Holy Souls: Novena for the Dead
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Praying for the faithful departed is a great act of prayer and charity that we can undertake for our friends and loved ones. While last week we considered how we could conduct a family visit to a cemetery to pray for a loved one, not everyone is able to do that due to their loved ones being buried far away. This week we look at a novena for the dead that we can pray from home, in church, or anywhere to pray for the dead.
A Novena is a period of nine days when we take time to pray for a specific reason. It is based on the nine days that the Apostles spent in prayer between the Ascension of Christ into Heaven and their reception of the gift of the Holy Spirit that they received on Pentecost Sunday. These nine days of apostolic prayer are a model for us to follow when we are in need.
The following Novena could be said at any time during this month dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory or it could be used as a period of prayer in preparation for the anniversary of the death of a loved one.
Novena prayer taken from Pray More Novenas.
If you wish to pray this Novena with other members of our parish for the last nine days of this month (November 22nd - 30th) and receive a reminder email with the prayer for each day for the nine days click here to sign up.Novena for the Dead - Day 1
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we praise Your divine justice and Your plan for the purification of souls. We come before You today to pray for the dead who are awaiting entrance into heaven.
You have given us many graces and helps as we journey through life toward heaven. Through Your Church, You provide us with the sacraments and their many graces. Though You often provide for the dying to receive their last sacraments, many faithful leave this world without the benefit of last sacraments.
We ask that You bring into heaven the dead who have died in Your friendship, and we particularly pray today for the faithful who have died without being able to receive the last sacraments.
Help us to always trust in Your plan for our lives. Give us the grace to do all we can to serve You faithfully each day.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Novena for the Dead - Day 2
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we praise Your divine justice and Your plan for the purification of souls. We come before You today to pray for the dead who are awaiting entrance into heaven.
None of us knows the day or hour when our lives on earth will end. You call each of us to live as if we might meet You at any time. We do not always live up to Your call to keep our final end in mind. Sometimes, earthly lives end suddenly.
We ask that You bring into heaven the dead who have died in Your friendship, and we particularly pray today for the faithful who have died in fatal accidents.
Help us to always live as if our earthly lives might end each day. Give us the grace to grow in true friendship with You at every opportunity.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Novena for the Dead - Day 3
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we praise Your divine justice and Your plan for the purification of souls. We come before You today to pray for the dead who are awaiting entrance into heaven.
You call each of us to live lives devoted to You. You give us many opportunities to grow in holiness and in submission to Your will. Some of us suffer a great deal on earth, and many people die after long periods of suffering from illness.
We ask that You bring into heaven the dead who have died in Your friendship, and we particularly pray today for the faithful who have died from illnesses.
Help us to fully surrender all parts of our lives to You. Give us the grace to always make use of every opportunity You give us to grow in holiness.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Novena for the Dead - Day 4
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we praise Your divine justice and Your plan for the purification of souls. We come before You today to pray for the dead who are awaiting entrance into heaven.
None of us knows when we might die and leave this world behind forever. Not all of us are properly prepared to meet You when our lives end. Through Your Church, You have instructed us to pray for all the dead so that those who were not fully prepared may soon enter into heaven with You.
We ask that You bring into heaven the dead who have died in Your friendship, and we particularly pray today for the faithful who have died in this past year.
Help us to do all we can to prepare our own souls for death at every opportunity. Give us the grace to have a truly intimate friendship with You in our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Novena for the Dead - Day 5
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we praise Your divine justice and Your plan for the purification of souls. We come before You today to pray for the dead who are awaiting entrance into heaven.
You have blessed us by giving us the bonds of family in our lives. Our relatives can be a great gift to us, and we are often very saddened when their lives come to an end. You have instructed us to pray for the souls of those who have died, and we can bring the souls of our deceased relatives to You in a special way.
We ask that You bring into heaven the dead who have died in Your friendship, and we particularly pray today for the souls of our deceased relatives.
Help us always trust You in all things. Give us the grace to serve You faithfully each day of our lives.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Novena for the Dead - Day 6
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we praise Your divine justice and Your plan for the purification of souls. We come before You today to pray for the dead who are awaiting entrance into heaven.
Friendships with other people can be a great blessing from You. We often feel the deaths of our friends very deeply and are greatly saddened by the loss. We can bring the souls of all our deceased friends to You in a special way.
We ask that You bring into heaven the dead who have died in Your friendship, and we particularly pray today for the souls of our deceased friends.
Help us to do all things in our lives out of love for You. Give us the grace to grow in holiness and virtue at every opportunity You give us.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Novena for the Dead - Day 7
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we praise Your divine justice and Your plan for the purification of souls. We come before You today to pray for the dead who are awaiting entrance into heaven.
You have told us that we should pray for the souls of all who have died. Your Church considers prayer for the dead to be an act of mercy. But many people in the world today do not know or understand the importance of praying for those who have died.
We ask that You bring into heaven the dead who have died in Your friendship, and we particularly pray today for the souls of all the dead who have no one to pray for them.
Help us to grow to a deeper love of You each day of our lives. Give us the grace to truly strive to become saints.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.Novena for the Dead - Day 8
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we praise Your divine justice and Your plan for the purification of souls. We come before You today to pray for the dead who are awaiting entrance into heaven.
We know that You are all knowing and supremely wise. It is not always easy for us to understand Your plan in the midst of suffering and grief. As we pray for the souls of those who have died, You give us the opportunity to abandon ourselves more deeply to Your will.
We ask that You bring into heaven the dead who have died in Your friendship, and we particularly ask today that You help us grow in submission to Your will as we pray for the souls of the dead.
Help us to trust You more deeply at every opportunity. Give us the grace to surrender all aspects of our lives to You.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.Novena for the Dead - Day 9
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear Lord, we praise Your divine justice and Your plan for the purification of souls. We come before You today to pray for the dead who are awaiting entrance into heaven.
We know that we are to pray for the souls of all who have died. You call us through Your Church to offer prayers and sacrifice for all the suffering souls in purgatory. We cannot know for certain who is in purgatory, but we can place the souls of all who have died into Your care.
We ask that You bring into heaven the dead who have died in Your friendship, and we particularly pray today for the entire Church suffering.
Help us to love You more deeply at every opportunity You give us in our lives. Give us the grace to make our relationship with You our top priority in life.
And we especially ask in this novena for (mention your intentions here).
Lord, hear our prayers!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.--
October 31 - Holy Souls: All Souls Day
November 7 - Holy Souls: Visiting the Dead
November 14 - Holy Souls: Novena for the Dead
November 21 - Holy Souls: Mass Offerings
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