12/06/2024
Pope Francis reminds us of the power of having a Mass offered for a deceased loved one.
“Church tradition has always urged prayer for the dead, in particular by offering the celebration of the Eucharist for them: it is the best spiritual help that we can give to their souls, particularly to the most abandoned ones,” he said.
You don’t need to formally arrange a Mass offering to pray for someone who has died. Simple prayers and intentions, in conversation with God, are all it takes. Some good intentions might be for deceased loved ones to be forgiven of their sins, to be healed of any spiritual wounds, and to be given the grace to enter Heaven.
Some simple prayers you can say are:
Eternal Rest Prayer
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace. Amen.
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Prayer for Our Faithful Departed
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Like the seed buried in the ground, you have produced the harvest of eternal life for us; make us always dead to sin and alive to God. Amen.
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St. Gertrude’s Prayer
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 every where, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
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Find peace through prayer. Try Hallow.
Bible Verses to Help You Pray for the Dead
When we think about those who have passed away, Scripture can help unite us to our deceased loved one–and bring us God’s peace.
Here are some Bible passages that will help lift up deceased loved ones to God while also providing comfort to those who mourn their absence here on earth.
Psalm 91:1-7:
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shade of the Almighty,
Say to the Lord, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare,
from the destroying plague,
He will shelter you with his pinions,
and under his wings you may take refuge;
his faithfulness is a protecting shield.
You shall not fear the terror of the night
nor the arrow that flies by day,
Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness,
nor the plague that ravages at noon.
Though a thousand fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
near you it shall not come.
1 Thessalonians 13-18:
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, about those who have fallen asleep, so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep. Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, console one another with these words.
Isaiah 41: 10
Do not fear: I am with you;
do not be anxious: I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Praying for the souls of our loved ones is a beautiful and important way to help their souls, as well as grow in our own faith and to draw closer to God. If you have lost a loved one, we encourage you to pray for them regularly. Your prayers will make a difference.
