“Read Me or Rue It.” This title is somewhat startling. Yet, Dear Reader, if you peruse this little book, you will see for yourself how well deserved it is. The book tells us how to save ourselves and how to save others from untold suffering. Some books are good and may be read with profit. Others are better and should be read without fail. There are, however, books of such sterling worth by reason of the counsels they suggest, the conviction they carry with them, the urge to action they give us that it would be sheer folly not to read them. Read Me or Rue It belongs to this class. It is for your best interest, Dear Friend, to read it and reread it, to ponder well and deeply on its contents. You will never regret it; rather, great and poignant will be your regret if you fail to study its few but pregnant pages.

The object of this little book is to show how we can avoid Purgatory by using the means God has so generously offered us, and, secondly, to show that the use of these means is within the reach of every ordinary Christian. The careful perusal of these pages will be a source of much benefit and consolation to all who read them. The author offers them to the loving Heart of Jesus and asks Him to bless them. How to Avoid Purgatory Table of Contents Foreword Chapter 1 Can We Avoid Purgatory? Chapter 2 How Can We Avoid Purgatory? Chapter 3 The First Means: Removing the Cause Chapter 4 The Second Means: Penance Chapter 5 The Third Means: Suffering Chapter 6 The Fourth Means: Confession, Communion, Holy Mass Chapter 7 The Fifth Means: Asking God Chapter 8 A Sixth Means: Resignation to Death Chapter 9 The Seventh Means: Extreme Unction (Anointing of the Sick) Chapter 10 Indulgences and Purgatory Chapter 11 The Third Orders Chapter 12 Those Who Earnestly Help the Holy Souls Chapter 13 To Avoid Purgatory, Do As Follows Chapter 14 How We Can Help the Holy Souls Appendix I The Brown Scapular

Lovely short anecdotes from the lives of the Saints, showing us in a warm, encouraging and inspiring way the importance of prayer and the ease with which we can all derive great benefits therefrom, without yet being Saints ourselves. Covers the meaning of the basic Catholic prayers; plus, the Mysteries of the Rosary and the wonders of the Mass. Written for all and all should read it.

PURGATORY occupies an important place in our holy religion : it forms one of the principal parts of the work of Jesus Christ, and plays an essential role in the economy of the salvation of man. What then is the work which we, members of the Church, have to do for the souls in Purgatory ? We have to alleviate their sufferings. God has placed in our hands the key of this mysterious prison : it is prayer for the dead, devotion to the souls in Purgatory.

Offers guidance and activities aimed at helping girls understand the gifts God has given them and appreciate their individuality.

Redeeming Ruth is the inspirational, true story of an abandoned baby, a devastating diagnosis, and the way God loves broken, hurting people through us—even though we may be broken and hurt, too. When Meadow met her, Ruth was a sixteen-month-old child that some church friends were hosting from an orphanage in Uganda. She had cerebral palsy and was so weak she couldn’t lift her head. Meadow had always felt a call to adopt, but was this what God meant? Part family drama, part travel adventure, and part memoir, Redeeming Ruth is a heartwarming, against-all-odds story about the most unlikely pairing of a normal American family and a physically handicapped orphan girl from Uganda. Much more than an adoption story, this book explores what happens when we sacrificially reach out and share God’s love with others. Ruth’s story will attract families considering adoption, people raising or teaching children with special needs, caregivers, and those grieving the loss of a loved one, ministering to people with disabilities, or striving to serve God despite their own wounded hearts and broken dreams. Features:Includes a Reader’s Guide at the end of the book for each chapter for group discussion or personal reflection.An eight-page insert with personal photos will be included.All personal proceeds from this book benefit an African missions organization.Meadow Rue Merrill is an award-winning journalist with two decades of published writing experience. She is also a contributing writer for “Motherlode,” a popular column of the New York Times. She began reporting for The Times Record, a daily newspaper in Brunswick, Maine, and spent the following eight years corresponding for The Boston Globe. Most recently she has written for Harvard University. She has regular columns with The Portland Press Herald, Maine’s largest newspaper and Down East magazine.