for the Holy Souls
“He who saves a soul saves his own and satisfies for a multitude of sins.”
St. James the Apostle
Eternal Father (name?)
Prayer Notes:
Prayers for the Holy Souls in Purgatory
Take a few moments to quiet your heart and mind as we prepare to pray. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
The Heroic Act of Charity is a Catholic prayer that asks for mercy on the world and for the atonement of sins
Oh, my God. for thy greater glory and to imitate as closely as possible the generous heart of Jesus, my redeemer. And also to testify my devotion to the blessed Virgin Mary, my mother, who is also the mother of the souls in purgatory. I place in her hands all my satisfactory works, as well as the fruit of all those which may be offered for my intention after my death. That she may apply them to the souls in purgatory according to her wisdom and good pleasure. Amen.
Prayer Notes:
The Heroic Act of Charity is a Catholic prayer that offers to God the good deeds a person will perform during their life and after death for the benefit of souls in purgatory.
The Heroic Act of Charity
Spend some time with these words. Let them lead you to a conversation with God. Take a few moments to be open to God's presence with you.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us, sinners. Amen. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our Prayer List
(Category)
(Category)
(Category)
Notes:
Ti-Mom
Tyvieun
Brooks Prejean
Big Maw-Maw
Toby Beau
Gabe Ackal
Frank Gerami
Prayer Categories of Departed Souls
from the “Purgatory Board” of the Marian Fathers
The Marian Fathers pray for a different group of departed souls each day. There are 50 different categories of departed souls in all. The Marians post in their houses one category of souls to be remembered each day — going through all 50 on a rotating basis. The different groups of departed souls include parents, benefactors, popes, bishops, priests, and leaders of nations, and those who are forgotten or neglected.
1. For the souls of all the faithful departed.
2. For the souls of your departed parents and family.
3. For the souls of your departed friends.
4. For the souls whose memory has vanished from this world.
5. For the souls that suffer the greatest torments.
6. For the souls of those who died unexpectedly or without receiving the Holy Sacraments.
7. For the souls of those who died in war.
8. For the souls of those who died of epidemics or famine.
9. For the souls that shall be delivered from purgatory this very hour.
10. For the souls that have been long detained in purgatory.
11. For the souls that did not give proper honor to our Lord.
12. For the souls that need most prayer.
13. For the souls of those who persecuted you in your lifetime.
14. For the souls of those who did not assist others in their need.
15. For the souls of those who long lived without forgiving their enemies.
16. For the souls of those who showed great love of neighbor.
17. For the souls of those who did not give proper honor to Our Lady.
18. For the souls that are in great need of assistance.
19. For the souls that undergo severe torments for their sins against chastity.
20. For the souls that suffer in purgatory because of me.
21. For the souls of those who suffer for having engaged in sinful conversations.
22. For the souls of those who were particularly given to mortification and penance.
23. For the souls of consecrated religious who followed the rule in a very zealous way.
24. For the souls of those who valiantly gave witness to their faith before others.
25. For the souls of sinners who have become lukewarm.
26. For the souls of those who received the Holy Sacraments rarely or with indifference.
27. For the souls of those whose bodies lie in non-consecrated ground.
28. For the souls of those whose bodies lie in your neighborhood cemeteries.
29. For the souls of those who prayed little.
30. For the souls of those who suffer for having been deliberately inattentive during prayers.
31. For the souls of those who suffer for giving bad example to others.
32. For the souls of those that leave this world this very moment.
33. For the souls of those who die a disgraceful or tragic death.
34. For the souls that are in need of the Church's prayer because they committed a sacrilege or showed disrespect toward holy objects.
35. For the souls that had a special devotion to the Most Holy Sacrament.
36. For the souls that had a special devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.
37. For the souls of those who contributed to the conversion of sinners.
38. For the souls of those who suffer because of their unyielding and arrogant attitude toward others.
39. For the souls that atone for their disregard for legitimate authority.
40. For the souls of those who suffer for having slandered, libeled or told calumnies of others.
41. For the souls of those who sought their own excessive pleasure and luxury.
42. For the souls of those who died regretting their sins but without making atonement.
43. For the souls of the leaders who neglected their duties or abused their power.
44. For the souls of those who worked for peace in the world.
45. For the souls of those who contributed to the growth of priestly and religious vocations.
46. For the souls of those who dedicated themselves to the education of the youth in piety.
47. For the souls of those who supported missionary works.
48. For the souls of the Marian Fathers and Brothers.
49. For the souls of all consecrated religious.
50. For the souls of popes, bishops, priests, and deacons.
November 2nd
Feast of All Souls
We remember the souls of our loved ones and the faithful departed who have not yet entered Heaven.
Purgatory
What: a place for purification before entering Heaven.
Why: to cleanse souls of sin so they can fully join God.
The church teaches the belief in purgatory, where souls destined for Heaven undergo a purification before experiencing full communion with God.
Saint Catherine of Genoa writes:
“It is with the Flame of Love and longing for God that souls are purified for paradise”.
Before we join God, who is perfect, we are given the chance to be cleansed of all stains of sin so that we can enter Heaven fully ready to be fully with God.
While on earth, we are able to pray for the holy souls in Purgatory and offer sacrifices for them.
Praying for Souls
- While on earth, we can pray and offer sacrifices for souls in purgatory.
- Encouraged to pray the "Heroic Act of Charity."
The Heroic Act of Charity Prayer
- For God's glory, imitating Jesus' heart.
- Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- Offer satisfactory works for souls in purgatory.
- Request for Mary to apply prayers according to her wisdom.
Final Reflections
- Encouragement to spend time in prayer and be open to God's presence.
Saint Catherine of Genoa’s Story
Going to confession one day was the turning point of Catherine’s life.
When Catherine was born, many Italian nobles were supporting Renaissance artists and writers. The needs of the poor and the sick were often overshadowed by a hunger for luxury and self-indulgence. Catherine’s parents were members of the nobility in Genoa. At 13, she attempted to become a nun but failed because of her age. At 16, she married Julian, a nobleman who turned out to be selfish and unfaithful. For a while she tried to numb her disappointment by a life of selfish pleasure.
One day in confession she had a new sense of her own sins and how much God loved her. She reformed her life and gave good example to Julian, who soon turned from his self-centered life of distraction. Julian’s spending, however, had ruined them financially. He and Catherine decided to live in the Pammatone, a large hospital in Genoa, and to dedicate themselves to works of charity there. After Julian’s death in 1497, Catherine took over management of the hospital.
She wrote about purgatory which, she said, begins on earth for souls open to God. Life with God in heaven is a continuation and perfection of the life with God begun on earth.
Exhausted by her life of self-sacrifice, Catherine died September 15, 1510, and was canonized in 1737. The liturgical feast of Saint Catherine of Genoa is celebrated on September 15.
Reflection on Saint Catherine of Genoa
Regular confession and frequent Communion can help us see the direction–or drift–of our life with God. People who have a realistic sense of their own sinfulness and of the greatness of God are often the ones who are most ready to meet the needs of their neighbors. Saint Catherine began her hospital work with enthusiasm and was faithful to it through difficult times because she was inspired by the love of God, a love which was renewed in her by the Scriptures and the sacraments.
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