The Church has dedicated November to reminding us to pray for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. In addition to helping them by our prayers, praying for the dearly departed is a reminder of our own death, and the importance of being prepared to leave this life behind and enter Eternity.

This holy theme is discussed in the book The Knowledge and Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which was a treasured possession of the well-known St. John Vianney. In that book, the author, Fr. John-Baptiste Saint-Jure, relates an insightful anecdote in the life of St. Gertrude the Great.

One day, as she made her way up a hill, she slipped and fell all the way to the bottom. Unharmed, she simply restarted the climb, saying:

"What great happiness it would have been for me, O Lord, if this fall had been the means of bringing me sooner to You!"

Someone asked Gertrude if she feared dying without the Last Sacraments. The saint answered:

"I would certainly wish with all my heart to receive them in my last moments, but I much prefer the will of God, for I am sure the best disposition for a good death is submission to His will. So I desire only the death by which He wishes me to come to Him, and I am confident that in whatever way I die, His mercy will not fail me."

This attitude of resignation to God’s will and confidence in His mercy - especially when we die - is strongly encouraged by other saints and spiritual masters. Thus we are taught that to have perfect resignation to God’s will when we die will not only save our souls, but will lead us straight to Heaven without need for us to pass through Purgatory!

The great St. Alphonsus explains, "The reason is that he who accepts death with perfect resignation acquires similar merit to that of a martyr who has voluntarily given his life for Christ, and even amid the greatest sufferings he will die happily and joyfully."