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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1862 edition. Excerpt: ... NOVEMBER Jttmttl) of peootion for tlje $oli) Sonls. I) most persons, the idea of Purgatory is simply one of pain-; they try to avoid thinking about it because the subject is unpleasant, and our thoughts certainly do not naturally revert to painful subjects; they feel it is a place to which they must go at least, if they escape worse; they must suffer, they cannot help it, and so the less they think about it beforehand the better. Purgatory and suffering are to them synonymous terms; perhaps fear keeps them from some sins which, without this salutary apprehension, they would readily fall into; but on;the whole they take their chance, and hope for the best. This, perhaps, is the view of a large class of persons, and of those who will scarcely even own to themselves what they think on the subject; but their lives are the tell-tales, and we cannot but fear that to escape hell is the utmost effort of many who ap T parently are good Catholics. Still we would not say that they do not love God, that they are not in many ways pleasing to Him; but oh, how many are there who want only a little more generosity to become great saints! Then there is another class, farther on in their heavenward journey: souls who do love God, who do seek only to please, who are generous, often even noble-hearted, in their Master's service; souls who can say, " Our Father," and look up with childlike love to Heaven; but even with such, and with perhaps almost all, the feeling about Purgatory is much the same--it is a sort of necessary evil, a something that must be endured. They feel strongly all that justice has to say, their very sanctity and goodness leads them to desire that that which is evil in them should be taken out, even by fire; but still there are few who...