“I am the Mother of all the Poor Souls, for my prayers serve to mitigate their sufferings every single hour that they remain there (purgatory).”
-Our Blessed Lady to Saint Bridget
I had another very bizarre dream last night. It was about my same friend that committed suicide when we were 17, that I have dreamed about before.
In this dream his was grown. It was strange to see what he looked like as a man, to see what could have been. He was handsome, but also sad. We talked about our lives. I told him about my husband and 3 children. That’s when his face got really sad. He told me he had 4 children but he was divorced and never saw them. I asked him what happened. He told me that they divorced after the election because he voted for Al Gore and she voted for George Bush and it just really made them fight. He also mentioned having an alcohol problem, stating that he didn’t drink everyday, but when he did drink he couldn’t seem to stop without getting drunk. He told me they had tried weekend couples counseling, but in the end it didn’t work. He showed me pictures of his 4 beautiful children and his ex-wife.
During this whole conversation we were sitting on the side of a grassy hill. It was weird because a groundhog kept showing up. He seemed to be friends with the groundhog, like it was his pet. I was afraid of it because of it’s two protruding teeth, I was afraid of being bitten.
Upon awakening I pondered my dream. I found it sad to see this boy who had committed suicide at 17 as a man who had children. It was a stark reminder for me how purposeful death, whether it be by suicide, or abortion, can lead to generations being lost. I also found it odd that he listed an election as one of the reasons for divorce, and in particular, that election. That is where I really remember the hatred and vitriol we see so commonly now start to come out in people, as our country was shown to be so divided. His other reason for his divorce was addiction, another thing so common in our day and age. I honestly have no idea what the groundhog was about.
My mother used to tell me when we were growing up that if you dreamt about a dead loved one, it meant they were in purgatory and needed prayer. I believe that’s true. I have dreamt about this young boy several times over the years and I have always prayed for him afterwards. But it had occurred to me that the greatest prayer offered for those in purgatory is the Mass. Because of this, my cousin had introduced me to Gregorian Masses. This is a series of 30 Masses that is said for a soul in purgatory. Tradition tells us that Pope St. Gregory the Great offered these Masses for the soul of one of his monks that visited him from purgatory. When Pope Gregory had finished the Masses the monk appeared to thank him for releasing him. The Masses are offered for one deceased soul (not multiple people) for 30 consecutive days. Now, please understand, we offer a stipend for a Mass. These stipends are to take care of the Priest who says the Mass, and in poorer countries in particular this mean a lot. Plus the stipend is also a sacrificial offering made by us. Canon 946 tells us how the stipend is for the good of the Church. Typically in today’s day and age, a Mass stipend is about $10. This would mean that for a series of 30 Gregorian Masses a stipend could be $300. Though I have found them for $5 a Mass. When I had this discussion with Mr. Finance Pants (my husband) he jokingly told me I could take care of those priests and spend $20,000 if it gets him out of purgatory! I laughed out loud.
All that said, I think I need to have Masses said for my friend. Particularly when it comes to suicide, I think these are needed. We have much to pray for these days, let us remember the power of the Mass. If a Gregorian Mass is out of the question for you for your loved one, just have one Mass said. The Mass is heaven on earth.
