My Life In Prayer 31 Day Purgatorian Novena TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY. --THEY HAVE GREAT REASON TO FEAR, WHO SHOW NO MERCY TOWARDS THE SOULS DEPARTED.

TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY. --THEY HAVE GREAT REASON TO FEAR, WHO SHOW NO MERCY TOWARDS THE SOULS DEPARTED.

"With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matth. vii. 2.) It will be readily seen that this word of the Divine Savior is applicable also to the assistance we should render the souls departed. The learned Cardinal Cajetan says; "Those who in this life forget the departed, will, hereafter, in my opin­ion, be deprived in Purgatory of all participation in good works and devout prayers, though ever so many will be offered for them by others; for Divine Justice is wont in this manner to punish their cruelty and hardness of heart." Hence, he, who shows no mercy towards the suffering souls, and remains cold and indifferent to their pains, shall, even though his soul may have escaped eternal damnation, languish in the flames of Purgatory, without relief and consolation, and look in vain for friends and intercessors. The faithful, however, who do not forget the suffering souls completely, but seldom think of them, will not be deprived of friends and intercessors entirely, but will derive very little help and comfort and their complaints will be answered by the words of St. Paul; "He that soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly." (2 Cor. ix. 6.)