Prayers for the holy souls in purgatory

harperlee

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I read that if you are need of help you should pray to the holy souls in purgatory for their intercison in the matter. It is mean't to be a very powerful prayer, you say it like a novena and then offer a mass for them. The prayer below is said to release many souls every time it is said.

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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]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.

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Genghiz Cohen

Here's something that's always confused me.
Do you pray for a specific person, or just for people in general?
If it's for a specific person, how do you know when you've prayed enough?

It kinda sounds like bargaining with God when you think about it...

harperlee

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Here's something that's always confused me.
Do you pray for a specific person, or just for people in general?
If it's for a specific person, how do you know when you've prayed enough?

It kinda sounds like bargaining with God when you think about it...

As far as I know you just pray for people in general. I have no idea of knowing when you have prayed enough, maybe when your prayer has been answered. Maybe it does sound like your are bargaining with God, but as the saying goes, " You don't get something for nothing", so I guess its a fair trade, if you pray for them, they in turn will help you.

amacachi

Is purgatory back now?

Manach

AFAIK, It never went away - I believe it was the concept of limbo was was in limbo.

PDN

Not trying to be funny here, but if they're holy then why are they still in purgatory?

homer911

PDN wrote: »

Not trying to be funny here, but if they're holy then why are they still in purgatory?

...assuming there is. PDN is being kind.

georgieporgy

PDN wrote: »

Not trying to be funny here, but if they're holy then why are they still in purgatory?

We call them the 'holy' souls which differentiates them from the 'lost' souls.

all those those in heaven are referred to as saints. of course we don't know who is in which place so catholics generally assume their loved ones are in purgatory and therefore pray for them. should those relatives already be in heaven and have no need of such prayers then the 'value' of such prayers goes into the general treasury of the church to be dispensed where needed. for example, there are many who die alone and forgotten. this leads us to a discussion on indulgences but I suspect you don't want to go there?:)

georgieporgy

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Here's something that's always confused me.
Do you pray for a specific person, or just for people in general?
If it's for a specific person, how do you know when you've prayed enough?

It kinda sounds like bargaining with God when you think about it...

you can pray for an individual or as many as you like. some people have difficulty understanding what is meant by prayer. remember Jesus instructs us to "pray always". and "ask and you shall receive".

harperlee

Another quick prayer you can say for them throughout the day is

Jesus and Mary I love you, save souls.

antiskeptic

georgieporgy wrote: »

We call them the 'holy' souls which differentiates them from the 'lost' souls.

Holy souls that aren't yet holy. Gotcha..

all those those in heaven are referred to as saints.

Yet the bible refers to those in Christ alive on this very earth as 'saints'.

of course we don't know who is in which place so catholics generally assume their loved ones are in purgatory and therefore pray for them. should those relatives already be in heaven and have no need of such prayers then the 'value' of such prayers goes into the general treasury of the church to be dispensed where needed. for example, there are many who die alone and forgotten. this leads us to a discussion on indulgences but I suspect you don't want to go there?:)

If it looks like mumbo jumbo, walks like mumbo jumbo and quacks like mumbo jumbo... then in all likelyhood.

georgieporgy

I guess we won't have to worry about you then

PDN

It would be helpful if our posters had the good manners not to turn every thread into a Protestant/Catholic debate.

I don't want to get heavy with the moderating, so let's try this the polite way. If Catholics (or Evangelicals, or any other shade or stripe of Christianity) are looking to share info with each other, then others are free to ask for clarification or explanation, but not to pick arguments.

newmug

PDN wrote: »

Not trying to be funny here, but if they're holy then why are they still in purgatory?

I always took it to mean that they are "good", as in they weren't evil people, but they may have been misguided in life, non-Catholics, Catholics who sinned gravely etc.

Purgatory is like Heavens waiting room. You need to be "processed" before you're allowed in, because nobody but saints can get in to Heaven.

Also, I was always taught Purgatory is hell, except with a return ticket. It makes sense. For every sin you ever committed, say you spend an day on fire, you could end up being another few Earth-lifetimes in hell before being "purged" enough to be allowed into Heaven. Paying God back, if you will.

Then again, there's people who've suffered enough in life to enter heaven straight away. Lucky them. Indeed, is it not the belief that if you dont get to Heaven straight away, you have to go to hell / purgatory anyway until judgement day?

But as to why they're referred to as "holy", as opposed to being "damned", I always thought its because they were inherently good, and are earmarked for heaven eventually.

Festus

PDN wrote: »

Not trying to be funny here, but if they're holy then why are they still in purgatory?

^^^ wot 'e said

They're not in hell hence not unholy and they will get to Heaven eventually hence holy.
All debts must be paid back in full so some could be there a long time if it wasn't for the prayers of the living.

super_furry

I honestly thought that the notion of purgatory was done away with. Or was that just limbo? Come to think of it, what's the difference?

Ghost Buster

super_furry wrote: »

I honestly thought that the notion of purgatory was done away with. Or was that just limbo? Come to think of it, what's the difference?

If Limbo is done away with how are we meant to shimmy under very very low to the ground poles?

strobe

Can I just ask, is it the case that the more often you say the prayer the more 'juice' it has? Like if you say the prayer 100 times it would have more of an effect than saying it 20 times? Also does it depend on who is saying the prayer? Like if a really good Christian says it does it have more bang than a Christian who sins a lot saying it? I have some more questions but they are reliant on the answers to the first two.

newmug

strobe wrote: »

Can I just ask, is it the case that the more often you say the prayer the more 'juice' it has? Like if you say the prayer 100 times it would have more of an effect than saying it 20 times? Also does it depend on who is saying the prayer? Like if a really good Christian says it does it have more bang than a Christian who sins a lot saying it? I have some more questions but they are reliant on the answers to the first two.

My understanding is that a prayer is can be seen like money. A Euro is worth a Euro. But obviously if you have 1000 of them, its better than 10!

And the person saying it irrelevant. Actually, it seems a bit mad, but the worse of a Christian you are, the more bang it has! Keeping with the money comparason, its like if a homeless beggar gives 10 euro to charity, its better than a banker contributing 100 euro.

Either way, its about whats in your heart, not lip service.

krudler

newmug wrote: »

My understanding is that a prayer is can be seen like money. A Euro is worth a Euro. But obviously if you have 1000 of them, its better than 10!

And the person saying it irrelevant. Actually, it seems a bit mad, but the worse of a Christian you are, the more bang it has! Keeping with the money comparason, its like if a homeless beggar gives 10 euro to charity, its better than a banker contributing 100 euro.

Either way, its about whats in your heart, not lip service.

That makes no sense, so the better a Christian you are, the less god listens to your prayers?

newmug

krudler wrote: »

That makes no sense, so the better a Christian you are, the less god listens to your prayers?

Yea I know, sounds mad doesnt it? Read the parable about the prodigal son! Ah no its not that he listens less, its that he gives his attention to those who need it more I suppose

thirtythirty

Who runs purgatory? And why doesn't God forgive the people that go there? Seeing as they weren't bold enough to go to Hell, seems very unchristian for a God of his own religion not to forgive those people....

newmug

spottyelephant wrote: »

Who runs purgatory? And why doesn't God forgive the people that go there? Seeing as they weren't bold enough to go to Hell, seems very unchristian for a God of his own religion not to forgive those people....

My understanding is that the not-going-to-hell part IS your forgiveness! Thats extremely Christian of him! You still have to pay for your sins though, and thats why you get punished in Purgatory for a little while. Its like when a kid breaks a window, you could give out, or you could forgive. But the window still has to be fixed either way.

thirtythirty

newmug wrote: »

My understanding is that the not-going-to-hell part IS your forgiveness! Thats extremely Christian of him! You still have to pay for your sins though, and thats why you get punished in Purgatory for a little while. Its like when a kid breaks a window, you could give out, or you could forgive. But the window still has to be fixed either way.

So you're "forgiven", but a grudge is still held against you? Nice. How grown up of an all-powerful deity! Maybe God should make an appearance on Fade Street...

PDN

Just as a dead animal attracts flies, so a dead thread attracts trolls.