Prayer to The Blessed Trinity
O eternal God! Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; the beginning and end of all things; in whom we live and move and have our being; prostrate before Thee in body and soul, I adore Thee. I bless Thee and give Thee thanks. What return can I make to Thee, O God, for all that Thou hast done for me? I will bless Thy Holy Name, and serve Thee all the days of my life. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and let all that is within me bless His Holy Name. Amen.
SPECIAL PLENARY INDULGENCE (November 2)
Why Should We Visit a Cemetery to Pray for the Dead?
The Church offers an Indulgence for a Cemetery Visit that is available as a partial indulgence all year round, but from November 1 through November 8, this indulgence is plenary. Like the All Souls Day indulgence, it is applicable only to the souls in Purgatory.
As a plenary indulgence, it remits all punishment due to sin, which means that simply by performing the requirements of the indulgence, you can obtain the entrance into Heaven of a soul who is currently suffering in Purgatory.
This indulgence for a visit to a cemetery encourages us to spend even the briefest of moments in prayer for the dead in a location that reminds us that we, too, will someday need the prayers of the other members of the Communion of Saints—both those still living and those who have entered into eternal glory. For most of us, the indulgence for a cemetery visit takes only a few minutes, and yet it reaps immense spiritual benefit for the Holy Souls in Purgatory—and for us as well, since those souls whose suffering we ease will pray for us when they enter into Heaven.
To Obtain the Indulgence:
- On November 1-November 8, we must receive Communion and sacramental Confession (and have no attachment to sin, even venial). Communion must be received each day we wish to gain the indulgence, but we only need to go to Confession once during the period.
- Visit a Cementary. A good prayer to recite to earn the indulgence is Eternal Rest*, though any formal or informal prayer for the dead will suffice.
- And, as with all plenary indulgences, we must pray for the intentions of the Holy Father (one Our Father and one Hail Mary) each day we perform the work of the indulgence.
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