During every Advent, we like to watch the 1951 movie “A Christmas Carol” with Alastair Sim. It’s our favorite rendition of Dickens’ wonderful story about the conversion of a miser after the visitation of four ghosts on Christmas.
The character Jacob Marley always makes me think of the real poor souls in Purgatory. We should try to remember to pray for them often. As good Catholics, we know the Holy Mass is the greatest thing we can offer for the poor souls.
On the third Sunday of Advent this year, I read several stories from “Purgatory” by Fr. F.X. Shouppe, S.J., which is my favorite book of all time. No other book has affected my life more than this one book. One particular story comes during Christmas. Fr. Shouppe relates:
We know that in the Catholic liturgy there is a special Mass for the dead; it is celebrated in black vestments, and is called Mass of Requiem. It may be asked whether this Mass is more profitable to the souls than any other? The Sacrifice of the Mass, notwithstanding the variety of its ceremonies, is always the same infinitely holy Sacrifice of the Body and
Blood of Jesus Christ; but as the Mass for the Dead contains special prayers for the holy souls, it also obtains special assistance for them, at least at those times when the liturgical laws permit the priest to celebrate in black. This opinion, based on the institution and practice of the Church, is confirmed by a fact which we read in the Life of Venerable Father Joseph Anchieta.
This holy Religious, justly surnamed the Wonder-worker of Brazil, had, like all the saints, great charity towards the holy souls in Purgatory. One day during the Octave of Christmas, when the Church forbids the celebration of Requiem Masses, on the 27th of December, Feast of Saint John the Evangelist, this man of God, to the great astonishment of all, ascended the altar in black vestments, and offered the Holy Sacrifice for the Dead.
His superior, Father Nobrega, knowing the sanctity of Anchieta, doubted not that he had received a Divine inspiration; nevertheless, to remove from such conduct the character of irregularity which it appeared to have, he reprimanded the holy man in presence of all the brethren. “What, Father,” said he to him, “do you not know that the Church forbids the celebration of Mass in black today? Have you forgotten the Rubrics?”
The good Father, quite humble and obedient, replied with respectful simplicity that God had revealed to him the death of a Father of the Society. This Father, his fellow student at the University of Coimbra, and who at that time resided in Italy, in the College of the holy House of Loreto, had died that same night. “God,” he continued, “made this known to me, and gave me to understand that I should offer the Holy Sacrifice for him immediately, and do all in my power for the repose of his soul.” “But,” said the Superior, “do you know that the Mass celebrated as you have done will be of any benefit to him?” “Yes,” modestly replied Anchieta, “immediately after the memento for the dead, when I said these words: To Thee, God the Father Almighty, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory! God showed me the soul of that dear friend, freed from all its sufferings and ascending to Heaven, where his crown awaited him.”
The following true story is much like Dickens’ fictional Scrooge where the sinner is warned and given a chance to repent and change his life. Fr. Shouppe tells us:
In the year 1615, when the Fathers in Rome celebrated this monthly Communion in the church of Our Lady in Trastevere, a crowd of persons was present. Amongst the fervent
Christians there was one great sinner, who, although taking part in the pious ceremonies of religion, had for a long time led a very wicked life. This man, before entering the church, saw coming out and advancing towards him a man of humble appearance, who asked of him alms for the love of God. He at first refused, but the poor man, as is customary with beggars, persisted, asking for the third time in a most pitiful tone of supplication. Finally, yielding to a good inspiration, our sinner recalled the mendicant and gave him a piece of money.
Then the poor man changed his entreaties into other language. “Keep your money,” said he; “I stand in no need of your liberality; but you yourself greatly need to make a change in your life. Know that it was to give you this salutary warning that I came from Mount Gargano to the ceremony which was to take place in this church today. It is now twenty years since you have been leading this deplorable life, provoking the anger of God instead of appeasing it by a sincere Confession. Hasten to do penance if you would escape the stroke of Divine Justice ready to fall upon your head.”
The sinner was struck by these words: a secret fear took possession of him when he heard the secrets of conscience revealed, which he thought were known to God alone. His emotion increased when he saw the poor man vanish like smoke before his eyes. Opening his heart to grace, he entered the church, cast himself upon his knees and shed a torrent of tears. Then sincerely repenting, he sought a confessor, made an avowal of his crimes and asked pardon. After Confession, he related to the priest what had happened to him, begging him to make it known in order that devotion towards the holy souls might be increased; for he had no doubt that it was a soul just delivered that had obtained for him the grace of conversion.
It may here be asked who was that mysterious mendicant that appeared to this sinner in order to convert him? Some have believed that it was none other than the Archangel Michael, because he said that he came from Mount Gargano. We know that this mountain is celebrated throughout Italy for an apparition of Saint Michael, in whose honor a magnificent shrine has been erected. However this may be, the conversion of this sinner by such a miracle, and at the same moment when prayers and Holy Communion were being offered for the faithful departed, shows plainly the excellence of this devotion and how pleasing it must be in the sight of God.
Let us therefore conclude in the words of Saint Bernard, “May charity lead you to communicate, for there is nothing more efficacious for the eternal repose of the dead.”
Speray's Catholicism in a Nutshell 
Humbling stories indeed!!