Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction Page 3

Prayer to Jesus Christ for the Holy Souls in Purgatory Page 4

Day One Page 6

Day Two Page 7

Day Three Page 8

Day Four Page 9

Day Five Page 10

Day Six Page 11

Day Seven Page 12

Day Eight Page 13

Day Nine Page 14

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Introduction
“As we enter Heaven, we will see them, so many of them, coming towards us
and thanking us. We will ask who they are, and they will say ‘a poor soul you
prayed for in Purgatory.’” - Venerable Fulton Sheen

Throughout the month of November, our minds turn toward the Holy Souls in Purgatory.
Whether we pray for our loved ones – or even those we have never met – we should continually
remember those who are now in Purgatory. In fact, praying for the living and the dead is one
of the spiritual works of mercy.

In addition to helping these Holy Souls, we should also remember that they are powerful
intercessors for us. St. John Vianney once said,

If it were but known how great is the power of the good souls in Purgatory with the
Heart of God, and if we knew all the graces we can obtain through their intercession,
they would not be so much forgotten. We must, therefore, pray much for them, that they
may pray much for us.

Most importantly, therefore, we should focus on them in their suffering and need. In a vision,
St. Gertrude tells us Jesus said,

My love urges Me to release the poor souls. If a beneficent king leaves his guilty friend
in prison for justice’s sake, he awaits with longing for one of his nobles to plead for
the prisoner and to offer something for his release. Then the king joyfully sets him
free. Similarly, I accept with highest pleasure what is offered to Me for the poor souls,
for I long inexpressibly to have near Me those for whom I paid so great a price. By the
prayers of thy loving soul, I am induced to free a prisoner from Purgatory as often as
thou dost move thy tongue to utter a word of prayer!

May the following Novenas help you, especially in the month of November, to pray for these
Holy Souls.

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Prayer to Jesus Christ for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the bloody sweat which Thou didst suffer in the Garden of
Gethsemane, have mercy on these Blessed Souls. Have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer during Thy most cruel
scourging, have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in Thy most painful crowning
with thorns, have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in carrying Thy cross to
Calvary, have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer during Thy most cruel
Crucifixion, have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in Thy most bitter agony on
the Cross, have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the immense pain which Thou didst suffer in breathing forth
Thy Blessed Soul, have mercy on them.
R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.
[Recommend yourself to the Souls in Purgatory and mention your intentions here.]

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Blessed Souls, I have prayed for thee; I entreat thee, who are so dear to God, and who are
secure of never losing Him, to pray for me a miserable sinner, who is in danger of being
damned, and of losing God forever.

O God, the author of mercy, the lover of the salvation of mankind; I address thy clemency,
in behalf of our brethren, relations, and benefactors, who are departed this life, that by the
intercession of blessed Mary, ever virgin, and of all the saints, thou wouldst receive them into
the enjoyment of eternal happiness; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Novena for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Let us recommend to Jesus Christ and to His holy mother, all the souls in Purgatory, but
especially those of our relatives, benefactors, friends, and enemies, and still more particularly
the souls of those for whom we are bound to pray: and let us consider the great pains which
these holy spouses of Jesus Christ endure, and offer to God for their relief the following prayers.

Manifold are the pains which these blessed souls suffer; but the greatest arises from the
reflection that by their sins they themselves have been the cause of the torments which they
endure.

O Jesus, my Savior, I have so often merited hell: if I were now among the damned, how great
would be the pain which I should feel in thinking that I was the cause of my own damnation? I
thank thee for the patience with which thou hast borne me. My God, because thou art infinite
goodness, I love thee above all things, and I am sorry from my heart for having offended thee.
I promise thee rather to die than ever offend thee more. Have pity on me, and have pity also on
those blessed souls who burn in that fire. Mary, mother of God, succor them by thy powerful
prayers.

(Pray here)

The Our Father

The Hail Mary

(Conclude with)

O Jesus, for mercy’s sake console these souls, these spouses whom thou lovest so tenderly,
and who are so severely tormented. Amen.

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Day Two
Another pain which greatly torments these blessed souls arises from the remembrance of the
time which they lost, and in which they could have merited so much glory in paradise, and
from the conviction that this loss is now irreparable. For, after death, the time of merit is at an
end. Ah, unhappy me, who have lived so long, and have acquired merits only for hell! I thank
thee O Lord, for having given me time to repair the evil which I have done. I am sorry for having
offended so good a God. Help me to spend the remainder of my life in loving and serving thee.
Have pity on me, and have pity also on those holy souls who burn in that fire. O Mary, mother
of God, succor them by thy powerful prayers.

(Pray here)

The Our Father

The Hail Mary

(Conclude with)

O Jesus, for mercy’s sake console these souls, these spouses whom thou lovest so tenderly,
and who are so severely tormented. Amen.

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Day Three
Another pain which tortures these blessed souls is the frightful appearance of the sins for
which they are suffering. In this life, the deformity of sin is not understood, but, in the next, it is
fully comprehended. This is one of the severest torments of the souls in Purgatory.

O my God, because thou art infinite goodness, I love thee above all things, and I am sorry, from
the bottom of my heart for having offended thee, I promise thee, to die rather than ever offend
thee more. Give me holy perseverance; have pity on me, and have pity also on those holy souls
who burn in that fire. O mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers.

(Pray here)

The Our Father

The Hail Mary

(Conclude with)

O Jesus, for mercy’s sake console these souls, these spouses whom thou lovest so tenderly,
and who are so severely tormented. Amen.

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Day Four
The pain which still more afflicts these holy souls, the spouses of Jesus, is the thought of having,
during life, displeased by their sins that God whom they so ardently love. Some penitents have
felt so much pain and sorrows in thinking of having, by their sins, offended so good a God, that
they died by grief. The souls in Purgatory understand far better than we do, the claims which
God has to our love: they love Him with all their strength. Hence, at the thought of having
offended him during life they experience pain which surpasses all other pain.

O my God, because thou art infinite goodness, I am sorry, with my whole heart, for having
offended thee. I promise to die rather than ever offend thee more. Give me holy perseverance;
have pity on me, and have pity on all those holy souls who burn in that fire, and love thee with
all their hearts. O Mary, mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers.

(Pray here)

The Our Father

The Hail Mary

(Conclude with)

O Jesus, for mercy’s sake console these souls, these spouses whom thou lovest so tenderly,
and who are so severely tormented. Amen.

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Day Five
Another great torment of these blessed souls arises from not knowing when their pains shall
cease, or how long they shall remain in that fire. They feel certain that they shall be one day
liberated; but the uncertainty of the duration of their sufferings, torments them severely.

Unhappy me! O Lord, if thou hadst sent me to hell I should be certain of never leaving that
prison of torture. I love thee above all things, O infinite goodness, and I am sorry, with my
whole heart, for having offended thee. Give me holy perseverance; have pity on me, and have
pity also on those holy souls who burn in that fire. O Mary, mother of God, assist them by thy
powerful prayers.

(Pray here)

The Our Father

The Hail Mary

(Conclude with)

O Jesus, for mercy’s sake console these souls, these spouses whom thou lovest so tenderly,
and who are so severely tormented. Amen.

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Day Six
These blessed souls are indeed consoled by the remembrance of the passion of Jesus Christ,
and of the holy sacrament of the altar; because through the communions of the faithful, and
the masses celebrated throughout the Church, they have received and receive so many
graces. But they are tormented by the thought of having been ungrateful during life for these
two great benefits of the love of Jesus Christ.

O my God, thou hast died also for me, and hast given thyself so often to me in the
holy communion. And I have always repaid thee with ingratitude! But, now I love thee above
all things, O my sovereign good, and I am sorry, with my whole heart, for having offended thee.
I promise to die rather than ever offend thee more. Give me holy perseverance; have pity on
me, and have pity also on all those holy souls who burn in that fire. O Mary, mother of God,
assist them by thy powerful prayers.

(Pray here)

The Our Father

The Hail Mary

(Conclude with)

O Jesus, for mercy’s sake console these souls, these spouses whom thou lovest so tenderly,
and who are so severely tormented. Amen.

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Day Seven
The pains of these blessed souls are increased by all the particular favors which they received
from God, such as to have been made Christians, to have been born in a Catholic country,
to have been allowed time for repentance, and to have obtained the pardon of their sins. All
these favors make them feel more sensibly their past ingratitude to God.

But who, O Lord, more ungrateful than I have been? Thou hast waited for me with so much
patience, thou hast often pardoned me with so much love, and I, after so many promises, have
again offended thee! Ah, do not send me to hell. I am sorry, O infinite goodness for having
offended thee: I promise to die, rather than ever offend thee more. Give me holy perseverance.
Have mercy on me, and have mercy also on those holy souls who burn in that fire. O Mary,
mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers.

(Pray here)

The Our Father

The Hail Mary

(Conclude with)

O Jesus, for mercy’s sake console these souls, these spouses whom thou lovest so tenderly,
and who are so severely tormented. Amen.

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Day Eight
Another very severe torment of these blessed souls is caused by the thought that, during life
God showed to them so many special mercies not shown others, and that, after they had by
their sins compelled him to hate them, and to condemn them to hell, he, through his pure
mercy, had pardoned and saved them. Behold, O my God, I am one of those ungrateful souls
who, after having received from thee such great favors, have despised thy love, and have
forced thee to condemn me to hell. O infinite goodness, I now love thee above all things, and
I am sorry, with my whole heart, for having offended thee. I promise thee to die rather than
ever offend thee more. Give me holy perseverance; have mercy on me, and have mercy also
on those holy souls who burn in that fire. O Mary, mother of God, assist them by thy powerful
prayers.

(Pray here)

The Our Father

The Hail Mary

(Conclude with)

O Jesus, for mercy’s sake console these souls, these spouses whom thou lovest so tenderly,
and who are so severely tormented. Amen.

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Day Nine
Great, indeed, are all the pains of these blessed souls: the fire, the tediousness, the darkness,
the uncertainty of the time of their deliverance from that prison: but, of all the pains endured
by those holy spouses, the greatest is caused by their being at a distance from their spouse,
and by the privation of the sight of him.

O my God, how have I been able to live so many years at a distance from thee and bereft of thy
grace? O infinite goodness, I love thee above all things, and I am sorry, with my whole heart
for having offended thee. Give me holy perseverance, and do not permit me ever again to see
myself thy enemy. Have mercy, I entreat thee, on these blessed souls; alleviate their pains,
and abridge the time of their exile, by calling them soon to love thee face to face in paradise.
O Mary, mother of God, assist them by thy powerful prayers: pray also for us, who are still in
danger of being lost for ever.

(Pray here)

The Our Father

The Hail Mary

(Conclude with)

O Jesus, for mercy’s sake console these souls, these spouses whom thou lovest so tenderly,
and who are so severely tormented. Amen.

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 Novenas for the Holy Souls in Purgatory

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