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

  • Twenty-Ninth Day

    Apparitions

    – Does God allow the souls in Purgatory to come back to earth? –

    One of St. Augustine’s close friends, the Bishop of Ustale, one day asked him the following, What must we make of the many reports we have of deceased people appearing and going about the world? What must we also make of the reports that in certain graveyards, sounds may be heard coming from tombs at different hours of the night?

    I do not doubt that those apparitions are frequent but it is not of their doing, answered the venerable doctor. If it were so, my pious mother who was constantly by my side, even during my pilgrimages to foreign lands, would visit me every night. I am, however, certain that the Almighty allows them to appear from time to time for reasons full of wisdom and which we must respect. 

    In fact, why would God keep souls who were dear to us, and who suffer, from expressing their torment to us and of begging for our pity?

    In fact, Scripture, the Life of Saints and history itself relates well documented apparitions throughout the ages, in every part of the world and before all types of witnesses.

    One must be aware of the gullibility of some people who think that they see apparitions all the time and who take as real the phantoms of an imagination exalted by suffering or by memories.

    Guard yourself from denying the possibility of apparitions. Reason tells us that God can authorise them and experience proves to us that He has authorised them on many occasions. They may be rare, but they are possible.

    – Why does God allow them? –

    Scripture teaches us that after his death, Samuel appeared to Saul to severely reproach him. I am not afraid of saying out loud that the strongest reasons why God would allow such events, is without a doubt the ingratitude of those who forget them. Those who are only bent on becoming rich with their inheritance, those who let them suffer indefinitely in Purgatory without thinking of relieving their torment. Those poor souls usually appear in a form or a manner, which excites our pity and our compassion. Their face is often sad, they are covered with flames, they breathe deep sighs, they cry in pain and they spew reproaches. They sometimes reveal their presence with deafening noises, by extraordinary symbols. It is always a material sign, which stuns us and awakens in us their memory, urging us to pray more fervently for them.

    – Example –

    A young man, born in a Christian family and faithful to his pious activities, nevertheless, gave little consideration to the souls in Purgatory. He never or rarely prayed for his deceased parents. Not only did he not practice that salvific devotion himself, he also dissuaded others from doing so claiming it was misguided charity. Why should one bother praying for those who are certain of being saved and who can no longer offend God nor lose Him? he would ask. He did not believe in apparitions either, ridiculing the very notion of the deceased visiting loved ones.

    In order to correct him, God allowed those very souls to come out of their prison and to appear in horrible forms to him who was causing such severe damage in his community. They besieged him everywhere and at all hours of the day, screaming in pain, filling his eyes with strange beings, freezing his heart with fear. They allowed him no rest, night and day.

    This proved to be very efficacious. Leaving behind his worldy ways he entered the Dominican Order. After his ordination to the priesthood, he inspired many with the desire to follow him in his devotion to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Never has there been more convincing and more numerous reasons to prove that the greatest charitable deed one can perform toward a neighbour in this world is to pray for the deceased. He died in holiness and his soul surely rose to Heaven to be with those whom he had himself helped relieve of their suffering. Let us imitate such a beautiful example of charity.

    Let Us Pray

    My God, You are powerful and good enough to send us extraordinary messengers to remind us of the needs of the faithful members of the suffering Church. You want us to come to their aid. Be their Conciliator! Lord, call Your children to Your Eternal Home and may the light that 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.