THE LORD’S PRAYER — For the Souls of the Dead

When once Saint Mechtilde offered her Holy Communion for the souls of those who have died, Jesus appeared to her and said. “Say just one ‘Our Father’ for them. “She understood that this prayer has to he said in the following way. Having prayed in the manner instructed by Christ Our Lord, she saw innumerable souls entering Heaven. (Bk5 Chapter 21)

Our Father Who art in heaven:

We ask you to forgive the souls remaining in purgatory, for not loving You, for not giving You the praise You deserve, their most loving Father, who chose them as beloved children, out of particular grace and mercy. Indeed, they dismissed You from their hearts, where You chose to make Your home – and always longed to abide. We now offer to You in reparation on their behalf, the love and praise Your beloved Son offered to You on this earth. We offer these with His perfect atonement through which You forgave all their sins. Amen.

Hallowed be Thy Name:

We ask you to forgive the souls of those who died for not praising Your most Holy Name, for not using Your Name with sufficient piety during their lives, for so often taking Your Name in vain—and throughout their lives becoming unworthy of being called Christians. Therefore in reparation of their great sins, we offer You the perfect Holiness of Your Beloved Son, who praised Your Holy Name and made it known in His teachings and in all His Holy deeds on earth. Amen.

Thy Kingdom Come:

We ask You, Gracious Father, to forgive the souls of those who have died, who never longed for You nor attempted even to strive for Your Kingdom – where there is constant everlasting peace and where joy and glory ever reign. In reparation for their indifference in accomplishing any good deeds during their lives, we offer You the Holy desires of Your Most Holy Son, through which He longed for us all to partake in His Kingdom. Amen.

Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven:

We ask you, Dearest Father, to forgive the souls of those who have died especially souls of religious orders who made their will into Yours – and who did not always love Thy Will, but often lived according to their own will – and opposed Your Will. In reparation of their disobedience, we offer You the union of the Sacred Heart with Your Will, His obedience to You, in which He remained unto His death on the cross.
Amen.

Give us the day our daily bread:

We ask You, Gracious Father, to forgive the souls of the dead, for not receiving the Blessed Sacrament with sufficient longing and piety, without love so often, and considerable numbers of them – unworthily, infrequently or even not at all. For these sins of theirs, in reparation, we offer You the unfathomable holiness, ardent love and longing with which Your Son gave us all the precious gift of His Body and Blood. Amen.

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us:

We ask You, most Merciful Father, to forgive the souls who have died, all the mortal sins they committed in their lives and particularly to forgive all the people who offended them. Please forgive them for not loving their enemies. For all these sins, we offer to You in reparation the sweetest prayer of Jesus on the cross – when He prayed to You for His enemies. Amen.

And lead us not into temptation:

We ask You, Kindest Father, to forgive the souls of the dead, for not resisting anger and lust, that so often they obeyed the whispers of Satan and their own flesh thereby with such numerous sins disfiguring their souls. In reparation we offer You the Glorious Victory of Your Son – over the world and the Devil. We offer also the whole of His most holy life with all His works, labours, passion and death. Amen.

But deliver us from evil:

And all the souls remaining in purgatory – save them all from all evil and from all punishment. We ask this through the merits of Your Beloved Son. Lead us to Your Kingdom of Glory, the Glory which You, Yourself, are, Amen


God bless all!