# Prayers for the souls in purgatory and the divine mercy novena
*2021-04-30*

> Bill Young and John O'Rourke lead a series of devotions focused on the souls in purgatory, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and the second day of the Divine Mercy Novena.

## Prayers for the Souls in Purgatory

Today is Sunday, and we are focusing on the indulged prayers for every day of the week for the souls in purgatory. The specific prayer for Sunday is as follows: 'O Lord God Almighty, I ask you by the precious blood which your divine Son, Jesus, shed in the garden, deliver the souls in purgatory, and especially those among them who are most desolate, devoid of spiritual aid, and longing to be brought into your glory. Praise and bless you forever. Amen.'

## The Chaplet and the De Profundis

Following the opening prayer to the source of life and divine mercy, we pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the Apostles' Creed. We also include the De Profundis prayer from Psalm 130, verses 2 through 5: 'Lord, hear my voice. Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. O Lord, shouldst thou mark our iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared. If I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in his word do I hope.'

We then move into the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, offering the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in atonement for the sake of His sorrowful passion, asking for mercy upon us and the whole world.

## Novena for Priests and Religious

Today marks the second day of the Novena to Divine Mercy, which is dedicated to the souls of priests and religious. This is a particularly poignant time as many priests are finishing their current assignments. I recently attended the final Mass of Father Gary, whom I have followed from St. Gregory's and St. David's as he moves on to All Saints in Broward County.

We pray that the Lord increases His graces in men and women consecrated to His service, that they may perform worthy works of mercy and guide others toward the way of salvation. We ask the Eternal Father to turn His merciful gaze upon the chosen ones in His vineyard and endow them with the strength of His blessing.

## The Litany of Divine Mercy and Final Offering

We conclude with the Litany of Divine Mercy, as given to St. Faustina by our Lord. Through this litany, we acknowledge the divine mercy that gushes forth from the bosom of the Father, the mercy that shields us from the fires of hell, and the mercy that is the only hope for despairing souls, responding to each invocation with 'I trust in you.'

Finally, we offer a prayer of sacrifice given by Our Lady of Fatima on July 13, 1917: 'O Jesus, this is for the love of you, for the conversion of poor sinners and in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart. Amen.'

*Through the Chaplet, the Novena, and the Litany, we entrust the souls in purgatory and the consecrated religious to the boundless mercy of God.*