November - Month of the Holy Souls

By Tom Dennehy

November is the month we dedicate to all our loved ones who have died. We should extend this dedication to include all the Holy Souls and especially those who have no one to pray for them. We have an obligation to pray for our dead as they can not pray for themselves. They can however pray and intercede very powerfully for us.

It is one of the great gifts of our Catholic faith to be able to pray for our dead. When we pray for them we are in communication with them and this forms an unbroken spiritual bond. Attending Holy Mass is very powerful as we have the opportunity during the Offertory of the Mass to offer our Mass intentions for them and join with the priest during the Eucharistic Prayer when he prays for all our dead. We can also receive Holy Communion for them. It is most important to get a special Mass offered for them. It doesn’t matter how long it is since they have died. A Mass has infinite value and is the most effective way of helping our dead.

We also fulfil God’s commandment of loving our neighbour when we pray for our dead. They will be there to welcome us with open arms when we meet them again. Jesus speaks of God’s mercy to St. Faustina - “Pray for souls that they may not be afraid to approach the tribunal of My mercy. Do not grow weary of praying for sinners. You know what a burden their souls are to My Heart. Relieve my deadly sorrow; dispense My mercy.”

God’s great mercy has given us Purgatory where we can be purified before we enter Heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us, “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect.” Catechism 1030.

The visionaries of Fatima and Medjugorje were shown by Our Lady a vision of Hell and Purgatory. Also in her diary, “Divine Mercy in My Soul” St. Faustina shares her experience of visiting Hell and Purgatory. These revelations make us aware of the need to pray for our dead and the need to prepare for our own death which can come at an hour we do not expect. We have other writings and witness by Mystics such as Marie Simma, an Austrian mystic, who died in 2004. From her writings and interviews, we get a great insight in to our need to pray continuously for the Holy Souls. If our Holy Souls are in Heaven, we give them greater glory by reaching the Higher Heaven - so never stop praying for them.

How to pray for the Holy Souls:

1. Have Holy Mass offered for them especially on the anniversary of their death. Also if possible attend a family tree generation healing Holy Mass.

2. Attend Holy Mass and offer our intentions for someone who has died.

3. Pray the Rosary for them. Pray the Stations of the Cross.

4. Pray the seven Our Fathers, seven Hail Mary’s and seven Glory Be To The Fathers followed by the Fatima Prayer.

5.Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

6.Pray often this prayer, “Eternal rest grant on to them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.”

7.Pray the prayer of Saint Gertrude. “Eternal Father, I offer you the most precious blood of your 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 own family. Amen.”

8.Visit a graveyard especially during November and gain a plenary indulgence for them

9.Fast and offer up our sufferings for them as many of the Saints did.

10.Pray the Novena to the Holy Souls.

11.Eucharistic Adoration - make acts of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on behalf of those in Purgatory.

12. Give alms and do works of charity.

“Dear children; Today I wish to call you to pray daily for souls in Purgatory. For every soul, prayer and grace is necessary to reach God and the love of God. By doing this, dear children, you obtain new intercessors who will help you in life to realize that all earthly things are not important for you, that it is only Heaven that is necessary to strive.”

Medjugorje message Nov. 6 1986.