Prayers for the Holy Souls in Purgatory
It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins. (II Maccabees 12:46)
The Eternal Rest Prayer (Requiem Aeternam)
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great
This prayer was revealed by Our Lord to St. Gertrude, with the promise that it would release 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time it is said with devotion.
Eternal Father, I offer Thee 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, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
Psalm 130 (De Profundis)
Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice.
Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication.
If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand 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.
Followed by:
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
From the gate of hell.
Deliver their souls, O Lord.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.
O Lord, hear my prayer.
And let my cry come unto Thee.
A Prayer for the Faithful Departed
O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant unto the souls of Thy servants and handmaidens departed the remission of all their sins; that, through pious supplications, they may obtain the pardon which they have always desired. Who livest and reignest with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.
Contexte Historique
The practice of praying for the faithful departed is one of the most ancient and venerable traditions of the Catholic Church, rooted in the belief in the Communion of Saints. Scripture itself exhorts us that ‘it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.’ From the earliest days, Christians have offered prayers, alms, and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the souls of those undergoing purification in Purgatory, that they may be hastened into the presence of God. This act of spiritual mercy is a profound expression of charity towards those who can no longer merit for themselves but who can be aided by our suffrages.