Prayer, Penance & Purgatory | St. Nicholas of Tolentino

About this sermon

Purgatory is not an optional Catholic opinion—it is a truth belonging to the deposit of faith. In this homily for the feast of St. Nicholas of Tolentino, we rediscover why Catholics pray and offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the faithful departed. Born in 1245, St. Nicholas lived during a turbulent period in Italy. Tolentino and the surrounding region were divided by civil conflict between the Guelphs, who supported the pope, and the Ghibellines, who supported the Holy Roman Emperor. As an Augustinian friar and priest, Nicholas sought to become an instrument of peace. Renowned for his preaching, teaching and miracles, St. Nicholas served the poor and practiced severe penance. According to tradition, after becoming dangerously weak from prolonged fasting, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Augustine appeared to him. They instructed him to eat bread marked with the Sign of the Cross and dipped in water. Nicholas was strengthened and later used similarly blessed bread to help the sick, giving rise to the devotion known as St. Nicholas Bread. Above all, St. Nicholas is remembered as a powerful intercessor and patron of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. He frequently offered Mass for the dead and reminds us that souls who die in God’s friendship may still require purification before seeing Him face-to-face. Modern culture often speaks as though nearly everyone immediately enters Heaven or avoids discussing the Four Last Things entirely. Yet the Church has offered prayers and Masses for the dead from her earliest centuries because she believes in the resurrection, judgment and purification from the remaining effects of sin. The Holy Souls pray for us, but they depend upon the assistance of the Church. Remembering them is an essential spiritual work of mercy. Christ tells us: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” St. Nicholas placed his treasure in Jesus Christ, particularly in the Holy Eucharist, and poured that Eucharistic love out upon the poor and the faithful departed. May we imitate his prayer, penance, charity and devotion to the Holy Souls. St. Nicholas of Tolentino, pray for us and for the souls in Purgatory! #StNicholasOfTolentino #Purgatory #HolySouls #PrayForTheDead #CatholicFaith #CatholicSaints #HolyMass #FaithfulDeparted #Eucharist #CatholicHomily 0:00 Opening prayer 0:33 Feast of St. Nicholas of Tolentino 0:42 Tolentino and 13th-century Italy 0:58 Conflict between Guelphs and Ghibellines 1:22 St. Nicholas as an instrument of peace 1:30 Entering the Augustinian Order 1:38 Ordination to the priesthood 1:47 Preacher, teacher and wonderworker 2:03 Serving the poor through prayer and penance 2:20 Weakened by prolonged fasting 2:28 Our Lady and St. Augustine appear 2:34 The miraculous bread marked with a cross 2:49 St. Nicholas Bread and healing the sick 3:12 Patron of the Holy Souls in Purgatory 3:35 Offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 4:02 Why Purgatory is neglected today 4:19 Heaven, Hell and the forgotten reality between them 4:59 Purgatory as a dogma of the Catholic faith 5:08 Purification before seeing God 5:21 Why Catholics offer Mass for the dead 5:37 Purification from the penalties of sin 5:53 Recovering devotion to the faithful departed 6:00 The Holy Souls need our assistance 6:15 “Where your treasure is…” 6:37 Where St. Nicholas placed his treasure 6:45 Christ’s presence in the Holy Eucharist 7:01 Eucharistic love expressed through charity 7:19 Becoming instruments for the salvation of others 7:36 Final prayer for the Holy Souls 7:45 Closing prayer and channel message For more please visit https://www.themarianfranciscans.org/ Please sign up at this link https://lifecrusade.org/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴

Topics

• Prayer
• Repentance