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

  • Second Day

    Purgatory

    – What is Purgatory? –

    Faith teaches us that Purgatory, as the word indicates, is a place of suffering and atonement. There, Divine Justice continues to purify souls not yet pure enough to be admitted into Paradise, where nothing stained may enter; it is not Hell where there is no longer Redemption; it is an intermediary place situated between the infinite joys of Heaven and the infinite flames of Hell. It resembles Hell in the intensity of suffering and Heaven by the holiness of those who are suffering there. It is a flame that devours but that purifies; it is a journey of tears, but it is not the place of eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth of which Scripture speaks. When the time of purification is over, God will call to himself those souls cleansed by suffering to share in his eternal happiness.

    Thus, Purgatory is a temporary sentence, which will cease to exist following the final judgement.

    That is Purgatory. That is where most of the souls who have ended their pilgrimage here on earth find themselves, suffering and weeping in atonement. Immediate entrance into Heaven is the privilege of very few. Purgatory is where some of our relatives and dear ones may very well be. It is where we might end up ourselves! And maybe soon! Who can flatter oneself as to think, at the moment of death, to be in such a state of purity as to not need to make reparation?

    It is thus important for us to get to know the state of those poor souls in order to have compassion for their sufferings and in return to be worthy of their prayers.

    – Why Purgatory? –

    When a soul appears before the Divine Judge, if it is exempt of any stain, Jesus himself will open up Heaven’s gates and grant it the crown promised to the blessed. If that soul has only a few small stains on its garment, what will become of it? Where will it go? What will happen to those souls not pure enough to enter heaven but not so unclean as to deserve Hell? Will they never see the face of God? Let us praise God who has created a means to reconcile his Justice with his Mercy by placing Purgatory between Heaven and Hell. Souls will be purified there like gold in a blast furnace. There, souls will be cleansed of all impurities caused by sins. Tertulien, speaking of the suffering souls must endure in Purgatory calls them the torments of Mercy.

    There is a reason for the existence of Purgatory. It is necessary for completing the penance which we did not do while on earth, to satisfy Divine Justice and to earn an immense glory through atonement. It is a creation of the mercy of God that can be called the 8th sacrament, the sacrament of fire, for those souls, which the Church’s true sacraments did not purify perfectly.

    Glory be then to the Divine Mercy which by means of Purgatory saves the souls of our loved ones, and provides us with means of alleviating their suffering and allows the gates of Heaven to open for them.

    – Example –

    A priest ended his homily on the subject in Purgatory with the following, A few days ago, I received news of my father’s death. Unable to be near my family, I felt devastated. I hadn’t had the opportunity of giving him a final kiss, to close his eyes with the hands he had loved to kiss after they had received the anointing of priesthood. In my anguish and pain, the only consolation I can find is in recommending him to your prayers, you who are so good and indulgent. I am filled with this consolation as I go to the altar to offer the Holy Sacrifice for the repose of my beloved father’s soul. I know that our prayer will alleviate his suffering, shorten his stay and deliver him from Purgatory and open Heaven’s gates where he has invited me to join him in the house of God. It is a holy and beneficial deed, that of praying for the deceased! Purgatory is a creation of God’s mercy.

    Let Us Pray

    My God, I adore your eternal decrees; I confess that Purgatory, which reconciles your Justice and Mercy, is a product of your Love. Lord, help me avoid that place of suffering and deprivation by my penance, and may my prayers obtain through your paternal indulgence the release from exile of those suffering souls who call unto you so ardently. Dear Jesus, be their Conciliator! Call your dear children and our brethren to eternal rest and may your light shine upon them! May they rest in peace!

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.