FOR LOVING OUR LADY, TOTAL EXEMPTION FROM PURGATORY

Since 2019, I've striven to post on Our Lady's role in rescuing souls from Purgatory on the last day of November. This year, I'm putting the spotlight on one saintly fellow who gained a total exemption from Purgatory because he relied so completely on the Mother of God. 

Blessed Renier of Citeaux was known for his great devotion to Our Lady. But he was panicked at the thought of the pains of Purgatory; at just how badly his sins would cost him. His terror caused him to cast himself at the feet of Our Lady that he be under her protection. Blessed Renier was rewarded with a vision of Our Lady advocating on his behalf with Jesus, "My Son," she cooed, "deal mercifully with him in Purgatory because he humbly repents of his sins." Jesus responded, "My Mother, I place his cause in your hands." Then Blessed Renier was flooded with joy he was given the divine assurance that he'd not go to Purgatory, but would go straight up. 

My source for this post was Schouppe's Purgatory, pages 178 - 179. But when I've done internet searches for "Blessed Renier of Citeaux" I've found nothing. This could be an indication of the limits of AI. It can - at times - only give out that which it has been fed and if no data has been collected on Blessed Renier then no mere facsimile of his life can be generated through its search organs. Thus, AI searches, however, can given the impression that Blessed Renier never existed. 

My friend, Patrick O'Hearn is always encouraging people to pray to "the blesseds", the ones who are on their way to canonization and need someone to pray to them for a miracle that they may intercede and then be raised to the altars. Maybe the more unknown the blessed, the better, and I'd proffer Blessed Renier as one who can certainly intercede for people who are so panicked (for any reason) that they could potentially fall into despair. He was saved from despair and Purgatory by Our Lady. You can be, too. 

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Madonna of the Souls in Purgatory, the classic painting that adorns this post was executed by Battistello Caracciolo.