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-Seventh Day

    Eighth means of relieving the souls in Purgatory: Heroic acts of charity

    – Its nature –

    A heroic action consists in abandoning into Our Lady’s hands for the souls in Purgatory, all good deeds, even those done for us by others, before and after our death.

    On November 20, 1854, Pope Pius IX recommended that act in a decree to all the faithful and granted it special indulgences. All the indulgences earned by the faithful benefit the souls in Purgatory without our having to present the intention with formulated prayers. Pope Pius IX called this act the greatest consolation for the souls in Purgatory. We can thus say that the heroic act is a gift of Mercy, the most salvific act of charity.

    There is no doubt that we have nothing to lose by abandoning something to God. Our Lord revealed to St. Gertrude that He looks at what we do for the souls in Purgatory as if we had done it to Him, as if we had delivered Him from a prison of fire. This act of charity is also a great honour and a great joy bestowed upon Our Lady, because we put everything into her hands in order for her to deliver her suffering children.

    – The advantages of heroic acts of charity –

    This practice is very useful for the holy souls in Purgatory. They receive so much assistance from the indulgences we earn, every day, every minute of the day, those applied to us during our lifetime, at the moment of our death and after our passing on to eternity.

    There is a cool continous mist of suffrages and indulgences, which falls without interruption on the burning souls, soothing their grief and consoling them.

    This heroic gift is of no less advantage for us. God who is so good and liberal will give back a hundred-fold everything we do for his suffering children.

    Give and you shall be given and you shall receive a good measure, said Jesus.

    Will Our Lady not come to our aid after we have entrusted to her all our spiritual treasures for the relief of her children?

    Will that filial abandonment not earn us the gift of her mercy?

    Finally, will we not receive the eternal gratitude of those souls whom we helped?

    It is also believed by most that those of us who make these heroic acts will not have very much to fear; God will grant us the means of avoiding Purgatory or at least of not lingering there for very long.

    I advise you to make this heroic act as of today. Follow the example of so many persons, famous for their dignity, their science and their holiness.

    Follow the example of Pope Pius the IX who often recommended the vow of heroic action, which he enriched with indulgences.

    – Example –

    In the life of St. Gertrude, we read that during her early youth, she learned to offer all her nightly prayers and all her good deeds for the intentions of the souls in Purgatory through the vow of heroic acts. This practice was so pleasing to God that the Divine Saviour often granted that she might see the most needy souls. Later, she would see those same souls delivered by her pious charity, rising to Heaven, shining in glory and full of gratitude.

    St. Gertrude had spent her whole life in that holy exercise and full of confidence, she awaited her death with calm. The evil one appeared to her and showed her how she had been stripped of any merit her good deeds had earned and that she was about to be exiled to Purgatory where she would endure long lasting atonement.

    That spiritual torment caused her so much desolation that her heavenly Spouse, Our Lord Jesus Christ came to console her, Have no fear, O my beloved, for by your charity towards the dead, you have increased your satisfactory merits. Not only are they sufficient but you have earned a very high degree of glory in the Eternal Beatitude. Thus will my Clemency generously reward your devotion to the dead. You will soon enter Paradise where you will receive a hundred-fold what you have done for them. How encouraging are those words of the Divine Master!

    Let Us Pray

    I beg you, Oh my God, to accept and confirm this vow I am offering for your glory and for my soul’s salvation. I offer it also for the acquittal of all the debts of the souls in Purgatory whom Our Lady wishes to deliver. I hold as my witnesses all the elected of the Militant Church on earth and the Suffering Church in Purgatory. With this consideration, be the Conciliator Lord of those who suffer in that place of atonement. 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.