Immaculate Conception Novena begins today - November 28 – December 7

PRAYER TO THE
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

O God,  who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve Her from all stain, so too You would permit us, purified through Her intercession,  to come unto You.
Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,  Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

First, recite the Prayer to the Immaculate Conception. Then, recite the appropriate prayer of each of the nine days.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Recite the Litany of the Blessed Virgin.

How Do YOU Spell * M-A-R-T-I-A-L *** L-A-W * ????

Senators Demand the Military Lock Up American Citizens in a “Battlefield” They Define as Being Right Outside Your Window

While nearly all Americans head to family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving, the Senate is gearing up for a vote on Monday or Tuesday that goes to the very heart of who we are as Americans. The Senate will be voting on a bill that will direct American military resources not at an enemy shooting at our military in a war zone, but at American citizens and other civilians far from any battlefield — even people in the United States itself.
Senators need to hear from you, on whether you think your front yard is part of a “battlefield” and if any president can send the military anywhere in the world to imprison civilians without charge or trial.
The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world. Even Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) raised his concerns about the NDAA detention provisions during last night’s Republican debate. The power is so broad that even U.S. citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself.
The worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial provision is in S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which will be on the Senate floor on Monday. The bill was drafted in secret by Sens. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) and passed in a closed-door committee meeting, without even a single hearing.
I know it sounds incredible. New powers to use the military worldwide, even within the United States? Hasn’t anyone told the Senate that Osama bin Laden is dead, that the president is pulling all of the combat troops out of Iraq and trying to figure out how to get combat troops out of Afghanistan too? And American citizens and people picked up on American or Canadian or British streets being sent to military prisons indefinitely without even being charged with a crime. Really? Does anyone think this is a good idea? And why now?
The answer on why now is nothing more than election season politics. The White House, the Secretary of Defense, and the Attorney General have all said that the indefinite detention provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act are harmful and counterproductive. The White House has even threatened a veto. But Senate politics has propelled this bad legislation to the Senate floor.
But there is a way to stop this dangerous legislation. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) is offering the Udall Amendment that will delete the harmful provisions and replace them with a requirement for an orderly Congressional review of detention power. The Udall Amendment will make sure that the bill matches up with American values.
In support of this harmful bill, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) explained that the bill will “basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield” and people can be imprisoned without charge or trial “American citizen or not.” Another supporter, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) also declared that the bill is needed because “America is part of the battlefield.”
The solution is the Udall Amendment; a way for the Senate to say no to indefinite detention without charge or trial anywhere in the world where any president decides to use the military. Instead of simply going along with a bill that was drafted in secret and is being jammed through the Senate, the Udall Amendment deletes the provisions and sets up an orderly review of detention power. It tries to take the politics out and put American values back in.
In response to proponents of the indefinite detention legislation who contend that the bill “applies to American citizens and designates the world as the battlefield,” and that the “heart of the issue is whether or not the United States is part of the battlefield,” Sen. Udall disagrees, and says that we can win this fight without worldwide war and worldwide indefinite detention.

The senators pushing the indefinite detention proposal have made their goals very clear that they want an okay for a worldwide military battlefield, that even extends to your hometown. That is an extreme position that will forever change our country.

Now is the time to stop this bad idea. 

Please urge your senators to vote YES on the Udall Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

The Revised Revisions at Mass

For Catholics in their 50s and older, the changes to the English text of the Mass that will be introduced this weekend will seem comfortably familiar, church leaders said.
"The revised Roman Missal restores the beauty and poetry of the language, and uses words that we are familiar with," said Brian Wallace, spokesman for Bishop William Lori of the Bridgeport Diocese.

The Missal is the book of prayers, chants and Scripture readings used in celebrating the Roman Catholic Mass. The revision that will be put into use in all U.S. parishes for the first Sunday in Advent, the start of the liturgical year, is the first since 1970.
"Some people don't like change, but this is nothing to be nervous about," said Nicholas Genovese, a deacon at St. Agnes Church in Milford. "This will help us to pray better, and if you think about the change from Latin to English in the 1970s, some people were upset then, but those changes are accepted now."

The new translation adheres more closely to the Latin, so that "and also with you" becomes "and also with your spirit." Instead of saying "Christ was born to the Virgin Mary," the verb in the Creed has been changed to "incarnated," and where Catholics now say Christ died, the new phrasing is he "suffered death."
"What had been a proclamation is becoming an acclamation," Genovese said. "It will now be a prayer to Jesus, rather than a statement about him. In the same way `We believe' becomes `I believe,' which is a more exact translation of the Latin word `credo' and an assertion of personal faith."

There are many more changes for the priest than for the congregation, said the Rev. William J. Killeen, a priest who serves several parishes in the Archdiocese of Hartford.
"The words that are being changed are being changed to make them more precise and to better conform to Scripture," he said.

After the Second Vatican Council in the late 1960s ordered that Mass be said in the local language, an English translation was quickly prepared and introduced. But in the short time frame required, some of the nuance and subtlety was lost, Killeen said during a recent homily. Work on the third edition of the Missal, which will be used beginning with vigil Masses on Saturday, began in 2006, and it received Vatican approval last year. New music is being written for the revised Mass that will be introduced over the next few months, Genovese said.

Archbishop Henry J. Mansell, of the Hartford Archdiocese, said in a letter to area Catholics that he has no doubt the changes will find favor quickly. "Please do not be nervous or upset," Mansell wrote. "There is no change in the ritual. The language, however, is closer to the Latin and takes us back 40 years to the way that we used to celebrate. It deepens our prayers. It lifts our souls; there is more wonder and awe conveyed in this edition."
Wallace said Fairfield County parishes are at different levels of preparedness, but the overall reception to the changes has been very positive. Some churches will have laminated cards in the pews this weekend showing the old and new texts, with the changes highlighted in bold, he said.

Reach Frank Juliano at 203-520-6986 or fjuliano@ctpost.com. Follow him at http://twitter.com/FrankJuliano or blog.connpost.com/juliano.

Thanksgiving 2011

As we give thanks for all of God's many blessings, let us thank Him for everything we've ever received since the moment of our conception. For our lives, our dear parents, our guardian angels, the gifts of Faith, Hope and Love and all that we're called to become for one another.

Let's not forget to also pray for those many who are under attack from the fiery darts of the evil one and those sick in hospitals, along with those that care for them and hold them dear; may God's Will be done in all!

Remember too those that are living with serious and long term diseases and treatments and the anguish of Alzheimer's for all involved. Forget not the homeless, poor, imprisoned, the unborn and the elderly. Remember especially all the lonely, particularly those youngest and oldest that feel alone, forgotten, fearful, unloved and useless .. may the Lord send His angles to comfort them and give them hope; may they know His awesome love and mercy!

In addition to the above, all Christians should give thanks that we're all one in the Body of Christ by virtue of our Baptism and share priceless gift of His Love, Mercy and Grace according to our stations in life. Catholics especially should not be ignorant of the Treasure of the FULLNESS OF FAITH, the 7 Sacraments and the precious Gift of His True and Real Presence in the Holy Eucharist, fulfilling His promise to remain with us until the end of times.

Let not any of us Christians forget to give thanks for our most blessed and Immaculate Mother who was given to us all by Jesus at the foot of the Cross .. she tirelessly intercedes for us all begging mercy and help in all our endeavors and afflictions.

Last but not least ... don't forget to thank God for the communion of saints ... that multitude of Church Triumphant, Militant and Suffering that we can also call on for help and intercession. Perhaps there's still time too to offer a little something for those less fortunate at your local shelter or favorite charity to provide a meal for those that would otherwise have nothing.

After you've done all this ... you're ready to enjoy your dinner. Blessings on all who read this and on all those they hold dear.

Mother Cabrini

The Migrants' Saint

In the midst of all the votes and conversations -- not to mention an increased public voice of late of advocacy for the rights of immigrants -- only one reminder came that today's the feast of the first American saint: the Italian-born Frances Xavier Cabrini, whose work was concentrated to the last century's boom of new arrivals in New York and Chicago.

Refused admission to the religious order which had educated her to be a teacher, she began charitable work at the House of Providence Orphanage in Cadogno, Italy. In September 1877, she made her vows there and took the religious habit.

When the bishop closed the orphanage in 1880, he named Frances prioress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. Seven young women from the orphanage joined with her.

Since her early childhood in Italy, Frances had wanted to be a missionary in China but, at the urging of Pope Leo XIII, Frances went west instead of east. She traveled with six sisters to New York City to work with the thousands of Italian immigrants living there.

She found disappointment and difficulties with every step. When she arrived in New York City, the house intended to be her first orphanage in the United States was not available. The archbishop advised her to return to Italy. But Frances, truly a valiant woman, departed from the archbishop’s residence all the more determined to establish that orphanage. And she succeeded.

In 35 years Frances Xavier Cabrini founded 67 institutions dedicated to caring for the poor, the abandoned, the uneducated and the sick. Seeing great need among Italian immigrants who were losing their faith, she organized schools and adult education classes.

As a child, she was always frightened of water, unable to overcome her fear of drowning. Yet, despite this fear, she traveled across the Atlantic Ocean more than 30 times. [In 1917], she died of malaria in her own Columbus Hospital in Chicago.

After her canonization in 1946, "Mother Cabrini" was named patroness of immigrants by the Holy See.

Our Blessed Mother to Bless Apparition Viewers Online - Nov. 17th

Medjugorje visionary Ivan Dragicevic’s apparition on November 17 in the Cathedral of Vienna will be live-streamed. According to Ivan, the Virgin Mary will bless all online viewers who pray along and follow the apparition, as if they had been physically present. Religious items brought next to the computer will also be blessed.

A six-digit number of people from all over the world will be praying in front of their computers when Medjugorje visionary Ivan Dragicevic’s apparition on November 17 in Vienna, Austria, is being live-streamed in English and Spanish by MaryTV, and in German by Kathnet.

Visionaries Ivan Dragicevic & Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti
in the Cathedral of Vienna on September 23rd 2010.

Transmission will begin at 4 pm local time (GMT +1), equaling 10 am EST. The Rosary will be prayed from about 5 pm local time (11 am EST) before Ivan’s apparition at 5.40 (11.40 am EST).
MaryTV had 398,546 online viewers when Ivan last visited the Viennese Cathedral, on September 23rd 2010 along with fellow visionary Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti. Many were attracted by two unique charactereristics of the live-streamed apparitions. These two characteristics first surfaced when MaryTV streamed Ivan’s apparitions from Medjugorje on six consecutive days in July and August 2010:

Denis and Cathy Nolan praying the Rosary on MaryTV's
roof in Medjugorje, early August 2010. Photo: MaryTV

“Ivan told us that those connected through the internet are prayed over by Our Lady the same as those kneeling right next to him during the apparition. And the religious items they have with them that they would like Our Lady to bless are blessed the same as the religious items placed right in front of her during the apparition” MaryTV President Denis Nolan recalls.
This unusual grace will be bestowed once more on November 17, and expectations are big at MaryTV. Recently, an introduction to the live-stream by chief technical engineer Tom Matasso made way for a strong experience for MaryTV message commentator Cathy Nolan:

“Tom was describing how the live feed would go out to the whole world via the internet, and in a moment I had a flash of insight about it.  I could see how Our Lady would be able to look at and bless and touch her children all over the world in one moment, through the internet. “
“It was like lightening going out to the whole world bringing the graces of conversion, healing, blessing, and love.  I am convinced this will be a powerful moment for Our Lady” Cathy Nolan tells in a news update to MaryTV subscribers.
The Mass after Ivan’s apparition will be presided over by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn. Last year the Cardinal welcomed the two Medjugorje visionaries:
“Dear Marija, dear Ivan, thank you – first of all – that you came!  Thank you that you came again! Thank you for your service across so many years, for your work, for your service of being messengers of Our Lady.  You bring us – children of this world, children of humanity – her love and her presence and may God pay you back one hundred fold for what you are doing tirelessly!” Cardinal Schönborn said.

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn welcoming the
visionaries to Vienna during last year's event

According to Ivan, the message given by the Virgin Mary last year in Vienna echoed the Cardinal’s emphasis on missionary work. The Virgin’s replacement of her usual farewell greeting “Thank you for having responded to my call” with  “Thank you that you will pray with me” also made the message stand out:

‘Thank you, dear children, that you have accepted my messages, that you live my messages. Thank you, dear children, that you will be my missionaries, my apostles, who will bring the message out into the world. Thank you, dear children, that you will be the carriers of the good news, of the beautiful news, of the happy news.  Thank you that you will pray with me.”
MaryTV urges all to spread the news of the live-stream on November 17 via e-mail address books, on social media and in other ways perceived to be effective. Local media might be interested if many people watch the apparition together.

I realize that Medjugorje is not Church approved yet and in fact there are many that are negatively disposed .. however, one cannot discount the conversions and Confessions and increased Faith that has come out of it either. I suppose my attitude is guarded optimism as I personally know several folks that have gone, some more than once and 2 of them being nuns. We must also not forget that although our Lady has come to us many times to strengthen, guide and heal, that Jesus, Himself, IS TRULY PRESENT in every Tabernacle in the world. For the longest time I've been begging folks to visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle! He waits for us 24/7 and we spend more time planning our leisure activities than thinking of He Who gave us LIFE and on Whom we depend for our very next BREATH! We DO need to have more reverence, respect and resolve to receive Holy Communion more worthily than most of us do and to make time to visit Jesus in the Tabernacle every chance we get! Why do we live here like it's the ONLY THING that's REAL and consider that ETERNITY perhaps doesn't exist??? WHY do we have it all backwards? How loving and merciful is our Triune God to put UP with us all this time!!!!  Those of you who aren't disabled and can visit the Tabernacles ... GO!!! But I for one will be by the computer during this apparition with hope and love in my heart ... and FAITH ... lots of FAITH!!!! 

Here is the schedule for November 17, 2011:

4:00 PM Vienna (10:00 AM USA-EST): Testimonies, including Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, founder of MARY's MEALS
5:00 PM Vienna (11:00 AM USA-EST): Ivan's Testimony
6:00 PM Vienna (12:00 PM USA-EST): Rosary
6:40 PM Vienna (12:40 PM USA-EST): Apparition
7:00 PM Vienna (1:00 PM USA-EST): Holy Mass - Presider and Homilist, Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn
8:00 PM Vienna (2:00 PM USA-EST): Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
9:00 PM Vienna (3:00 PM USA-EST): Adoration ends

LIsten Always With Obedience, Trust, and Awareness!!

Pope Benedict XVI: The Law Of God Is The Center Of Life!

In his general audience this morning Benedict XVI focused his catechesis on Psalm 119, the longest of the Psalms, constructed as an acrostic in which each stanza begins with one of the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Its subject matter is “the Torah of the Lord; that is, His Law, a term which in its broadest and most complete definition comprehends teaching, instruction and life guidance. The Torah is revelation, it is the Word of God which is addressed to man and which arouses his response of faithful obedience and generous love”, the Pope said.

“The Psalmist’s faithfulness arises from listening to the Word, from keeping it in his heart, meditating upon it and loving it, like Mary who ‘treasured in her heart’ the words addressed to her, the marvellous events in which God revealed Himself and asked for her response of faith”, he explained. The Psalmist describes those who walk in the Law of the Lord as blessed, and indeed “Mary is blessed because she bore the Saviour in her womb, but above all because she accepted God’s annunciation and treasured His Word attentively and lovingly”.

Psalm 119 is constructed around this Word of life and blessing. Its central theme is the Word and the Law, and its verses are replete with synonyms thereof such as “precepts, decrees, promises”, associated with verbs such as “to know, to love, to meditate, to live”, the Holy Father explained. “The entire alphabet features in the twenty-two verses of the Psalm, as does the entire vocabulary of the believer’s relationship of trust with God. We find praise, thanksgiving and trust, but also supplication and lamentation; however, all of them are pervaded by the certainty of divine grace and the power of the Word of God. Even those verses most marked by suffering and darkness remain open to hope and are permeated with faith”.

The Law of God, which is “the centre of life”, must be “listened to with obedience but not servility, with filial trust and awareness. To listen to the Word is to have a personal encounter with the Lord of life. … The fulfilment of the Law is to follow Jesus“. Thus Psalm 119 “guides us towards the Gospel”, the Pope explained. In this context he focused particularly on verse 57: “The Lord is my portion; I promise to keep your words”.
“The term ‘portion’”, he explained, “evokes the partition of the Promised Land among the tribes of Israel, when the Levites were given no part of the territory because their ‘portion’ was the Lord Himself. … These verses are also important for us today, especially for priests, who are called to live from the Lord and from His Word alone, with no other guarantees, no other wealth, and having Him as their one source of true life. It is in this light that we can understand the free choice of celibacy for the Kingdom of heaven, which must be rediscovered in all its beauty and power.

“These verses are also important for the faithful, the People of God who belong only to Him”, the Pope added in conclusion. “They are called to experience the radical nature of the Gospel, to be witnesses of the life brought by Christ, the new and definitive ‘High Priest’ Who offered Himself in sacrifice for the salvation of the world. The Lord and His Word are our ‘land’ in which to live in communion and joy”.

All Souls Day - Don't Forget Family, Friends and those You Hold Dear!

I think like many things, we take purgatory for granted. We know it's a 'shoe-in' for Heaven, so we perhaps don't think of it as severely as we ought. Before delving into the painful aspects, let's think about the souls awaiting the pearly gates.
Firstly, they cannot pray for themselves.

Once you die, you cannot gain any more graces, indulgences or do any penance to expiate your sins or the punishment they deserve. Once we leave this world and step into eternity, that's it. I believe we can still pray for others, but not ourselves.

When we die ... that moment, we come face to Face with the Lord. Imagine the total JOY at beholding such LOVE, PEACE & MERCY .. and then having to turn away to wait in a place apart from Him. That in and of itself HAS to be a horrific torture. Then we have the actual cleansing part of purgatory because no unclean thing will enter heaven. I won't get into much about how awful this is .. suffice it to say that we really should do all we can while on earth in the way of behavior, penance, prayer and indulgences to keep ourselves as well as our loved ones OUT OF THERE if at all possible.

I realize it's not pleasant to think of our loved ones in purgatory. But if we permit ourselves to become too complacent and not think of it as seriously as we should, well we're not doing ourselves or our loved ones any justice or any good. We must NEVER forget the souls in purgatory!

My dear mother taught me from a little girl, before I even entered school (and I say it STILL, 60 yrs later) "All for the honor and glory of God and the suffering souls in purgatory." Said in the morning upon awakening, you offer everything that day for God and the souls. I always pray for them when I pass a cemetery and I'm always asking for their relief and release.

During my daily 3pm's, I pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and one of my many petitions is for the pain and suffering of the souls in purgatory to be combined with the Perfect & Holy Passions of Jesus, His True Presence in the Tabernacle in the Holy Eucharist and the graces and benefits from all the Masses that day to EMPTY PURGATORY INTO HEAVEN daily during that MERCY HOUR ... and ESPECIALLY those in purgatory that have NO ONE TO PRAY FOR THEM!

If no other day, please take a moment today to join me in this request at 3PM. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy with me today. If you can't pray the whole chaplet (only takes about 10 minutes), at least at 3PM, just look up to heaven and beg God's Mercy on yourselves, your loved ones and the world, alive and dead.

Don't forget .. the Church is comprised of 3 levels: The Church Triumphant (in heaven), the Church Militant (on earth) and the Church Suffering (in purgatory) .. we are ALL ONE in the Body of Christ.
Do NOT let the world and it's deceptions which are all passing away very quickly rob you of your eternal salvation. The evil one knows how much shorter his time is now and is pulling out all the stops to gain as many souls in the pit with him as he possibly can. We've read the end of the book .. we know WHO wins ... but let's try to get there as UNSCATHED as possible .. and that includes as little time in purgatory as we can. DO ALL YOU CAN WHILE ON THIS EARTH TO HELP THOSE IN PURGATORY NOW AND YOURSELVES. Remember too all those from other denominations that don't even BELIEVE in purgatory .. those poor folks have no hope of help from their loved ones ... we must pray for them!!!!! Don't take indulgences lightly or something from the past that isn't effectual anymore ... they are most efficacious and we SO need them today! 

And as often as you can, pray the prayer of St. Gertrude to release 1,000 souls with each recitation:  
“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.”

What's REALLY Important? ..... The Eucharist, Rosary & Confession

Bishop Edward Slattery

Bishop Edward Slattery, 71, was born and raised in Chicago. He attended the archdiocese’s Mundelein Seminary and was ordained a priest in 1966. He served in Chicago parishes and was active with the Catholic Church Extension Society, which funds the American home missions. You’ve made public statements about problems with the liturgy. What changes would you like to see?

I would like to see the liturgy become what Vatican II intended it to be. That’s not something that can happen overnight. The bishops who were the fathers of the council from the United States came home and made changes too quickly. They shouldn’t have viewed the old liturgy, what we call the Tridentine Mass or Missal of Pope John XXIII, as something that needed to be fixed. Nothing was broken. There was an attitude that we had to implement Vatican II in a way that radically affects the liturgy.

What we lost in a short period of time was continuity. The new liturgy should be clearly identifiable as the liturgy of the pre-Vatican II Church. Changes, like turning the altar around, were too sudden and too radical. There is nothing in the Vatican II documents that justifies such changes. We’ve always had Mass facing the people as well as Mass ad orientem [“to the east,” with priest and people facing the same direction]. However, Mass ad orientem was the norm. These changes did not come from Vatican II.

Also, it was not a wise decision to do away with Latin in the Mass. How that happened, I don’t know; but the fathers of the Council never intended us to drop Latin. They wanted us to hold on to it and, at the same time, to make room for the vernacular, primarily so that the people could understand the Scriptures.

Are there spiritual practices you recommend?

We have to return to the Rosary. Pope John Paul II said that when we pray the Rosary, we see the life of Christ through the eyes of his mother, Mary. And there’s no better way to look at Christ than through the eyes of Mary. The Rosary is a tried and true means of doing that. I encourage every Catholic to pray the Rosary every day. Praying the Rosary takes us through the major mysteries of our faith, especially now since John Paul has given us the five Luminous Mysteries.

I also advise a return to confession. When I say this, I don’t mean to do this in some sort of laborious, burdensome way, but rather as a form of prayer. Pray before you examine your conscience, and allow the Lord to tell you what your sins are. He loves you, and he will tell you a lot about yourself. He will help you see yourself in contrast with his infinite love for you. You will begin to see the gap between his love for you and your love for Him. And when you experience that gap, it will help you become more generous and more apt to recognize and admit your sins in confession.

All Saints Day

The Solemnity of All Saints Day and All Souls Day are celebrated on November 1 and 2, respectively. On All Saints Day, the church celebrates all the saints: canonized or beatified, and the multitude of those who are in heaven enjoying the beatific vision that are only known to God. This day should inspire us with tremendous hope as the saints who have gone before us to the heavenly home call on us to follow them.

The Solemnity of All Saints Day and All Souls Day are celebrated on November 1 and 2, respectively. On All Saints Day, the church celebrates all the saints: canonized or beatified, and the multitude of those who are in heaven enjoying the beatific vision that are only known to God. This day should inspire us with tremendous hope as the saints who have gone before us to the heavenly home call on us to follow them.

INVOCATION
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY
My Jesus, by the sorrows Thou didst suffer in Thine agony in the Garden, in Thy scourging and crowning with thorns, in the way to Calvary, in Thy crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken; do Thou deliver them from the dire torments they endure; call them and admit them to Thy most sweet embrace in paradise. Our Father, Hail Mary, Eternal rest, etc.

FOR ALL THE DECEASED
By Thy resurrection from the dead, O Christ, death no longer hath dominion over those who die in holiness. So, we beseech Thee, give rest to Thy servants in Thy sanctuary and in Abraham's bosom. Grant it to those, who from Adam until now have adored Thee with purity, to our fathers and brothers, to our kinsmen and friends, to all men who have lived by faith and passed on their road to Thee, by a thousand ways, and in all conditions, and make them worthy of the heavenly kingdom. Byzantine Liturgy

DE PROFUNDIS
The psalmist is crying out here from the depression that grips him because of his sense of sin. He tells God that no man could be forgiven should strict justice be demanded; but, since God is forgiving and merciful, the psalmist (Israel) will hope for redemption from iniquities. We, who know the mercy of God far better than the g Israelites, may pray this psalm with even greater trust in God. The Church uses this psalm in the liturgy as her official prayer for the souls in Purgatory. Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my, voice! Let Your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication: If You, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand? But with You is forgiveness, that You may be revered. I trust in the Lord; my soul trusts in His word. My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn. More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord, For with the Lord is kindness and with Him is plenteous redemption; And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities. Psalm 130

THE MISERERE
This psalm is a marvelous act of contrition, confession, and supplication by a repentant sinner. It was composed by David after his sin with Bethsabee. In reparation David promises to lead others back to God by telling them of the ways of divine justice. Instead of offering God an external sacrifice which he knows He will not accept, he offers instead the sacrifice of a contrite and humble heart, a sacrifice that will always be most pleasing in the eyes of God. Have mercy on me, 0 God, in Your goodness; in the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always: "Against You only have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your sight"-- That You may be justified in Your sentence, vindicated when You condemn. Indeed, in guilt was I born, and in sin my mother conceived me; Behold, You are pleased with sincerity of heart, and in my inmost being You teach me wisdom. Cleanse me of sin with hyssop, that I may be purified; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness; the bones You have crushed shall rejoice. Turn away Your face from my sins, and blot out all my guilt. A clean heart create for me, 0 God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from Your presence, and Your holy spirit take not from me. Give me back the joy of Your salvation, and a willing spirit sustain in me. I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall return to You. Free me from blood guilt, 0 God, my saving God; then my tongue shall revel in Your justice. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim Your praise. For You are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a holocaust, You would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, 0 God, You will not spurn. Be bountiful, O Lord, to Sion in Your kindness by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem; Then shall You be pleased with due sacrifices, burnt offerings and holocausts; then shall they offer up bullocks on Your altar. Psalm 50

FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY
O Lord, who art ever merciful and bounteous with Thy gifts, look down upon the suffering souls in purgatory. Remember not their offenses and negligences, but be mindful of Thy loving mercy, which is from all eternity. Cleanse them of their sins and fulfill their ardent desires that they may be made worthy to behold Thee face to face in Thy glory. May they soon be united with Thee and hear those blessed words which will call them to their heavenly home: "Come, blessed of My Father, take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

For more information on the All Saints and All Souls Day, please click on the following links:

November Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory
Litany of the Saints
Little Litany of the Holy Souls
Prayer for a Happy Death
Daily Acceptance of Death
Visiting a Cemetery on All Souls Day, Memorial Day, or on the Anniversary of Death or Burial
Out of the Depths - De Profundis
Dies Irae, Dies Illa