CONTENTS & FOREWARD

  1. CAN WE AVOID PURGATORY?
  2. HOW CAN WE AVOID PURGATORY?
  3. THE FIRST MEANS: REMOVING THE CAUSE
  4. THE SECOND MEANS: PENANCE
  5. THE THIRD MEANS: SUFFERING
  6. THE FOURTH MEANS: CONFESSION, COMMUNION, HOLY MASS
  7. THE FIFTH MEANS: ASKING GOD
  8. A SIXTH MEANS: RESIGNATION TO DEATH
  9. THE SEVENTH MEANS: EXTREME UNCTION
 10. INDULGENCES AND PURGATORY
 11. THE THIRD ORDERS
 12. THOSE WHO EARNESTLY HELP THE HOLY SOULS MAY WELL HOPE TO AVOID
       PURGATORY
 13. TO AVOID PURGATORY, DO AS FOLLOWS
 14. HOW WE CAN HELP THE HOLY SOULS

FOREWORD

Our Lord came on earth expressly to give us a perfect Redemption. He gave us a Law of Love, a Religion in every way to suit our human hearts, destined to make us holy and happy. His Commandments, counsels and promises all breathe peace, joy, mercy and love.

The idea that nearly all of us shall, notwithstanding, have to pass a period more or less long in the excruciating fires of Purgatory after death seems to be at variance with this all-merciful and all-loving plan of our Divine Lord.

It is true that we are weak and fall many times and that God's justice is rigorous and exacting, but it is equally certain that God's mercy and love are above all His works.

It is no less certain that Our Lord has given us abundant grace and strength to save us from sin and many (and most efficacious) means of satisfying for any sins that we may have committed. This last fact seems to be almost entirely overlooked, or imperfectly understood by the majority of Catholics.

Of course, those who go on deliberately sinning and who make no effort to correct their faults and refuse to use the many wonderful means God offers them for satisfying for sin, condemn themselves to Purgatory.

The object of this little book is to show how we can avoid Purgatory by using the means God has so generously offered us, and, secondly, to show that the use of these means is within the reach of every ordinary Christian.

The careful perusal of these pages will be a source of much benefit and consolation to all who read them.

The author offers them to the loving Heart of Jesus and asks Him to bless them.