The 101 Foundation, Inc.

Why You Need the Holy Mass Offered  for Your Loved Ones,

Your Special Intentions, & Yourself.....

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St. Anselm tells us that during our lifetime, those Masses which we offer, or have been offered for us, are more profitable than those offered for us after death.  Also in this way, we shall not be at the mercy of those who remain behind, to have them properly said.

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There is much truth in the proverb which says, "A candle placed before us gives more light than ten candles placed behind us."  Particularly by the means of frequent Masses, can we nourish the hope of being received into Heaven immediately after death, without having to pass through the cleansing flames of Purgatory.

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Jesus told St. Faustina, "All these souls are greatly loved by Me.  They are making retribution to my justice.  It is in your power to bring relief.  Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church, and offer them on their behalf.  Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer."

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We are invited to act on what Our Lady of Medjugorje and the saints are telling us.  Our Lady of Mejugorje says, "Most souls go to Purgatory, many go to Hell, and only a few go directly to Heaven."

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She also tells us that we gain "new intercessors" when we pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.  They become our nearest, sincerest, and dearest friends on earth and in Heaven.

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The History of the 30-Day Mass

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The history of the "Thirty Mass" practice goes back to the year 590 A.D.  In St. Andrew's Monastery in Rome, Italy, founded by St. Gregory the Great in his own family villa around 570.  It is now known as the Monastery of St. Gregory the Great. 

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The account of the incident which gave rise to it is recounted by St. Gregory himself in his Dialogues.  After his election as Pope in 590, one of the monks, Justus by name, became ill.  So he admitted to a lay friend, Copiosus, that he had hidden three gold pieces among his medications years before, when he was professed a monk.  Both, in fact, were former physicians.  And sure enough, the other monks found the gold when seeking the medication for Justus.  The founder and former Abbot of the monastery, now Pope Gregory, hearing of this scandalous sin against the monastic Rule, called in the new Abbot of his beloved monastery, and ordered the penalty of solitary confinement for Justus, even though he was dying, and ordered that his burial not be in the cemetery but in the garbage dump.  Copiosus told his wretched friend of this decision.  Moreover, the community was to recite over his dreadful grave.

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The Pope's desired result was achieved:  Justus made a serious repentance, and all the monks a serious examination of conscience.  Justus then died, but the matter did not, for 30 days later, Pope Gregory returned to the monastery filled with concern for Justus, who would now be suffering the grim temporal punishment of Purgatory's fire for his sins.  "We must," said Gregory to the Abbot, "come by charity to his aid, and as far as possible help him to escape this chastisement.  Go and arrange 30 Masses for his soul, so that for 30 consecutive days the Saving Victim is immolated for him without fail." 

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And so it was done.  Some days later, the deceased monk, Justus, appeared in a vision to his friend Copiosus and said, "I have just received the Communion pardon and release from Purgatory because of the Masses said for me."  The monks did a calculation, and noted that it was exactly 30 days since the 30 Masses had begun for Justus.  They shared this great consolation with each other, with their Abbot and with Pope Gregory.  When the practice began it was limited solely to the services held at the main altar at the Monastery of St. Andrew in Rome, where this had taken place.  As time went by, this "privilege" was extended to a few other altars in the city of Rome.  Eventually this practice became common in monasteries.  A monk of the great Abbey of Cluny in the 9th century attested that such Masses were said daily in that period, with the exception of the major feast days of the year, such as Easter.  In the modern era, the practice was authorized for all churches throughout the world.

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