Dying is losing; death is winning, for once you march through the door of death - and do so in God’s good graces - you’re guaranteed heaven no matter how painful your purgatory is. In fact, purgatory is a joy; you want it; it is God’s will and you are totally in that will. You cannot sin after death; that’s the best thing about it!
The month of November is traditionally dedicated to prayers for the holy souls in purgatory. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, “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” (1030). It has long been the practice of Christians to offer prayers and sacrifices for our loved ones who are in this state of purification. Be sure to join the parish community on Sunday, November 6 at 5 PM for the annual Memorial Mass for the deceased of our parish.
The Church offers us many other prayers and devotions we can offer up for our loved ones who have died. Here are two suggestions:
Eternal rest grant to 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.
This prayer can be inserted in between decades of the Rosary, and can be added to the end of the "Prayer Before Meals:”
Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts,
Which we are about to receive,
from Thy bounty,
through Christ, our Lord, Amen.
And may the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God,
rest in peace. Amen.
The beautiful prayer from the end of the funeral Mass, “In Paradisum,” has inspired many comforting musical settings, but my favorite is the traditional chant, embedded below.
May the angels lead you into Paradise;
May the martyrs receive you and bring you into the holy city, Jerusalem.
May the choir of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, once a beggar, may you have eternal rest.
David J. Conrad
The month of November is traditionally dedicated to prayers for the holy souls in purgatory. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, “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” (1030). It has long been the practice of Christians to offer prayers and sacrifices for our loved ones who are in this state of purification. Be sure to join the parish community on Sunday, November 6 at 5 PM for the annual Memorial Mass for the deceased of our parish.
The Church offers us many other prayers and devotions we can offer up for our loved ones who have died. Here are two suggestions:
Eternal rest grant to 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.
This prayer can be inserted in between decades of the Rosary, and can be added to the end of the "Prayer Before Meals:”
Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts,
Which we are about to receive,
from Thy bounty,
through Christ, our Lord, Amen.
And may the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God,
rest in peace. Amen.
The beautiful prayer from the end of the funeral Mass, “In Paradisum,” has inspired many comforting musical settings, but my favorite is the traditional chant, embedded below.
May the angels lead you into Paradise;
May the martyrs receive you and bring you into the holy city, Jerusalem.
May the choir of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, once a beggar, may you have eternal rest.
David J. Conrad
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