Based on various biblical passages the Catholic Church firmly believes in a final state of purification in the afterlife called purgatory. It is a place where our attachments to sin are purified before entering into the beatific vision of Heaven.
Connected to this belief is the Catholic teaching that we can pray to God for these souls in purgatory, asking God to have mercy on them and shorten their time of purification. The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgyexplains, “Hence derives the pious custom of suffrage for the souls of the faithful departed, which is an urgent supplication of God to have mercy on the souls of the dead, to purify them by the fire of His charity, and to bring them to His kingdom of light and life.”
There are many different ways to offer prayers to God on behalf of these souls, and one of them includes a novena written by St. Alphonsus Liguori. The novena recalls the suffering of Jesus and asks God to have mercy on these souls, admitting them into their final destination. This prayer can be prayed for nine consecutive days, especially for a particular individual or family member whom you wish to pray for.
O most sweet Jesus, through the bloody sweat which Thou didst suffer in the Garden of Gethsemane, have mercy on these Blessed Souls. Have mercy on them.R. Have mercy on them, O Lord.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.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.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.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.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.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.(Recommend yourself to the Souls in Purgatory and mention your intentions here)Blessed Souls, I have prayed for thee; I entreat thee, who are so dear to God, and who are secure of never losing Him, to pray for me a miserable sinner, who is in danger of being damned, and of losing God forever. Amen.
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