Wednesday, September 10, 2014

St. Nicholas of Tolentino - Friend of the Holy Souls

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Reviving a Child by Garafalo c. 1530

Picture source

"But thou has saved us from them that afflict us, and thou hast put them to shame that hate us."
Psalm 43

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino had a strong devotion to the church suffering; that is the holy souls in Purgatory.  

The following is an excerpt from Father F.X Schoppe's book Purgatory.

For her [the Church Suffering], he frequently fasted on bread and water, inflicted cruel disciplines upon himself, and wore about his loins a chain of sharp-pointed iron.  When the sanctuary was thrown open to him, and his superiors wished to confer the priesthood upon him, he hesitated a long time before that sublime dignity, and nothing could make him decide to receive holy orders but the though that by daily celebrating the Holy Sacrifice he could most efficaciously assist the suffering souls in Purgatory.  On their part, the souls whom he relieved by so many suffrages appeared to him several times to thank him or to recommend themselves to his charity..."
In honor of his feast day, let us imitate St. Nicholas of Tolentino by remembering the holy souls who may have no one to pray for them relief or release.

No comments: