%20and%20Crown%20Prince%20Rudolf%20visiting%20Emperor%20Franz%20Joseph%20in%20the%20Kapuzinergruft.%20%20From%20Wiener%20Bilder,%20Illustriertes%20Sonntagsblatt%2019%20September%201898.jpg) |
| The spirits of Empress Elisabeth & Crown Prince Rudolf visiting Franz Joseph in the Kapuzinergruft, Wiener Bilder, Illustriertes Sonntagsblatt, 19 Sept. 1898 |
“The practice of recommending to God the souls in Purgatory, that He may mitigate the great pains which they suffer, and that He may soon bring them to His Glory, is most pleasing to the Lord and most profitable to us...When, therefore, they arrive in Heaven, they will be sure to remember all who have prayed for them." ~ St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Bishop and Doctor (1696-1787) [1]
My favorite time of the year, I love the first chill in the air, the donning of sweaters, the changing foliage, and, of course, the devotions to the dead. I don’t know about you dear readers, but I feel a deep-seated spiritual kinship with my ancestors and I do my best to honor their memories. Keeping with our traditions and Christian charity, it is our sacred duty to celebrate their lives and offer prayers to help assuage their suffering in Purgatory.
Certainly not limited to November, the month dedicated to the Poor and Forgotten Souls, there is so much we faithful can do for the holy prisoners. The most obvious and efficacious is to have the most holy sacrifice of the Mass offered for the repose of their souls. We should also visit them in cemeteries, compile necrologies, enroll them in purgatorial societies, privately light candles and pray for them daily, and make sure to pass on these ancestral traditions to the next generation.
Every day we should endeavor to help deliver the Holy Souls of Purgatory (the Church Penitent) to His Divine Majesty’s Glory through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and penance. Furthermore, we can offer these works of satisfaction as heroic acts of charity enriched with many indulgences for their relief. In return for our succor, the Blessed in Heaven (the Church Triumphant) watch over us (the Church Militant).
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I'm convinced my ancestors and heavenly patrons are watching over me. Without going into detail, I've had several clear-cut preternatural experiences in my lifetime that cannot be denied or dismissed as mere superstition.
Culturally speaking, we Duosiciliano Americans, have much to lose with the severing of our roots. Many of our folktales and customs (sacred and profane) are intimately entwined with our kinfolk and the afterlife. In Naples, it is said the face of death is known as that of a neighbor. Every castle is haunted and every abode has a house spirit (monaciello). Even the Church of Santa Maria la Nova is allegedly home to the ghost (as well as the bones) of the bloodthirsty Prince of Wallachia, Vlad Tepes—Dracula!
Yet another malady of assimilation and virulent secularism, the diminution of this symbiotic bond between the living and the dead is disquieting, to say the least. For us, there is a continuousness with our past. Devotion to our kin does not end with our parents and grandparents, it extends from generation to generation through the ages.
Notes:
[1] The Purgatorian Manual, 2006, Refuge of Sinners Publishing, Inc., p.5
Certainly not limited to November, the month dedicated to the Poor and Forgotten Souls, there is so much we faithful can do for the holy prisoners. The most obvious and efficacious is to have the most holy sacrifice of the Mass offered for the repose of their souls. We should also visit them in cemeteries, compile necrologies, enroll them in purgatorial societies, privately light candles and pray for them daily, and make sure to pass on these ancestral traditions to the next generation.
Every day we should endeavor to help deliver the Holy Souls of Purgatory (the Church Penitent) to His Divine Majesty’s Glory through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and penance. Furthermore, we can offer these works of satisfaction as heroic acts of charity enriched with many indulgences for their relief. In return for our succor, the Blessed in Heaven (the Church Triumphant) watch over us (the Church Militant).
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, I'm convinced my ancestors and heavenly patrons are watching over me. Without going into detail, I've had several clear-cut preternatural experiences in my lifetime that cannot be denied or dismissed as mere superstition.
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| Trionfo della Morte (The Triumph of Death), c. 1446, artist unknown, Galleria Nazionale della Sicilia, Palermo |
“Happy are the dead!” Exclaimed George at last. “They have no more doubts.” ~ The Triumph of Death, Gabriele D’Annunzio (1863-1938)
Long fascinated by the painting, I’m posting the Triumph of Death, a type of danse macabre or memento mori, to remind us of the fragility of our lives and the inevitable demise facing every man, no matter his station or caste. Not to be confused with today’s gruesome depictions of gore and horror, which are merely meant to shock and nauseate the modern viewer, these medieval portrayals of death incarnate are intended to stir within us a sense of our mortality and encourage us to better ourselves spiritually and culturally.
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| "Vlad the Impaler" |
Yet another malady of assimilation and virulent secularism, the diminution of this symbiotic bond between the living and the dead is disquieting, to say the least. For us, there is a continuousness with our past. Devotion to our kin does not end with our parents and grandparents, it extends from generation to generation through the ages.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.~ By Giovanni di Napoli, November 11th, Feast of San Martino di Tours (Veterans Day)
Notes:
[1] The Purgatorian Manual, 2006, Refuge of Sinners Publishing, Inc., p.5
