Faithful Departed

Prayer

of Saint Gertrude the Great

DICTATED BY OUR LORD, TO RELEASE 1000 SOULS FROM PURGATORY
EACH TIME IT IS SAID

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

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Reading

of Saint Gertrude the Great

May my soul bless You O Lord God my Creator, may my soul bless You...From the very core of my being may all Your merciful gifts sing Your praise...Your generous care for Your daughter has been rich in mercy; indeed it has been immeasurable, and as far as I am able, I give You thanks...I praise and glorify Your great patience which bore with me even though, from my infancy and childhood, adolescence and early womanhood, until I was nearly 26, I was always so blindly irresponsible...Looking back I see that, but for your protecting hand I would have been quite without conscience in thought, word, or deed...But You came to my aid by giving me a natural dislike of evil and a natural delight in what is good, and provided me with necessary correction from those among whom I lived.

To make amends for the way I previously lived, I offer You, most loving Father, all the sufferings of Your Beloved Son, from that first infant cry as He lay on the hay in the manger, until that final movement when, bowing His head, with a mighty voice, Christ gave up His Spirit...I make this offering, of all that He underwent, His needs as a baby, His dependence as a young child, the hardships of youth and the trials of early manhood.

To atone for all my neglect I offer, most loving Father, all that Your only-begotten Son did during His life, whether in thought, word or deed.

And now, as an act of thanksgiving, I praise and worship you Father, in deepest humility for Your most loving kindness and mercy...Though I was hurrying to my eternal loss, Your thoughts of me were thoughts of peace and not of affliction, and You lifted me up with so many great favors.

Finally, You drew me to Yourself by Your faithful promises of the good things You would give me from the hour of my death...So great are these promises that for their sake alone, even if You had given me nothing besides, my heart would sigh for You always and be filled with a lively hope.

Amen.

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	CHAPLET OF THE FIVE WOUNDS OF JESUS

Devotion to the Five Wounds

"O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, grant that I may, with all my heart, all my desire, and with a thirsting soul, aspire toward you; and in you, most sweet and pleasant, take my rest. With my whole spirit and all that is within me, may I sigh always for you in whom alone true blessedness is to be found. Inscribe with your precious blood, most merciful Lord, your wounds on my heart, that I may read in them both your sufferings and your love. May the memory of your wounds ever remain in the hidden places of my heart, to stir up within me your compassionate sorrow, so that the flame of your love may be enkindled in me. Grant also that all creatures may become vile to me, and that you may become the only sweetness of my heart."

St. Gertrude of Helfta, pray for us.

Wound of the Right Hand

I adore you Jesus, I love you and I praise you. I come before you as an unworthy man, filled with the most vile self-love. I ask you to burn that base and ugly love in the fire that burns within your Sacred Heart. I consecrate myself entirely to your most Sacred Heart, and I reverence the wounds that are the fruit of your love. I praise, worship, and adore the Holy Wound of your right Hand. I thank you for the infinite Love with which You so eagerly desired to endure so numerous and such cruel sufferings, to expiate my sins which I detest with all my heart. I recommend to You your Holy Church, and I ask you to bless your Vicar on earth, and our bishop N, and all the priests of your Church.

1 Our Father, 3 Hail Mary, 7 Glory be.

Wound of the Left Hand

I adore you Jesus, I love you and I praise you. United with the entire Heavenly Court and with all the faithful on earth, I praise, worship, and adore the Holy Wound of your left Hand. I thank you; for it is on account of our sins that Your hands have been pierced. I recommend to You all those who at this moment are dying. Touch the heart of the most hardened and rebellious of them. Have mercy on that soul, as well as on the souls of all those in their last hour.

1 Our Father, etc.

Eternal Father, may you be praised, adored, and loved by all and forever. I thank You for sending Your Son into the world to suffer and die for us. Under the movement of your Holy Spirit and through the most pure hands of Mary, I offer You my humble life in union with the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of your Son. Accept the sacred Wounds of his Hands which implore mercy on us.

Wound of the Right Foot

I adore you Jesus, I love you and I praise you. Because of our sins You have been struck unto death. I praise, worship, and adore the Holy Wound of your right Foot. Help all those who desire to serve You more closely by increasing their faith, hope, and love. And I ask you to protect all your priests. Strengthen them against the attacks of the Evil One, and grant them all an increase in faith, hope, and love. May all your consecrated souls become ardent lamps lighting and warming up today's dark and faithless world.

1 Our Father, etc.

Wound of the Left Foot

I adore you Jesus; I love you and praise you. In union with all the souls that are still detained far from You in the purging flames of Purgatory and who yearn to be with You, I praise, worship, and adore the Holy Wound of your left Foot. Have mercy on those souls who hunger while awaiting your mercy. Come to the aid of those tried by life's difficulties and all those who walk in darkness. Allow them to discover that You are their only hope.

1 Our Father, etc.

Eternal Father, may you be praised, adored, and loved by all and forever. I offer You the Wounds of Jesus Crucified and Resurrected to heal the horrible wounds of our souls.

Wound of the Opened Side

I adore you Jesus; I love you and praise you. It is through your sufferings that You reconciled the world to Yourself. It is through your sufferings that we are justified. You let Yourself be overwhelmed by the enormous burden of the world's sins, receive our praise, worship, and adoration. I praise, adore, and worship the Wound of your opened Side, your pierced Heart. All I desire is that I may live every remaining day of my life in the cleft of Your opened side. You are all I desire, and You are all I want to desire. I desire to love you more, to know only you and Your suffering love. I desire to think of You at all times. I desire, in particular, to think of Your Holy Wounds every moment of the day. And so I ask you again to inscribe your wounds on my heart, that I may read in them your sufferings and your love. May the memory of those wounds ever remain in the hidden depths of my heart so that I may return Your love ever more fervently, ever more perfectly, ever more selflessly.

1 Our Father, etc.

O my Jesus, your Holy Face has been marred by the malice of sinful man. The thorns from the twisted branches penetrate into Your Sacred Head, the Temple of Divine Wisdom. The Wound of your bruised Shoulder, the Wounds of your knees and those of your atrocious scourging are as so many openings from which shine forth the pure and bright rays of your perfectly patient and selfless love. I recommend to you, Jesus, all the miserable hearts of this world as well as all those for whom I must pray and who rely upon my prayers.

Eternal Father, I praise you, I adore you, and I love you. I offer You, with my humble life, all the bloody and triumphant Wounds of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to heal the wounds of sinful and miserable humanity.

Concluding Prayer

"O Jesus, whose Face is the only beauty that delights my heart, I accept not to see here on earth the sweetness of your glance, but I beseech You to imprint in me your Divine resemblance, to inflame me with your love, so that it may consume me quickly and soon make me contemplate your glorious Face in Heaven."

St. Theresa of Lisieux, pray for us.