St. Joseph and the Souls in Purgatory

Ave Maria Meditation

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

Psalm 116:15

A happy death is one of the greatest and the last blessings of God in this life. The Church encourages us to prepare ourselves for the hour of our death. In the litany of the saints, for instance, she has us pray: “From a sudden death and unforeseen death, deliver us, O Lord,” to ask the Mother of God to intercede for us “at the hour of our death” in the Hail Mary; and to entrust ourselves to St. Joseph, the patron of a Happy Death. (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1014.)

Why should we be dedicated to St. Joseph?

St. Joseph is the Foster Father of our Judge and Savior. His power is dreaded by the devil. His death is the most singularly privileged and happiest death ever recorded as he died in the Presence and care of Jesus and Mary.

St. Joseph will obtain for us that same privilege at our passage from this life to eternity.

We are called to pray for a happy death and for the dying. Blessed Louis Guanella said, “There is a need of living well, but there is even more need of dying well. A good death is everything.”

Every day more than 152,000 persons die worldwide and are judged. The are souls that died in the tsunami, earthquakes in Pakistan, Iraq war, suicides, sudden deaths. More people are dying at a faster rate than ever before. Each time we pick up the paper or watch the news there is a crisis of huge proportion. Is it a wake up call? We are called through our prayers and sacrifices to assist these souls. Justice demands it if through our faults some souls are lost.

If by your prayers, sufferings or other good works, you have obtained a good death for a dying sinner, you shall look upon yourself as a mother or father to that soul.Their souls may be going the wrong way, but by your prayers you have saved them. You have placed their souls in purgatory. Now you can assist by all the means possible in obtaining the soul’s release from purgatory. To do this, you should be anxious to have Masses offered, pray the Rosary, do the Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic Adoration, and obtaining all the indulgences you can. These are the greatest devotions to help the souls reach Heaven. Blessed Leonard of Port Maurice thought so highly of praying for the holy souls he considered a person on the road to sanctity who adopted it. Save the dying if you have been a stumbling block to the living.

St. Joseph repays us generously if we come to the rescue of the sufferings souls. Holy Communions offered to him for seven consecutive Sundays in honor of the Holy Souls is what pleases him most.

St. Teresa of Avila says, “I do not remember that I ever asked St. Joseph at any time anything which he did not obtain for me.” Do you need a conversion in your family? Are your children away from the Church? Do you want peace of mind? Do you need a job? And yes, do you want to sell our home?

Go to St. Joseph and pray for the holy souls in honor of him.

St. Joseph sanctified labor, poverty, and privations by bearing them with patience, humility, and resignation to the will of God. We have many trials in life to endure, we have need of these virtues. We need many things. Make out a list of your necessities, write them down and go confidently to St. Joseph. Let us pray especially for all the holy souls who were dedicated to St. Joseph.

Let us pray for our eternal salvation. Offer Masses in honor of St. Joseph for your deceased loved ones and for the grace of a “happy death” for you and your family. The greatest need in the world today is family life. Remember to arrange for Gregorian Masses in your Will. They are 30 consecutive Masses offered for one deceased soul. The Mass is the quickest means to help a soul reach God. The Mass heals the living and the dead.

Pope John Paul II lived and died a holy death. His whole life was a prayer to the very end. He lived and died in the state of grace. That is a “happy death.” To live and die in the state of grace with the last sacraments. This is the grace of all graces. And it is ours for the asking.

My new book, Prayers For Eternal Life, gives you all the practices and devotions for the grace of a “happy death.” Use it for yourselves, your loved ones and those who are dying. Encourage everyone to become a member of the Pious Union of St. Joseph. Pay a visit to this beautiful shrine. Visit an altar or statue of St. Joseph and pray to him for the grace of a holy life and happy death for you and your loved ones. Pray for the holy souls in Purgatory. They suffer day and night. They suffer the loss of the sight of God. They long to be with God. They cry out, God! God! I must be with God! Make their desire your desire!

What’s in it for you? Heaven! Our Lord has conferred on St. Joseph the special favor and privilege of obtaining a happy death for all, who during life, and especially at the our of death, invoke his aid. St. Joseph and the holy souls will pray for you all the days of your life protecting you, interceding for you now and until you are safely home in Heaven. They become your nearest, sincerest, and dearest friends now and for all eternity!

To honor the Father, you honor Jesus. To honor Jesus, you honor His mother. To honor His mother, you honor Joseph. As you know, our world is in great peril. We need Joseph. Are you ready to join St. Joseph in prayer?

The time has come that St. Joseph be hidden no longer. The time has come that St. Joseph be known to the people of God. The time has come that St. Joseph receive the honor that will glorify God and bring back the most abundant blessings upon this entire world. May Jesus, Mary, St. Joseph and the holy souls lead you and your families to the House of the Father!

This article is by Susan Tassone who is a member of the Pious Union of St. Joseph and the author of several best selling books, including ‘The Way of the Cross for the Holy Souls’, (CD/Audio), ‘Praying in the Presence of Our Lord for the Holy Souls’, ‘The Rosary for the Holy Souls’, ‘30 Day Devotions for the Holy Souls’, ‘Prayers for Eternal Life’, all published by Our Sunday Visitor.

And for more information on the Pious Union of St. Joseph see http://www.piousunionofstjoseph.org/ –this pious union is dedicated to the suffering, dying and deceased with St. Joseph as the Patron of the dying.  JosephMary is also a member. In this month of November, dedicated to the aid of the holy souls in Purgatory, we beseech St. Joseph in a most special way.  Having the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered for our deceased loved ones is the greatest thing we can do for them!

Litany of St. Joseph

V/ Lord, have mercy.
R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Christ, have mercy.
R/ Christ, have mercy.

V/ Lord, have mercy.
R/ Lord, have mercy.

V/ Jesus, hear us.
R/ Jesus, graciously hear us.

V/ God, the Father of Heaven,
R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
R/ have mercy on us.

V/ God, the Holy Spirit,
R/ have mercy on us.

V/ Holy Trinity, One God,
R/ have mercy on us.

+++

R/ for following: pray for us.

Holy Mary,
St. Joseph,
Renowned offspring of David,
Light of Patriarchs,
Spouse of the Mother of God,
Chaste guardian of the Virgin,
Foster father of the Son of God,
Diligent protector of Christ,
Head of the Holy Family,
Joseph most just,
Joseph most chaste,
Joseph most prudent,
Joseph most strong,
Joseph most obedient,
Joseph most faithful,
Mirror of patience,
Lover of poverty,
Model of artisans,
Glory of home life,
Guardian of virgins,
Pillar of families,
Solace of the wretched,
Hope of the sick,
Patron of the dying,
Terror of demons,
Protector of Holy Church,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
R/ spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
R/ graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world.
R/ have mercy on us.

He made him the lord of his household.
R/ And prince over all his possessions.

Let us pray. O God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever.

R/ Amen.