Introductory Prayer

Let us pray.

Lord, hear the prayers we will offer up to you every day of this month for the consolation of our deceased brothers and sisters and grant them a place of refreshing light and peace! Hear also the prayers which those souls will offer up to you for our intention that we might ultimately obtain, through their intercession, the graces for which we pray.

Daily Readings and Meditations

  • Fourteenth Day

    Relief for the Souls in Purgatory

    – What can bring them relief –

    The Council of Trent decreed, We believe that souls detained in Purgatory are relieved by the suffrages of the faithful. That is how the Church, in its Divine and magnificent unity, includes Christians of all eras and all classes. The charity, which binds them and unites their spiritual wealth is shared not only among the living but beyond the grave, reaching those who have died in the peace of the Lord. Charity, St. Paul tells us, is not like faith and hope that dies with our last breath. It survives our death and never dies. Thus, those who are just are not separated from the Church following their death, nor are they removed from the Communion of Saints. They are still our brothers, our sisters and our friends. Along with the elected in Heaven, the angels and the saints, we can also deliver souls from Purgatory. Moreover, angels and saints can only offer their prayers whereas we can offer acts of charity, of love and of good intentions, God has given us so much power on the fate of the deceased, says Father Faber, that they seem to depend more on earth than Heaven. Such is the doctrine of the Church! Such is the touching mutual support of the Communion of Saints. What a joy this is for you who are mourning a father, a mother, a spouse, a child! You can still show them signs of your love through your devotion; you can be their liberating angel. Hurry then; break their chains and pay their debts that those dear souls may fly up to Heaven, to the bosom of the triumphant Church.

    – We must bring them relief –

    Not only can we, but we must come to the aid of those suffering souls. We owe it to God our good and tender Father. He loves them as his spouses and greatly desires to open the gates of Heaven to them but is opposed by his Justice. He thus turns to us and pleads for us to help them; He gives us the means and considers done to Him what we might do to the most guilty, the most suffering amongst them.

    We owe it to those poor souls in exile. Some of them, perhaps a great many among them are there, suffering because of us, because of our negligence, our bad advice, our scandal. Yet, will we do nothing to alleviate their torment? Would we dare say, I am innocent of the tears shed by that soul? Finally, we owe it to ourselves. Let us not forget that one day, maybe sooner than we think, we will need to have acts of charity offered for us, acts which we could have done ourselves for others. St. Ambrosius told us, Everything which pity inspires us to do for the deceased turns into works of merit for us and at the end of our life, we will receive a hundred-fold what we have given. Question your conscience. Have you understood this important duty and have you put it into practice to date? Do you often think, do you daily think of the suffering souls in Purgatory? Henceforth, have for them that charity which God commands and blesses; that charity which opens the gates of Heaven for those who practice it and for those for whom it is offered; that charity which is the Christian’s passport to the next world.

    – Example –

    Catherine de Cortone was the daughter of a duke. As a child, her piety and her fervour were those of an angel. She was not yet eight when she lost her father. One day, he appeared to her burning with the flames in Purgatory. My daughter, he told her, I will be in this fire until the day you do penance for me. Her heart filled with compassion, Catherine elevated her courage beyond the weakness of her age. She began from that day forth a life of austerity and penance, which astonished all who knew her. Her tears, her prayers, her mortification soon disarmed the Divine Justice and acquitted her father’s debt. Her father, shining with the brightness of the blessed, once again appeared to her and said to her My daughter, God has accepted your acts of love and your prayers; I am now going to live in his Glory. Continue to offer your suffering for the salvation of the souls in Purgatory. It is the will of God that you do so.

    The heroic virgin was faithful to her sublime mission. For the rest of her life, she was an example of piety and severe austerity for the relief of the deceased. Her pious companions tried to make her diminish her acts of penance. She retorted in the words that reveal the secret of her life, When one has seen as I have what Hell and Purgatory are like, one can never do enough to save souls from one and prevent souls going to the other. We too have the same mission. It is our mission and our duty to bring relief to the souls that Jesus has saved; let us never forget this.

    Let Us Pray

    Be blessed Oh my God, for having entrusted me with the relief of those souls whom You love so tenderly and who are so entitled to my compassion. How good it is for me to dry their tears and open the gates of Heaven to them! Remind me often of this great responsibility of charity and help me to accomplish it. Oh Jesus! Be their Conciliator. Call your children and our brethren to eternal happiness and may the light, which never dies, shine upon them! May they rest in peace!

    Let Us Pray

    Lord, hear the prayers we will offer up to you every day of this month for the consolation of our deceased brothers and sisters and grant them a place of refreshing light and peace! Hear also the prayers which those souls will offer up to you for our intention that we might ultimately obtain, through their intercession, the graces for which we pray for.

Prayers

Decade of the Rosary for the Deceased

– The Our Father

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

– x10 Hail Marys

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

– Glory Be

Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Litany for the Faithful Departed

Lord have mercy.
Jesus Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Jesus Christ, hear us.
Father in Heaven, God Almighty,
have mercy on the faithful departed.
Son of God, Redeemer of the world, Almighty,
have mercy on the faithful departed.
Holy Spirit, Bread of life, Almighty God,
have mercy on the faithful departed.
Holy Trinity, the One True God,
have mercy on the faithful departed.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for the faithful departed.
St. Michael the Archangel,
pray for the faithful departed.
My Holy Angel and Angels of the faithful departed,
pray for the faithful departed.
Community of Blessed Spirits,
pray for the faithful departed.
St. Joseph and St. John the Baptist,
pray for the faithful departed.
Holy Patriarchs and Prophets,
pray for the faithful departed.
Holy Apostles and Evangelists,
pray for the faithful departed.
St. Stephen and St. Lawrence,
pray for the faithful departed.
Holy Martyrs,
pray for the faithful departed.
St. Gregory and St. Augustine,
pray for the faithful departed.
Holy Doctors, Popes, and Confessors,
pray for the faithful departed.
St. Ann and St. Mary Magdalene,
pray for the faithful departed.
St. Catherine, St. Ursula, and her companions,
pray for the faithful departed.
Holy Virgins and Widows,
pray for the faithful departed.
Holy Saints of God,
pray for the faithful departed.
Be their Conciliator
Lord, and forgive them.
Be their Conciliator
Lord, and save us.
By your holy and tender Name Lord,
have mercy on the souls of the faithful departed.
By Your great Mercy Lord,
have mercy on the souls of the faithful departed.
By Your bitter Passion and Your Sacred Wounds Lord,
have mercy on the souls of the faithful departed.
By Your Precious Blood and by Your Death Lord,
have mercy on the souls of the faithful departed.
We are poor sinners Lord,
hear our prayer.
Have mercy on all the faithful departed Lord,
hear our prayer.
Remit the sentence incurred by their sins Lord,
hear our prayer.
Take them to Your peace and eternal rest Lord,
hear our prayer.
Grant them Your paternal inheritance Lord,
hear our prayer.
Invite them to come and contemplate Your Divine Beauty Lord,
hear our prayer.
Fill them with Your unlimited bounty Lord,
hear our prayer.
Fulfill their total desire for salvation Lord,
hear our prayer.
Give eternal rest, especially to the souls of our relatives, friends and benefactors Lord,
hear our prayer.
Have mercy on the soul for whom no one prays Lord,
hear our prayer.
May the offering of the Holy Mass and Holy Communion be beneficial to them Lord,
hear our prayer.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world,
forgive them.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, Sweet Jesus, 
hear them.
Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, 
grant them eternal rest.

The Apostles’ Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Salve Regina

Hail holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, hail our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry poor banished children of Eve. To thee we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate thine eyes of mercy towards us, and, after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

The Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory

Lord Jesus, have mercy on the souls detained in Purgatory. It was for their salvation that you took on our human nature and suffered a most painful death. Have mercy on their burning desire to see you, have mercy on their tears of repentance. Through the merits of your Passion remit the sentence they incurred by their sins. Dear, loving Jesus, may your Blood descend on those dear souls! May it shorten their time of atonement and may they soon be called to eternal happiness in your presence! Amen.

De Profundis

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord hear my voice! O Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleading. If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt, Lord who would survive? But with you is found forgiveness: For this I revere you. My soul is waiting for the Lord more than a watchman for daybreak. Let the watchman count on daybreak and Israel on the Lord. Israel indeed will he redeem from all its iniquity. Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.