Blessed Feast of All Saints Day

As we honor today all those saints who have gone before
us—the famous ones listed in the books of the lives of the saints and the
not so famous ones known to us in our families and in our towns and
communities—we tend to cast our minds backward and forward. We cast
our minds backward to these saints who went before, who inspire and
enlighten us, some of whom we love dearly and personally even though
we can no longer touch them with our hands. And we cast our minds
forward to the day of resurrection, the day when the Kingdom will be
fully present, when Jerusalem will have come down from heaven and we
are all united and reunited at the heavenly banquet.

Day by day , the Holy Church  gives special veneration to one or more of the holy men and women who have helped to establish it by their blood, develop it by their labors, or edify it by their virtues. But, in addition to those whom the Church honors by special designation or has inscribed in her calendar, how many martyrs are there whose names are not recorded! How many humble virgins and holy penitents! How many unknown anchorites and monks, Christian fathers and mothers, young children snatched away in their innocence! How many courageous Christians, whose merits are known only to God and His heavenly court!

Should we forget those who remember us in their intercession? Are not some among them our ancestors? members of our immediate family? our friends and fellow-Christians, with whom we have lived in daily companionship?

Today we have the opportunity to thank God, if at other times we forget, for their aid and their love. And today we adore Him with them, for the grace which raised them to their present joy. The Church requires this homage of us, by making this day a holy day of obligation for all. Our place, too, is awaiting us in this home of eternal light, peace and love, if we persevere to the end in the fulfillment of God’s holy Will.

In fact, all of Heaven is but one family .

Happy All Saints Day for each one of you
God Bless all !

Novena for the Poor Souls in Purgatory ~~ Ninth Day ~~

The following Prayer to Our Suffering Savior for the Holy Souls in Purgatory is said after the particular prayers for each day of the novena, which follow.

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.

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 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.
Say The Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Prayer to Our Suffering Saviour for the Holy Souls :

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.

( Here recommend yourself to the Souls in Purgatory,

and mention your prayer intention to obtain through this Novena.)

Blessed Souls, I (we) have prayed for thee; I (we) entreat thee, who are so dear to God, and who are secure of never losing Him, to pray for me a miserable sinner (us miserable sinners), who is (are) in danger of being damned, and of losing God forever. Amen.