Let us Empty Purgatory!

Started by Xavier, September 16, 2018, 05:55:49 AM

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Xavier

Do you believe it is possible the Church Militant can help completely liberate the Church Suffering? It is said when Jesus descended into limbo, after long expectation by the Prophets and Patriarchs, and prayers from His Virgin Mother and adopted father, He also liberated all the souls in purgatory, giving them a kind of indulgence, on account of His completed act of redemption. Might we not hope that as the Age of Mary draws near, the Lord God will give a similar indulgence to many of the souls in Purgatory? The mission of this site is to help empty Purgatory relying primarily on the prayer revealed by Jesus to St. Gertrude the Great, http://mtep.com/index.html

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus Christ, in union with all 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.

The site's calculation appears to be mistaken, though, because it bases it on the claim that "1000" souls will always be released by this prayer. http://www.catholictradition.org/Gertrude/saint-gertrude7.htm also repeats that belief. But the Catholic Tradition site also mentions in passing that some of these were specific to St. Gertrude, for the Lord also told her, "By the prayers of thy loving soul, I am induced to free a prisoner from Purgatory as often as thou dost move thy tongue to utter a word of prayer!" Obviously, not true for all of us!

So in some prayer cards, you will find the "1000" souls struck and replaced by "some". It seems we can piously believe at least a few souls will be released by our prayers when we say this prayer devoutly, and with great love. As we progress more in sanctity, and become holier and have greater love for God and for souls like St. Gertrude the Great did, we may hope to release more and more each time.

Thus, if there was a 1000 souls promise, it may have been specific to her, because of her super-eminent height of sanctity. We cannot attain that, but we may hope, by the Lord's mercy and her intercession, the prayer revealed to her, may well release a few souls. Thus, we should pray it often and frequently.

Thoughts? What are the best ways to help liberate the souls of Purgatory and, if possible, to help empty it completely? The sentiment, "We must empty Purgatory" was also frequently reiterated by St. Pio of Pietrelcina.
Bible verses on walking blamelessly with God, after being forgiven from our former sins. Some verses here: https://dailyverses.net/blameless

"[2] He that walketh without blemish, and worketh justice:[3] He that speaketh truth in his heart, who hath not used deceit in his tongue: Nor hath done evil to his neighbour: nor taken up a reproach against his neighbours.(Psalm 14)

"[2] For in many things we all offend. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man."(James 3)

"[14] And do ye all things without murmurings and hesitations; [15] That you may be blameless, and sincere children of God, without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom you shine as lights in the world." (Phil 2:14-15)

Michael Wilson

Xavier,
I recite this prayer every day, but somebody posted on another thread that the Holy Office issued a decree prohibiting Catholics to publish prayers where a specific number of Souls are released from Purgatory.
"The World Must Conform to Our Lord and not He to it." Rev. Dennis Fahey CSSP

"My brothers, all of you, if you are condemned to see the triumph of evil, never applaud it. Never say to evil: you are good; to decadence: you are progess; to death: you are life. Sanctify yourselves in the times wherein God has placed you; bewail the evils and the disorders which God tolerates; oppose them with the energy of your works and your efforts, your life uncontaminated by error, free from being led astray, in such a way that having lived here below, united with the Spirit of the Lord, you will be admitted to be made but one with Him forever and ever: But he who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit." Cardinal Pie of Potiers

mikemac

Yeah I do too, but have known for quite a while that the 1,000 released every time the prayer is said is more than questionable.
Like John Vennari (RIP) said "Why not just do it?  What would it hurt?"
Consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (PETITION)
https://lifepetitions.com/petition/consecrate-russia-to-the-immaculate-heart-of-mary-petition

"We would be mistaken to think that Fatima's prophetic mission is complete." Benedict XVI May 13, 2010

"Tell people that God gives graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Tell them also to pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for peace, since God has entrusted it to Her." Saint Jacinta Marto

The real nature of hope is "despair, overcome."
Source

Irishcyclist

Is the issue of how many souls liberated important?

An old and very wise priest told me "every soul released from purgatory, by your prayer, will pray for you forever more because of it"

So whether your prayer helps to release one soul, or 100 souls, or 1,000 souls is not the issue here.
The fact that your prayer liberated even one single soul from purgatory will help ensure that souls fidelity to your own soul and every other soul too.

Liberate a soul from purgatory which means there will be more souls in heaven praying for all of us.

Prayerful

Quote from: Michael Wilson on September 16, 2018, 10:23:58 AM
Xavier,
I recite this prayer every day, but somebody posted on another thread that the Holy Office issued a decree prohibiting Catholics to publish prayers where a specific number of Souls are released from Purgatory.

It's not from her writings. It reads like one of those unauthorised prayer cards with extravagant promises that Pope Leo XIII condemned. There's enough authorised prayers, and no quick fixes like that purported prayer of St Gertrude the Great.
Padre Pio: Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.

Xavier

But the Catholic Tradition site says the prayer is: "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."

APPROVAL AND RECOMMENDATION: M. Cardinal Pahiarca at Lisbon, Portugal, March 4, 1936

This prayer is also found on the Saint's page of prayers, which is printable."

Agreed, Mike and Mike. What we can say is, if we love God and souls more, like St. Gertrude loved, we will deliver more and more souls each time. So let it be even 1 soul we deliver when we pray that prayer with sincere love and devotion for the first time. If we grow deeper in union with Christ as we pray, it will have greater satisfactory value subsequently. And that should keep increasing.

Moreover, the prayer invokes the power of the Precious Blood of Jesus, as well as of all the graces of all the Holy Masses throughout the world, so there's no doubt it will be very powerful.

The importance of praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory simply cannot be overstated. The Sacred Heart so highly recommended all of us making the Heroic Vow in favor of the holy souls in purgatory to St. Margaret Mary. (The Church granted Plenary Indulgences to those who make it, whenever they go to Holy Communion - by these means alone, we can hope to save 1000s of souls in our lifetime from Purgatory). The revelations to St. Gertrude the Great were also accompanied by manifestations of the Love of His Heart and the appearances of St. John the Apostle, who is the Teacher and Doctor of devotion to the Sacred Heart, on which he rested.

Prayerful, I don't think we need to go that far. It's better to say the 1000 souls promises may have been specific to the Saint and we aren't saints.

Agreed, IrishCyclist, the prayers of the souls released from purgatory will be very powerful and obtain special graces for us, even graces very difficult by any other means. We should ask them to pray especially for the Church in these times. The more souls we release, the more will be praying, and therefore the sooner the Triumph of the Church will come.
Bible verses on walking blamelessly with God, after being forgiven from our former sins. Some verses here: https://dailyverses.net/blameless

"[2] He that walketh without blemish, and worketh justice:[3] He that speaketh truth in his heart, who hath not used deceit in his tongue: Nor hath done evil to his neighbour: nor taken up a reproach against his neighbours.(Psalm 14)

"[2] For in many things we all offend. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man."(James 3)

"[14] And do ye all things without murmurings and hesitations; [15] That you may be blameless, and sincere children of God, without reproof, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom you shine as lights in the world." (Phil 2:14-15)

Prayerful

Quote from: Xavier on September 20, 2018, 11:28:54 AM
But the Catholic Tradition site says the prayer is: "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."

APPROVAL AND RECOMMENDATION: M. Cardinal Pahiarca at Lisbon, Portugal, March 4, 1936

This prayer is also found on the Saint's page of prayers, which is printable."

Agreed, Mike and Mike. What we can say is, if we love God and souls more, like St. Gertrude loved, we will deliver more and more souls each time. So let it be even 1 soul we deliver when we pray that prayer with sincere love and devotion for the first time. If we grow deeper in union with Christ as we pray, it will have greater satisfactory value subsequently. And that should keep increasing.

Moreover, the prayer invokes the power of the Precious Blood of Jesus, as well as of all the graces of all the Holy Masses throughout the world, so there's no doubt it will be very powerful.

The importance of praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory simply cannot be overstated. The Sacred Heart so highly recommended all of us making the Heroic Vow in favor of the holy souls in purgatory to St. Margaret Mary. (The Church granted Plenary Indulgences to those who make it, whenever they go to Holy Communion - by these means alone, we can hope to save 1000s of souls in our lifetime from Purgatory). The revelations to St. Gertrude the Great were also accompanied by manifestations of the Love of His Heart and the appearances of St. John the Apostle, who is the Teacher and Doctor of devotion to the Sacred Heart, on which he rested.

Prayerful, I don't think we need to go that far. It's better to say the 1000 souls promises may have been specific to the Saint and we aren't saints.

Agreed, IrishCyclist, the prayers of the souls released from purgatory will be very powerful and obtain special graces for us, even graces very difficult by any other means. We should ask them to pray especially for the Church in these times. The more souls we release, the more will be praying, and therefore the sooner the Triumph of the Church will come.

I am highly suspicious of the claimed approbation attached to that. It is strongly suggested (the link specifically translates the Leoine condemnation of prayers promising to release a specific number of souls, one or more) that the indulgence is apocryphal. The article links a prayer of without a clear approbation, but it offers no extravagant indulgences. If the Patriarch of Portugal did give an indulgence for the St Gertrude prayer, he was patently acting ultra vires, approving something forbidden on Papal authority. It recalls a spurious late medieval devotion promising salvation in return for a fixed number of Masses, the number varied according to the means of the client of the devotion.

The condemnation:

ASS 32, p. 243.

Reiicienda sunt folia, et libelli, in quibus promittitur fidelibus unam alteramve precem recitantibus liberatio unius vel plurium animarum a Purgatorio : et Indulgentiae quae dictae promissioni adiici solent ut apocryphae habendae sunt.

Rule 8. The leaflets and booklets which promise the faithful that they will free one or more souls from Purgatory by the recitation of some prayer or another are to be rejected : and the Indulgences which are wont to be attached to the said promise are to be held as apocryphal.

The prayer itself sounds good, but the indulgence cannot be valid.
Padre Pio: Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.

mikemac

I like to say the prayer just after the elevation of the Chalice during Mass.
Like John Vennari (RIP) said "Why not just do it?  What would it hurt?"
Consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (PETITION)
https://lifepetitions.com/petition/consecrate-russia-to-the-immaculate-heart-of-mary-petition

"We would be mistaken to think that Fatima's prophetic mission is complete." Benedict XVI May 13, 2010

"Tell people that God gives graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Tell them also to pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for peace, since God has entrusted it to Her." Saint Jacinta Marto

The real nature of hope is "despair, overcome."
Source

Michael Wilson

Quote from: mikemac on September 20, 2018, 04:13:48 PM
I like to say the prayer just after the elevation of the Chalice during Mass.
I like to say it while the priest is pronouncing the words of Consecration over the Chalice. 
I try to say it every hour on the hour, when I remember. 
"The World Must Conform to Our Lord and not He to it." Rev. Dennis Fahey CSSP

"My brothers, all of you, if you are condemned to see the triumph of evil, never applaud it. Never say to evil: you are good; to decadence: you are progess; to death: you are life. Sanctify yourselves in the times wherein God has placed you; bewail the evils and the disorders which God tolerates; oppose them with the energy of your works and your efforts, your life uncontaminated by error, free from being led astray, in such a way that having lived here below, united with the Spirit of the Lord, you will be admitted to be made but one with Him forever and ever: But he who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit." Cardinal Pie of Potiers