Prayer of St. Gertrude for Souls

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One last Precious Blood Prayer for this Sacred Heart Friday to close out July. I say this prayer often while going up to receive Holy Communion; it is reputed to release thousands of souls from Purgatory every time it’s recited. The Church doesn’t endorse or approve this prayer, nor does it disapprove or discourage it and she makes no guarantees as to its efficacy in releasing Holy Souls. But it’s a nice prayer, very old and traditional. And there’s nothing wrong with saying it.

The Prayer of St. Gertrude

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

Read more at: Pray More Novenas

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Seven Days Of Prayer For The Souls In Purgatory

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For this Sacred Heart Friday I introduce you to a devotion I say every day. It is the Seven Days of Prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It is from the Raccolta, which is a handbook of indulgenced prayers. 

You start with the “Preparatory Prayer for every day,” followed by the particular prayer for the day, finishing with the Our Father, Hail Mary and the. Eternal Rest prayer and a concluding prayer.

It invokes the Precious Blood of Jesus, and so is an apt way to close out the month of July, which is dedicated to that.

 

SEVEN DAYS OF PRAYER FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY

Preparatory Prayer for every day:
My Jesus, by the sorrows You suffered in Your agony in the Garden, in Your scourging and crowning with thorns, in Your journey to Calvary, and in Your crucifixion and death, have mercy on the souls in Purgatory, and especially on those that are most forsaken; deliver them from the torments they endure; call them and admit them to Your most sweet embrace in Paradise, where You live with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

(Here say the prayer for today, concluding with these:)

0ur Father

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women; and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Eternal Rest

Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Concluding Prayer

Merciful Father, hear our prayers and console us. As we renew our faith in Your Son, Whom You raised from the dead, strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters will share in His resurrection, who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayers for Each Day

Sunday

O Lord God Almighty, I beseech You, by the Precious Blood which Your Divine Son Jesus shed in the Garden, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and especially that one which is the most forsaken of all, and bring him into Your glory, where he may praise and bless You forever. Amen.
Our Father. Hail Mary. Eternal rest, etc.

Monday

O Lord God Almighty, I beseech You, by the Precious Blood which Your Divine Son Jesus shed in His cruel scourging, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and, among them all, especially that soul who is nearest to his entrance into Your glory, that he may soon begin to praise You and bless You forever. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Eternal rest, etc.

Tuesday

O Lord God Almighty, I beseech You, by the Precious Blood of Your Divine Son Jesus that was shed in His bitter crowning with thorns, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and, among them all, particularly that soul who is in greatest need of our prayers, in order that he may no longer be delayed in praising You in Your glory and blessing You forever. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Eternal rest, etc.

Wednesday

O Lord God Almighty, I beseech You, by the Precious Blood of Your Divine Son Jesus that was shed on the streets of Jerusalem, while He carried on His sacred shoulders the heavy burden of the Cross, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and especially the one who is richest in merits in Your sight, so that, having soon attained the high place in glory to which he is destined, he may praise You triumphantly and bless You forever. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Eternal rest, etc.

Thursday

O Lord God Almighty, I beseech You, by the Precious Body and Blood of Your Divine Son Jesus, which He Himself, on the night before His Passion, gave as meat and drink to His Beloved Apostles and bequeathed to His Holy Church to be the Perpetual Sacrifice and life-giving nourishment of His faithful people, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and, most of all, that soul who was most devoted to this Mystery of infinite love, in order that he may praise You therefore, together with Your Divine Son and the Holy Spirit in Your glory forever. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Eternal rest, etc.

Friday

O Lord God Almighty, I beseech You, by the Precious Blood which Jesus Your Divine Son did shed this day upon the tree of the Cross, especially from His sacred hands and feet, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and particularly that soul for whom I am most bound to pray, in order that I may not be the cause which hinders You from admitting him quickly to the possession of Your glory, where he may praise You and bless You forevermore. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Eternal rest, etc.

Saturday

O Lord God Almighty, I beseech You, by the Precious Blood which gushed forth from the sacred side of Your Divine Son Jesus in the presence and to the great sorrow of His Most Holy Mother, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and, among them all, especially that soul who has been the most devout to this noble Lady, that he may come quickly into Your glory, there to praise You in her, and her in You, through all the ages. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Eternal rest, etc.

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Saint James the Greater

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I’m writing this as a way to distinguish between St. James the Greater and St. James the Less. One has a feast day which is today, July 25th. One wrote the Book of James in the New Testament. I know one of them is one of the sons of Zebedee and the brother of St. John the Evangelist and the one whose relics pilgrims who travel the Way of St. James in northwestern Spain visit. And the other isn’t. 

Okay, so I hit the Internet. I hear it’s a decent source for information on things.

St. James the Greater is the first of the Apostles to be martyred. Prior to that he evangelized Spain. Legend holds he wasn’t very good at it but he still loved the Spanish and after his martyrdom his disciples took his remains to Spain to be entombed there. There are numerous legends surrounding his relationship with Spain. Many modernist claim they’re all false. But that’s what modernists do. One of the legends is that the first Marian Apparition ever was to him. (Modernists really go on about denying that one!)

Tradition says that in the early day of the Church, Saint James the Greater was spreading the Gospel in Spain, but making very little progress. He was dejected and questioning his mission. About 44, the Virgin Mary, who was still living in Jerusalem at the time, bi-located and appeared to him in a vision to boost his morale. In it, she was atop a column or pillar, which was being carried by angels. That pillar is believed to be the same one venerated in Zaragoza, Spain today. Miraculous healings reported at the scene. 

From: CatholicSaints.Info » Blog Archive » Our Lady of the Pillar.

You can read a lot about St. James the Greater here: CatholicSaints.Info » Blog Archive » Saint James the Greater

There. I think I’ve finally gotten it down as to which one is which. (It helps me to remember things when I can attach the thing to another thing. So, the GREATER is attached to the blogpost.) St. James the Greater is the July 25th and Camino one. Watch me, I’ll still mix ‘em up. 

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Pope St. John XXIII and the Precious Blood

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On this latest Sacred Heart Friday post, I delve into Pope St. John XXIII and his promotion of the Precious Blood Devotion.

 

In 1960, he wrote the apostolic letter Inde a Primis, encouraging devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus. In it he describes the devotion over the centuries including some personal accounts of how important this devotion was to him as a child and later in life. In that same year, the Holy Father added the invocation to the Precious Blood to the Divine Praises:

Blessed be God.

Blessed be his holy Name.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.

Blessed be the name of Jesus.

Blessed be his most Sacred Heart.

Blessed be his most Precious Blood.

Blessed be Jesus in the most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.

Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.

Blessed be her holy and Immaculate Conception.

Blessed be her glorious Assumption.

Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

Blessed be St Joseph, her spouse most chaste.

Blessed be God in his Angels and in his Saints.

 

This wasn’t enough for Good Pope John. The Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ was drawn up by the Sacred Congregation of Rites and promulgated by Pope John XXIII on February 24, 1960. The  devotion to Jesus in His most Precious Blood was first popularized by St. Gaspar del Bufalo who founded the Missioners of the Most Precious Blood. St. Gaspar del Bufalo was hailed by Pope John XXIII as “the world’s greatest apostle of the devotion to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus.”

 

Here is the Litany:

 

Lord, have mercy.    Lord, have mercy. 
Christ, have mercy.  Christ, have mercy. 
Lord, have mercy.    Lord, have mercy. 

Christ, hear us. Christ, hear us. 
Christ, graciously hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. 

God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. 
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. 
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. 
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, save us. 
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word or God, save us. 
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, save us. 

Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in Agony, save us. 
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, save us. 
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, save us. 

Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, save us. 
Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, save us. 
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness, save us. 

Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, save us. 
Blood of Christ, stream of mercy, save us. 
Blood of Christ, victor over demons, save us. 

Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs, save us. 
Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors, save us. 
Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins, save us. 

Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, save us. 
Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, save us. 
Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow, save us. 

Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, save us. 
Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying, save us. 
Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, save us.


Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life, save us. 
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory, save us. 
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, save us. 

Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord. 
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord. 

V. Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood. 
R. And made us, for our God, a kingdom. 

Let us pray; 

Almighty and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world and willed to be appeased by his blood. Grant, we beg of Thee, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven.

 
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. 

 

That’s it for this week’s Sacred Heart Friday; next week I’ll come up with something else, perhaps a bit on St. Gaspar del Bufalo and his work.

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Saint Camillus of Lellis: patron of gambling addicts

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Today is the feast day of St. Camillus de Lellis. This is from the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) boldface italics mine:

He was the son of an officer who had served both in the Neapolitan and French armies. His mother died when he was a child, and he grew up absolutely neglected. When still a youth he became a soldier in the service of Venice and afterwards of Naples, until 1574, when his regiment was disbanded. While in the service he became a confirmed gambler, and in consequence of his losses at play was at times reduced to a condition of destitution. The kindness of a Franciscan friar induced him to apply for admission to that order, but he was refused. He then betook himself to Rome, where he obtained employment in the Hospital for Incurables. He was prompted to go there chiefly by the hope of a cure of abscesses in both his feet from which he had been long suffering. He was dismissed from the hospital on account of his quarrelsome disposition and his passion for gambling. He again became a Venetian soldier, and took part in the campaign against the Turks in 1569. After the war he was employed by the Capuchins at Manfredonia on a new building which they were erecting. His old gambling habit still pursued him, until a discourse of the guardian of the convent so startled him that he determined to reform. He was admitted to the order as a lay brother, but was soon dismissed on account of his infirmity. He betook himself again to Rome, where he entered the hospital in which he had previously been, and after a temporary cure of his ailment became a nurse, and winning the admiration of the institution by his piety and prudence, he was appointed director of the hospital.

Source: Catholic Encyclopedia at New Advent

More here at this older Sober Catholic post: For those addicted to gambling…

Saint camillus of lellis 01

CatholicSaints.info more on him, including links to where you can find out even more stuff!

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The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Part 6

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It’s been a while since I did one of these on the union of there Two Hearts, and on this Sacred Heart Friday I will revisit the last post in the series: The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary! Part 5. In particular, this passage:

The Alliance of the Two Hearts of Jesus and Mary began when Jesus dwelt within the womb of Mary. Like all children when they are living within their Momma’s womb, He shared the body of Mary and thus she became the tabernacle for the Ark of the New Covenant that is Him.

Mary’s Immaculate Heart pumped the Precious Blood that flowed through His veins and arteries; she powered His Sacred Heart.

July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. This post clearly identifies that Mary is the source of His Precious Blood; inasmuch as He did not have a biological human father, all of His genetic material comes from Our Lady. 

Now, take a look at this earlier post: Three Drops of Blood: The Creation of the Sacred Heart. In this one I mention an approved private revelation to Ven. Maria de Jesus de Agreda as recorded in the epic biography of the Blessed Virgin Mary “The Mystical City of God.”

Three drops of blood from Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart gathered and deposited in her sacred womb. From this, Jesus drew His genetic material and His Sacred Humanity. 

The issuing of the blood from her heart symbolized her Sorrowful Heart, which was to suffer much as prophesied by Simeon. So, there in a connection between her Sorrowful Heart and His Sacred Heart. 

An image of the relevant page from “The Mystical City of God:”

Three Drops of Blood Passage

From these three drops of blood from Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart came the body of Our Lord; and obviously the Precious Blood which pumped through His veins and arteries and which was spilled for out redemption of the first Good Friday. 

So, Our Lady is the source and origin of His Most Precious Blood. Devotion to the Precious Blood is simultaneously a devotion to Our Lady. The two are united; for Catholics, where Jesus is, Mary is nearby. If you are practicing a devotion to Mary, you will ultimately be taken to Jesus.

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“Sobriety from a Catholic perspective” as percieved by AI

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I hate Artificial Intelligence. I think it’s a potential threat to human existence, but keeping in mind that God is in control and in His omnipotence and omniscience, He is aware of AI and probably has a plan regarding it. Nevertheless, I sometimes ask ChatGPT a question once in a while for fun, and my wife makes use of AI art programs. 

Today, I found out that there is a Catholic AI. Called “Magisterium AI” it can be found at: Magisterium AI.

I asked it the following question, “Write an essay on sobriety from a Catholic perspective.” (I tried asking it “Write a blog post on sobriety from a Catholic perspective,” but ‘blog post’ has it stumped.)

This is its answer:

“Sobriety, from a Catholic perspective, is a virtue that is highly regarded and encouraged in personal and social life. It is seen as a way to counteract the imbalances that arise from the breakdown of certain virtues, including environmental ones [^1]. Sobriety is not seen as a lesser or diminished way of living, but rather as a liberating and fulfilling way of life. It is about appreciating and enjoying each person and each thing, finding satisfaction in the simplest things and cultivating other pleasures such as music, art, and contact with nature [^2].

Sobriety also involves knowing how to limit certain needs that only diminish us and being open to the many different possibilities that life can offer [^2]. It is about shedding unsatisfied needs, reducing obsessiveness and weariness, and finding happiness in the richness of life’s experiences. Sobriety is not about depriving oneself, but rather about finding contentment and fulfillment in what one has, rather than constantly seeking what one does not have.

From a Catholic perspective, sobriety is closely linked to humility. When we lose our humility and become enthralled with the idea of limitless mastery over everything, we end up harming society and the environment [^1]. Sobriety and humility go hand in hand, as they both require recognizing our limitations and acknowledging our dependence on God. It is when we exclude God from our lives or replace Him with our own ego that we lose sight of the true meaning of sobriety and become consumed by our own desires and ambitions [^1].

In the Catholic tradition, sobriety is not seen as a restriction or a burden, but rather as a pathway to true freedom and fulfillment. It is about living life to the full, appreciating the beauty and goodness of creation, and finding joy in the simple pleasures of life [^2]. Sobriety is not about denying ourselves pleasure, but rather about finding a healthy balance and being mindful of our actions and choices.

In conclusion, sobriety from a Catholic perspective is a virtue that promotes a balanced and fulfilled way of life. It is about appreciating and enjoying the simple things, cultivating other pleasures, and finding contentment in what one has. Sobriety is closely linked to humility and the recognition of our dependence on God. It is a virtue that encourages us to live in harmony with ourselves, others, and the environment, and to find true freedom and fulfillment in doing so [^1] [^2].

[^1] Laudato Si 224

[^2] Laudato Si 223

[^3] The Participation of Catholics in Political Life 7

[^4] On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons 2”

I may ask it more questions of relevance to this blog, just for kicks and giggles.

There is a disclaimer offered at the bottom of the site: “Magisterium AI is currently experimental and is trained on a limited, but growing number of Magisterial documents. Some questions cannot be answered at this time.”

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Hell

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On this date (July 13) in 1917, Our Lady appeared to the seers of Fatima for the third time. This was one of the most memorable and crucial of the six, perhaps second only to the last one on October 13 with its Miracle of the Sun.

For on this day, the three seers were gifted with a vision of Hell.

The children saw people falling into Hell and the indescribable torments they suffered from demons. What I find interesting is that some of the demons appeared to be animals of unknown kinds. (Few ever bring that part up but it’s always intrigued me.)

The children almost died from fright and horror off what they saw. It affected them deeply and Sts Jacinta and Francesco seemed particularly concerned with making reparations and offering sacrifices on behalf of people to prevent even more from damnation.

“You saw hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.” – The Blessed Virgin Mary (to the children.)

There were three secrets imparted to the children by Our Lady. I’m not going to go into details of the second and third secrets, since the vision of Hell was the first of the ‘Three Secrets of Fatima”  and is the subject of this post. You can read this piece for the particulars of the July apparition: What Our Lady Said About Hell at Fatima on July 13, 1917 .

Hell is real and many people are in denial about its existence (meaning they keep it out of their conscious minds) or deny it exists altogether. I can understand if they aren’t Christian, but if they are then they are foolish on the one hand or calling Jesus a liar on the other. One of the biggest and sneakiest successes of Satan is getting people to disbelieve in him or Hell. If they do not exist for you, then you will not learn to avoid the road to Hell or Satan’s temptations.

In AA meetings I’ve heard the basic conviction or feeling that once you’ve stopped drinking, that’s it. You’ve run the race and you’re “in”. That’s always bothered me. ‘Just not drinking today’ isn’t enough. You may still sin (that is, offend God), and perhaps even mortally sin and therefore consign yourself to Hell. There are whole other ways to screw up your life besides drinking. You may still do those. 

Think of pain. Think of how you flinch for an instant when you experience it. Now dwell on that never-ending. 

While you’re at it, please read this: Focus on the Message of Fatima.

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Devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ

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Hearts pump blood. The blood that the Sacred Heart pumps must therefore be…precious? Welcome to this week’s Sacred Heart Friday and today I’ll talk a little about the Precious Blood of Jesus. Why? Because it’s July and this month is dedicated to the Precious Blood!

The Devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ is an old one. It is said to have dated to the Circumcision of Our Lord, when according to approved private revelations, Mary collected the blood Jesus had spilled.
One moving scene in Mel Gibson’s epic film, “The Passion of the Christ” depicted Mary and Mary Magdalene taking rags and cleaning up Jesus’ blood after His scourging at the pillar. It gained greater attention in the 16th Century in Spain and shortly afterwards in Italy. The Feast of the Most Precious Blood was July 2nd, but it was removed from the Roman liturgical calendar in 1970. Nowadays, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi is referred to as the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, so it was essentially combined into that.

The Blood of Christ is ‘precious’ because it is Jesus’ offered His own blood to pay for the redemption of humanity. Jesus shed His very blood for the sake of all humanity, atoning for humanity’s sins. The devotion to the Most Precious Blood is yet another one dedicate  to repentance and reparation, much like the Holy Face devotion, the Sacred Heart and the Fatima Message.

The Precious Blood is the symbol of God’s mercy, as it was spilled to pay for our sins. It is part of the Eucharist (whether you partake of the wine at Mass or not, its redemptive and spiritual significance is in the Bread as well). Here’s a good meditative practice: imagine yourself swimming in the blood-red sea of God’s mercy. I got that imagery from reading Divine Mercy in My Soul, the spiritual journal of St. Faustina Kowalska.

I’ll post more in the coming Fridays about the Precious Blood. 

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My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

So ends the month dedicated to…

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Today is the last day of June and as such so ends the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On this Sacred Heart Friday I would remind you that the Sacred Heart Devotion is a perpetual thing; while June provides a focus and a reminder or renewal for those not too attached to it, the Sacred Heart Devotion is the essence of Catholicism. 

  • It is devotional in nature, which means that it is a practice which requires some dedication.
  • It is Scriptural and doctrinal (John the Evangelist laying his head on the breast of Jesus at the Last Supper; the devotion encapsulating Christ’s love for us and our response to that love – which naturally includes a work of reparation.
  • It is Sacramental – devotion to His Sacred Heart is devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. You can add Confession to that.
  • It is mystical. Much of it relies on approved private revelation.
  • It fuels other devotions. Once you get into the devotion, you are naturally attracted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and consequentially, the Rosary. If you already had a devotion to the Rosary, it becomes stronger. Perhaps you ‘graduate’ to saying the entire Rosary instead of just the single set of Mysteries for the day.

Tomorrow starts July which is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. I think I’ll try and write a few posts on that over the month.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)