The two great commandments are to love God above all things and one’s neighbor as oneself. One of the highest acts of charity toward our neighbor is to remember him after death—especially the poor souls in Purgatory, who rely on our prayers and sacrifices. For this reason, the Church gives us the liturgical month of November.
As autumn’s harvest is gathered and stored, the faithful are invited to draw from a different harvest: the graces and indulgences God offers for the relief of the souls undergoing purification. The Month of the Souls in Purgatory by Abbé Berlioux is a richly structured devotional companion designed to help the faithful sanctify the month of November—and to remember the dead throughout the year.
Each daily chapter offers a complete meditation, a prayer, and a concrete example drawn from history, personal accounts, or the author’s pastoral experience. Topics include: the ancient practice of praying for the dead; the pains and nature of purgatorial suffering; the holiness and nearness of the souls to God; the favors they obtain for their benefactors on earth; the various means of relieving them; the causes that lead souls to Purgatory—and the means of avoiding them; apparitions; provisions for Masses and almsgiving in one’s will; and much more.
First published in French in Grenoble and translated into English in 1886, this classic work addresses the reader affectionately as “Christian Soul,” urging a life shaped by mercy, justice, and vigilance for one’s own final end. Whether used for the entire month of November, on anniversaries of death, or in daily prayer, this book offers a powerful reminder of our duty to the suffering souls—and of the hope of our own eternal destiny.
