In this novena written by Saint Afonso de Ligório, let us beseech God, in our favor, for the grace of salvation and, in favor of the souls in Purgatory, the grace to be admitted as quickly as possible to the presence of God.
First Day
ACT OF CONTRITION
— Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, Creator and Redeemer of mine, in whom I firmly believe and hope and Whom I love more than myself, more than all things, weigh me down, Lord, with all my heart for having offended you, for being who you are, so good, holy, kind and adorable; It also weighs me down, because with my sins I have deserved the punishments of Purgatory, and, who knows, even the eternal torments of Hell.
I propose, helped by Your grace, never to sin again, to flee from all occasions of offending You, to confess, to correct and amend my errors and to persevere until death in Your friendship. I ask You, my God, for this grace, for the love You have for the blessed souls in Purgatory, for the merits of Your passion and for the pains of Your most afflicted Mother. Amen.
INITIAL PRAYER
— O Eternal Father, loving and merciful, who, impelled by Your infinite mercy, loved the world so much, to the point of giving it Your Only Begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him should not perish, but live eternally, You will allow chance, O Lord, May these dear souls, Your daughters and wives of Jesus Christ, who purchased them with the infinite price of His Blood, suffer for a long time in Purgatory?
Have mercy on these afflicted prisoners and free them from their pains and torments. Also have compassion on my poor soul, freeing it from the abyss of sin. And if Your justice, not yet satisfied, demands greater reparation for the faults they have committed, I offer You the acts of virtues that I practice during this novena.
They are all worth nothing, or very little, it is true; but I offer them to you united with the merits of Jesus Christ, the pains of His Most Holy Mother and the heroic virtues of all the righteous souls who have lived in the world until today. Have mercy on the living and the dead and grant us all the grace to sing the triumphs of Your mercy one day in Heaven. Amen.
FIRST DAY
There are many pains that the blessed souls in Purgatory suffer; but the greatest of all is the thought that they themselves were the cause of their suffering due to the sins they committed in life.
O Jesus, my Savior! I, who have deserved Hell so many times, what pain would I feel now, if I saw myself condemned, to think that I myself was the cause of my condemnation? I give you infinite thanks for the patience you have had in supporting me.
I love you, my God, above all things, because you are Infinite Goodness; I regret with all my heart having offended you and I would rather die than offend you again. Grant me the grace of perseverance; Have mercy on me and on the blessed souls who suffer in the burning fire of Purgatory. And you, Mary, Mother of God, help them with your powerful supplications. Amen.
5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys for the souls who suffer most.
PURPOSE
— Form the generous resolution to pray every day of the novena in support of the blessed souls.
FINAL PRAYERS
We now commend to Jesus Christ and his Most Holy Mother all the souls in Purgatory and, in particular, those of our relatives, benefactors, friends and enemies and, above all, those for whom we have an obligation to pray.
Supplications to Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, through the pains of his Passion, He may have compassion on the souls in Purgatory:
O most sweet Jesus, for the sweat of blood that you shed in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your most cruel flagellation, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your crowning with thorns, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the pains you suffered carrying the Cross, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the immense pain You suffered when Your soul was separated from Your most sacred Body, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
Let us commend ourselves to all the souls in Purgatory, saying:
O blessed souls, since we ask God for you, who are so loved by the Lord, and have the certainty of never losing Him again, I ask Him for us too, who are still in danger of condemning ourselves and losing God to always. Amen.
V. Give them, Lord, eternal rest.
A. And the perpetual light illuminate them.
V. Rest in peace.
A. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my supplication.
R. And let my cry rise to you.
PRAYER
— O God, Creator and Redeemer of all men, grant to the souls of your servants and handmaids (and, especially, to the soul of…) the remission of all their sins, so that, through our humble supplications, they may obtain from Your mercy the forgiveness they always desired. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the blessed souls, freed from Purgatory by our suffrages (for the last day of the novena). — O happy and blessed souls, who had the grace to enter the heavenly homeland! We congratulate you with all the outpouring of our hearts and in the name of the entire Church we give you a thousand congratulations. We rejoice with you; we unite our joy with that of the Saints and Blessed; We add our praise to those you give to the Creator for such an immense favor. Yes, blessed souls, rejoice.
There is no more sadness or anguish for you; The dangers and temptations are over. Now you have the peace, happiness, joy, joy, consolation and eternal rest of the blessed. What glory for you if with our suffrages we anticipate your eternal happiness! Therefore, triumph, reign and enjoy Heaven, but do not forget us, who still fight on earth; look at us with compassion, because we are surrounded by numerous and terrible enemies.
Since you are so powerful before God, pray for your devotees, so that we may be faithful and constant in the service of God and may also praise and bless Him one day with you eternally in heavenly glory. Amen.
Second Day
ACT OF CONTRITION
— Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, Creator and Redeemer of mine, in whom I firmly believe and hope and Whom I love more than myself, more than all things, weigh me down, Lord, with all my heart for having offended you, for being who you are, so good, holy, kind and adorable; It also weighs me down, because with my sins I have deserved the punishments of Purgatory, and, who knows, even the eternal torments of Hell.
I propose, helped by Your grace, never to sin again, to flee from all occasions of offending You, to confess, to correct and amend my errors and to persevere until death in Your friendship. I ask You, my God, for this grace, for the love You have for the blessed souls in Purgatory, for the merits of Your passion and for the pains of Your most afflicted Mother. Amen.
INITIAL PRAYER
— O Eternal Father, loving and merciful, who, impelled by Your infinite mercy, loved the world so much, to the point of giving it Your Only Begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him should not perish, but live eternally, You will allow chance, O Lord, May these dear souls, Your daughters and wives of Jesus Christ, who purchased them with the infinite price of His Blood, suffer for a long time in Purgatory?
Have mercy on these afflicted prisoners and free them from their pains and torments. Also have compassion on my poor soul, freeing it from the abyss of sin. And if Your justice, not yet satisfied, demands greater reparation for the faults they have committed, I offer You the acts of virtues that I practice during this novena.
They are all worth nothing, or very little, it is true; but I offer them to you united with the merits of Jesus Christ, the pains of His Most Holy Mother and the heroic virtues of all the righteous souls who have lived in the world until today. Have mercy on the living and the dead and grant us all the grace to sing the triumphs of Your mercy one day in Heaven. Amen.
SECOND DAY
The penalty that secondarily torments the blessed souls excessively is the memory of the time they lost during their life, during which they would have been able to acquire greater merits for Heaven; and the memory that this loss is forever irreparable, since with life the time to deserve ends.
Unhappy with me, Lord! That, for so many years, I have lived on earth, during which I have only deserved the punishments of Hell.
I give you infinite thanks for giving me time to remedy the harm I have done. I regret, my God, having offended you, who are infinitely good. Help me so that, from now until the end of my life, I spend every moment solely in serving you and loving you. Have mercy on me and these blessed souls suffering in Purgatory. And you, Mary, Mother of God, help them with your powerful supplications. Amen.
5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys for the souls who suffer most.
PURPOSE
— Attend in the morning, and whenever possible, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in prayer for the souls in Purgatory.
FINAL PRAYERS
We now commend to Jesus Christ and his Most Holy Mother all the souls in Purgatory and, in particular, those of our relatives, benefactors, friends and enemies and, above all, those for whom we have an obligation to pray.
Supplications to Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, through the pains of his Passion, He may have compassion on the souls in Purgatory:
O most sweet Jesus, for the sweat of blood that you shed in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your most cruel flagellation, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your crowning with thorns, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the pains you suffered carrying the Cross, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the immense pain You suffered when Your soul was separated from Your most sacred Body, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
Let us commend ourselves to all the souls in Purgatory, saying:
O blessed souls, since we ask God for you, who are so loved by the Lord, and have the certainty of never losing Him again, I ask Him for us too, who are still in danger of condemning ourselves and losing God to always. Amen.
V. Give them, Lord, eternal rest.
A. And the perpetual light illuminate them.
V. Rest in peace.
A. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my plea.
R. And let my cry rise to you.
PRAYER
— O God, Creator and Redeemer of all men, grant to the souls of your servants and handmaids (and, especially, to the soul of…) the remission of all their sins, so that, through our humble supplications, they may obtain from Your mercy the forgiveness they always desired. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the blessed souls, freed from Purgatory by our suffrages (for the last day of the novena). — O happy and blessed souls, who had the grace to enter the heavenly homeland! We congratulate you with all the outpouring of our hearts and in the name of the entire Church we give you a thousand congratulations. We rejoice with you; we unite our joy with that of the Saints and Blessed; We add our praise to those you give to the Creator for such an immense favor. Yes, blessed souls, rejoice.
There is no more sadness or anguish for you; The dangers and temptations are over. Now you have the peace, happiness, joy, joy, consolation and eternal rest of the blessed. What glory for you if with our suffrages we anticipate your eternal happiness! Therefore, triumph, reign and enjoy Heaven, but do not forget us, who still fight on earth; look at us with compassion, because we are surrounded by numerous and terrible enemies.
Since you are so powerful before God, pray for your devotees, so that we may be faithful and constant in the service of God and may also praise and bless Him one day with you eternally in heavenly glory. Amen.
Third Day
ACT OF CONTRITION
— Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, Creator and Redeemer of mine, in whom I firmly believe and hope and Whom I love more than myself, more than all things, weigh me down, Lord, with all my heart for having offended you, for being who you are, so good, holy, kind and adorable; It also weighs me down, because with my sins I have deserved the punishments of Purgatory, and, who knows, even the eternal torments of Hell.
I propose, helped by Your grace, never to sin again, to flee from all occasions of offending You, to confess, to correct and amend my errors and to persevere until death in Your friendship. I ask You, my God, for this grace, for the love You have for the blessed souls in Purgatory, for the merits of Your passion and for the pains of Your most afflicted Mother. Amen.
INITIAL PRAYER
— O Eternal Father, loving and merciful, who, impelled by Your infinite mercy, loved the world so much, to the point of giving it Your Only Begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him should not perish, but live eternally, You will allow chance, O Lord, May these dear souls, Your daughters and wives of Jesus Christ, who purchased them with the infinite price of His Blood, suffer for a long time in Purgatory?
Have mercy on these afflicted prisoners and free them from their pains and torments. Also have compassion on my poor soul, freeing it from the abyss of sin. And if Your justice, not yet satisfied, demands greater reparation for the faults they have committed, I offer You the acts of virtues that I practice during this novena.
They are all worth nothing, or very little, it is true; but I offer them to you united with the merits of Jesus Christ, the pains of His Most Holy Mother and the heroic virtues of all the righteous souls who have lived in the world until today. Have mercy on the living and the dead and grant us all the grace to sing the triumphs of Your mercy one day in Heaven. Amen.
THIRD DAY
Another major penalty that afflicts the blessed souls in Purgatory is the consideration of the sins that are expiated. In the present life, the ugliness of sins is not well known, but it is clearly understood in the next, and this is one of the most acute pains that souls in Purgatory suffer.
Oh my God! I love you above all things because you are Infinite Goodness; It weighs me down with all my heart to have offended you; I would rather die than offend you again; grant me the grace of holy perseverance; Have mercy on me and on the holy souls who are still purifying themselves in that scorching fire.
And you, Mary, Mother of God, help them with your powerful supplications, and also pray for us, who are still in danger of condemning ourselves. Amen.
5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys for the souls who suffer most.
PURPOSE
— In the morning we will try to suffer with patience the works that God sends us and the offenses of our neighbors, in favor of the blessed souls.
FINAL PRAYERS
We now commend to Jesus Christ and his Most Holy Mother all the souls in Purgatory and, in particular, those of our relatives, benefactors, friends and enemies and, above all, those for whom we have an obligation to pray.
Supplications to Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, through the pains of his Passion, He may have compassion on the souls in Purgatory:
O most sweet Jesus, for the sweat of blood that you shed in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your most cruel flagellation, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your crowning with thorns, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the pains you suffered carrying the Cross, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the immense pain You suffered when Your soul was separated from Your most sacred Body, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
Let us commend ourselves to all the souls in Purgatory, saying:
O blessed souls, since we ask God for you, who are so loved by the Lord, and have the certainty of never losing Him again, I ask Him for us too, who are still in danger of condemning ourselves and losing God to always. Amen.
V. Give them, Lord, eternal rest.
A. And the perpetual light illuminate them.
V. Rest in peace.
A. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my supplication.
R. And let my cry rise to you.
PRAYER
— O God, Creator and Redeemer of all men, grant to the souls of your servants and handmaids (and, especially, to the soul of…) the remission of all their sins, so that, through our humble supplications, they may obtain from Your mercy the forgiveness they always desired. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the blessed souls, freed from Purgatory by our suffrages (for the last day of the novena). — O happy and blessed souls, who had the grace to enter the heavenly homeland! We congratulate you with all the outpouring of our hearts and in the name of the entire Church we give you a thousand congratulations. We rejoice with you; we unite our joy with that of the Saints and Blessed; We add our praise to those you give to the Creator for such an immense favor. Yes, blessed souls, rejoice.
There is no more sadness or anguish for you; The dangers and temptations are over. Now you have the peace, happiness, joy, joy, consolation and eternal rest of the blessed. What glory for you if with our suffrages we anticipate your eternal happiness! Therefore, triumph, reign and enjoy Heaven, but do not forget us, who still fight on earth; look at us with compassion, because we are surrounded by numerous and terrible enemies.
Since you are so powerful before God, pray for your devotees, so that we may be faithful and constant in the service of God and may also praise and bless Him one day with you eternally in heavenly glory. Amen.
Fourth Day
ACT OF CONTRITION
— Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, Creator and Redeemer of mine, in whom I firmly believe and hope and Whom I love more than myself, more than all things, weigh me down, Lord, with all my heart for having offended you, for being who you are, so good, holy, kind and adorable; It also weighs me down, because with my sins I have deserved the punishments of Purgatory, and, who knows, even the eternal torments of Hell.
I propose, helped by Your grace, never to sin again, to flee from all occasions of offending You, to confess, to correct and amend my errors and to persevere until death in Your friendship. I ask You, my God, for this grace, for the love You have for the blessed souls in Purgatory, for the merits of Your passion and for the pains of Your most afflicted Mother. Amen.
INITIAL PRAYER
— O Eternal Father, loving and merciful, who, impelled by Your infinite mercy, loved the world so much, to the point of giving it Your Only Begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him should not perish, but live eternally, You will allow chance, O Lord, May these dear souls, Your daughters and wives of Jesus Christ, who purchased them with the infinite price of His Blood, suffer for a long time in Purgatory?
Have mercy on these afflicted prisoners and free them from their pains and torments. Also have compassion on my poor soul, freeing it from the abyss of sin. And if Your justice, not yet satisfied, demands greater reparation for the faults they have committed, I offer You the acts of virtues that I practice during this novena.
They are all worth nothing, or very little, it is true; but I offer them to you united with the merits of Jesus Christ, the pains of His Most Holy Mother and the heroic virtues of all the righteous souls who have lived in the world until today. Have mercy on the living and the dead and grant us all the grace to sing the triumphs of Your mercy one day in Heaven. Amen.
FOURTH DAY
Another penalty that greatly afflicts souls in Purgatory, wives of Jesus Christ, is the thought that, during their lives, they displeased the God they love so much with their sins. Penitents have been seen dying of pain, when they reflect that they have offended such a good God. Much better than us, the souls in Purgatory know how lovable God is, and therefore they love Him with all the strength of their hearts, and, when they reflect on the fact that they disliked Him in this life, they experience a pain greater than any other.
Oh my God! Because you are infinite goodness, I regret with all my heart having offended you, I would rather die than offend you again. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance; Have mercy on me and on those holy souls who still suffer in the fire of Purgatory and who love you with all their hearts. And you, Mary, Mother of God, help them with your powerful supplications. Amen.
5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys for the souls who suffer most.
PURPOSE
— Let us form the intention of kissing the earth three times in the morning, in praise of the blessed souls, and in satisfaction of the lofty words we say; and, if we want to humble ourselves more, we can make a small cross on the ground with our tongue.
FINAL PRAYERS
We now commend to Jesus Christ and his Most Holy Mother all the souls in Purgatory and, in particular, those of our relatives, benefactors, friends and enemies and, above all, those for whom we have an obligation to pray.
Supplications to Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, through the pains of his Passion, He may have compassion on the souls in Purgatory:
O most sweet Jesus, for the sweat of blood that you shed in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your most cruel flagellation, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your crowning with thorns, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the pains you suffered carrying the Cross, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the immense pain You suffered when Your soul was separated from Your most sacred Body, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
Let us commend ourselves to all the souls in Purgatory, saying:
O blessed souls, since we ask God for you, who are so loved by the Lord, and have the certainty of never losing Him again, I ask Him for us too, who are still in danger of condemning ourselves and losing God to always. Amen.
V. Give them, Lord, eternal rest.
A. And the perpetual light illuminate them.
V. Rest in peace.
A. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my supplication.
R. And let my cry rise to you.
PRAYER
— O God, Creator and Redeemer of all men, grant to the souls of your servants and handmaids (and, especially, to the soul of…) the remission of all their sins, so that, through our humble supplications, they may obtain from Your mercy the forgiveness they always desired. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the blessed souls, freed from Purgatory by our suffrages (for the last day of the novena). — O happy and blessed souls, who had the grace to enter the heavenly homeland! We congratulate you with all the outpouring of our hearts and in the name of the entire Church we give you a thousand congratulations. We rejoice with you; we unite our joy with that of the Saints and Blessed; We add our praise to those you give to the Creator for such an immense favor. Yes, blessed souls, rejoice.
There is no more sadness or anguish for you; The dangers and temptations are over. Now you have the peace, happiness, joy, joy, consolation and eternal rest of the blessed. What glory for you if with our suffrages we anticipate your eternal happiness! Therefore, triumph, reign and enjoy Heaven, but do not forget us, who still fight on earth; look at us with compassion, because we are surrounded by numerous and terrible enemies.
Since you are so powerful before God, pray for your devotees, so that we may be faithful and constant in the service of God and may also praise and bless Him one day with you eternally in heavenly glory. Amen.
Fifth Day
ACT OF CONTRITION
— Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, Creator and Redeemer of mine, in whom I firmly believe and hope and Whom I love more than myself, more than all things, weigh me down, Lord, with all my heart for having offended you, for being who you are, so good, holy, kind and adorable; It also weighs me down, because with my sins I have deserved the punishments of Purgatory, and, who knows, even the eternal torments of Hell.
I propose, helped by Your grace, never to sin again, to flee from all occasions of offending You, to confess, to correct and amend my errors and to persevere until death in Your friendship. I ask You, my God, for this grace, for the love You have for the blessed souls in Purgatory, for the merits of Your passion and for the pains of Your most afflicted Mother. Amen.
INITIAL PRAYER
— O Eternal Father, loving and merciful, who, impelled by Your infinite mercy, loved the world so much, to the point of giving it Your Only Begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him should not perish, but live eternally, You will allow chance, O Lord, May these dear souls, Your daughters and wives of Jesus Christ, who purchased them with the infinite price of His Blood, suffer for a long time in Purgatory?
Have mercy on these afflicted prisoners and free them from their pains and torments. Also have compassion on my poor soul, freeing it from the abyss of sin. And if Your justice, not yet satisfied, demands greater reparation for the faults they have committed, I offer You the acts of virtues that I practice during this novena.
They are all worth nothing, or very little, it is true; but I offer them to you united with the merits of Jesus Christ, the pains of His Most Holy Mother and the heroic virtues of all the righteous souls who have lived in the world until today. Have mercy on the living and the dead and grant us all the grace to sing the triumphs of Your mercy one day in Heaven. Amen.
FIFTH DAY
Another penalty that horribly tortures the blessed souls in Purgatory is having to suffer the heat of a scorching fire without knowing when their torments will end. It is true that they are sure that one day they will be free from them; but the uncertainty of the time in which they will end is a very serious torment for them.
The Lord! What a great misfortune it would be if you had thrown me into Hell, into that place of torment from which I would certainly never emerge again! I love you above all things, Infinite Kindness, and I regret having offended you; I would rather die than offend you again. Grant me grace through the intermediary of the holy souls who are still finishing their purification in the fire of Purgatory. And you, Mary, Mother of God, help them with your powerful supplications. Amen.
5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys for the souls who suffer most.
PURPOSE
— Do not eat anything outside the usual hours, or do any bodily mortification in support of the souls in Purgatory.
FINAL PRAYERS
We now commend to Jesus Christ and his Most Holy Mother all the souls in Purgatory and, in particular, those of our relatives, benefactors, friends and enemies and, above all, those for whom we have an obligation to pray.
Supplications to Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, through the pains of his Passion, He may have compassion on the souls in Purgatory:
O most sweet Jesus, for the sweat of blood that you shed in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your most cruel flagellation, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your crowning with thorns, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the pains you suffered carrying the Cross, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the immense pain You suffered when Your soul was separated from Your most sacred Body, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
Let us commend ourselves to all the souls in Purgatory, saying:
O blessed souls, since we ask God for you, who are so loved by the Lord, and have the certainty of never losing Him again, I ask Him for us too, who are still in danger of condemning ourselves and losing God to always. Amen.
V. Give them, Lord, eternal rest.
A. And the perpetual light illuminate them.
V. Rest in peace.
A. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my supplication.
R. And let my cry rise to you.
PRAYER
— O God, Creator and Redeemer of all men, grant to the souls of your servants and handmaids (and, especially, to the soul of…) the remission of all their sins, so that, through our humble supplications, they may obtain from Your mercy the forgiveness they always desired. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the blessed souls, freed from Purgatory by our suffrages (for the last day of the novena). — O happy and blessed souls, who had the grace to enter the heavenly homeland! We congratulate you with all the outpouring of our hearts and in the name of the entire Church we give you a thousand congratulations. We rejoice with you; we unite our joy with that of the Saints and Blessed; We add our praise to those you give to the Creator for such an immense favor. Yes, blessed souls, rejoice.
There is no more sadness or anguish for you; The dangers and temptations are over. Now you have the peace, happiness, joy, joy, consolation and eternal rest of the blessed. What glory for you if with our suffrages we anticipate your eternal happiness! Therefore, triumph, reign and enjoy Heaven, but do not forget us, who still fight on earth; look at us with compassion, because we are surrounded by numerous and terrible enemies.
Since you are so powerful before God, pray for your devotees, so that we may be faithful and constant in the service of God and may also praise and bless Him one day with you eternally in heavenly glory. Amen.
Sixth Day
ACT OF CONTRITION
— Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, Creator and Redeemer of mine, in whom I firmly believe and hope and Whom I love more than myself, more than all things, weigh me down, Lord, with all my heart for having offended you, for being who you are, so good, holy, kind and adorable; It also weighs me down, because with my sins I have deserved the punishments of Purgatory, and, who knows, even the eternal torments of Hell.
I propose, helped by Your grace, never to sin again, to flee from all occasions of offending You, to confess, to correct and amend my errors and to persevere until death in Your friendship. I ask You, my God, for this grace, for the love You have for the blessed souls in Purgatory, for the merits of Your passion and for the pains of Your most afflicted Mother. Amen.
INITIAL PRAYER
— O Eternal Father, loving and merciful, who, impelled by Your infinite mercy, loved the world so much, to the point of giving it Your Only Begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him should not perish, but live eternally, You will allow chance, O Lord, May these dear souls, Your daughters and wives of Jesus Christ, who purchased them with the infinite price of His Blood, suffer for a long time in Purgatory?
Have mercy on these afflicted prisoners and free them from their pains and torments. Also have compassion on my poor soul, freeing it from the abyss of sin. And if Your justice, not yet satisfied, demands greater reparation for the faults they have committed, I offer You the acts of virtues that I practice during this novena.
They are all worth nothing, or very little, it is true; but I offer them to you united with the merits of Jesus Christ, the pains of His Most Holy Mother and the heroic virtues of all the righteous souls who have lived in the world until today. Have mercy on the living and the dead and grant us all the grace to sing the triumphs of Your mercy one day in Heaven. Amen.
SIXTH DAY
The greater the consolation that the blessed souls in Purgatory feel, provided by the memory of the Passion of Jesus Christ, by whose merits they were saved, and of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, which gave them so many graces and still gives them, through Masses and communions applied For them, the thought of not having responded to these two great benefits of the love of Jesus Christ torments them all the more.
O my Lord Jesus Christ! You also died for me and have often given yourself to me in Holy Communion; and I have always responded to you with the reticent ingratitude of our not yet mature souls; but now I love you above all things, my supreme Good. I regret with all my heart having offended you and I would rather die than offend you again. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance and have mercy on me and the souls who still suffer in Purgatory. And you, Mary, Mother of God, help them with your powerful supplications. Amen.
5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys for the souls who suffer most.
PURPOSE
— To apply for the suffrage of the souls in Purgatory a partial indulgence that can be gained by each time one says devoutly: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul”.
FINAL PRAYERS
We now commend to Jesus Christ and his Most Holy Mother all the souls in Purgatory and, in particular, those of our relatives, benefactors, friends and enemies and, above all, those for whom we have an obligation to pray.
Supplications to Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, through the pains of his Passion, He may have compassion on the souls in Purgatory:
O most sweet Jesus, for the sweat of blood that you shed in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your most cruel flagellation, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your crowning with thorns, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the pains you suffered carrying the Cross, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the immense pain You suffered when Your soul was separated from Your most sacred Body, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
Let us commend ourselves to all the souls in Purgatory, saying:
O blessed souls, since we ask God for you, who are so loved by the Lord, and have the certainty of never losing Him again, I ask Him for us too, who are still in danger of condemning ourselves and losing God to always. Amen.
V. Give them, Lord, eternal rest.
A. And the perpetual light illuminate them.
V. Rest in peace.
A. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my supplication.
R. And let my cry rise to you.
PRAYER
— O God, Creator and Redeemer of all men, grant to the souls of your servants and handmaids (and, especially, to the soul of…) the remission of all their sins, so that, through our humble supplications, they may obtain from Your mercy the forgiveness they always desired. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the blessed souls, freed from Purgatory by our suffrages (for the last day of the novena). — O happy and blessed souls, who had the grace to enter the heavenly homeland! We congratulate you with all the outpouring of our hearts and in the name of the entire Church we give you a thousand congratulations. We rejoice with you; we unite our joy with that of the Saints and Blessed; We add our praise to those you give to the Creator for such an immense favor. Yes, blessed souls, rejoice.
There is no more sadness or anguish for you; The dangers and temptations are over. Now you have the peace, happiness, joy, joy, consolation and eternal rest of the blessed. What glory for you if with our suffrages we anticipate your eternal happiness! Therefore, triumph, reign and enjoy Heaven, but do not forget us, who still fight on earth; look at us with compassion, because we are surrounded by numerous and terrible enemies.
Since you are so powerful before God, pray for your devotees, so that we may be faithful and constant in the service of God and may also praise and bless Him one day with you eternally in heavenly glory. Amen.
Seventh Day
ACT OF CONTRITION
— Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, Creator and Redeemer of mine, in whom I firmly believe and hope and Whom I love more than myself, more than all things, weigh me down, Lord, with all my heart for having offended you, for being who you are, so good, holy, kind and adorable; It also weighs me down, because with my sins I have deserved the punishments of Purgatory, and, who knows, even the eternal torments of Hell.
I propose, helped by Your grace, never to sin again, to flee from all occasions of offending You, to confess, to correct and amend my errors and to persevere until death in Your friendship. I ask You, my God, for this grace, for the love You have for the blessed souls in Purgatory, for the merits of Your passion and for the pains of Your most afflicted Mother. Amen.
INITIAL PRAYER
— O Eternal Father, loving and merciful, who, impelled by Your infinite mercy, loved the world so much, to the point of giving it Your Only Begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him should not perish, but live eternally, You will allow chance, O Lord, May these dear souls, Your daughters and wives of Jesus Christ, who purchased them with the infinite price of His Blood, suffer for a long time in Purgatory?
Have mercy on these afflicted prisoners and free them from their pains and torments. Also have compassion on my poor soul, freeing it from the abyss of sin. And if Your justice, not yet satisfied, demands greater reparation for the faults they have committed, I offer You the acts of virtues that I practice during this novena.
They are all worth nothing, or very little, it is true; but I offer them to you united with the merits of Jesus Christ, the pains of His Most Holy Mother and the heroic virtues of all the righteous souls who have lived in the world until today. Have mercy on the living and the dead and grant us all the grace to sing the triumphs of Your mercy one day in Heaven. Amen.
SEVENTH DAY
The suffering of the blessed souls in Purgatory also increases when remembering the particular benefits they received from God, such as having been born in a Catholic country, having received Baptism and having God wait for them to do penance for their sins in order to obtain their forgiveness; because all these favors now make them better aware of the ingratitude with which they responded to God.
Oh my God! Who has been more ungrateful than me? You have waited for me with so much patience, you have forgiven me my crimes so many times and with so much love, and I, after so many promises, have once again offended you.
Oh! Don’t rush me into Hell. O Infinite Goodness! I sincerely regret having offended you and I would rather die than offend you again. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance and have mercy on me and on the souls that still groan in the fire of Purgatory. And you, Mary, Mother of God, help them with your powerful supplications. Amen.
5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys for the souls who suffer most.
PURPOSE
— Give alms in support of the souls in Purgatory.
FINAL PRAYERS
We now commend to Jesus Christ and his Most Holy Mother all the souls in Purgatory and, in particular, those of our relatives, benefactors, friends and enemies and, above all, those for whom we have an obligation to pray.
Supplications to Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, through the pains of his Passion, He may have compassion on the souls in Purgatory:
O most sweet Jesus, for the sweat of blood that you shed in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your most cruel flagellation, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your crowning with thorns, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the pains you suffered carrying the Cross, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the immense pain You suffered when Your soul was separated from Your most sacred Body, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
Let us commend ourselves to all the souls in Purgatory, saying:
O blessed souls, since we ask God for you, who are so loved by the Lord, and have the certainty of never losing Him again, I ask Him for us too, who are still in danger of condemning ourselves and losing God to always. Amen.
V. Give them, Lord, eternal rest.
A. And the perpetual light illuminate them.
V. Rest in peace.
A. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my supplication.
R. And let my cry rise to you.
PRAYER
— O God, Creator and Redeemer of all men, grant to the souls of your servants and handmaids (and, especially, to the soul of…) the remission of all their sins, so that, through our humble supplications, they may obtain from Your mercy the forgiveness they always desired. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the blessed souls, freed from Purgatory by our suffrages (for the last day of the novena). — O happy and blessed souls, who had the grace to enter the heavenly homeland! We congratulate you with all the outpouring of our hearts and in the name of the entire Church we give you a thousand congratulations. We rejoice with you; we unite our joy with that of the Saints and Blessed; We add our praise to those you give to the Creator for such an immense favor. Yes, blessed souls, rejoice.
There is no more sadness or anguish for you; The dangers and temptations are over. Now you have the peace, happiness, joy, joy, consolation and eternal rest of the blessed. What glory for you if with our suffrages we anticipate your eternal happiness! Therefore, triumph, reign and enjoy Heaven, but do not forget us, who still fight on earth; Look at us with compassion, because we are surrounded by numerous and terrible enemies.
Since you are so powerful before God, pray for your devotees, so that we may be faithful and constant in the service of God and may also praise and bless Him one day with you eternally in heavenly glory. Amen.
Eighth Day
ACT OF CONTRITION
— Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, Creator and Redeemer of mine, in whom I firmly believe and hope and Whom I love more than myself, more than all things, weigh me down, Lord, with all my heart for having offended you, for being who you are, so good, holy, kind and adorable; It also weighs me down, because with my sins I have deserved the punishments of Purgatory, and, who knows, even the eternal torments of Hell.
I propose, helped by Your grace, never to sin again, to flee from all occasions of offending You, to confess, to correct and amend my errors and to persevere until death in Your friendship. I ask You, my God, for this grace, for the love You have for the blessed souls in Purgatory, for the merits of Your passion and for the pains of Your most afflicted Mother. Amen.
INITIAL PRAYER
— O Eternal Father, loving and merciful, who, impelled by Your infinite mercy, loved the world so much, to the point of giving it Your Only Begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him should not perish, but live eternally, You will allow chance, O Lord, May these dear souls, Your daughters and wives of Jesus Christ, who purchased them with the infinite price of His Blood, suffer for a long time in Purgatory?
Have mercy on these afflicted prisoners and free them from their pains and torments. Also have compassion on my poor soul, freeing it from the abyss of sin. And if Your justice, not yet satisfied, demands greater reparation for the faults they have committed, I offer You the acts of virtues that I practice during this novena.
They are all worth nothing, or very little, it is true; but I offer them to you united with the merits of Jesus Christ, the pains of His Most Holy Mother and the heroic virtues of all the righteous souls who have lived in the world until today. Have mercy on the living and the dead and grant us all the grace to sing the triumphs of Your mercy one day in Heaven. Amen.
EIGHTH DAY
Another penalty that greatly tortures the blessed souls in Purgatory is the thought that, during their lives, God used many special mercies towards them that He did not give to many others; and the memory also that with their sins they often forced Him to withdraw their friendship and condemn them to Hell, even though He later granted them forgiveness and the grace of salvation.
Lord, I am one of those ungrateful people who, after having received so many graces from you, have despised your love and forced you to condemn me to Hell. But now, O Infinite Goodness, I promise that I will always love you above all things; I regret, with all my soul, having offended you and I would rather die than offend you again.
Grant me the grace of holy perseverance, and have mercy on me and the souls in Purgatory. And you, Mary, Mother of God, help them with your powerful supplications. Amen.
5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys for the souls who suffer most.
PURPOSE
— The greatest suffrage that the blessed souls demand from us, and the most important for us and pleasing to God, is to make a good confession for them, not hiding any sin, and with true pain and repentance.
FINAL PRAYERS
We now commend to Jesus Christ and his Most Holy Mother all the souls in Purgatory and, in particular, those of our relatives, benefactors, friends and enemies and, above all, those for whom we have an obligation to pray.
Supplications to Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, through the pains of his Passion, He may have compassion on the souls in Purgatory:
O most sweet Jesus, for the sweat of blood that you shed in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your most cruel flagellation, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your crowning with thorns, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the pains you suffered carrying the Cross, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the immense pain You suffered when Your soul was separated from Your most sacred Body, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
Let us commend ourselves to all the souls in Purgatory, saying:
O blessed souls, since we ask God for you, who are so loved by the Lord, and have the certainty of never losing Him again, I ask Him for us too, who are still in danger of condemning ourselves and losing God to always. Amen.
V. Give them, Lord, eternal rest.
A. And the perpetual light illuminate them.
V. Rest in peace.
A. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my plea.
R. And let my cry rise to you.
PRAYER
— O God, Creator and Redeemer of all men, grant to the souls of your servants and handmaids (and, especially, to the soul of…) the remission of all their sins, so that, through our humble supplications, they may obtain from Your mercy the forgiveness they always desired. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the blessed souls, freed from Purgatory by our suffrages (for the last day of the novena). — O happy and blessed souls, who had the grace to enter the heavenly homeland! We congratulate you with all the outpouring of our hearts and in the name of the entire Church we give you a thousand congratulations. We rejoice with you; we unite our joy with that of the Saints and Blessed; We add our praise to those you give to the Creator for such an immense favor. Yes, blessed souls, rejoice.
There is no more sadness or anguish for you; The dangers and temptations are over. Now you have the peace, happiness, joy, joy, consolation and eternal rest of the blessed. What glory for you if with our suffrages we anticipate your eternal happiness! Therefore, triumph, reign and enjoy Heaven, but do not forget us, who still fight on earth; look at us with compassion, because we are surrounded by numerous and terrible enemies.
Since you are so powerful before God, pray for your devotees, so that we may be faithful and constant in the service of God and may also praise and bless Him one day with you eternally in heavenly glory. Amen.
Ninth Day
ACT OF CONTRITION
— Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, Creator and Redeemer of mine, in whom I firmly believe and hope and Whom I love more than myself, more than all things, weigh me down, Lord, with all my heart for having offended you, for being who you are, so good, holy, kind and adorable; It also weighs me down, because with my sins I have deserved the punishments of Purgatory, and, who knows, even the eternal torments of Hell.
I propose, helped by Your grace, never to sin again, to flee from all occasions of offending You, to confess, to correct and amend my errors and to persevere until death in Your friendship. I ask You, my God, for this grace, for the love You have for the blessed souls in Purgatory, for the merits of Your passion and for the pains of Your most afflicted Mother. Amen.
INITIAL PRAYER
— O Eternal Father, loving and merciful, who, impelled by Your infinite mercy, loved the world so much, to the point of giving it Your Only Begotten Son, so that those who believe in Him should not perish, but live eternally, You will allow chance, O Lord, May these dear souls, Your daughters and wives of Jesus Christ, who purchased them with the infinite price of His Blood, suffer for a long time in Purgatory?
Have mercy on these afflicted prisoners and free them from their pains and torments. Also have compassion on my poor soul, freeing it from the abyss of sin. And if Your justice, not yet satisfied, demands greater reparation for the faults they have committed, I offer You the acts of virtues that I practice during this novena.
They are all worth nothing, or very little, it is true; but I offer them to you united with the merits of Jesus Christ, the pains of His Most Holy Mother and the heroic virtues of all the righteous souls who have lived in the world until today. Have mercy on the living and the dead and grant us all the grace to sing the triumphs of Your mercy one day in Heaven. Amen.
NINTH DAY
All the pains that souls suffer in Purgatory are great; the fire, the boredom, the darkness, the uncertainty of the time when they will be free from all these torments; but the greatest of all is to see themselves separated from their divine Husband and deprived of the pleasures of his company.
Oh my God! How have I been able to live so many years away from You and deprived of Your grace? O Infinite Goodness, I love you above all things; I regret, with all my heart, having offended you and I would rather die than offend you again. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance, and do not allow me to fall into your displeasure again.
I ask you to have compassion on the holy souls in Purgatory, ease them in their torments and shorten the time of their exile, admitting them as quickly as possible to the grace of loving you forever in Heaven. And you, Mary, Mother of God, help them with your powerful supplications, and also pray for us, who are still in danger of condemning ourselves. Amen.
5 Our Fathers and 5 Hail Marys for the souls who suffer most.
PURPOSE
— Let us form a firm resolution to offer all our satisfactory works in support of the needy souls in Purgatory.
FINAL PRAYERS
We now commend to Jesus Christ and his Most Holy Mother all the souls in Purgatory and, in particular, those of our relatives, benefactors, friends and enemies and, above all, those for whom we have an obligation to pray.
Supplications to Our Lord Jesus Christ, so that, through the pains of his Passion, He may have compassion on the souls in Purgatory:
O most sweet Jesus, for the sweat of blood that you shed in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your most cruel flagellation, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, through the pains of Your crowning with thorns, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the pains you suffered carrying the Cross, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
O most sweet Jesus, for the immense pain You suffered when Your soul was separated from Your most sacred Body, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory.
Let us commend ourselves to all the souls in Purgatory, saying:
O blessed souls, since we ask God for you, who are so loved by the Lord, and have the certainty of never losing Him again, I ask Him for us too, who are still in danger of condemning ourselves and losing God to always. Amen.
V. Give them, Lord, eternal rest.
A. And the perpetual light illuminate them.
V. Rest in peace.
A. Amen.
V. Lord, hear my supplication.
R. And let my cry rise to you.
PRAYER
— O God, Creator and Redeemer of all men, grant to the souls of your servants and handmaids (and, especially, to the soul of…) the remission of all their sins, so that, through our humble supplications, they may obtain from Your mercy the forgiveness they always desired. You, who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the blessed souls, freed from Purgatory by our suffrages (for the last day of the novena). — O happy and blessed souls, who had the grace to enter the heavenly homeland! We congratulate you with all the outpouring of our hearts and in the name of the entire Church we give you a thousand congratulations. We rejoice with you; we unite our joy with that of the Saints and Blessed; We add our praise to those you give to the Creator for such an immense favor. Yes, blessed souls, rejoice.
There is no more sadness or anguish for you; The dangers and temptations are over. Now you have the peace, happiness, joy, joy, consolation and eternal rest of the blessed. What glory for you if with our suffrages we anticipate your eternal happiness! Therefore, triumph, reign and enjoy Heaven, but do not forget us, who still fight on earth; Look at us with compassion, because we are surrounded by numerous and terrible enemies.
Since you are so powerful before God, pray for your devotees, so that we may be faithful and constant in the service of God and may also praise and bless Him one day with you eternally in heavenly glory. Amen.