Showing posts with label Purgatory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Purgatory. Show all posts
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Pray the Office of the Dead for the Poor Souls

Vespers of the Dead

The Office of the Dead is prayed by all on All Souls Day. However, you may also pray the Office of the Dead any other day of the year. The Office of the Dead on other days would be prayed in addition to the day's office. After Matins and Lauds for the day, you would pray the Office of the Dead's Matins and Lauds.  After Vespers for the day, you would pray Vespers from the Office of the Dead.  So, please feel free to pray this Office often for the Poor Souls, especially in November, with the intention of applying any merits and indulgences to them.

You may pray the Office of the Dead online at Divinum Officium for free now by clicking here and selecting "Defunctorum" in the bottom right.

Here follows Vespers from the Office of Dead:

Ant. I will walk before the Lord * in the land of the living.

Psalm 114

I am well pleased, because the Lord hath heard * the voice of my prayer; Because he hath inclined his ear unto me; * therefore will I call upon him all my days. The sorrows of death compassed me round about, * and the perils of hell gat hold upon me. Sorrow and trouble did I find; * then called I upon the Name of the Lord. O Lord, deliver my soul : * gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: * I was brought low, and he delivered me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; * for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For he hath delivered my soul from death, * mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

I will walk before the Lord * in the land of the living. 

Eternal rest * grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light * shine upon them.

Ant. I will walk before the Lord * in the land of the living.

Ant 2. Woe is me, O Lord, * that I am constrained to dwell among them that are enemies unto peace.

When I was in trouble, I called upon the Lord, * and he heard me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, * and from a deceitful tongue.What reward shall be given or done unto thee, thou false tongue? * even mighty and sharp arrows, with hot burning coals.Woe is me, that I am constrained to dwell with Meshech, * and to have my habitation among the tents of Kedar! My soul hath long dwelt among them * that are enemies unto peace. I labour for peace; but when I speak unto them thereof, * they make them ready to battle. Eternal rest * grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light * shine upon them.

Ant 2. Woe is me, O Lord, * that I am constrained to dwell among them that are enemies unto peace.

Ant 3. The Lord shall preserve thee * from all evil ; yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.

I have lifted up mine eyes unto the hills; * from whence cometh my help. My help cometh even from the Lord, * who hath made heaven and earth. May he not suffer thy foot to be moved; * neither let him slumber that keepeth thee. Behold, he that keepeth Israel * shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy defence * upon thy right hand. The sun shall not burn thee by day, * neither the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; * yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in, * from this time forth for evermore. Eternal rest * grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light * shine upon them.

Ant 3. The Lord shall preserve thee * from all evil ; yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.

Ant 4. If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme * to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it?

Out of the depths I have cried unto thee, O Lord; * Lord, hear my voice. O let thine ears be attentive * to the voice of my supplication. If thou, O Lord, shalt observe our iniquities, * Lord, who may endure it? For with thee there is merciful forgiveness : * and by reason of thy law, I have waited for thee, O Lord. My soul hath relied on his word * my soul hath hoped in the Lord. From the morning watch even until night : * let Israel hope in the Lord. Because with the Lord there is mercy, * and with him plentiful redemption. And he shall redeem Israel * from all his iniquities. Eternal rest * grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light * shine upon them.

Ant 4. If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme * to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it?

Ant 5. Despise not, O Lord, * the works of thine own hands.

I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; * for thou hast heard the words of my mouth. Even before the Angels will I sing praise unto thee, * I will worship toward thy holy temple, and I will give glory unto thy Name. Because of thy loving-kindness and truth; * for thou hast magnified thy holy Name above all things. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear thou me; * thou shalt endue my soul with much strength. May all the kings of the earth give glory unto thee, O Lord; * for they have heard all the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord, * for great is the glory of the Lord. For the Lord is high, yet looketh he upon the lowly; * and the high he knoweth them afar off. Though I walk in the midst of tribulation, yet shalt thou quicken me; * and thou hast stretched forth thy hand upon the furiousness of mine enemies, and thy right hand hath saved me. The Lord shall render for me; * yea, thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; despise not then the works of thine own hands. Eternal rest * grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light * shine upon them.

Ant 5. Despise not, O Lord, * the works of thine own hands.

V. I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me.
R. Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord.

Magnificat Ant: All * that the Father hath given unto me shall come unto me, and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.

My soul doth magnify the Lord, † * and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded * the lowliness of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth * all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath magnified me; * and holy is his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him * throughout all generations. He hath shewed strength with his arm; * he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, * and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things; * and the rich he hath sent empty away. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; * as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever. 

Eternal rest * grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light * shine upon them.

Magnificat Ant: All * that the Father hath given unto me shall come unto me, and him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out.

Our Father ...

V. From the gates of hell.
R. Deliver his soul, O Lord.

V. May he rest in peace.
R. Amen.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come unto thee.

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

O God, who art thyself at once the Maker and the Redeemer of all thy faithful ones, grant unto the souls of thy servants and handmaids remission of all their sins, making of our entreaties unto our great Father a mean whereby they may have that forgiveness which they have ever hoped for. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. R. Amen

V. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
R. And let perpetual light shine upon them.

V. May they rest in peace.
R. Amen.

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Friday, November 15, 2019
Commemoration of All Souls of the Carmelite Order


While the Universal Church keeps on November 2nd the Commemoration of All Departed Souls, the various religious orders in the Church keep specific days to remember the dead of their Orders throughout November.

The Dominicans traditionally keep the Feast of All Dominican Saints on November 12th and the Commemoration of All Departed Dominican Souls on November 13th. The Benedictines keep the Feast of All Benedictine Saints on November 13th and the Commemoration of all Benedictine Souls on November 14th. Likewise, the Carmelites keep on November 14th the Feast of All Carmelite Saints and on November 15th keep the Commemoration of all Carmelite Souls.

As many of us have (or should have) been enrolled in the Brown Scapular, which is part of the Carmelite Order, it is certainly meritorious if we would stop and say a prayer this day for all of the departed Carmelite Souls who are in Purgatory and undergoing their final purification before entering Heaven.


Prayers said by Carmelites:

Inclina, Domine, aurem tuam ad preces nostras, quibus misericordiam tuam supplices deprecamur: ut animas Fratrum et Sororum Ordinis nostri, quas de hoc sæculo migrare jussisti; in pacis ac lucis regione constituas, et Sanctorum tuorum jubeas esse consortes. Per Dominum.

Lord, give ear to our prayers as we humbly beseech thy mercy that the souls of the Brothers and Sisters of our Order, who at thy bidding have departed from this world, may be established in the abode of peace and light, and may at thy command have entrance into the company of thy saints: through our Lord.

(Carmelite Liturgy of the Holy Sepulchre with English Translation by the old Carmelite Daily Missal)

Prayers said by the Discalced Carmelites:

Deus, veniæ largitor, et humanæ salutis amator: quæsumus clementiam tuam; ut nosræ Congregatonis Fratrers et Sorores, qui ex hoc sæculo transierunt, beata Maria semper Virgine intercedente cum omnibus Sanctis tuis, ad perpetuæ beatitudinis consortium pervenire concedas. Per Dominum.

O God the giver of forgiveness and lover of human salvation, we ask thy mercy: that the brothers and sisters of our congregation who have passed from this world, by the intercession of the blessed Mary ever-virgin and all thy saints, you would grant them to reach the company of eternal bliss. Through our Lord.
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Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Videos in Honor of the Poor Souls

Sin has three consequences: Guilt, Debt, and Stain of Sin. Confession can remove the guilt; the sinner or anyone on behalf of the sinner can "pay" the debt, but only the sinner can remove the stain of sin by by amending their life and correcting their spiritual malfunctions. To say of the recently departed that "they dead are no longer suffering" belies a profound lack of charity for those souls. The souls in Purgatory suffer incredibly for even the smallest transgression; we ought to offer indulgences and Masses for the Poor Souls.

How Long the Souls Remain in Purgatory? How does Mass remove the stain of sin for souls in Purgatory? How are the Poor Souls focused on the will of God? Learn the answers in these excellent videos in this month of November, dedicated to the Poor Souls

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Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Indulgenced Acts for the Poor Souls November 1st thru 8th


Make plans now to visit a cemetery each day from November 1st through November 8th for the Poor Souls in Purgatory.  The Poor Souls have so few souls who pray for them nowadays.  They need our prayers.  Go out and visit a cemetery and gain an indulgence for them.
The faithful, as often as they visit a church or public oratory, or even a semi-public oratory (if they may lawfully use the same), in order to pray for the dead on the day on which the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed is celebrated (November 2nd) or on the Sunday immediately following, may gain a plenary indulgence applicable only to the souls detained in Purgatory, on condition of confession and Communion, and the recitation six times during each visit of Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff(June 25, 1914)

The faithful who during the period of eight days from the Commemoration of All Souls inclusive, visit a cemetery in a spirit of piety and devotion, and pray, even mentally, for the dead may gain a plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, on each day of the Octave, applicable only to the dead.

Raccolta Source

For other indulgences applicable to the Poor Souls, please click hereFor other indulgences applicable to the Poor Souls, please click here.

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Sunday, July 10, 2016
A Prayer for the Forgotten Dead

O merciful God, take pity on those souls who have no particular friends and intercessors to recommend them to Thee, who, either through the negligence of those who are alive, or through length of time are forgotten by their friends and by all. Spare them, O Lord, and remember Thine own mercy, when others forget to appeal to it. Let not the souls which Thou hast created be parted from thee, their Creator.May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
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Friday, May 27, 2016
Merit of the Dominican Order for Souls in Purgatory

Image Source:  www.dominicansavrille.us

This is from Fr. Paul O'Sullivan in his work "How to Avoid Purgatory
Among the extraordinary graces which Catholics gain by becoming members of a Third Order is a share in many Masses and prayers. To mention, for instance, the Third Order of Saint Dominic, Pope Benedict XV, himself a Tertiary, said: “One of the easiest and most effectual ways of reaching a high degree of sanctity is by becoming a Dominican Tertiary.” 
The members of this order receive during life a share every day in thousands of Masses and prayers, and after death, when, alas, so many are neglected by their relatives, those who are members of this Third Order have a share daily in thousands of other Masses and prayers, this for as long as they remain in Purgatory! Among the many beautiful characteristics of the Order of St. Dominic is its intense devotion and love for the Holy Souls, especially for the souls of its members, friends and benefactors. So true is this that a young Italian nobleman who consulted the Pope as to which religious order he would do well to enter received for answer: “My dear son, you may with much profit join any of the Orders, for in each you will find abundant means of becoming a Saint. After death, however, be a Dominican” The Holy Father meant to imply that the suffrages given after death to their deceased members are, indeed, most abundant in the Dominican Order.  
The conditions of becoming a member of this order are so easy and the advantages so many that half the world would become Dominican Tertiaries did they know these advantages.
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Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Remember to Pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory this Christmas


As Catholics, we acknowledge Purgatory, a temporary state where those that die with venial sin may be cleansed/purified before entering Heaven. Those in purgatory, however, may be helped by our prayers. 

According to private revelation, there are more souls released from Purgatory during the Consecration of the Mass than at any other time. Christmas is the day of the year when most souls are delivered, followed by feast days of Our Lord, Our Lady, and great saints. Souls receive much grace from prayers offered for them on their birthdays, the day of baptism, and the anniversary of death. The more we work for the poor souls now, the more others will pray for us, and the more merciful Christ will be with us if we make it to Purgatory.

Our Lady asked that we pray very much for the poor souls; she asked that we pray:
5 Apostle's Creed
1 Hail Holy Queen
1 Our Father
1 Glory Be
1 Requiem

Our Lady said that if we pray the prayers, "we’ll deliver so many souls, so many souls. The Holy wounds are the treasure of treasurers for the souls in Purgatory." As Scripture states, "It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins" (2 Mac 12:46)

In an approved apparition by the Church, Our Savior, Jesus Christ, gave St. Gertrude the Great this prayer. We would do well to say this on Christmas as well:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus Christ, 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, for those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
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Monday, November 3, 2014
Day by Day for the Holy Souls in Purgatory: 365 Reflections


I would like to recommend this book which is especially appropriate for All Souls Day:

"If we, by our prayers and sacrifices, freed a soul from purgatory, we would then have another intercessor for us in heaven." - Venerable Solanus Casey

Every day we have another opportunity to pray for the holy souls in purgatory - author, speaker, and purgatory expert Susan Tassone gives you a unique tool to do just that. Day by Day for the Holy Souls includes prayers, teachings about purgatory, real-life stories, Susan's own wisdom, meditations, quotes from the saints, and more. You can use this book however you like - as a daily devotional, as a year round novena, to follow the liturgical seasons.
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Monday, December 23, 2013
Christmas Prayers for the Poor Souls in Purgatory

The above image of Holy Mass is of a Tridentine Catholic Mass for Christmas Mass at Midnight.

As Catholics, we know that Purgatory exists. Those in purgatory, however, may be helped by our prayers. I don't want to explain the whole doctrine now though, so please see the link for more information. As Scripture states, "It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins" (2 Mac 12:46)

Christmas is a special time for us to in particular remember the Poor Souls. May the Infant King have mercy on them and free them from their punishment and admit them into Heaven with him. To this end, I ask that everyone pray the following prayers for the relief of the Poor Souls this Christmas:

(5) Apostle's Creed
(1) Hail Holy Queen
(1) Our Father
(1) Glory Be
(1) Requiem Aeternam

In an approved apparition by the Church, Our Savior, Jesus Christ, gave St. Gertrude the Great this prayer which we should add to our daily prayers throughout the entire year:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus Christ, 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, for those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

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Sunday, March 17, 2013
Take the Pledge: Pray at your local Catholic Cemetery



As we embrace the spirit of Passiontide and reflect upon the Passion of our Lord, I can not help but feel drawn to visit local Catholic cemeteries and pray for the souls of the dead.  For that reason, I'm asking you to join me.  Take the Pledge to visit a local Catholic cemetery near you this week and pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased.

Our Lord's Passion wrought about our redemption.  But we must cooperate with that Passion.  As St. Thomas Aquinas explains:
By the Passion of Christ we are freed from the liability to be punished for sin with the punishment that sin calls for, in two ways, directly and indirectly. We are freed directly inasmuch as the Passion of Christ made sufficient and more than sufficient satisfaction for the sins of the whole human race. Now once sufficient satisfaction has been made, the liability to the punishment mentioned is destroyed. We are freed indirectly inasmuch as the Passion of Christ causes the sin to be remitted, and it is from the sin that the liability to the punishment mentioned derives.
Souls in hell, however, are not freed by the Passion of Christ, because the Passion of Christ shares its effect with those to whom it is applied by faith and by charity and by the sacraments of faith. Therefore the souls in hell, who are not linked up with the Passion of Christ in the way just mentioned, cannot receive its effects. Now although we are freed from liability to the precise penalty that sin deserves, there is, nevertheless, enjoined on the repentant sinner a penalty or penance of satisfaction. For in order that the effect of the Passion of Christ be fully worked out in us, it is necessary for us to be made of like form with Christ. Now we are made of like form with Christ in baptism by the sacrament, as is said by St. Paul, We are buried together with him by baptism into death (Rom. vi. 4). Whence it is that no penalty of satisfaction is imposed on those who are baptised. Through the satisfaction made by Christ they are wholly set free. But since Christ died once for our sins (i Pet. iii. 18), once only, man cannot a second time be made of like form with the death of Christ through the sacrament of baptism. Therefore those who, after baptism, sin again, must be made like to Christ in his suffering, through some kind of penalty or suffering which they endure in their own persons.

If death, which is a penalty due to sin, continues to subsist, the reason is this : The satisfaction made by Christ produces its effect in us in so far as we are made of one body with him, in the way limbs are one body with the head. Now it is necessary that the limbs be made to conform to the head. Wherefore since Christ at first had, together with the grace in his soul, a liability to suffer in his body, and came to His glorious immortality through the Passion, so also should it be with us, who are his limbs. By the Passion we are indeed delivered from any punishment as a thing fixed on us, but we are delivered in such a way that it is in the soul we first receive the spirit of the adoption of sons, by which we are put on the list for the inheritance of eternal glory, while we still retain a body that can suffer and die. It is only afterwards, when we have been fashioned to the likeness of Christ in his sufferings and death, that we are brought into the glory of immortality. St. Paul teaches this when he says, If sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ: yet so, if we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified with Him (Rom. viii. 17).
As we know by Faith, the souls of the suffering in Purgatory can benefit from the prayers and sacrifices of the souls on Earth who pray and make reparation while in the state of grace.  During this Lent, what have you done for the souls of our brothers and sisters in purgatory who suffer because of their sins?  They can not pray for themselves but you can free them from their sorrows by making reparation for their sins!

Note: Those unfamiliar with this dogma should see my post on purgatory.

Join me this week by visiting a cemetery near you and praying the Rosary while walking through the cemetery and looking at each and every name on the stones.  Or, join me in praying the Office of the Dead at the entrance to a cemetery and then reciting prayers while walking through the cemetery.

Please also see my post which details the many Catholic Devotions for the Dead.

Please make your pledge in the comments box anonymously. 
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Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Catholic Devotions for the Dead

It has and always will be a pious and holy practice to pray for the repose of the souls who have passed on to the next life.  However, in the past few decades the occurrence of prayers said for the souls in purgatory and their blessed repose have fallen into such disuse that such a lack of charity for their souls is an atrocity.  For generations, Catholics would pray for the souls of the faithful who have gone before them in the sleep of death and hope in the future resurrection.

You as a member of the Catholic Church on earth (i.e. The Church Militant) have a solemn duty to pray for souls in purgatory (i.e. The Church Suffering).  As this month slowly draws to a close we shall in the not too distant future arrive at the month of November, traditionally devoted to praying for the dead.  However, these prayers and devotions should not only be prayed in November.

It is a traditional and pious practice with references not only in the Magesterium of the Church but also through the Holy Scriptures.  As stated in the holy book of Maccabees: "It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins" (2 Maccabees 12:46).  In 230 AD Tertullian writes, "The widow who does not pray for her dead husband has as good as divorced him."

Topics:

1. Requiescat in Pace (RIP)
2. Judgment (Particular and Final)
3. All Souls Day
4. Funeral Masses (all types)
5. 3rd, 7th, and 30th Day After Burial Devotions
6. Funeral Mass of the Supreme Pontiffs
7. Prayers for Souls in Purgatory
8. Obtain Indulgences for the Dead


1. Requiescat in Pace (RIP)

Unfortunately, the sacred in many ways has become too common and ordinary so that we fail - when encountering holy things - to stand in the awe appropriate for the situation.  In much the same manner, we have become accustomed to the three letters R.I.P on the headstones of those who have died; yet, few of us adequately understand the liturgical connection of these three simple letters to the Mass said for the repose of their souls.

The expression R.I.P, despite modern understandings, does not stand for "rest in peace" but instead represents the Latin phrase "requiescat in pace", who English equivalent is coincidentally "rest in peace".  These three holy letters were not formerly placed on the tombstones of all of the departed or even all "Christians" but only on the tombstones of Catholics who have departed.  The phrase "requiescat in pace" is taken from the final prayers of the priest at the place of burial: Anima eius et animae omnium fidelium defunctorum per Dei misericordiam requiescant in pace whose English equivalent is May his soul and the souls of all the departed faithful by God's mercy rest in peace

The letters RIP first appeared in the 8th century although it did not become common on the tombstones of Catholics until the 18th century.  The Roman catacombs bear witness to prayers for the dead since many prayers for the dead are preserved on the tombs of the departed (e.g. Mayst thou live among the saints, 3rd century).  The phrase refers not to our wish for their bodies to live peacefully in the ground but our prayer that their souls may be forgiven by Christ the Judge and found worthy - after the necessary purification - to enter into Heavenly beatitude.  Namely, we pray that the souls of the departed shall one day be worthy for beatitude - to behold the face of God in Heaven.

Consequently, it should be viewed as a pious and humble practice to frequently visit the cemeteries and pray for the dead.  And surely, when you see the letters R.I.P you should pray for the salvation of the departed.  Recall that our prayers are outside of time so do not fail in praying for the dead because you assume that you are "too late".  Rather, your prayers offered in a humble and contrite spirit pay the price of the departed's sins and free their souls from purgatory (c.f. Mt. 5:48, Mt. 5:26, Mt. 12:32, 1 Cor. 15:29, 1 Tim. 1:16).  It is in this instance that your prayers have truly saved a soul.

2. Judgment

It is a dogmatic teaching of the Faith that at the moment of our death we will appear “before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:10), Who will pronounce our eternal sentence: ultimate life in Heaven, though likely after cleansing in Purgatory, or an eternity of uninterrupted and unspeakable torment in hell.

Writing of the Particular Judgement, the Catechism of the Council of Trent explains:
“The first [judgment] takes place when each one of us departs this life; for then he is instantly placed before the judgment seat of God, where all that he has ever done or spoken or thought during life shall be subjected to the most rigid scrutiny. This is called the particular judgment.” 
Likewise, in the same spirit but with the docility of a pastor who yearned for the salvation of all men, St. John Vianney wrote on the Particular Judgment:
“Our catechism tells us, my children, that all men will undergo a particular judgment on the day of their death. No sooner shall we have breathed our last sigh than our soul, without leaving the place where it has expired, will be presented before the tribunal of God. Wherever we may die, God is there to exercise His justice. The good God, my children, has measured out our years, and of those years that He has resolved to leave us on this earth, He has marked out one which shall be our last; one day which we shall not see succeeded by other days; one hour after which there will be for us no more time.” 
While the certainly of the private judgment has been known since apostolic times, the particulars of the immediate consequences of our sentence was the subject of theological debate throughout the Middle Ages. Seeking to end a period of debate on whether the blessed will have the vision of God immediately after their sentence or if they must wait until the General Judgment at the end of time, Pope Benedict XII issued Benedictus Deus (On the Beatific Vision of God) in the year of Our Lord 1336, thus ending the debate vis-à-vis a dogmatic definition:
“By this Constitution which is to remain in force forever, We, with apostolic authority, define the following: According to the general disposition of God, the souls of all the saints who departed from this world before the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ and also of the holy apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins and other faithful who died after receiving the holy baptism of Christ – provided they were not in need of any purification when they died, or will not be in need of any when they die in the future, or else, if they then needed or will need some purification, after they have been purified after death – and again the souls of children who have been reborn by the same baptism of Christ or will be when baptism is conferred on them, if they die before attaining the use of free will: all these souls, immediately after death and, in the case of those in need of purification, after the purification mentioned above, since the ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into heaven, already before they take up their bodies again and before the general judgment, have been, are and will be with Christ in heaven, in the heavenly kingdom and paradise, joined to the company of the holy angels. 
“… we define that according to the general disposition of God, the souls of those who die in actual mortal sin go down into hell immediately after death and there suffer the pain of hell. Nevertheless, on the day of judgment, all men will appear with their bodies ‘before the judgment seat of Christ’ to give an account of their personal deeds, ‘so that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the body’ (2 Cor. 5.10).” 
In addition to the Particular Judgment of each individual soul immediately after death, the Church solemnly teaches that there shall also be a second and final judgment, which will occur at the End of Time. This final judgment is also known as the General Judgment and will occur at the very end of the world, when our Blessed Lord comes again to judge the living and dead (inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos), as we profess in the Creed. At that time, as our Savior Himself has told us, He shall “sit upon the seat of his majesty. And all nations shall be gathered together before Him, and He shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats” (Matt. 25:31-32). Elsewhere in the Gospel, Our Lord described the Last Judgment with these words: “ Wonder not at this; for the hour cometh, wherein all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And they that have done good things, shall come forth unto the resurrection of life; but they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29).

Similarly, St. John the Apostle wrote the following in his Book of the Apocalypse, the last book of the Bible:
“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up their dead that were in them; and they were judged everyone according to their works. And hell and death were cast into the pool of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the pool of fire.” (Apoc. 20:12-15)
The Catholic Church teaches that at the time of the Last Judgment, Christ will come in His glory, “and all the angels with Him” (Matt. 25:31), and in His presence the truth of each man's relationship with God will be laid bare. Each person who has ever lived will be judged with the perfect justice of an omnipotent and omniscient God. Those already in Heaven will remain in Heaven, those already in hell will remain in hell, and those in Purgatory will be released into Heaven. After the Last Judgment, the universe itself will be renewed there will be “a new heaven and a new earth” (Apoc. 21:1).

If the Last Judgment will in no way alter the verdict of our own particular judgment, some may ask why the Last Judgment is even necessary. In her wisdom, Holy Mother Church in the Seventh Article of the Creed in the Roman Catechism expounds on the reason:
“Those who depart this life sometimes leave behind them children who imitate their conduct, dependents, followers and others who admire and advocate their example, language and actions. Now by all these circumstances the rewards or punishments of the dead must needs be increased, since the good or bad influence of example, affecting as it does the conduct of many, is to terminate only with the end of the world. Justice demands that in order to form a proper estimate of all these good or bad actions and words a thorough investigation should be made. This, however, could not be without a general judgment of all men.” 
In a similar though more succinct manner, the Baltimore Catechism explains the rationale for the Last Judgment by stating: “There is need of a general judgment, though everyone is judged immediately after death, that the providence of God, which, on earth, often permits the good to suffer and the wicked to prosper, may in the end appear just before all men.”  And further, “There are other reasons for the general judgment, and especially that Christ Our Lord may receive from the whole world the honor denied Him at His first coming, and that all may be forced to acknowledge Him as their God and Redeemer.”

The Last Judgment will not alter in any way the eternal sentence pronounced upon us at our own Particular Judgement. On the contrary, the Last Judgment will make our sins and the sins of every person in history known to everyone else. Nothing will remain secret any longer, according to Our Lord’s own words: “For there is not any thing secret that shall not be made manifest, nor hidden, that shall not be known and come abroad” (Luke 8:17). All will be revealed, and all bad will be punished and all good, even the hidden good for which we never received recognition on earth, will be rewarded openly before all.

3. All Souls Day

This annual liturgical commemoration, dating back to the 11th Century, is a time to remember all of the faithful depart and pray that they are now in the grace of God. God certainly is Love and He is mercy. The only thing we can do is trust in Him and pray for our loved ones.

In the middle of the 11th century, St. Odilo, the abbot of Cluny (France), said that all Cluniac monasteries were to offer special prayers and sing the Office for the Dead on November 2, the day after the feast of All Saints. The custom spread from Cluny and was adopted throughout the entire Roman Catholic Church. Now we the entire Church celebrates November 2nd as All Soul's Day.

During the First World War, Pope Benedict XV on August 10, 1915, allowed all priests everywhere to say three Masses on All Souls' Day. The two extra Masses were in no way to benefit the priest himself: one was to be offered for all the faithful departed, the other for the Pope's intentions, which at that time were presumed to be for all the victims of that war. The permission remains.


4. Funeral Mass

When we think of praying for the dead many of us think of a funeral Mass.  For this lesson, we focus in a particular way on the Traditional Rite of the Roman Liturgy and the Funeral Mass in the context of the 1962 Missal.  We begin though with an important distinction.  All Catholics should have a Catholic funeral and should be buried in a Catholic cemetery; however, there are some further clarifications from Canon Law worthy of iterating. 

Limits are placed on public offering of Mass for the unbaptized and notorious sinners although prayers and even Mass in private can be said for them. The present Code of Canon Law states that, unless the person concerned gave some signs of repentance before death, no form of funeral Mass may be offered for notorious apostates, heretics and schismatics; those who for anti-Christian motives chose that their bodies be cremated; and other manifest sinners to whom a Church funeral could not be granted without public scandal to the faithful (c.f. Canon 1184).

5. 3rd, 7th, and 30th Day After Burial Devotions

Why are special Masses and Prayers Offered on the 3rd, 7th, and 30th days after the Burial?

Special prayers are offered in the Breviary on the 3rd day after the burial in commemoration of the three days our Blessed Lord spent in the tomb. There is special prescription in the Apostolic Constitutions (VIII, xlii) regarding this which states, "With respect to the dead, let the third day be celebrated in psalms, lessons, and prayers, because of him who on the third day rose again."

Why is the 7th day commemorated in a special manner? This too is an ancient observance. With regard to the seventh day, we have the testimony of St. Ambrose who bears witness to the ancient practice, and gives the reason for it: "Now, since on the seventh day, which is symbolical of eternal repose, we return to the tomb). The 30th day is in imitation for the mourning of Moses as recounted in the Scriptures. 

Learn more about the history of all of these and how they are calculated by clicking here.

We also highly encourage you to pray for the repose of the souls of your friends and relatives on the day of death, day of burial, the 3rd day after burial, the 7th day after burial, the 30th day after burial, and on the anniversary of death/burial.  Please pray the Office of the Dead (which is available online) in the 1955 Breviary for that purpose.

6. Funeral Mass of the Supreme Pontiffs

Throughout the 20th century up until the Second Vatican Council, the Funeral Rite for a Deceased Pope was virtually identical. As succinctly stated, the Funeral Rite of Pope Leo XIII would have looked nearly identical to the Funeral Rite of Pope John XXIII. According to a Fish eaters poster, "Rubrical changes in 1955 had no affect on the text or rubrics of the Requiem itself. The rubrical changes of 1960 had no affect on the actual Mass itself, only when certain Masses could be said and which and how many collects would be said at these." To read an in-depth analysis and article on the Funeral Rites of the Supreme Pontiffs, please visit that post directly.


7. Prayers for Souls in Purgatory

At last, we arrive at the section pertaining most closely with the laity, namely praying for the souls in Purgatory.  We should pray fervently and frequently for the souls in Purgatory.  Start by adding the St. Gertrude Prayer to your daily prayers:
Eternal Father, I offer You 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, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen.
Our Lord told St. Gertrude the Great that 1,000 souls would be released from Purgatory every time this is said. This prayer has now even been "extended to living sinners which would alleviate the indebtedness accrued to them during their lives."

8. Obtain Indulgences for the Poor Souls

It should be widely promoted for the Faithful to ask the clergy to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with the intention of freeing the souls in Purgatory.  Many souls are released from Purgatory by the graces from the Mass.  Furthermore, we should seek to gain Indulgences for the souls in Purgatory.  The easiest way to do this is by obtaining a Raccolta which lists the indulgenced prayers and the conditions for obtaining the indulgence.

One the easiest indulgences we can gain is to visit a cemetery and pray for the dead there. Any prayer may be said.

Furthermore, the souls in Purgatory are greatly aided when we offer our Holy Communions for them.  Make it a practice to offer your Holy Communion at least once weekly for the souls in Purgatory.

In the past, I have reflected on Praying the Stations of the Cross - which also happen to have indulgences attached to them - and at this time I would also encourage you to pray the Stations for the souls in Purgatory.  Similarly, almsgiving, penance, and fasting performed with the intention of freeing souls in Purgatory can help the suffering souls in the Church Suffering.  And these souls, when freed from their purgation, shall certainly pray without ceasing for our salvation. See: Alms for the Poor Souls.

For resources on devotions for the souls in Purgatory, please see my former post on Purgatory. And read Indulgences for the Dead for more information

Conclusion:

The words of the eternal and immutable Scriptures should be frequently on our mind as well as our lips.  And it is these Holy Scriptures that declare, "It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins" (2 Maccabees 12:46).  Praying for the dead should not only be done in the month of November or on the day of our loved one's burial.  We should stop thinking "They are in Heaven" - what a dangerous lack of charity to your relatives, friends, and ancestors departed!  The souls in Purgatory need our prayers as they are unable to pray for themselves.  Stop believing that all people are immediately saved since many do go to Hell and a great majority of the remaining first go to Purgatory (c.f. Hell: The Dogma of Hell, Illustrated by Facts Taken from Profane and Sacred History by F. X. Schouppe, SJ).  Few - very few - souls go straight to Heaven. 

Spread this post as far as possible encouraging the laity to pray for the souls in Purgatory and priests to offer prayers and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in its traditional form for the faithful departed.
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Monday, December 24, 2007
Pray on Christmas for the Souls in Purgatory

Please pray for the souls in Purgatory on Christmas Day and throughout the Octave of Christmas! For more information, visit my post Pray for the Souls in Purgatory.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus Christ, 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, for those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
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Monday, December 25, 2006
Christmas Reminder: Pray for Holy Souls

Today is the day in the year when most souls are released from Purgatory. Please Pray for the Souls in Purgatory today.
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Sunday, December 24, 2006
Holy Souls Novena: Final Day

Our Lady, Mother Mary, has said that more souls are released from Purgatory on Christmas than any other day in the year.

This novena was written by Daniel Lord, S.J.

Day 9

Joy does not cause the souls in heaven to forget. On the contrary joy makes them more alive to memory. The soul that has entered into bliss does not for a second forget the generous friends on earth who helped him reach God and glory. Now a saint in heaven, he uses to the full his power of intercession.

He prays God to be merciful and generous to the generous. By name he mentions to Christ and to Mary those who mentioned his name when he was helpless to help himself. He speaks to the Trinity about his friends.

He becomes in effect a mighty benefactor, persuasively beseeching God to extend mercy and grant favors to those who remembered him in purgatory. He prays with the fervor of new-found joy that their passage through life will be safe, their stay in purgatory brief, their entrance into heaven swift and triumphant. He prays that one day they too might behold the beatific vision and see God, Face to face through the endlessness of eternity. It is their unselfish urge to share so great a bliss that we ask them to send us.

To help insure for ourselves a shortened purgatory, we pray:

The Prayer for the Holy Souls

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of thy servants and handmaids departed, the remission of all their sins; that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
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Saturday, December 23, 2006
Holy Souls Novena: Day Eight

Our Lady, Mother Mary, has said that more souls are released from Purgatory on Christmas than any other day in the year.

This novena was written by Daniel Lord, S.J.

Day 8

Then on a happy day, release comes. Perhaps for souls whose friends on earth forgot them and for whom because of valid reasons God showed no special consideration that release comes only at the end of long and bitter centuries. Perhaps it comes far sooner than they dared to hope. Their friends have remembered them. Prayers have poured in upon them. God has accepted these in part or in full payment of their debt. But late or soon the release comes, the sentence is finished, the grim gates of purgatory swing open. Ahead are the white and shining portals of the eternal city. Like the rush of light the released soul sweeps upward toward God. Fierce winds have not the fierce intensity that marks this flight of a soul from exile to the happiness for which God destined it.

Then in the presence of God there is the moment of triumph, the welcome by the Trinity, the entrance into the heavenly mansion... the enthronement of another saint. As that moment shall begin for that soul, an eternity of bliss and incomparable happiness that shall be without flaw, never to be marred by uncertainty or disillusionment. For then, the soul shall possess God for all eternity.

We can have part in that swift flight to joy if we pray:

The Prayer for the Holy Souls

O God, the Creater and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of thy servants and handmaids departed, the remission of all their sins; that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
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Friday, December 22, 2006
Holy Souls Novena: Day Seven

Our Lady, Mother Mary, has said that more souls are released from Purgatory on Christmas than any other day in the year.

This novena was written by Daniel Lord, S.J.

Day 7

What food is to a starving man.... What drink is to the parched sailor riding the tropic seas on a raft.... What light is to the man long blind.... What restored health is to the patient invalid.... What freedom is to the prisoner.... All this and far, far more is release from purgatory to a holy soul. And when food... light... health... freedom come suddenly, unexpectedly, the human heart leaps and bounds, and the soul knows the sharp ecstacy of joy.

So it is with each prayer that we say for the beseeching souls in purgatory. Our prayer is bread and water and light and health; it is a reprieve and a release and freedom and a homecoming. It is the cutting of bonds, the lessening of weary waiting, the termination of exile, the sudden glorious lift that picks them up and seems almost to shoot them toward the center of their joy, God Himself.

For us that prayer is an almost careless gesture. For us a routine act of charity... Prayer, an alms, a bit of fasting, a good deed done... forgotten in the doing. For them something beyond price and measure, something for which they can repay us only in the immortal coin of eternity.

Such a good deed we perform as we pray:

The Prayer for the Holy Souls

O God, the Creater and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of thy servants and handmaids departed, the remission of all their sins; that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
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Thursday, December 21, 2006
Holy Souls Novena: Day Six

Our Lady, Mother Mary, has said that more souls are released from Purgatory on Christmas than any other day in the year.

This novena was written by Daniel Lord, S.J.

Day 6

Our souls hunger for God with far more intensity than ever a starving body hungers for food. Here in this world we are distracted by the pressure of the life about us. In purgatory there are no distractions. Their eyes are fixed on the closed gates of heaven, the holy souls long for God, yearn for God, hunger and thirst for God. The terms of their sentence ring in their ears: "Thus and thus long shall you remain separated from your joy, until these sins and these misdeeds and these blemishes and these stains have been atoned for."

Balanced against their consuming hunger for God is their certainty that they would not dare enter His Presence with the slightest stain upon them. They almost wish that the fires burned more fiercely and more rapidly so that the pain could be at once more intense and more cleansing.

Imagine then their gratitude for every prayer or good deed by which we help them cleanse their souls and speed them on their way to God. Imagine the leaping with joy with which they welcome any act by which we cut their sentence, shorten their stay in purgatory, and hasten their entrance into heaven.

We can give joy to these holy souls here and now as we say:

The Prayer for the Holy Souls

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of thy servants and handmaids departed, the remission of all their sins; that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
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Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Holy Souls Novena: Day Five

Our Lady, Mother Mary, has said that more souls are released from Purgatory on Christmas than any other day in the year.

This novena was written by Daniel Lord, S.J.

Day 5

These in purgatory are the friends of God. These are the souls who will in a short time be glorious and powerful saints in heaven. Their souls are saved. Their crowns are awaiting them. Their thrones are prepared, and their mansions are ready. God loves them deeply, as He loves all those faithful sons and daughters who fought the good fight. Their prayers for others come straight to His throne.

They can no longer pray for themselves; their time to merit is over. They can pray and they do pray for those on earth whom they love. That loving mother in purgatory is interceding for her children.... That devoted father is now more devoted.... Those friends have not forgotten the value of their friendship.... Those relatives are bound to us with ties much closer than blood.

Most of all the holy souls pray for their benefactors. Our slight remembering of them wins for us a great measure of intercession from them. We pray thoughtlessly; they pray with the intensity of souls who are coming ever closer to God. We ask for deliverance for them; they beg God for a thousand blessings for us.

In sheer wisdom and to our own advantage we say:

The Prayer for the Holy Souls

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of thy servants and handmaids departed, the remission of all their sins; that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
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Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Holy Souls Novena: Day Four

Our Lady, Mother Mary, has said that more souls are released from Purgatory on Christmas than any other day in the year.

This novena was written by Daniel Lord, S.J.

Day 4

Swiftly the memory even of the dear dead seems to pass from human minds. Memory is like the tears upon a coffin, swiftly evaporated, quickly dried. The rush of the days fills the minds and hands of the living. The press of old associations and the establishment of new friends helps supplant and elbow into the dusty corners of our minds the friends now hidden in God's penitentiary. But these prisoners do not forget us.

In the slow, painful dragging of the days they have time to remember. They are so hungry for God that they have little heart for new companions. They are made sensitive---to memory, to neglect, to hope for deliverance, to the knowledge that those who once cried aloud their love have so swiftly forgotten.

With gratitude do they think of those who do remember them. With sadness they think of those who have so swiftly dropped them. They pray to God, who loves them even in their exile, for the thoughtful and the mindful. They beg that those who have pushed them away for the near and the living will drop into their prison house a thought, a prayer, a good deed in ransom.

Remembering our own dear dead, we pray for them:

The Prayer for the Holy Souls

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of thy servants and handmaids departed, the remission of all their sins; that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
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Monday, December 18, 2006
Holy Souls Novena: Day Three

Our Lady, Mother Mary, has said that more souls are released from Purgatory on Christmas than any other day in the year.

This novena was written by Daniel Lord, S.J.

Day 3

This life on earth is, as we have heard a thousand times, a time of merit. When through the Church's indulgences we avail ourselves of the merits of Christ and of the saints, we can wipe away the guilt of forgiven sins and eliminate the punishment due to venial sins, as we can also do through penance and deeds of charity.

But once the soul enters purgatory, the time for that soul to gain merit is ended. When we suffer on earth, we can offer our suffering to God, increasing thereby our future happiness in heaven and canceling out the pains of purgatory. When a soul suffers in purgatory, he slowly and tediously cancels the debts of sins; he gains no further merit for heaven. Nor are there indulgences in purgatory, nor fresh use of the merits of Christ, of His Mother, and of the saints.

Thanks however to our union in the Mystical Body of Christ, thanks to the communion of the saints, we can gain merit for the suffering souls. We can win indulgences and apply them to the period of waiting of these souls. We can cut their sufferings and speed their entry into heaven by whatever of good that we offer for them on earth.

In all generosity we say for these souls who depend on us:

The Prayer for the Holy Souls

O God, the Creater and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of thy servants and handmaids departed, the remission of all their sins; that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
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