The Four Last Things
Practical Meditations for Each Day of the Month of November
by Abbé Berlioux
The two great commandments are to love God above all things and one's neighbor as oneself. The highest regard that can be paid to one's neighbor is to remember him, and all the poor souls in Purgatory after they have passed out of this world beyond the grave. This is why man needs the liturgical month of November.
The season has passed from the heat of summer to the crispness of Autumn with all its bounty. Many reap from the gardens and fields that which God graciously bestowed to them through the labor of their hands. Harvests are celebrated and preserved in various ways all around the world. Fittingly, we retire with full larder and bursting barns in order to now pull from the treasure of graces and indulgences, that are available at every moment for the relief of the poor souls in Purgatory, again, from our Father's loving hand. To better make use of these graces, and to preserve a holy life, The Month of the Souls in Purgatory, by the Abbé Berlioux, contains a valuable harvest of devotions, practices and meditations toward sanctifying the month of November. The book is excellent as a daily reader for the month, but also very useful for the anniversaries of the deaths of loved ones, whose daily assistance is a chief duty of the Church Militant. Let us remember the dead, and look to our last day as well.
Each chapter contains the whole day's reading, prayer, and a fitting example for the reading, usually taken from the author's personal knowledge or some other historical example. The subjects range from the ancientness of praying for the dead, the pains and nature of the suffering, the holiness and nearness to God of the souls, the favors granted by them to those on earth who relieve them, the various means of relieving the poor souls, the ways souls end up in Purgatory and how to avoid these downfalls, as also apparitions by the dead, carrying out the wishes of those who pass before us, an admonition to make provisions in one's own will that supplies for masses and alms against time spent in Purgatory, and more. The readings are short and easy to complete for a morning meditation, between the labors of a busy life, and for raising to a higher level one's entire being toward a particular goal that is common to all men. As one saint said before beginning the November devotions, "Let us empty Purgatory!"
The Month of the Souls in Purgatory was first published in the French language in Grenoble. The book was soon after translated for the English-speaking world and published in 1886. The Abbé Berlioux was a priest of the diocese of Grenoble and was the Curé, or parish priest, of the church of St. Bruno. In this work, he calls out to the reader, addressing him by the name, "Christian Soul", in nearly each day's reading as he gets to the point of what the individual could do to utilize and live a Christian life based on a greater devotion to the souls in Purgatory, increasing the seriousness of the tone as well as gripping the attention of the reader with it.
Read The Month of the Souls in Purgatory to increase in the soul the love of God's justice and mercy! In its pages you will find:
- An organized 30 days of devotions to the Holy Souls for the complete month of November
- Daily spiritual reading on the various truths and means of the devotion
- A detailed study of the pains and helplessness of Souls in Purgatory, and ways to personally apply the message
- Daily prayers to and for these suffering souls
- Daily examples of true-life stories that draw out the truths within each day's reading.
- A special Rosary of the Dead
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 158 pages
Also available in Hardcover with dust jacket upon request (additional cost)
The Members of the Church Suffering
by St Robert Bellarmine
In the De Controversiis, St. Robert Bellarmine defends the doctrines and teaching of the Church against all comers, starting from Scripture, the Church Fathers and also reason. His work was widely read and commented on by both Catholics and Protestants and quickly became one of the standard texts in Catholic theology for centuries.
In On Purgatory, Bellarmine defends what is one of the more difficult doctrines to understand in his characteristic style beginning with Scripture and the Fathers, stopping at every step of the way to answer the objections of all the major Protestants of his day, not only Luther and Calvin, but also those less known to us such as Brenz and Peter Martyr. Dividing his work into two books, Bellarmine shows that there is such a place as Purgatory by copious exegesis on Old and New Testament passages, and the clear consensus of the Church Fathers who witness the fact that prayer was made for the dead in the early Church.
Then, in book 2, he examines questions about the specifics of Purgatory, what souls there suffer, where it is located, how the faithful can assist the souls of Purgatory, and other questions.
This treatise, translated into English for the first time, is the best and most in depth treatise on this subject available, and is just as relevant today as when it was first penned.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 250 pages
by Dom Alban Fruth, O.SS.B.
Tonio Martinez and Andrew de Thaye made their lives a song of love for both Jesus and His Blessed Mother, Mary. These boys in a few short years have attained that goal which sometimes takes grown-ups a whole lifetime to reach. If you do what these boys did, Jesus will also consider you a hero.
Booklet, size 8.5" x 5.2", 32 pages
Holy Souls Book
Reflections on Purgatory
A Complete Prayer book
Including Special Prayers and Devotions in Behalf of the Poor Souls in Purgatory
by Fr Francis Xavier Lasance
A Rare and Unusual Book!
It is hoped that this book will cultivate a special devotion to the holy souls in Purgatory. This devotion, while it solaces the Holy Souls, in whose behalf it is directly exercised, is eminently pleasing to God, and beneficial to ourselves. It is hoped that the “Reflections” contained in the first part of this little book will stimulate the pious reader to make frequent use of the prayers and devotions which are found in the second part for the solace of the suffering souls in Purgatory.
Paperback, size 6.25" x 4.25", 442 pages
A Theological Treatise on the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell
by Fr Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
A serious, profound theological treatise, purposely written for the average reader. 32 brief, enlightening chapters, giving a great, learned theologian's view in language anyone can understand.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 274 pages, Impr.
by Marie Edouard Mott, C.M.
The work that appears today on the Green Scapular with its origin and the countless favors of which it is the instrument, has been in demand for a long time.
It is true, its marvelous effects were well known, but its origin remained shrouded in an almost impenetrable mystery, upon which, however, people were most anxious to be enlightened.
One can easily understand why this mystery might have prevailed during the life time of the happy seer of whom God chose to make use for the transmission of this pledge of salvation, namely Sister Justine Bisqueyburu, Daught of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
Booklet, size 8" x 5.3", 56 page, Impr 1942.
Purgatory
The Two Catholic Views Of Purgatory Based On Catholic Teaching And Revelations Of Saintly Souls
by Fr. Frederick William Faber
In Purgatory: The Two Catholic Views of Purgatory Based on Catholic Teaching and Revelations of Saintly Souls, Fr. Faber is at it again explaining Catholic doctrine in a clear and engaging manner rare in modern times. Considering the different views Catholics have had about Purgatory over the ages, Fr. Faber asks: What is Purgatory like? Is it almost like Hell? Or is it a place of relative peace and even joy? Emphasizing that Catholicism has no definitive answer for such mysteries, Fr. Faber explores the traditions about this place of God's Mercy that nevertheless involves pain. He bases his discussion on teachings and revelations from saintly souls, including St. Catherine of Genoa's well-known Treatise on Purgatory (available in The Spiritual Doctrine of St. Catherine of Genoa).
As always, Fr. Faber's prowess as a writer and teacher of the Catholic Faith shines admirably. His work is thorough, concise, and, as ever, deeply moving on account of the holiness of his own soul and the beauty of the words that spring from it.
Paperback, size 7" x 4.25", 96 pages
All Souls' Forget-Me-Not!
by Rev Louis Gemminger
The All Souls’ Forget-me-not is the book for all those devoted to the souls in Purgatory. “Why,” the author asks, “does this little prayer-book take its name from the simple flower, the Forget-me-not? Why do they remind one of those poor, forgotten and often neglected souls? The forget-me-not grows in marshy places, by the banks of rivers and streams. And is not Purgatory a dismal swamp wherein the tears of sorrow and desire are ever flowing? Who can count the myriads of souls lingering and suffering in Purgatory, since nothing with the smallest spot of impurity can enter heaven?
“Our faith tells us we can help these poor souls; the Church permits us to pray for them; our own heart tells us that we should and must contribute to their aid in every way that we can. On these grounds, therefore, we venture to publish this little prayer-book, which under the title ‘The Forget-me-not of the Souls in Purgatory,’ admonishes the living not to forget the dead.”
The All Souls’ Forget-me-not places at the disposal of all prayers and devotions sufficient to make offerings and reparations for the sake of the holy souls. It contains several different methods of assisting at Mass, as well as the Rosary, drawn up with special meditations for the faithful departed, stations of the Cross, numerous prayers and meditations for the saints, a small treatise on Purgatory which is largely drawn from St. Robert Bellarmine’s work, and the entirety of the Office and Mass for the dead according to the Traditional rites of the Church. This book is ideal for anyone that has participated in or joined a Purgatorial Society.
If you are devoted to the soul’s in purgatory and wish to win as many soul’s for Christ as one can, this book gives a practical means for which you can pour out your devotion into the Sacred Heart for souls.
Paperback, size 8" x 5", 333 pages
Also available in Hardback (with dust jacket) on request (additional cost)
Avoiding Bitterness In Suffering
by Dr Ronda Chervin
When Ronda Chervin’s son, Charles, ended his own life, he did so believing that it is pointless to endure inevitable suffering. In the wake of Charles’s death, Dr. Chervin set out to discover some of the most basic — but all too often misunderstood — answers to why God allows us to suffer, and how we can bear it with perseverance and hope.
She shares her discoveries in these pages, helping you understand that while there is no escape from pain, pain itself is the road into the heart of Christ where peace can be found.
You’ll be given encouragement and practical advice as you explore afflictions such as failure, fear, frustration, loneliness, loss, marital problems, physical pain, fatigue, and temptation.
Dr. Chervin explains each affliction in detail and offers reflections on the lives of saints who suffered from the very same cross. Throughout each chapter you’re given practical suggestions on how you can meet Christ in your particular pain.
You’ll draw wisdom from the lives and writings of saints who were addicted, depressed, exhausted, raped, and unhappily married. And among these saints, you’ll discover within their responses a pattern that you can ponder and imitate.
Avoiding Bitterness in Suffering will bring courage and hope that in Christ and in communion with his saints, you can — and will — triumph over every kind of adversity. You’ll also learn:
- How you can overcome the pain associated with loneliness and isolation.
- Five ways to overcome doubts about the Faith.
- Four steps to liberation from the suffering of indecision.
- Five ways to meet Christ in the suffering of exploitation.
- What St. Benedict teaches us about failure – and how it changed the world.
- How to cope with failure and poverty.
- Five ways you can transform fear into trust in Christ.
- How you can turn frustrations and anger into a Christian spirit.
- How you can respond in a holy way to marital discord, demanding spouses, physical abuse, psychological abuse, abandonment, and rage.
- Four ways you can turn to Christ in times of temptation.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 243 pages
Preparation for Death to be made each Month
by Rev. Emile Bauduin, Redemptorist
This Preparation for Death was not originally intended for publication. The Rev. Father Bauduin revised it each month for his own personal use. "Come, come, O Mary, come and take me."
May you, devout reader, be faithful in the regular observance of making this preparation for death every month, and you, like its author, will reap inestimable fruits at your last hour, and in heaven for all eternity.
Booklet, size 8" x 4.75", 50 pages
by Fr. Daniel A Lord, S.J.
Holy Souls Novena booklet includes 24 pages of exclusive Italian 'Fratelli Bonella' fine art and special prayers. The cover displays a colourful gold outlined image of Holy Souls from the exclusive Italian 'Bonella' art collection. Each page is filled with beautiful prayers, surrounded by colourful, decorative designs.
Booklet, size 6" x 3.75", 24 pages
Saints Who Raised the Dead
True Stories of 400 Resurrection Miracles
by Fr. Albert J. Hebert, SM
"Christ is risen from the dead, trampling death by death and to those in the tombs granting life!"
When Christ rose from the grave, the curse of fallen nature—death—was overturned; His death and resurrection marked the final victory over sin and evil. For the God-Man knew His way out of the grave, and the chains of Hell could not hold Him down.
Through the ages, Christ's Saints have manifested the glorious grace of miraculous resurrections, restoring to life those who have died and working wonders at times even greater than the Lord Himself—as He promised us in the Gospels.
Witness 400 miracles from such towering figures of sanctity as:
- Patrick
- Elizabeth of Hungary
- Catherine of Siena
- Teresa of Avila
- Francis Xavier
- Rose of Lima
- John Bosco
- And so many more!
In addition, readers will find descriptions of Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, as well as other after-death experiences.
When Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, he set the prototype for the most glorious kind of miracle he could grant His saints to perform: resurrection. Let these true accounts fill you with awe at the majesty of God, Who laughs, "O Death, where now is thy sting?"
Formerly published by TAN under the title "Raised from the Dead".
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 358 pages
by Thomas à Kempis
For the Christian, the soul is immortal and there is eternal life to come after our death: heaven or hell. Our goal is heaven and nothing less. However, there is the mysterious door to eternal life which is death. The door of death is important for the Christian because of its finality. There are no more choices after death.
Thinking on death is the most profitable meditation we can make.
Indeed, Our Lord’s most holy passion and death offers us the greatest meditation, but pondering our own imminent death can bring us great fruit as it prepares us for the most important thing we will do: enter into eternity.
“Remember man that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
By meditating on their deaths, many have renounced this fleeting world for the monastery and cloister. By meditating on their deaths, many have conquered the flesh, the world, and the devil. By meditating on their deaths, many have climbed the ladder of holiness in a brief time.
To keep death daily before your eyes is one of the greatest secrets to sanctity, for death is the only certainty in this life. And those who ponder the hour of their death daily will not be surprised when that moment comes; rather, they will have prepared for it their entire lives and will be ready to meet their Creator.
In this soul-jarring work, Thomas à Kempis guides the reader to consider the last four things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. One of the devil’s favorite words is tomorrow. But God’s is today. Meditations on Death is like a mini-retreat that will redirect your heart to eternal things rather than passing things. For to contemplate the hour of your death is to already have one foot in heaven.
Hardcover, size 7" x 5", 70 pages
Heaven's Great Missionary
by Monsignor Louis Gaston de Ségur
“Preach many great truths of salvation”, Pope Pius IX once told a French priest. “Preach especially about Hell. Let there be no hiding it: tell the whole truth about Hell, very clearly and out loud. Nothing is more capable of making people think and of bringing poor sinners back to God”.
These words of the great Pope are what prompted the great French apologist Monsignor Louis Gaston de Ségur to write this little book on Hell. In it, he shows that the dogma of Hell is a truth of common sense, as well as being one that is revealed by God and constantly taught by the Church. Then, he describes the punishments of Hell and shows that they are (and must be) eternal. Finally, and most importantly, he tells us what practical steps we must take in order to avoid going there.
“I offer you this modest book”, he writes, “asking the Good God to permeate you to the depths of your soul with the great truths it summarises so that fear may arouse love in you and that love may lead you straight to Paradise”.
Paperback, size 7" x 4.4", 200 pages
by St Alphonsus Liguori
St. Alphonsus Liguori, the Prince of Moral Theologians, was one of the greatest preachers in Church history. A religious founder, consummate theologian, and holy man of God, Saint Alphonsus never fails to utter a stirring word that draws out a lively penitence and redoubled dedication to the work of God from his audience. Here, in Preparation for Death: A Popular Abridgment, is a shortened form of his formidable work on the last moments of life and our duty to prepare for it while we yet have time.
Resonating throughout is the profound sense of sin and its awfulness that St. Alphonsus undoubtedly felt and from which he longs to save his flock. He dwells repeatedly on the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven, bringing the reader to consider his own eternal destiny. Above all, St. Alphonsus's message is permeated by what seems a prolonged meditation on the words of Our Lord: "What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his own soul?" The goods of the world are fleeting, and to the Christian, they are even a burden—as St. Paul would say, "so much trash"—because "there is only one thing that is necessary." Topics include:
- The certainty of death,
- The uncertainty of the time,
- The death of the sinner,
- The death of the negligent Christian,
- The death of the just,
- The habit of sin,
- Delusions of the Devil,
- Particular and General Judgments,
- The pains of Hell and its eternity,
- The remorse of the damned
- And more to stir the soul to repentance . . .
Though St. Alphonsus can be a terrible and grave man to hear, it is only from the most unique tenderness and subtlety of his heart that such words can spring. For "out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaketh," and St. Alphonsus's heart was only filled to the brim with genuine desire for innocence and purity of heart in all his spiritual children. It is worth noting he never refused absolution to anyone.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 175 pages
A means of Assisting Well-Meaning Non-Catholics to Die a Happy Death, or of Leading Them to the Light of the One True Faith.
This small booklet is for the use of Priests, Sisters, Nurses, Social Workers, or anyone else who wishes to help in that work which of all works is the most divine – the salvation of souls.
Especially useful for Hospitals.
Booklet, size 8.5" x 5.2", 20 pages
Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints
by Fr F. X. Schouppe, S.J.
What lies hereafter? How shall we be saved if we are to be judged on every idle thought or act, on every word or deed? It is a truth of the Faith that the soul of every person who dies in the state of grace without having made sufficient expiation on earth for his forgiven sins will undergo the penal purification of Purgatory before entering Heaven. In Purgatory: Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints, Jesuit Fr. F. X. Schouppe presents the ancient Catholic tradition on Purgatory, explaining how its pains are great—greater than any suffering known on earth—how they are adapted to the past sins of each individual soul, how they can vary in duration from less than one minute to a period of several centuries, and how they manifest the infinite Mercy of God no less than His Justice, since a certain debt for the pain of sin is owed in order to become perfected in the Sacrifice of Christ, but for those who are imperfect at the point of death, Mercy provides a solution in Purgatory.
Fr. Schouppe compiles what the saints have said about Purgatory, relying on apparitions, visions, and revelations from the lives of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Bridget of Sweden, St. Jean-Baptiste Marie Vianney, St. Lidwina of Schiedam, and others, who recount many occasions when God has allowed souls in Purgatory to appear on earth to plead for prayers, sacrifices, and Masses for their relief. Above all, Fr. Schouppe emphasizes first the wonderful relief which the souls in Purgatory receive from prayers, penance, almsgiving, and especially from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered for them. These souls will have measureless gratitude upon their release, obtaining priceless benefits for their benefactors in return. Most important, Fr. Schouppe emphasizes that we must avoid Purgatory by growing in Divine Charity for God and others.
Paperback, size 7" x 4.25", 476 pages
by St Catherine of Genoa & Don Cattereo Marabotto (her Confessor)
The Spiritual Doctrine of St. Catherine of Genoa is one of the most unusual Catholic books ever written. The subject of this book explains what the spirit of Christ opposed to the spirit of the world can mean in the life of a soul. St. Catherine of Genoa, a member of an illustrious Italian noble family, was married but had no children. She and her husband worked in a hospital in Genoa, of which she later became director.
This volume contains three separate works: The Life and Doctrine of St. Catherine of Genoa, the Spiritual Dialogue and the Treatise on Purgatory. The latter alone is worth the price of the entire book and sets the theme for all three writings. St. Catherine sees the entire Christian life as one of purgation. If the cleansing of the soul in this life is not completed it is simply continued in the next. The Treatise on Purgatory explains the attitude of the Poor Souls, their sufferings of Purgatory and those of Hell.
The Spiritual Doctrine of St. Catherine of Genoa teaches us that the only truly important progress made in this life is the development of the human soul and that all else is insignificant in comparison. St. Catherine demonstrates that what we do with our precious allotment of time will determine what we shall be for all eternity.
Paperback, size 7" x 4.25", 328 pages
by Bl Anne Catherine Emmerich
The first part of Inner Life and Worlds of Soul & Spirit casts light on the nature of visionary experience, prayer, the rosary, the amen, and ways of healing.
Part two presents both well-known parables and fascinating new teachings, including an allegory of marriage and of stars at birth.
Part three is occupied with heaven and hell, work for “poor souls” in purgatory, the habitations of the heavenly Jerusalem, John’s Book of Revelations, the “Octangular Church,” and the Churches Triumphant and Militant.
Part four focuses on such places as the spring at Matarea, the pool of Bethesda, the holy sepulcher, the praetorium, and the way of the cross in Ephesus.
Part five considers Egyptian star wisdom, the star of the Magi, Jacob’s ladder, the writing of the New Testament, the chalice of the Last Supper, the “twelve new apostles,” dragons, and Satan. The final section presents themes related to Jesus, including his two genealogial trees, baptism, voice, shoulder wound, the cloth used to lower him from the cross, Veronica’s scarf, his mantle, and apparitions upon his death.
Paperback, size 8.5" x 5.5", 256 pages
Also available in hardcover on request (additional cost)
by Fr Daniel A. Lord, S.J.
The saints dared to call sorrow a beautiful thing. And Christ, in one of His most startling paradoxes, cried out, "My yoke is sweet and my burden light." Sweet and light? Not, surely, when we struggle resentfully against that yoke and burden. Then it chafes our shoulders and rubs them raw. But when we let Christ place that yoke with His gentle hands, we know that a yoke is born by two, Christ and ourselves. Then we remember that even Simon of Cyrene did not carry the cross alone; he bore it behind our Lord, who carried the heavier share of the burden.
Booklet, size 8.5" x 4.9", 32 pages, Impr 1931.