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Remember, O Lord, Thy servants, who have gone before us with the sign of faith and rest in the sleep of peace.
To these, O Lord, and to all who rest in Christ, grant, we pray Thee, a place of refreshment, of light, and of peace.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
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The Holy Souls in Purgatory Need Our Assistance
By Purgatory we mean a place where souls suffer for a time after death on account of their sins, 1 Cor. iii. 15 : " Some shall be saved, yet so as by fire.'' We are In communion with the souls in Purgatory by helping them with our prayers and good works.-- Catechism.
In purgatory, souls suffer for a while in satisfaction for their sins before they can enter heaven. The principal suffering of these souls consists in the pain of experiencing, on the one hand, an intense longing for God and, on the other, a realisation that they are hindered from possessing Him by reason of their past sins. Unlike the souls in hell, they are certain of one day seeing God. They can be helped, moreover, by the prayers of the faithful on earth, and especially by the offering of Mass.
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10 Spiritual Works of Mercy
- Pray! The Novena to the Holy Souls by St. Alphonsus Liguori, the special Holy Souls Rosary, The Way Of The Cross for Souls in Purgatory, the Prayer of St. Gertrude for the Holy Souls, or offer the Divine Mercy Chaplet, for the intention of the Holy Souls.
- Indulgences: To Peter was given the Keys to the Kingdom (Matthew 16) and the power of binding and loosing (forbidding/permitting, condemning/acquitting). In exercising this power of the Keys, the Church has the authority to determine certain practices which help us to to benefit from the treasury of merit and alleviate the temporal effects of sins we've confessed and are already forgiven for. This is an indulgence.
- Spread devotion to the Holy Souls: Make others aware of the great need these suffering souls have for our prayers.
- Offer up your Holy Communions for the souls in purgatory.
- Have Masses said for your departed loved ones, especially on the anniversary of his or her death.
- Eucharistic Adoration: visit the Blessed Sacrament to make acts of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on behalf of those in purgatory.
- Fasting & Sacrifices: practice small acts of self-denial throughout your day and offer these penances up for the poor souls.
- Give alms: The giving of material assistance to the poor has always been considered a penance that can be offered for the Holy Souls. “For almsgiving saves from death, and purges all sin” (Tobit 12:9).
- Ask for the intercession of saints who were known to be great friends of the Holy Souls during their lifetime to join you in prayer for the faithful departed: St. Joseph, Our Lady, St. Padre Pio, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Nicholas of Tolentino, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Catherine of Genoa, St. Philip Neri, St. John Macías, and others.
- Visit a cemetery or when passing by a cemetery: Pray the short Eternal Rest prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let the perpetual light shine upon them. And may the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.” You can also pray the prayer between the decades of your daily rosary!
* The usual conditions for obtaining a plenary indulgence apply, including sacramental confession, the reception of Holy Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father, as well as complete detachment from all sin, even venial sin.
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Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great
Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood Of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my own family. Amen.
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Prayer & Indulgences
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