Prayers For The Faithful Departed..



 
            Purgatory
     
By Purgatory we mean a place where souls suffer for a time after death on account of their sins, 1 Cor. iii. 15: "Some shall be saved, yet so as by fire.'' We are In communion with the souls in Purgatory by helping them with our prayers and good works.--Catechism




An Intercessory Prayer of the Church Militant
for the Church Suffering in Purgatory.


"It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins."--2 Mach. xii. 46





Ye souls of the faithful!
 Who sleep in the Lord;
 But as yet are shut out
 From your final reward!
 Oh! would I could lend you
 Assistance to fly;
 From your prison below,
 To your palace on high:

O Father of mercies!
 Thine anger withhold;
 These works of Thy hand
 In Thy mercy behold;
 Too oft from Thy path
 They have wandered aside:
 But Thee, their Creator,
 They never denied.

O tender Redeemer!
 Their misery see;
 Deliver the souls
 That were ransomed by Thee;
 Behold how they love Thee,
 Despite of their pain:
 Restore them, restore them
 To favour again.


  O Spirit of grace!
 O Consoler divine!
 See how for Thy presence
 They longingly pine;
 Ah, then, to enliven
 Their sadness, descend;
 And fill them with peace,
 And with joy in the end.

O Mother of mercy!
 Dear soother in grief!
 Lend thou to their torments
 A balmy relief;
 Attemper the rigour
 Of justice severe;
 And soften their flames
 With a pitying tear.

All ye who would honour
 The Saints and their Head,
 Remember, remember,
 To pray for the dead;
 And they, in return,
 From their misery freed,
 To you will be friends
 In the hour of need.


 






Intercession for the Faithful Departed.


"He himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire."--1 Cor. iii. 15





Help, Lord, the souls which Thou hast made,
The souls to Thee so dear,
In prison, for debt unpaid
Of sins committed here.

Those holy souls, they suffer on,
Resigned in heart and will,
Until Thy high behest is done,
And justice has its fill.

For daily falls, for pardoned crime,
They joy to undergo
The shadow of Thy cross sublime,
The remnant of Thy woe.


  Oh, by their patience of delay,
Their hope amid their pain,
Their sacred zeal to burn away
Disfigurement and stain;

Oh, by their fire of love, not less
In keenness than the flame,
Oh, by their very helplessness,
Oh, by Thy own great Name,

Good Jesu, help! sweet Jesu, aid
The souls to thee most dear,
In prison, for tho debt unpaid
Of sins committed here.


 







Supplication to Jesus for the Faithful Departed




"Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord hath touched me.''--Job xix. 21





The souls, O Lord, by justice torn from Thee,
Who penitent ardently crave for Thee,
Wrapped in sin-cleansing flame who mourn for Thee,
Let Thy sweet mercy now recall to Thee
O Jesu! Miserere Domine.

Font that dost wash all stains of earth away,
And none so dark, but Thou mak'st clear as day,
The pangs of these meek suffering souls allay,
Streteh out Thy hand; raise up the dead, we pray.
O Jesu! Miserere Domine.

  O Jesus! who in mercy redeemed all,
Release Thy captives from their fiery thrall;
E'en the least worthy, lamed by many a fall,
With saints and martyrs to Thy banquet call.
O Jesu! Miserere Domine.

O Jesu! spare these souls so dear to Thee,
Who, in prison, so calmly wait for Thee;
Hasten, O Lord, and bid them come to Thee,
Their glorious home, to gaze ever on Thee!
O Jesu! Miserere Domine.

 









Supplication to our Lady for the Souls in Purgatory




""How canst thou, O Mary, refuse to relieve the miserable, since thou art the Queen of Mercy?"--St. Bernard.





O Turn to Jesus, Mother, turn,
 And call Him by His tenderest names;
 Pray for the holy souls that burn
 This hour among the cleansing flames.

Ah! they have fought a gallant fight;
 In death's cold arms they persevered;
 And after life's uncheery night
 The harbour of their rest is neared.

In pains beyond all earthly pains,
 Favourites of Jesus! there they lie,
 Letting the fire wear out their stains,
 And worshipping God's purity.

Spouses of Christ they are, for He
 Was wedded to them by His blood;
 And angels over their destiny
 In wondering adoration brood.