Our Mother of Perpetual Help Assists her Devotees in Purgatory

Will the exercise of Mary’s mercy be limited, by chance, to the threshold of eternity or before the tribunal of Jesus Christ? Oh no! Remember, Her help is perpetual. With maternal solicitude She continues working on our behalf until She sees us at Her side in glory. This compassionate Mother helps Her devotees not only in all the necessities of life and at death, but also in Purgatory. Because the imprisoned souls need greater help because they are more tormented and cannot be relieved by their own efforts this Queen of Mercy busies Herself with greater efficacy in helping them.

Above all, just hearing Her most holy name pronounced alleviates those unhappy sinners. They are consoled on thinking the help of their Mother is perpetual and extends, therefore, even to that horrifying prison. One day Jesus told Her, as St. Bridget heard it, "Thou art My Mother, the Mother of mercy, the consolation of those who find themselves in Purgatory.

And the Blessed Virgin said to the aforementioned saint that, just as the words of consolation She addresses to a poor sick, afflicted and abandoned one on his bed or sorrow delight him, so also were those souls consoled with just hearing Her name. For Her dear children this name is a great relief in that prison and thus they invoke it often. And the loving Mother, on hearing them invoke it, provides them Her maternal help, directs Her pleas to God with which many souls are helped and refreshed as with heavenly dew in their great sufferings.

Moreover, as sovereign Queen, She exercises in that prison Her dominion and the fullness of Her powers not only to relieve, but also to free from their pains, those holy prisoners. And in regard to relieving them St. Bernardine of Siena, applying to the matter we are dealing with those words of Ecclesiasticus, "I have walked in the waves of the sea," says this is visiting and helping in the necessities and pains of My devotees, who are My children. The pains of Purgatory may be called waves, adds the aforementioned saint, because they are transitory, different from those of Hell that never pass and they may be called waves of the sea because they are very bitter pains.

Afflicted by those pains the devotees of Mary are often visited and aided by Her. Mary Herself revealed to St. Bridget that She was the Mother of all the souls found in Purgatory because all the pains they deserve for the offenses they committed in life are mitigated in a certain manner, hour by hour, by Her pleas. The compassionate Mother does not disdain descending at times to that holy prison to visit and console Her afflicted children. How important it is, then, to dedicate oneself to the veneration of that kindest Queen because Her devotees are not forgotten in the purifying flames of Purgatory.

But Mary not only consoles, aids and visits Her children in that prison of expiation but also at times She takes them away from there to carry them to Heaven. On the day of Her glorious Assumption, one pious tradition holds, Purgatory was left vacant because Mary had asked and obtained from Jesus Christ the privilege of taking with Her to glory all the souls then grieving in that place were fire purifies all stains.

And it is a matter of faith that with Her pleas and petitions She has the singular privilege of freeing, as it pleases Her, the souls in Purgatory and especially those of Her most devoted children. Be a sincere devotee of this tender Mother, therefore, so you, too, may feel the sweet effects of Her maternal help when you are in Purgatory. Even more – ask Her to grant you before death the grace of making an act of such perfect love that you may fly to Heaven without even passing through those purifying flames.