# Offering the Precious Blood of Jesus for the Dead
*2020-06-29*

> Bill Young leads a prayer offering the most precious blood of Christ for the souls in purgatory, especially those lost to COVID‑19, and for the recent deaths of Congressman John Lewis and former presidential candidate Herman Cain.

## Why This Prayer Matters

July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, so we focus today on offering that blood for the dead. Recent events—Congressman John Lewis’s funeral, the passing of former presidential hopeful Herman Cain, and the many victims of the COVID‑19 pandemic—remind us of the urgent need for intercessory prayer.

## The Prayer of Offering

Eternal Father, I offer you the blood which Jesus, your beloved Son, shed during the agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, the scourging at the pillar, the crowning with thorns, and the three hours of suffering on the cross. May this precious blood obtain the liberation of the holy souls in purgatory, especially the souls of John Lewis, Herman Cain, and all who have died from the coronavirus (COVID‑19). Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithfully departed, through your mercy, rest in peace. Amen.

## A Closing Invocation

Most lovable Jesus, we humbly implore you to present to the Eternal Father the sorrows of your Sacred Heart, that the holy souls in purgatory may obtain relief from their torments. May your divine mercy be praised forever in heaven. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

## How to Join in Prayer

You are invited to pray the Rosary or any personal devotion in English, Spanish, or your own language. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is offering a live prayer service tonight at 8 p.m. in Spanish; the link is provided on the podcast page.

*May the Precious Blood of Christ bring peace and eternal rest to all who have died, especially those we have lost to COVID‑19.*