"Those who trust in Him will understand truth and the faithful shall abide with Him in love: because grace and mercy are with His holy ones and His care is with is elect." Wisdom 3:9 Today's First Reading
Our Lord dictated the following prayer to Saint Gertrude the Great to release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is said.
Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great
"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."
Saint Gertrude was a mystic and lived a cloistered life as a Benedictine nun. She meditated on the Passion of Christ, which many times brought a flood of tears to her eyes. She did many penances and Our Lord appeared to her many times. She had a tender love for the Blessed Virgin and was very devoted to the suffering souls in Purgatory. She died in 1334. Her feast day is November 16th.
The Holy Souls in Purgatory are those who die in God's grace but are still imperfectly purified. By undergoing purification after death, they attain the holiness necessary to enter heaven, to see the Face of God. The grace for souls to be cleansed in Purgatory comes from God in order for the souls to enter Heaven. Purgatory is the place where small sins and attachments are cut. As Pope Francis speaks of the Church as a hospital for the wounded, purgatory is a place where the infection of sin and attachments is eliminated.
One of the most important ways to prepare ourselves for eternal life is to go often to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. In confession, Jesus purifies, forgives, heals and pours out His grace so that we will have the strength to sin no more. Isn't it better to be purified on earth than have to spend time being purified in Purgatory! Think of the confessional as the hospital and the priest as the Divine Physician, our Savior Jesus. Run to confession. Go often and you will receive Divine Mercy which will help you remain in the state of grace.
Pray for the souls in Purgatory. They need our help. Our prayers can release them into Heaven. May all the Holy Souls through the Mercy of God rest in peace. They may be our mothers and fathers, our relatives and friends. When they are finally released from their pains and enjoy the beatitude of Heaven, far from forgetting their friends on earth, their gratitude knows no bounds. Prostrate before the Throne of God, they never cease to pray for those who helped them. By their prayers, they shield their friends from many dangers and protect them from the evils that threaten them.
The Lord said to me, Enter into Purgatory often, because they need you there. O my Jesus, I understand the meaning of these words which You are speaking to me, but first let me enter the treasury of Your Mercy. Diary of Saint Faustina 1738
O Mary, Mother of God, we offer you our prayers and sufferings to release the Holy Souls in Purgatory though the intercession of Saint Gertrude and Saint Faustina. May you carry these prayers to Jesus, your Beloved Son.
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