YOU MAY CONSIDER TAKING THE HEROIC VOW FOR THE HOLY SOULS - IF JUST FOR NOVEMBER

Yesterday, after Solemn High Mass for All Souls', I met with friends of mine and asked them to consider taking the Heroic Vow of Charity for the holy souls. You may find the vow below where you pledge to give "all the satisfactory part" of your works to the holy souls. You allow for the part of your works that satisfies Divine Justice towards you, and instead of accepting it for yourself, you give it to the holy souls, that when you do a good work, the part of it that appeases God's wrath goes to the holy souls. When you have taken the vow, the quality of your good works that diminishes the punishment due to you for your sins, goes instead to diminishing the punishments endured by the holy souls.  

But as I held forth in the carpark of the church yesterday, you need not take the vow forever. You may take it for a small time, a few weeks or a month even, after which you may revoke. In fact, you may revoke the vow at any time, and you commit no sin in revoking it. 

Among my peeps who I was exhorting to take the vow, one of them has a rich history working in Hollywood and another would like to make a Catholic movie, and so I said to them that I am an agent for the souls in Purgatory.  I sold the vow to them on the basis they they may make the vow just for November, and then revoke it. 

But I added that the holy souls are so incredibly grateful for a helping hand to mitigate their miseries that they pray especially for those who have been most generous to them. I, for one, can't imagine ever revoking the vow. After I took it, I felt the power of the holy souls' prayers in so constant a way, that to take back the vow and keep all the parts of my works that diminishes the many punishments due to me,  seems almost foolish, because there is such security in having the help of the holy souls all the time that I remain faithful to the vow. 

You may have had that feeling when you ask people in this life to pray that they pray sparingly and reluctantly, even if you have a dire problem or have loved ones in need of more prayer than you can humanly offer in one day, but if you are to give your good works as a soothing balm to the aching souls in Purgatory, their intense appreciation translates into prayer for you and yours when they are in Purgatory and when they gain their entrance into Heaven.

If you have ever wanted a grateful posse of souls praying for you unceasingly, you may pay it forward, by first giving them relief from their pains. 

THE HEROIC VOW OF CHARITY FOR THE HOLY SOULS

Oh Holy and Adorable Trinity, desiring to co-operate in the deliverance of the souls in Purgatory, and to testify my devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, I cede and renounce on behalf of those holy souls all the satisfactory part of my works, and all the suffrages which may  be given to me after my death, consigning them entirely into the hands of the most Blessed Virgin, that she may apply them accordingly to her good pleasure to those souls of the faithful departed whom she desires to deliver from their sufferings. Deign, O my God, to accept and bless this offering which I make to Thee at this moment. Amen.