NOVENA FOR THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY - NINTH DAY

    NOVENA FOR THE HOLY SOULS IN

                        PURGATORY

           By St. Alphonsus de Liguori

There are none of us who expect to be lost. We know and feel the greatness of the risk we are running but to expect to be lost would be the sin of despair. Hell is only practical to us as a motive of greater diligence, greater strictness, greater circumspectness, greater fear. But it is not so with Purgatory. All of us expect or think ourselves sure, to go there. If we do not think much of the matter at all, then we may have some vague notion of going straight to heaven as soon as we are judged. But if we seriously reflect upon it, upon our own lives, upon God’s sanctity, upon what we read in books of devotion and the lives of the Saints, it is hard to conceive any one of us expecting to escape Purgatory, and not rather feeling that it must be almost a stretch of the divine mercy which will get us even there. It would more likely be vain presumption than heroic hope, if we thought otherwise.
 

                     Ninth Day

Great are all the sufferings of the holy souls the fire, the grief, the darkness, the uncertainty of the time of their deliverance from prison; but the greatest of all these sorrows is this, that these holy souls are separated from their divine Spouse, and deprived of His beatific vision.

                        Prayer

O my God! how was it possible that I, for so many years, have borne tranquilly the separation from Thee and Thy holy grace! O infinite Goodness, how long-suffering hast Thou shown Thyself to me! Henceforth, I shall love Thee above all things. I am deeply sorry for having offended Thee; I promise rather to die than to again offend Thee. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance, and do not permit that I should ever again fall into sin. Have compassion on the holy souls suffering in Purgatory. I pray Thee, moderate their sufferings; shorten the time of their misery; call them soon unto Thee in heaven, that they may behold Thee face to face, and forever love Thee. Mary, Mother of Mercy, come to their aid with thy powerful intercession, and pray for us also who are still in danger of eternal damnation.

                    Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

                 Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Prayer to Our Suffering Saviour for the Souls in Purgatory

V. O most sweet Jesus, through that sweat of blood which Thou didst suffer in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on these holy souls.

R.  Have mercy on them, O Lord, have mercy on them.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer during Thy most cruel Scourging, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord, have mercy on them.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in Thy most painful Crowning with Thorns, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord, have mercy on them.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in carrying Thy Cross to Calvary, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord, have mercy on them.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer during Thy most cruel Crucifixion, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord, have mercy on them.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the pains which Thou didst suffer in Thy most bitter Agony on the Cross, have mercy on them.

R.  Have mercy on them, O Lord, have mercy on them.

V. O most sweet Jesus, through the immense pain which Thou didst suffer in breathing forth Thy Blessed Soul, have mercy on them.

R. Have mercy on them, O Lord, have mercy on them.

(Here recommend yourself to the souls in Purgatory and mention the favor you wish to obtain by this Novena.)

Blessed Souls, we have prayed for you; we entreat you, who are so dear to God, and who are secure of never losing Him, to pray for us miserable sinners, who are in danger of being damned and of losing God forever. Amen.