OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF SAINT GERTRUDE, VIRGIN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2022
- Maria Knox
- Nov 16, 2022
- 2 min read
A Gospel according to Jn 15:1-8
Jesus said to his disciples:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."
REFLECTION
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit."
We have just crossed the middle of the month of November, and even though the Octave for the souls in purgatory has passed, the whole month is still dedicated to pray for our dearly departed ones.
Most of us, try as we may, pray as we can, most likely will spend some time in purgatory before entering heaven. This is when our souls will be cleansed from the temporal punishment we deserve. Confession removes our eternal punishment (hell), we still have to make amendments for the consequences of our sins. If we don't make them in this life, then we will do that cleansing in purgatory. (1)
While in purgatory, a soul cannot pray for themselves. So they rely on us to pray and do sacrifices for them to be released sooner from this punishment. (2)
Saint Gertrude was a 13th century Benedictine nun who was a mystic, and has been named the Patron Saint of the Blessed souls in purgatory. (3)
She wrote a beautiful prayer for us to intercede for the souls in purgatory:
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 (4), for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
Join us today in praying for the souls of our loved ones, and the souls of all of our PAPA members and Priests in purgatory.
God bless y'all!
Sources:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
The original prayer was only intended for those that had died and were already in purgatory. It was later changed to include sinners that are still alive in the hope of helping them to avoid purgatory altogether.
Comments