JMJ+OBT
Pax et Bonum.
LIFE IS SHORT, DEATH IS CERTAIN, ETERNITY IS A LONG TIME! There are four last things: death, judgment, heaven and hell. Live your life with these realities before you.
In November we remember the Church Triumphant (the Saints in Heaven), the Church Suffering (the Holy Souls in Purgatory), and the Church Militant (the Church here on earth). We thank God for His Mercy and Love shown to the Church. We realize that we are all connected. We draw strength from the lives of the Saints, and we ask for their intercession. We pray, sacrifice and do penance to relieve the sufferings of those who are in Purgatory. We recognize that Purgatory is a gift of God's Mercy and Love, as everyone should desire to be purified before entering the presence of the All Holy, Pure and Beautiful God for all eternity. We also pray, sacrifice and do penance for those on the pilgrimage with us.
Some of the most powerful ways we can help the Holy Souls in Purgatory is to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the happy repose of their souls. We should pray the Most Holy Rosary and other prayers for the same intentions. We should sacrifice and do penance on their behalf. We can and should seek and gain indulgences for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
We should all be familiar with the Church's teachings on Indulgences (see Enchiridion of Indulgences and The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part II, Chapter 2). One way to gain a Plenary Indulgence is to visit a cemetery between November 1 and November 8 and pray for the faithful departed. In addition, the faithful are to 1. receive Holy Communion (only if they are in a state of grace) on that day, 2. receive the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) either eight days before or after the pious act of visiting the cemetery on or between the dates specified, 3. recite prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father (at a minimum one Our Father and one Hail Mary, but other prayers are encouraged in addition), and 4. be free from attachment to sin, even venial sin. Do your best to fulfill these conditions, and try to gain a Plenary Indulgence each and every day. Ask Our Blessed Mother who loves you and loves the Holy Souls in Purgatory to help you. Please seek to gain a Plenary Indulgence for the Holy Souls in Purgatory every day and give the Indulgence to Our Lady to apply. Our Blessed Mother knows best.
Another powerful prayer is the prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great. Our Lord told this great Saint that the following prayer would release 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time it is said. The prayers was extended to include living sinners as well. Here is the prayer: "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."
At meals or in between the decades of the Most Holy Rosary, we should also pray the "Requiem aeternam" which is known as the "Eternal rest" prayer. The prayer is as follows: "Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."
Our brothers and sisters in Purgatory will be eternally grateful for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered for them, the Holy Rosaries prayed for them and the other prayers, sacrifices, penances and indulgences offered for them. Do for others what you would want them to do for you.
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Through the intercession of Our Lady, St. Joseph, St. Michael, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. John, St. James, St. Therese, St. Rita, St. Philomena, St. Jude, St. Nicholas, St. Alphonsus, St. Peter Chrysologus, St. Zachary, St. Elizabeth, St. John the Baptist, St. Perpetua, St. Felicity, St. Francis, St. Veronica Guiliani, St. Joan of Arc, St. Louis, St. Joseph Calasanz, St. Padre Pio, St. Patrick, St. Bridget, St. Columban and all the Holy Angels and Saints may you be abundantly blessed in the Covenant of Communion of the Most Holy Trinity, with my Priestly blessing,
Father Zachary of the Mother of God, SOLT
