’s heaven of sorts since they were not baptized. The babies are so happy there that they do not even realize they are not in heaven. It is only in the real heaven in which we behold the Beatific Vision.



Can a parent expedite the transition of that baby into heaven? Yes, have a Mass said for the baby. Simma also recommends naming the child and accepting the child into one’s family, and of course, asking the child for forgiveness in cases of abortion. The souls from purgatory also told Simma that although a mother will see her aborted child in heaven, she will also “see in Heaven the spot where her child should have been after having lived a full life, but that spot will then be empty.”



What types of funerals do souls in purgatory prefer? Hint: not flashy ones, but read p. 149 for more information. What kind of music do they like? Holy music and blessed church bells.



Why is it so dangerous to consult channelers and mediums? “What happens with spiritists is that they think they are calling the souls of the deceased; but if there is any reaction to their calling them, it is always and without exception Satan and his agents who are responding. Spiritists and channelers are doing something extremely dangerous both to themselves and to the people who go to them for advice. They are living an enormous pack of lies. We are not permitted to call the deceased. That is strictly forbidden. In my case, I never called them, never do and never will,” said Simma, who states in the interview that her apostolate had the blessing of Pope John Paul II.



Simma even learned that certain souls in purgatory had extinguished the fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and had helped shorten the Persian Gulf War. If you read the book, do not miss the incredible story about Father Joseph Kalosans, the priest who was murdered in the late 1980s (see p. 120-121).



As usual, have caution when reading a book like this. The Catholic Church did not review, much less approve, the thousands of tidbits that this poor mountain woman reports having received from the souls who visited her. It remains possible that her information is tainted with misinterpretations. During the interview with Eltz, Simma said, “I am obedient to my priest and to my bishops who have said that as long as everything is theologically correct, as it has been so far, to continue with my apostolate.”



Often, one individual would appear to Simma requesting certain prayers or penances for his own deliverance. During the visit, Simma would take the opportunity to inquire about another soul in purgatory and his ro her needs for deliverance. The visiting soul would generally report back later with the answer. Simma wondered how the souls were getting their answers . . . did they need to run around purgatory to find the mentioned individual? No, a soul explained, all of the information came straight from the Blessed Mother. One day Bishop Wechner summoned Simma to ask her the same question – where the souls received their information. Simma already knew the answer.



What does Simma say she learned from all of the souls over the years? That the only purpose of this life is to get to heaven. A video of a speech by Maria Simma is here

https://www.thousandmiracles.com/purgatory/

 

I made a mistake about Maria Simma. I kind of thought of her as a pious old woman who had the psychic ability to see and talk with the dead, the souls in purgatory. In fact ,from what I have been reading she is much , much more than this I have no doubt she was, in fact, a saint and has lots to say and teach on a wide range of subjects most especially the Church. It has been a bit of an eye opener reading her thoughts, I have to say they match entirely my own.

Good, pure, Catholic Traditional, Orthodox stuff.

http://www.michaeljournal.org/artic...tem/the-secret-of-the-poor-souls-in-purgatory

 

The Secret of the Poor Souls in Purgatory
on Thursday, 01 January 2004. Posted in Purgatory

An interview with Maria Simma of Austria
Maria Simma (1915-2004)
Today, very little is taught in regular catechism classes about Purgatory, about the suffering that the Poor Souls experience in order to be completely purified to be able to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Yet Purgatory does exist, and the sufferings that the Poor Souls experience there are very real.

Since 1940 (she was then aged 25), a privileged soul, named Maria Simma, has had regular visits from the souls in Purgatory to explain their sufferings and to ask for prayers and Masses to be released from Purgatory. Her local Bishop and parish priest told her she could make known these visitations as long as there were no theological errors.

One day, Sister Emmanuel Maillard, a French nun known for her apostolate in favor of the Apparitions of Our Lady in Medjugorje, came across Maria Simma's book, called The Souls in Purgatory told Me... and read it with great interest: “This book struck me so much because it related very recent testimonies, and also explained very well the Church's doctrine on the subject... Straight away, I wrote to the editor who told me that Maria Simma is still alive. Quickly, I contacted her, and she agreed to meet me to answer my questions, which were many!”

This interview took place in 1997 at Maria's house in Sonntag, a very lovely village in the Vorarlberg Mountains in Austria. The following are excerpts from this interview of Sister Emmanuel of Medjugorje with Maria Simma, taken from a booklet entitled: The Amazing Secret of the Souls in Purgatory, published by Queenship Publishing Co., P.O. Box 220, Goleta, CA 93116, USA (Phone 800-647-9882, Fax: 805-967-5843):

(Note: Maria Simma died on March 16, 2004, in Sonntag, at the age of 89.)

Sr. Emmanuel with Maria Simma
Maria, can you tell us how you were visited for the first time by a soul in Purgatory?

Yes, it was in 1940. One night, around 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning, I heard someone coming into my bedroom... I saw a complete stranger. He walked back and forth slowly. I said to him severely: "How did you get in here? Go away!" But he continued to walk impatiently around the bedroom as if he hadn't heard. So I asked him again: "What are you doing?" But as he still didn't answer, I jumped out of bed and tried to grab him, but I grasped only air. There was nothing there. So I went back to bed, but again I heard him pacing back and forth.

I wondered how I could see this man, but I couldn't grab him. I rose again to hold onto him and to stop him from walking around; again, I grasped only emptiness. Puzzled, I went back to bed. He didn't come back, but I couldn't get back to sleep. The next day, after Mass, I went to see my spiritual director and told him everything. He told me that if this should happen again, I shouldn't ask, "Who are you?" but "What do you want from me?"

The following night, the man returned. I asked him: "What do you want from me?" He replied: "Have three Masses celebrated for me, and I will be delivered."

So I understood that it was a soul in Purgatory. My spiritual director confirmed this. He also advised me never to turn away the poor souls, but to accept with generosity whatever they asked of me.

And afterwards, the visits continued?

Yes. For several years, there were only three or four souls, above all in November. Afterwards, there were more.

What do these souls ask of you?

In most cases, they ask to have Masses celebrated and that one be present at these Masses. They ask to have the Rosary said and also that one make the Stations of the Cross.

Maria, do the souls in Purgatory have, nevertheless, joy and hope in the midst of their suffering?

Yes. No soul would want to come back from Purgatory to the earth. They have knowledge which is infinitely beyond ours. They just could not decide to return to the darkness of the earth.

Here we see the difference from the suffering that we know on earth. In Purgatory, even if the pain of the soul is just terrible, there is the certitude of living forever with God. It's an unshakeable certitude. The joy is greater than the pain. There is nothing on earth which could make them want to live here again, where one is never sure of anything.

Maria, can you tell us now if it is God who sends a soul into Purgatory, or if the soul itself decides to go there?

It is the soul itself which wants to go to Purgatory, in order to be pure before going to Heaven.

Maria, at the moment of death, does one see God in full light or in an obscure manner?

In a manner still obscure, but, all the same, in such brightness that this is enough to cause great longing.

Maria, can you tell us what the role of Our Lady is with the souls in Purgatory?

She comes often to console them and to tell them they have done many good things. She encourages them.

Are there any days in particular on which She delivers them?

Above all, Christmas Day, All Saints Day, Good Friday, the Feast of the Assumption, and the Ascension of Jesus.

 

Charity covers a multitude of sins
Maria, why does one go to Purgatory? What are the sins which most lead to Purgatory?

Sins against charity, against the love of one's neighbor, hardness of heart, hostility, slandering, calumny — all these things.

Here, Maria gives us an example which really struck her which I would like to share with you. She had been asked to find out if a woman and a man were in Purgatory. To the great astonishment of those who had asked, the woman was already in Heaven and the man was in Purgatory. In fact, this woman had died while undergoing an abortion, whereas the man often went to church and apparently led a worthy, devout life.

So Maria searched for more information, thinking she'd been mistaken — but no, it was true. They had died at practically the same moment, but the woman had experienced deep repentance, and was very humble, whereas the man criticized everyone; he was always complaining and saying bad things about others. This is why his Purgatory lasted so long. And Maria concluded: "We mustn't judge on appearances."

Other sins against charity are all our rejections of certain people we do not like, our refusals to make peace, our refusals to forgive, and all the bitterness we store inside.

Maria also illustrated this point with another example which gave us food for thought. It's the story of a woman she knew very well. This lady died and was in Purgatory, in the most terrible Purgatory, with the most atrocious sufferings. And when she came to see Maria, she explained why.

She had had a female friend. Between them rose a great enmity, caused by herself. She had maintained this enmity for years and years, even though her friend had many times asked for peace, for reconciliation. But each time, she refused. When she fell gravely ill, she continued to close her heart, to refuse the reconciliation offered by her friend, right up to her deathbed.

Maria, please tell us: who are those who have the greatest chance of going straight to Heaven?

Those who have a good heart towards everyone. Love covers a multitude of sins.

What are the means which we can take on earth to avoid Purgatory and go straight to Heaven?

We must do a great deal for the souls in Purgatory, for they help us in their turn. We must have much humility. This is the greatest weapon against evil, against the Evil One. Humility drives evil away.

The Holy Mass
Maria, can you now tell us what are the most effective means to help deliver the souls in Purgatory?

The most efficient means is the Mass.

Why the Mass?

Because it is Christ who offers Himself out of love for us. It is the offering of Christ Himself to God, the most beautiful offering. The priest is God's representative, but it is God Himself who offers Himself and sacrifices Himself for us. The efficacy of the Mass for the deceased is even greater for those who attached great value to the Mass during their lives. If they attended Mass and prayed with all their hearts, if they went to Mass on weekdays — according to their time available — they drew great profit from Masses celebrated for them. Here, too, one harvests what one has sown.

A soul in Purgatory sees very clearly on the day of his funeral if we really pray for him, or if we have simply made an act of presence to show we were there. The poor souls say that tears are no good for them: only prayer! Often they complain that people go to a funeral without addressing a single prayer to God, while shedding many tears; this is useless!

Earthly sufferings
There is another means, very powerful, to help the poor souls: the offering of our sufferings, our penances, such as fasting, renunciations, etc., — and of course, involuntary suffering, like illness or mourning.

Maria, you have been invited many times to suffer for the poor souls, in order to deliver them. Can you tell us what you have experienced and undergone during these times?

The first time, a soul asked me if I wouldn't mind suffering for three hours in my body for her, and that afterwards I could resume working. I said to myself: "If it will all be over after three hours, I could accept it." During those three hours, I had the impression that it lasted three days, it was so painful. But at the end, I looked at my watch, and I saw that it had only lasted three hours. The soul told me that by accepting that suffering with love for three hours, I had saved her twenty years of Purgatory!

Yes, but why did you suffer for only three hours to avoid twenty years of Purgatory? What did your sufferings have that was worth more?

It is because suffering on earth does not have the same value. On earth, when we suffer, we can grow in love, we can gain merits, which is not the case with the sufferings in Purgatory. In Purgatory, the sufferings serve only to purify us from sin. On earth, we have all the graces. We have the freedom to choose.

All of this is so encouraging because it gives an extraordinary meaning to our sufferings. The suffering which is offered, voluntary or involuntary, even the smallest sacrifices we can make, suffering or sickness, mourning, disappointments... if we live them with patience, if we welcome them in humility, these sufferings can have an unheard-of power to help souls.

The best thing to do, Maria tells us, is to unite our sufferings to those of Jesus, by placing them in the hands of Mary. She is the one who knows best how to use them, since often we ourselves do not know the most urgent needs around us. All this, of course, Mary will give back to us at the hour of our death. You see, these sufferings offered will be our most precious treasures in the other world. We must remind each other of this and encourage each other when we suffer.

Let me add something important: the souls in Purgatory can no longer do anything for themselves; they are totally helpless. If the living do not pray for them; they are totally abandoned. Therefore, it is very important to realize the immense power, the incredible power that each one of us has in our hands to relieve these souls who suffer.

We wouldn't think twice about helping a child who has fallen in front of us from a tree, and who had broken his bones. Of course, we would do everything for him! So, in the same way, we should take great care of these souls who expect everything from us, attentive to the slightest offering, hopeful for the least of our prayers, to relieve them from their pain. And it might be the finest way to practice charity.

 

Maria, why can one no longer gain merits in Purgatory, when one can on earth?

Because at the moment of death, the time to earn merits is over. For as long as we are living on earth, we can repair the evil we have done. The souls in Purgatory envy us of this opportunity. Even the angels are jealous of us, for we have the possibility of growing for as long as we are on earth.

But often, the suffering in our lives leads us to rebellion, and we have great difficulty in accepting and living it. How can we live suffering so that it bears fruit?

Sufferings are the greatest proof of the love of God, and if we offer them well, they can win many souls.

But how can we welcome suffering as a gift, and not as a punishment (as we often do), as a chastisement?

We must give everything to Our Lady. She is the one who knows best who needs such and such an offering in order to be saved.

We should not always consider sufferings as a punishment. It can be accepted as expiation not only for ourselves, but above all for others. Christ was innocence itself, and He suffered the most for the expiation of our sins. Only in Heaven will we know all that we have obtained by suffering with patience in union with the sufferings of Christ.

Maria, do the souls in Purgatory rebel when faced with their suffering?

No! They want to purify themselves; they understand that it is necessary.

What is the role of contrition or repentance at the moment of death?

Contrition is very important. The sins are forgiven, in any case, but there remains the consequences of sins. If one wishes to receive a full indulgence at the moment of death — that means going straight to Heaven — the soul has to be free from all attachment.

Maria, I would like to ask you: at the moment of death, is there a time in which the soul still has the chance to turn towards God, even after a sinful life, before entering into eternity — a time, if you like, between apparent death and real death?

Yes, yes! The Lord gives several minutes to each one in order to regret his sins and to decide: I accept, or I do not accept to go and see God. Then we see a film of our lives.

I knew a man who believed in the Church's teachings, but not in eternal life. One day, he fell gravely ill and slid into a coma. He saw himself in a room with a board on which all his deeds were written, the good and the bad. Then the board disappeared as well as the walls of the room, and it was infinitely beautiful. Then he woke up from his coma, and decided to change his life.

Maria, does the devil have permission to attack us at the moment of death?

Yes, but man also has the grace to resist him, to push him away. So, if man does not want anything to do with him, the devil can do nothing.

Maria, what advice would you give to anyone who wants to become a saint here on earth?

Be very humble. We must not be occupied with ourselves. Pride is evil's greatest trap.

Maria, please tell us: can one ask the Lord to do one's Purgatory on earth, in order not to have to do it after death?

Yes. I knew a priest and a young woman who were both ill with tuberculosis in the hospital. The young woman said to the priest: "Let's ask the Lord to be able to suffer on earth as much as necessary in order to go straight to Heaven." The priest replied that he himself didn't dare to ask for this. Nearby was a religious sister who had overheard the whole conversation. The young woman died first, the priest died later, and he appeared to the sister, saying: "If only I had had the same trust as the young woman, I too would have gone straight to Heaven."

Maria, are there different degrees in Purgatory?

Yes, there is a great difference of degree of moral suffering. Each soul has a unique suffering, particular to it; there are many degrees.

Maria, are the sufferings in Purgatory more painful than the most painful sufferings on earth?

Yes, but in a symbolic way. It hurts more in the soul.

Maria, you know, many people today believe in reincarnation. What do the souls tell you concerning this subject?

The souls say that God gives only one life.

But some would say that just one life is not enough to know God and to have the time to be really converted, that it isn't fair. What would you reply to them?

All people have an interior Faith (conscience); even if they do not practice, they recognize God implicitly. Someone who does not believe — that doesn't exist! Each soul has a conscience to recognize good and evil, a conscience given by God, an inner knowledge — in different degrees, of course, but each one knows how to discern good from evil. With this conscience, each soul can become blessed.

What happens to people who have committed suicide? Have you ever been visited by these people?

Up to now, I have never encountered the case of a suicide who was lost — this doesn't mean, of course, that that doesn't exist — but often, the souls tell me that the most guilty were those around them, when they were negligent or spread calumny.

At this moment, I asked Maria if the souls regretted having committed suicide. She answered yes. Often, suicide is due to illness. These souls do regret their act because, as they see things in the light of God, they understand instantly all the graces that were in store for them during the time remaining for them to live — and they do see this time which remained for them, sometimes months or years —– and they also see all the souls they could have helped by offering the rest of their lives to God. In the end, what hurts them most is to see the good that they could have done but didn't, because they shortened their lives. But when the cause is illness, the Lord takes this into account, of course.

Are there priests in Purgatory?

Yes, there are many. They didn't promote respect for the Eucharist. So Faith overall suffers. They are often in Purgatory for having neglected prayer — which has diminished their Faith. But there are also many who have gone straight to Heaven.

What would you say, then, to a priest who really wants to live according to the Heart of God?

I would advise him to pray much to the Holy Spirit — and to say his Rosary every day.

Have you been visited by souls who, on earth, practiced perversions? I am thinking, for example, about the sexual domain.

Yes, they are not lost, but they have much to suffer to be purified. For example: homosexuality. This truly comes from the Evil One.

What advice would you give, then, to all those people afflicted by homosexuality, with this tendency in them?

Pray a lot for the strength to turn away from it. They should above all pray to the Archangel Michael; he is the great fighter par excellence against the Evil One.

What are the attitudes of heart which can lead us to losing our soul for good, I mean going to Hell?

It is when the soul does not want to go towards God, when it actually says: "I do not want."

Jesus said that it was difficult for a rich person to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Have you seen such cases?

Yes! But if they do good works, works of charity, if they practice love, they can get there, just like the poor.

What do you think of the practices of spiritism? For example: calling up the spirits of the departed, Ouija-boards, etc.?

It is not good. It is always evil. It is the devil who makes the table move.

What is the difference between what you are living with the souls of the departed, and the practices of spiritism?

We are not supposed to summon up the souls — I don't try to get them to come. In spiritism, people try to call them forth.

This distinction is quite clear, and we must take it very seriously. If people were only to believe one thing I have said, I would like it to be this: those who engage in spiritism (moving tables and other practices of that kind) think that they are summoning up the souls of the dead. In reality, if there is <M>some response to their call, it is always and without exception Satan and his angels who are answering. People who practice spiritism (diviners, witches, etc.) are doing something very dangerous for themselves and for those who come to them for advice. They are up to their necks in lies. It is forbidden, strictly forbidden, to call up the dead. As for me, I have never done so, l do not do so, and I never will do so. When som

 

Thanks padraig, very interesting and it seems a real insight into the goings on after our time here is done as well as giving us an insight as to how we can dedicate our lives while here for others who have gone before us.

 

Yes I am going to write a little about what Maria said about the Church and the terrible state it is in, very similiar to the things Mother Angelica said.

But first a few things she wrote about the Holy Souls and so.

One thing she mentions is souls in hell , the damned and if they come back. She says they do, with God's permission.

She mentions families and mentions that sometimes families can have a member(s) in the past who has been damned and sent to hell. That this member can come back from hell to drag other members of his of her family down to hell with them. They are particularly well placed to do so as who would know your weaknesses better than one of your own? Thus the sin of one generation is passed on to several generations.

Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (Exodus: 20:5, 6)

Anyway a couple of stories to illustrate this fact.

When I was a child both my grandfathers were already dead. I was named after one , Patrick who died just a few months before I died. I never really knew anything about them at the time as no one talked about them both. Ever.

In Church at the prayers for the dead I always prayed for these grandfathers as really I had no one else to pray for , no other dead relatives. But I got a feeling a strong prayerful feeling that my prayers were not answered , that they both in fact in hell.

So one day curious about this I asked my mother about this and her face turned white.

It turned out one of my Grandfathers was a multiple bigamist who had been up in court for child beating. He abandoned my grandmother in great poverty and he also practiced magic as a fortune teller.

The other grandfather was incredibly stern and bad tempered . The children were simply never ever allowed to speak in the house and had to sit totally quiet when he was present.


The other story was told to me by an English exorcist. There was a very pious and holy lady who used to go to Church every day. She was a spinster and kept herself like a Queen dressing perfectly and her house like a palace, not a thing out of place.

So anyway she did not turn up for mass for several days and the Parish Priest, becoming concerned called round to see her. However when she answered the door she was disheveled and dirty and reluctant to let the priest enter (very,very unusual) .

She said she had been unwell and the priest offered to give her communion. She appeared to be very reluctant but at last acceded. However when the priest was about to place the host on her tongue she let a howl out of her and a curse that would have woken the dead. The poor woman was possessed.

The exorcist told me that two of the demons were her dead aunt and uncle who had consecrated her to Satan when she was just a baby.

 

Thus the importance of our Morning Offering to Jesus through Mary.
Maria Simma's book is one that all Catholics should read.

 

She mentions some really nice Catholic practices for the Holy Souls one of which I have already adopted. Sprinkling Holy Water on the ground for the Holy Souls. I am doing this three times quite a lot recently (such an easy thing to do)

Also to light blessed candles for them (I am going to take this up)

Another is to ask the Holy Souls for favours and to promise them prayer and masses in returN. I JUST LOVE THIS AND HAVE BEING DOING IT WITH GREAT SUCCESS.

Of course we were always taught what we could do for the Holy Souls but I thought it was a one way street. Its not..they help back. How wonderful. The Communion of the Saints.

We help them, they help us.

 

Quite the sobering read padraig, I read about this same topic a while ago in Father Amorth's last book. He spoke a bit about it and the reality of it, curses, vexations and infestations also that affect multiple generations. It really piqued my interest because of the commonality of alcoholism rates in families (mine included) and it being passed in many cases from one generation to the next and then often absurdly skipping people altogether. It seems a mundane but classic case of exactly what is described. Science now it seems has all the answers and dissects the physical mechanisms of these things but never answers the root of the question. I often wonder if science is a form of Godliness but lacking in the things which make all the difference; humility and reliance on God. Things we all could use more of for sure.

I have a cousin who was diagnosed as schizophrenic as a teenager. He once jumped from my car while I was driving on the freeway after speaking of demons who were telling him to grab the steering wheel. I have not a doubt in my mind that what he was and continued to experience for decades was not simply a chemical imbalance in his brain. Movies do not do justice to the terror I have seen in his eyes. He was immersed in the occult and drugs for many years leading up to this as well.

I think of these souls when I say the Oh my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell and lead all souls to heaven. Especially those in most need of your mercy. Amen

 

We seem to go forward towards or away from God not only as individuals , Don, but as communities, as families, as neighbourhoods and as Nations. Alsa as an entire Planet, a Global community

I love reading about the American Civil War and it seems to me to be a very good example of this. Americans at the period had a far more profound religious sense than they do today. You can see this , for instance so clearly in the thoughts and actions of their military and political leaders. One natural questions that sprung to their minds and hearts was, 'Why has this calamity fallen upon us?' The answer that sprung instantly to mind for many of them was , slavery. Their next thought was to seek a spiritual remedy and that was prayer and penance.

 

Maria Simma does say this in her book, that cities countries , families are subject to reparation. Their own purgatories if you like when they sin. This seems to me so logical and as Abraham Lincoln said is one of the great lessons of scripture. But it is one we have totally forgotten. We events , profound hurts like constant wars, economic breakdown, diseases , weird weather pattern, profound political divisions as somehow an accident than rather logical consequences of sinful behaviors. So we are spiritually totally blind.

Our Lady is sent from heaven as Queen of Heaven to open our eyes to these truths to reawaken us.

In my own family I think the main fault of my two grandfathers was that they were very angry and violent men and this violence and anger was passed on to their sons, their grandsons and now their great grandsons. Only pray and fasting can break this cycle. This ongoing purgatory.
But everything is positive in God and we know we can heal these hurts when we turn to Him.

But how can we heal them if we are not first convicted by the Holy Spirit of these sins? ..and how can the Holy Spirit convict us of sins when we refuse this correction?

Romans 8:28


28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together hfor good,8 for ithose who are called according to his purpose.

 

Maria Simma tells the story of a priest and an old woman who were in hospital together and the old lady was suffering very greatly. She told the priest that she had asked Jesus to allow her to do her purgatory here on Earth which God had permitted so that she might go straight to heaven when she died. The priest admitted he had not the courage to do so.

After they both died the soul of the priest appeared to a nun and confirmed that the old lady had gone straight to heaven whilst he still lingered in purgatory.

I love these stories ; they remind us that actions have consequences. We have forgotten this. God will forgive us our sins even if they are as red as scarlet. But the consequences of our sins, requiring reparation linger.

We have long , long, long since forgotten this.

 

http://www.courageouspriest.com/father-robert-altier-reparation-important

Why Is Reparation So Important?
Because By Making Reparation, We Share In Christ’s Redemptive Suffering!
By: Father Robert Altier

Fatimaonline.com

What Is Reparation?

In the summer of 1916, in the second apparition of the Angel to the children, he asked them to offer every
suffering as an act of reparation to God. On three occasions, in May, July, and October of 1917, our Lady instructed the children to make reparation for the sins against God and the sins against our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. However, nothing made as much impact on the children as the July vision of hell which caused all three, but especially Francisco, to take on many penances and offer them as acts of reparation.

Reparation is the repairing or making up for the offenses against God. This covers a wide variety of areas from the fact of Original Sin to our own personal sins and even to the sins of others no matter how large or small the offense might be. God is the author of justice, but He is also the norm of justice. This means that He can determine what, if any, atonement needs to be made for sin. In other words, He can simply write off our sins without requiring any reparation, but normally He will not do this because reparation is actually something that is good for us.

God’s Justice Is Not Just A Concept

We can see just how grievous our sins are to God by the fact that He did not just write them off, but sent His own Son to suffer and die, i.e., to make reparation for our sins. In this we see how important justice is to God. Justice is not just a concept, it is a truth that must be upheld and He did not back away from what justice requires even though, if we think in terms of human relationships, sending His Son to die would be much more difficult than just writing off the sins. Through His suffering and death, Jesus made atonement and reparation for our sins, but in His mercy He saved a little bit for us to do. This is not only so that we could make up, to some degree, for our own sins, but that we can actually have a share in the work of redemption and salvation. St. Paul tells us in his Letter to the Colossians that he makes up in his body for what is lacking in the suffering of Christ for the sake of His body, the Church. It is not that Jesus did not do enough, but that the members of His Mystical Body would also share in this work.

How Can We Make Reparation For Our And The Worlds Sins?

By uniting our prayers, works and sufferings to those of Jesus, we can actually make some reparation for our offenses against the justice of God. Because we are members of Christ, our offerings become part of the work of our Lord which was to make reparation for the sins of the whole world. Therefore, our offering not only makes reparation for our sins, but for the sins of others as well. I said earlier that God did not just wipe out our sins because the need to make reparation is better for us than to just have our sins forgiven. Making reparation helps us to understand the gravity of sin, but it also helps us to avoid sin so that we do not offend God any more. If our sins were just overlooked, we would think we could do anything and have no consequences. More than this, God allows us to love Him by making reparation. When we love someone we do not want to offend that person and, if we do commit an offense, we want to make it up to that person rather than just sweeping it under the rug. Love of God will drive us to want to make reparation.

As a child of God and as a member of Christ, strive to satisfy the justice of God by making reparation for your sins and those of others.

 

The Rosary is a great way to drive the demons out of the family. I also pray especially that God will break the curses on our family. He has all the power and might, and Blessed Mother is the Mediatrix of all Graces. Sometimes these prayers for family take time, years, even. Sigh, Vale of Tears here.
Let us who are so inclined not forget the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. I do not often say it, but the time for the Novena is coming up starting on Good Friday.
I received a great grace for my father through it. He never wanted to have a feeding tube inserted in his last years. I visited him and the social worker told us that the next day he would have a feeding tube put in. We both said he did not want it. He was 93 years old and very feeble. I prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet for him on my way home in the car, and the next morning I received a call that he had passed away peacefully in his sleep overnight. Just the way he wanted to go. Jesus answered us.
"Jesus call us, o'er the tumult, of our life's wild restless sea.
Day by day, His clear voice soundeth, saying Christian, follow Me."

 

I agree and pray the Rosary daily as well HeavenlyHosts. Ever since hearing the message of the Blessed Mother at Fatima (and all of the apparitions after) the same thing has stood out over and over to pray the Rosary. When I pray I ask Blessed Mother Mary to pray for my pain and suffering to be used for the remittance of sins and in any way that Jesus can use it to save souls. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and am in physical pain 24/7 for the most part. I get very brief respites where I usually do something stupid in my zeal and aggravate my condition. I have had this ailment for 25 years but it has only been the last few that I have asked our Lord to use it for the remittance of sins. It has always been very hard to live with but now I have joy that I can use it in some way however little toward sharing in the suffering of our Lord Jesus. I feel very honored to do this in fact. I am so not worthy of this honor.

I walk with a cane now, my fingers of my right hand are crooked and yet I am able to share in such a great burden. It has given me purpose as well as teaching me that reliance on Him is true strength. That ALL things are possible through him.

 

Yes indeed padraig, and the world today would have that we live in a cloud of illusion and no longer see or know the truth of the matter. That sin is not subjective and a price must be paid.

All of these ailments to be healed must first be healed spiritually before any other healing can take place.

Our Lord never gives up on us. He shows us time and time again by the Holy Spirit our sins and I know that I could not muster to harden my heart to the degree needed to not see them after trying to ignore them or drink them away. I don't know why some are able to do this. I pray for them, that the Holy Spirit will soften their hearts and give them a good honest look at themselves.

 

Yes it most often takes time. My Spiritual Director used to say to me when I was young you are in a Marathon not a sprint race!! One of the things about getting older is that you have more time to see the harvest brought home. As the pslamist said:

Psalm 126:5
Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.

I have sent his healing in my own family down the years..and in my own heart too.

It reminds me of the American Legend of Johnny Appleseed:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Appleseed

There are stories of Johnny Appleseed practicing his nurseryman craft in the area of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and of picking seeds from the pomace at Potomac cider mills in the late 1790s.[1] Another story has Chapman living in Pittsburgh on Grant's Hill in 1794 at the time of the Whiskey Rebellion.[7]

The popular image is of Johnny Appleseed spreading apple seeds randomly everywhere he went. In fact, he planted nurseries rather than orchards, built fences around them to protect them from livestock, left the nurseries in the care of a neighbor who sold trees on shares, and returned every year or two to tend the nursery. His first nursery was planted on the bank of Brokenstraw Creek, south of Warren, Pennsylvania. Next, he seems to have moved to Venango County along the shore of French Creek,[8] but many of these nurseries were located in the Mohican area of north-central Ohio. This area included the towns of Mansfield, Lisbon, Lucas, Perrysville, and Loudonville.[9]

According to Harper's New Monthly Magazine, toward the end of his career, he was present when an itinerant missionary was exhorting an open-air congregation in Mansfield, Ohio. The sermon was long and severe on the topic of extravagance, because the pioneers were buying such indulgences as calico and imported tea. "Where now is there a man who, like the primitive Christians, is traveling to heaven barefooted and clad in coarse raiment?" the preacher repeatedly asked until Johnny Appleseed, his endurance worn out, walked up to the preacher, put his bare foot on the stump that had served as a podium, and said, "Here's your primitive Christian!" The flummoxed sermonizer dismissed the congregation.[10]

He would tell stories to children and spread The New Church gospel to the adults, receiving a floor to sleep on for the night, and sometimes supper, in return. "We can hear him read now, just as he did that summer day, when we were busy quilting upstairs, and he lay near the door, his voice rising denunciatory and thrillin—strong and loud as the roar of wind and waves, then soft and soothing as the balmy airs that quivered the morning-glory leaves about his gray beard. His was a strange eloquence at times, and he was undoubtedly a man of genius," reported a lady who knew him in his later years.[11] He made several trips back east, both to visit his sister and to replenish his supply of Swedenborgian literature.[citation needed]

He preached the gospel as he traveled, and during his travels he converted many Native Americans, whom he admired. The Native Americans regarded him as someone who had been touched by the Great Spirit, and even hostile tribes left him strictly alone.[12]

He cared very deeply about animals, including insects. Henry Howe visited all the counties in Ohio in the early nineteenth century and collected several stories from the 1830s, when Johnny Appleseed was still alive:[13]

One cool autumnal night, while lying by his camp-fire in the woods, he observed that the mosquitoes flew in the blaze and were burned. Johnny, who wore on his head a tin utensil which answered both as a cap and a mush pot, filled it with water and quenched the fire, and afterwards remarked, "God forbid that I should build a fire for my comfort, that should be the means of destroying any of His creatures."

Another time, he allegedly made a camp-fire in a snowstorm at the end of a hollow log in which he intended to pass the night but found it occupied by a bear and cubs, so he removed his fire to the other end and slept on the snow in the open air, rather than disturb the bear.

According to another story, he heard that a horse was to be put down, so he bought the horse, bought a few grassy acres nearby, and turned it out to recover. When it did, he gave the horse to someone needy, exacting a promise to treat it humanely.[14]

During his later life, he was a vegetarian.[15] He never married. He thought he would be rewarded in heaven for not doing so.[16]

Often we need the patience of Johnny Appleseed to see the seeds we plant grown into trees and bearing fruit.

 

http://motheofgod.com/threads/saint-catherine-of-genoa.538/