I love killing two birds with one stone, but you know what's even better than that? Having an army of saints killing hundreds of birds for you ... with one stone. Here's that one stone ... [and no birds were harmed in the writing of this article]
My family has adopted a great prayer tradition during the Octave of All Saints. There are a lot of layers which I'll explain in greater depth (and in the included Dad Monk podcast) below, but here's the summary:
- We go to Mass every day (or as many days as possible) of the Octave of All Saints to each receive a daily plenary indulgence for a soul in Purgatory;
- We also visit each day one of our local cemeteries; and
- We pray the St. Gertrude prayer to release 1,000 more souls from Purgatory during our visit.
It's such a great, simple way to enrich your family's prayer life, while performing a Spiritual Work of Mercy (pray for the living and the dead) and building an army of saints who will, in turn, pray for your family in Heaven.
There's so much going on here. See what I mean about killing way more than two birds with one stone?
Table of Contents - Build an Army of Saints for Your Family for All Saints
Want to Listen to this Article? Dad Monk Podcast
Here is the episode of my Dad Monk Podcast for All Saints: COMING SOON! This episode goes live on 11/1.
First, What is the “Octave” of All Saints?
An "octave" is a one-week celebration of a feast day in the Church. It's called an "octave" because there are eight days in total. We have "octaves" for Christmas, Easter, and All Saints Day, as well as other feast days during the year.
Second, What’s a Plenary Indulgence?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church answers this question at Paragraph 1471:
An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints ...
An indulgence is partial or plenary according as it removes either part or all of the temporal punishment due to sin ...
Indulgences may be applied to the living or the dead. (CCC 1471)
Third, How Do I Gain Multiple Plenary Indulgences During the Octave of All Saints?
You can gain plenary indulgences for the souls in purgatory by visiting a cemetery any (or every) day of the Octave of All Saints and praying for the Holy Souls in purgatory.
This doesn't need to be a long prayer. My family and I just stay in the van. This can take just a few minutes. You can pray a decade of the Rosary and incorporate this into your evening prayer.
It's such a great, simple way to enrich your families prayer life, while performing a Spiritual Work of Mercy (pray for the living and the dead) and building an army of saints who will, in turn, pray for your family in Heaven.
Whatever you prayer -- maybe even just one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be -- it's good to add the following to the end: “Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.”
Fourth, Who Do These Plenary Indulgences Go To? How Do I Build a Prayer Army of Saints for My Family? The Multiplier Effect
You can direct where your plenary indulgence goes. You can ask that your plenary indulgence go to benefit a specific person or to a general person in Purgatory by random allotment.
All these souls will be very grateful for your part in remitting their temporal punishments in Purgatory. They will start praying for YOU! You can build up an entire city of Heaven -- an army of Saints -- that prays for your family!
Can you imagine all the saints waiting to greet you and your family when you arrive in Heaven? The rejoicing will be great in Heaven!
What if You Offer Your Plenary for a Soul That's Already in Heaven? Did You Just Waste It?
Multipliers! How to Multiply Your Plenary Indulgences?
Marian Consecration: Since I'm consecrated to Jesus through the Blessed Mother, all merits I earn go to Mary. She takes these, multiplies and "magnifies" them, and sends them where they are most needed. In this way, I believe the Blessed Mother can multiply that plenary indulgence you earned many times over.
The St. Gertrude Prayer: See below.
Fifth, What are the Regular Conditions for Receiving a Plenary Indulgence?
You and each member of your family that is properly disposed to receive Holy Communion can gain up to one plenary indulgence a day during the Octave of All Saints (November 1-8) by visiting a cemetery or graveyard. A graveyard, by the way, is a cemetery that is attached to a church -- both are good.
BUT the plenary indulgence can only be applied to the souls in Purgatory.
The regular conditions still apply for meriting a Plenary Indulgence: In addition to visiting the cemetery and what was said above, you must do all the following for each indulgence:
- Go to Confession that week (or the week prior)
- Receive Holy Communion once for each plenary indulgence
- Pray for the intentions of the Holy Father
- Be detached from any desire to sin
Sixth, What is the Prayer of St. Gertrude to Release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory?
St. Gertrude the Great was an amazing Benedictine nun of the 13th century. Like St. Teresa of Avila, she was espoused to Jesus. Pious tradition holds that Jesus promised St. Gertrude that a thousand souls would be released from purgatory each time the following prayer is said devoutly:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the 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.
Jesus did not attach any particular conditions or requirements to the recitation of this prayer. The mercy shown to sinners in response to this intercessory prayer is just a direct gift from God.
Seventh/Bonus, Where is Purgatory in the Bible?
Purgatory is all over the Bible, despite what Protestants might say. I have written an article on this and continue to update whenever I find a new Scriptural reference:
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