Besides the St. Gertrude’s prayer for the Holy Souls and the daily prayers for the Holy Souls, there are many prayers and devotions we can do to help those souls.
1. Have Masses said for them. The most important prayer of the Catholic Church is the Holy Mass. We can have Masses “officially” said for them or we can pray for them whenever we go to Sunday or daily Mass.
2. Pray the rosary. The second best prayer we can pray as Catholics is the holy rosary. It is a good and beautiful practice to pray the rosary every day. And as we do so, we can offer the whole rosary or just a decade for the souls.
3. The Stations of the Cross. The stations of the cross isn’t just for Lent. We can pray the Stations any time and, again, offer them for the holy souls. Traditionally, every Friday is dedicated to remembering the Passion of Jesus, and a good day to pray the Stations of the Cross.
4. Visit a Cemetery. When you visit a cemetery, and say a prayer for the souls, you can gain a partial indulgence* that is applicable only for them. If you visit the cemetery from November 1 through November 8, and say a prayer for the holy souls, you can gain a plenary indulgence for them!
5. Fast for Them. Fasting is a powerful practice. It had fallen out of popularity for a long time, but with the explosion of intermittent fasting, it has gotten more popular again. We can do our own version of intermittent fasting, or you can fast for just one meal or give up between-meal snacks. Or you can fast from television, or social media, or anything else that is important to you. Come up with your own fasting practice. Make it consistent and don’t forget to offer it up for the souls in purgatory.
I hope this little list, along with the other prayers shared this week, will inspire and encourage you to pray for the holy souls in purgatory. Know that those souls will not forget our prayers for them and they will pray for us!
God bless.
