November - Month of the Holy Souls

November, the month that the Church has dedicated to the Holy Souls is almost upon us. Let us remember our duty to pray for the suffering faithful in Purgatory.

Who are the the Holy Souls? They are those who have died in the state of grace but who are not yet free from all punishment due to their unforgiven venial sins and all other sins already forgiven for which satisfaction is still to be made.

They have the certain joy of entering Heaven, but first they must be purified in Purgatory. The Holy Souls cannot help themselves because for them the night has come, when no man can work (John 9:4).

It is our great privilege of brotherhood that we can shorten their time of separation from God by our prayers, good works, and, especially, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Prayers for the Souls in Purgatory

ETERNAL REST

Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
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LITANY FOR THE HOLY SOULS

O Jesus, Thou suffered and died that all mankind might be saved and brought to eternal happiness. Hear our pleas for further mercy on the souls of:

My dear parents and grandparents,* (*My Jesus Mercy!)
My brothers and sisters and other near relatives,*
My godparents and sponsors of Confirmation,*
My spiritual and temporal benefactors,*
My friends and neighbours,*
All for whom love or duty bids me pray,*
Those who have suffered disadvantage or harm through me,*
Those who are especially beloved by Thee,*
Those whose release is near at hand,*
Those who desire most to be united with Thee,*
Those who endure the greatest sufferings’*
Those whose release is most remote,*
Those who are least remembered,*
Those whose are most deserving on account of their services to the Church,*
The rich, who are now the most destitute,*
The mighty, who are now powerless,*
The once spiritually blind, who now see their folly,*
The frivolous, who spent their time in idleness,*
The poor, who did not seek the treasures of heaven,*
The tepid, who devoted little time to prayer,*
The insolent, who neglected to perform good works,*
Those of little faith, who neglected the frequent reception of the Sacraments,*
The habitual sinners, who owe their salvation to a miracle of grace,*
Parents who failed to watch over their children,*
Superiors who were not solicitous for the salvation of those entrusted to them,*
Those who strove for worldly riches and pleasures,*
The worldly-minded, who failed to use their wealth and talents in the service of God,*
Those who witnessed the death of others, but would not think of their own*
Those who did not provide for the life hereafter,*
Those whose sentence is severe because of the great things entrusted to them,*
The popes, kings and rulers,*
The bishops and their counselors,*
My teachers and spiritual advisers,*
The deceased priests of this diocese,*
The priests and religious of the Catholic Church,*
The defenders of the holy faith,*
Those who died on the battlefield,*
Those who fought for their country,*
Those who were buried in the sea,*
Those who died of apoplexy,*
Those who died of heart attacks,*
Those who suffered and died of cancer,*
Those who died suddenly in accidents,*
Those who died without the last rites of the Church,*
Those who shall die within the next twenty-four hours,*
My own poor soul when I shall have to appear before Thy judgement seat.*

Let us remember and pray for the souls in Purgatory especially for those souls who have no one to pray for them.

Q: I hardly hear purgatory mentioned anymore. I have even heard some Catholics say we do not believe in it since Vatican II. What is the right teaching? Is the teaching on Purgatory biblical?

Yes. Despite the fact that the Bible does not explicitly use the word Purgatory, the Bible clearly refers to it.

Old Testament:

In the Second Book of Maccabees, Judas Maccabeus offered sacrifices and prayers for soldiers who had died wearing amulets, which were forbidden by the Law; Scripture reads, "Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out" (12:42) and "Thus, [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from the sin" (12:46).

Rabbinic interpretations of Scripture also confirms the belief. In the Book of the Prophet Zechariah, the Lord spoke, "I will bring the one third through fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and I will test them as gold is tested" (13:9); the School of Rabbi Shammai interpreted this passage as a purification of the soul through God's mercy and goodness, preparing it for eternal life. In Sirach 7:33, "Withhold not your kindness from the dead" was interpreted as imploring God to cleanse the soul.

So clearly, the Old Testament clearly attests to some kind of purification process of the soul of the faithful after death.

New Testament:

"Amen I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay the last farthing" (Matthew 5:26). Tertullian understands the "last farthing" to be those petty transgressions which must be expiated in the prison of the underworld in the next (Tertullian, De Anima 58; Saint Cyprian, Epistle 55, 20).

"And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come" (Matthew 12:32). This leaves open the possibility that sins are forgiven not only in this world, but also in the world to come. "In this sentence it is given to understand that many sins can be remitted in this world, but also many in the world to come" (St. Gregory the Great, Dialogue IV, 39; also, Saint Augustine, City of God, XXI, 24, 2).

" If any man's work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire" (I Corinthians 3:15). The Latin Fathers of the Church understand this passage to mean a transient purification punishment in the next world (Cf. Saint Augustine, Enarr. in Psalm 37:3 and Caesarius of Arles, Sermon 179).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church
clearly affirms the Church's belief in purgatory and the purification of the soul after death: "All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but, after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned" (cf. No. 1030-32).

Vatican II:
In the "Dogmatic Constitution on the Church" the Council Fathers confirmed, "This sacred council accepts loyally the venerable faith of our ancestors in the living communion which exists between us and our brothers who are in the glory of Heaven or who are yet being purified after their death; and it proposes again the decrees of the Second Council of Nicea, of the Council of Florence, and of the Council of Trent" (No. 51).

Why does Purgatory exist?

We can more easily understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, when we remember that sin has two consequences. First: we incur guilt before God for the self-will that caused us to sin. We become more or less separated or estranged from God, depending on the gravity of our sin. Second: We deserve punishment for the disorder we cause by our sinful conduct. This is called ‘temporal punishment’. We become liable to suffering pain, again more or less pain, depending on how seriously we have done wrong.

When we sincerely confess our sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and have a firm resolve, with God’s Grace, to avoid future sins we are always forgiven. But we must still do penance and make reparation. In other words we must still do our part to show that we recognize that our actions damaged our relationship with God. When we try to make amends in some way, we do our bit to show that we are serious in our desire to repair that relationship which we ourselves have broken.

This satisfaction of the temporal debt for sin must either be completed in this life, or before entering heaven by a proportionate stay in the purifying fires of purgatory. In Purgatory, souls cannot merit or help themselves in any way anymore, they can only suffer. But the prayers and penances of those on earth can relieve them, and somehow, they are enabled to know when we do that, and in return they pray for us.

What can we do to help the Souls in
Purgatory?

Offer up our Holy Masses for souls

Offer up our Daily Rosaries

Pray The Way of the Cross ~ It was revealed to a chosen soul that when one offers up the stations of the cross for the holy souls in Purgatory he obtains the release of 10,000 souls!

Praying many short indulgenced prayers:
'Jesus, Mary, I love You, save souls.'
"Eternal Rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them, may they rest in peace. Amen."
"May the Divine assistance remain always with us, and may the souls of the faithful departed through the Mercy of God; rest in peace. Amen."

Offer up our daily actions, sacrifices and fasts united to Jesus'life and suffering here on earth.

Offer up our daily sufferings and pains to relieve theirs.

Spread devotion to the Holy Souls

Give Alms on behalf of the Holy Souls

Join the Association of the Holy Souls:
The Assoc. of the Holy Souls
Dominican Nuns of the
Perpetual Rosary,
Monastery Pius XII
Rua do Rosa'rio, 1
Fatima, Portugal

(Please Print when you write them)

NOVEMBER - PRAY FOR HOLY SOULS

'More souls of the dead than the living climb this mountain to attend my Masses and seek my prayers.' (Padre Pio)

Padre Pio had a very special relationship with the Holy Souls..indeed such was the relationship that they were his frequent visitors..and led him to make the statements quoted above.

Padre Pio said "We must pray for the Souls in Purgatory. It is unbelievable, what they can do for our spiritual good, out of gratitude they have towards those on earth who remember to pray for them."

The existence of Purgatory or a 'purifying process' after death is a Catholic Dogma of the Faith which means every Catholic must believe in order to remain a Catholic. The Church does not insist that it is a place, but may be a process only. It is not a destination ~ but a sort of passage through which all who must experience it, will eventually be purified enough to see God face to face.

It's understood that the souls undergoing this purification may benefit from the prayers of the living, but that the opportunity of grace to pray for their own relief has passed.

Just as a prisoner who awaits his trial - may be released from jail by a friend who pays the cost of his bail. So we may help to gain the release of a holy soul from the prison of his suffering. It's considered a great act of spiritual mercy by the Church to pray for the dead.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

1030 - All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

1031 - The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.

The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence (1439) and Trent (1563). The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:

"But if someone's work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire." (I Cor 3:15)

SPIRITUAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE HOLY SOULS:

1) Offer up the Sacrifice of the Holy Mass for souls

2) Offer up the Daily Rosary that Our Lady of Fatima asked of us.

3) The Way of the Cross ~ It was revealed to a chosen soul that when one offers up the stations of the cross for the holy souls in Purgatory he obtains the release of 10,000 souls!

4) The Holy Wounds of Christ

5) The Holy Face prayers and devotions of reparation

6) Praying many short indulgenced prayers:

'Jesus, Mary, I love You, save souls.'
(Each time this simple aspiration is said, a soul is released from Purgatory.)

"Eternal Rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them, may they rest in peace. Amen."

"May the Divine assistance remain always with us, and may the souls of the faithful departed through the Mercy of God; rest in peace. Amen."
7) Offer up our daily actions, sacrifices and fasts united to Jesus' life and suffering here on earth.

8) Offer up our daily sufferings and pains to relieve theirs.

9) Spread devotion to the Holy Souls

10) Give Alms on behalf of the Holy Souls

11) Offer The Heroic Act in favor of the Holy Souls

12) Join the Association of the Holy Souls:


The Assoc. of the Holy Souls
Dominican Nuns of the
Perpetual Rosary,
Monastery Pius XII
Rua do Rosa'rio, 1
Fatima, Portugal