The importance of sharing testimonies of evangelisation (World Youth Day 2013 - Shalom in Fortaleza)

It has been over a week now that I have been back from World Youth Day in Brazil. HOW AMAZING it was!!! I believe EVERY young person ought to experience this love and joy brought to life at a World Youth Day - whether you are of faith or not!

I went with Shalom Community (a Brazilian Catholic Community who have missionaries in London), and spent the first week in Fortaleza on mission. 8 of us from our little group joined much larger groups from different countries: Italy, France, Australia, Israel... and Switzerland, who we grew closest to as we spent much time during the day together on mission.

On our first official day, our group (London and part of Switzerland) were sent on mission to evangelise door to door at people's homes. It was such a blessed experience, and I still remember clearly the people who opened their doors to us and invited us into their homes. For me, it was as if witnessing them opening their hearts to Christ, letting strangers into the place they call home. I still particularly remember a lady named Ivonne (or could be Yvonne) who I felt God had a special message for... a message of deep love and welcome. If you could say a prayer for her this very moment, I would be eternally grateful!

When we arrived back, we had a moment to share some testimonies, and so here are the videos of those testimonies!











Really sorry that on this last video, I didn't capture the German translation... my recording device was running out of space, and I was afraid it wouldn't capture the whole testimony.

In my opinion, it is so important for us to hear these testimonies, to motivate us to do the same... to go out and be disciples... and to make disciples of all nations! All souls deserve to know and hear the boundless Love and Mercy of our Triune God, and for this reason, we have no reason to be afraid to do this. After all, the Church exists to evangelise. This is what being part of the Church is all about.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 8

Another bitter sorrow of these souls is caused by the reflection that God had distinguished them by so many graces not granted to others, and that they compelled Him, by their sins, to condemn them to these sufferings, and that they had deserved hell, but were pardoned and saved only by the mercy of God.

Prayer: O my God! I also am one of these ungrateful beings, having received so much grace, and yet despised Thy love, and deserved to be cast by Thee into hell. Thy infinite goodness has spared me until now. Therefore, I now love Thee above all things, and I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. I would rather die than ever again offend Thee. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me and, at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in purgatory.


O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.


Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jesus, have mercy on them!
On Thy spouses have compassion,
on these suffering children Thine;
make these holy souls partakers
of Thy happiness Divine.

 
This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the Presences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri.
Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 7

A further great sorrow of these holy souls consists in their ardent desire for the beatific vision. Slowly and painfully the moments of their purgatorial imprisonment pass by, for they love God deeply and desire to be delivered from their sad prison in order to praise Him forever.

Prayer: O God, Father of Mercy, satisfy this ardent desire! Send them Thy holy angel to announce to them, that Thou, their Father, art now reconciled with them through the suffering and death of Jesus, and that the moment of their deliverance has arrived.


O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jesus, have mercy on them!
On Thy spouses have compassion,
on these suffering children Thine;
make these holy souls partakers
of Thy happiness Divine.

This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the Presences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri. 
Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 6

The holy souls are, indeed, comforted by the recollection of the passion of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, since they know they are saved by the passion of Jesus Christ, and have received, and still receive, so much consolation from Holy Masses and Holy Communions. Nevertheless, they are greatly pained by the recollection of their ingratitude for these two gifts of love of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: O my Divine Redeemer, Thou didst die for me on the Cross, and have so often united Thyself with me in Holy Communion, and I have repaid Thee only with ingratitude. Now, however, I love Thee above all things, O supreme God; and I am more grieved at my offenses against Thee than any other evil. I would rather die than offend you again. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me, and at the same time, on the holy souls in purgatory.

O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jesus, have mercy on them!
On Thy spouses have compassion,
on these suffering children Thine;
make these holy souls partakers
of Thy happiness Divine.

This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the Presences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri. 
Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 4

The pain that still more afflicts these holy souls, the spouses of Jesus, is the thought of having, during life, displeased by their sins that God whom they so ardently love.

Some penitents have felt so much pain and sorrow in thinking of having, by their sins, offended so good a God, that they died of grief. The souls in purgatory understand, far better than we do, the claims that God has to our love; they love Him with all their strength. Hence, at the thought of having offended Him during life, they experience pain that surpasses all other pain.

Prayer: O my God! Because Though art infinite goodness, I am sorry with my whole heart for having offended Thee. I promise to die rather than ever offend Thee more. Give me holy perseverance; have pity on me, and have pity on those holy souls that anguish in the cleansing flames of love, and who love Thee with all their hearts.


O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jesus, have mercy on them!
On Thy spouses have compassion,
on these suffering children Thine;
make these holy souls partakers
of Thy happiness Divine.

This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the Presences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri. 
Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 2

The second pain which causes these holy souls much suffering, is the time lost in life, when they might have gained merits for Heaven, and the thought that they are unable to repair this loss, because the time of life and merit is passed.

Prayer: Woe to me, unhappy being, so many years have I already spent on earth and have earned naught but hell! I give Thee thanks, O Lord, for granting me time even now to atone for my sins. My good God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. Send me Thy assistance, that I may apply the time yet remaining to me for Thy love and service; have compassion on me, and at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in purgatory.



O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jess, have mercy on them! 
On Thy spouses have compassion, 
on these suffering children Thine;
make these holy souls partakers
of Thy happiness Divine.

This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the Presences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri. Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 1

Manifold are the sufferings which those blessed souls must endure, but the greatest of all is the reflection that their sins in life are the cause of their present torment.

O Jesus, my Saviour, I have so often deserved to be cast into hell; how great were my sufferings if I were now cast away and obliged to think that I, myself, had caused my damnation! I thank Thee for the patience with which Thou has endured me. My God, I love Thee above all things and I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee because Thou art infinite goodness. I would rather die than offend The again. Grant me the graces of perseverance; have pity on me and at the same time on those blessed souls suffering in purgatory.


O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jesus, have mercy on them! On Thy spouses have compassion, on these suffering children Thine; make these holy souls partakers of Thy happiness Divine.

This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the PResences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri. Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.