“Give me souls; take away the rest” is the motto of St. John Bosco.  St. Josemaria Escriva said, “Yours is only a small love if you are not zealous for the salvation of all souls.” Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen wrote, “If we have little love of God, we shall have little love for souls, and vice versa; if our zeal for souls is weak, this means our love of God is also weak.” St. John Chrysostom said, “Nothing is colder than a Christian who does not care about the salvation of others.”

Vatican II states: “The law of love, which is the Lord’s greatest commandment, impels all the faithful to promote God’s glory through the spread of his kingdom and to obtain eternal life for all men.”

Understanding the value of a soul inspires zeal for its salvation. Father Patrick Gearon wrote, “The importance of the soul is brought out in God’s decreeing to come upon earth to save it; in His life of suffering; in His institution of the Sacraments to act as food for the soul; in His creating heaven as the everlasting abode for the soul which leaves this world in the state of grace. The importance of the soul in God’s eyes is also brought out in Our Lord’s founding the Church whose mission is to sanctify souls; in the Church’s zeal for the abandoned heathen; in the erection of Catholic schools whose main concern will be to teach children so to live that their souls will get to heaven.” 

A human soul is capable of supernatural life and will last forever. Father Gearon wrote, “A soul in grace is more resplendent than the starry diamonds in the heavens.” Regarding the immortality of the soul, Father Gearon wrote, “When a ship is carrying gold bullion, those responsible for its care will use all their energy and skill to land it safely in the sure haven. Yet, what treasure is like to the treasure we are carrying about in our mortal frame! It is almost terrifying to think of the fearful responsibility which is ours, for this priceless soul may enjoy everlasting happiness or be confined for countless age in the bottomless pit of eternal torments.” 

St. Teresa of Jesus wrote, “This is an inclination given me by Our Lord; and I think He prizes one soul which, by His mercy and through our diligence and prayer, we may have gained for Him, more than all the other services we can render Him.”

In the 20th century, the important messages of the Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Fatima inspire us to love souls and to work for their eternal salvation.

One day Our Lord told St. Faustina: “I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: ‘O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.’”

Our Lord asked Faustina to assist dying souls with prayer. He said, “Pray as much as you can for the dying. By your entreaties, obtain for them trust in My mercy, because they have most need of trust, and have it the least. Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls in their final moment depends on your prayer.”

In 1917, Our Lady of Fatima told the children, “Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and to pray for them.”

Blessed Alexandrina da Costa was a victim soul deeply devoted to Our Lady of Fatima. She wrote, “It was the consolation of Jesus and the salvation of souls that consumed me.”

 

熱愛靈魂是愛的標記 

『與我靈，取其餘』這是聖若望，鮑斯高的格言。聖施禮華說：『如果你不是熱衷於靈魂的得救，你所有的僅是一份小愛。』嘉俾阨爾神父寫道：『如果我們對天主有一份小愛，我們將對我們的靈魂也有一份小愛，反之亦然；如果我們對靈魂的愛是微弱的，就是說我們對天主的愛也是微弱的。』聖金口約望說：『沒有任何事物比基督信徒不去關心其他人的得救更為冷酷』。

梵二宣稱：『由於上主最大愛德誡命的要求，每一個基督信徒都有責任去尋求上主的榮耀，伕使祂的神國來臨，尋求一切人的永生』。

明白靈魂的價值喚醒對其救贖的熱衷。Patrick Gearon神父寫道：『靈魂的重要性，在天主頒令降臨世上拯救靈魂帶出了；在祂受苦的生命；在祂建立聖事來作靈魂食糧；在祂創造天堂作為那些在寵愛中離開世界靈魂永遠的居所；靈魂在天主眼中的重要性也在吾主建立教會中帶出——其使命是聖化人靈；在教會對被遺棄的異教徒的熱情；在建立天主教學校，其主旨在教導兒童怎樣生活好幫助他們的靈魂得進天堂。』

人類的靈魂可以有超性的生命並且永遠存在。Gearon神父寫道：『在聖寵內的靈魂比天上鑽石般的星星還要燦爛。』有關靈魂的不滅Gearon 神父寫道：『當一條船運載金條，那些負責它安全的人，會耗盡他們全力和技巧安全地把它放在穩固的地方。可是，什麼珍寶可以跟我們可朽軀幹內的珍寶作比較！當我們想及那可怕的責任，這會是恐佈的，就是我們無價的靈魂可以享受永恆的快樂或無了期困於永遠痛苦的無底深淵中。』

聖女大德蘭寫道：『我主給我的一個意向；我想祂珍視因祂的慈悲並通過我們的勤奮和祈禱所贏得的一個靈魂多於其他我們可以為給予祂的服務。』

在二十世紀，神聖慈悲和花地瑪聖母啟發我們去愛護靈魂並為他們的永恆救恩而工作。

一天吾主告訴聖傅天娜說：『我很想你更深刻地認識我的愛，在你默想我的苦難時，自會瞭解這份在我心中為靈魂燃燒的愛情。你要為罪人呼求我的慈悲，我盼望他們得到救贖，但凡你懷著痛悔和信德，為某罪人誦唸這經文時，我便會賜他悔改的恩寵。這經文就是：「從耶穌聖心中湧出的血和水啊，我們的慈悲之泉，我信賴祢。」』

吾主吩附傅天娜以此經文去幫助垂死的靈魂。祂說：『妳要竭盡全力為臨終的靈魂祈禱。藉著妳的代禱懇求,祈求他們能信賴我的慈悲,因為他們最需要這種信賴,卻又最缺乏。妳要堅信,某些靈魂在臨終時刻能否獲得永恆的救恩,完全取決於妳的祈禱。』

在1917年，花地瑪聖母告訴孩子們說：『祈禱，作很多的祈禱，並為罪人作犧牲；很多靈魂進了地獄，因為沒有人為他們犧牲自己並為他們祈禱。』

真福亞歷山德麗娜是一位非常恭敬花地瑪聖母的神視者。她寫道：『我是為安慰耶穌和靈魂的救贖所耗盡。』