Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great (for the relief of the Holy Souls in Purgatory)

Our Lord dictated the following prayer to St Gertrude the Great to release many souls from Purgatory each time it is said.

Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great.
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, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

Special Note
The above prayer was given approval in 1936 by the Bishop of Liera, Portugal. This prayer is widely publicised with the claim that 1000 souls are released from Purgatory each time that it is said, however the words “1000 souls” were replaced from the original word “many” and the words “those in my own home and within my family” were added after 1936.

Advertisement

Overcoming infertility through prayer to St Philomena the Wonder Worker

Baby Filomena Elizabeth

The following story comes from Australia. It is told here in the words of Filomena’s mother Elizabeth. Having been married on the feast of Mary the Mother of God on the 1st of January, 2000, Francis and I were trusting that God might bless us with a baby at some stage.  This was going to be a big challenge for me, as I had never considered myself to be very maternal because my reproductive cycle was always extremely “light on” or in other words “spaced out.”  Nevertheless my husband was always trusting in God’s providence and he never doubted that one day we would have a baby. I think that I “flunked” the Billings Ovulation method because in the end, our Billings practitioner was not convinced that I had been fertile during any of the months that we had consulted her, so Francis and I stopped the analysis and started praying.  Instead of consulting the medical fraternity we consulted Jesus in the tabernacle and prayed many Saint Philomena Chaplets before a statue of Saint Philomena at Saint Patrick’s in the city.   In April 2001 I discovered that I was pregnant. The great miracle had happened.  Saint Philomena made her presence felt very strongly during the labour and we subsequently named our gorgeous daughter Filomena.  There were some special pointers that Saint Philomena had indeed interceded for us in bringing about this great favour. One of these indicators was a small incident with an Italian friend of ours.  She came and visited our baby daughter when she had just been born.  She then put a question to her father when she got back home asking him to guess what we had named our daughter.  He paused for a couple of seconds and then said “Filomena.” Our friend could not believe it!  Incredible, how did he guess it? Our friend said that the name Philomena is an extremely old fashioned name in Italy and a name that probably only one’s grandmother or great grandmother might have. We thank Saint Philomena for her intercession and pray that we will able to have a brother or sister for our little Filomena.

The story above is one of the many accounts of answers to prayer from my book entitled:

Help from Heaven (Answers to Prayer), which can be read free on-line by clicking here. Please pay a visit.

A wonderful conversion through the intercession of St. Philomena the Wonder Worker

This story comes from Sydney, Australia.  It is related by the mother of the boy, who is the recipient of the favour.

When one of our teenage sons began drinking heavily, smoking pot and being involved with a heavy metal rock band, my husband and I decided to give him over to the care of Saint Philomena, who we had heard was a patron saint of youth and a wonder worker.  We had heard her story and had been impressed by the many miracles which had been attributed to her intercession.

We prayed a novena and went to our first Mass in her honour.  As the Saturday night binges progressed to the whole weekend and then to week nights we decided to pray the novena continuously, imploring Saint Philomena desperately as our son’s condition continued to worsen. By this stage he would come home from work and prowl around restlessly until the phone rang and then he was out again. His pores oozed the sweet/stale smell of beer continuously.

Usually he was very gentle – even when he was drunk, but he became more agitated, blaming us for filling him with all the “God stuff” as he was growing up.  This occurred on the Saturday night of the August Mass in honour of Saint Philomena. The week that followed was very distressing.  He went off to work on the Friday at 5am as usual and I was surprised when he came home at 1.15 p.m. – his usual home time on Fridays, but lately he had gone straight to the pub and we were lucky to see him all weekend.  My son came out of his room and put a broken CD into the bin. I was again surprised and so had a look at the title of the CD. He had dozens of heavy metal CDs. It was named “Diabolos Music.” I said, as I had often said, that means Devil’s music and that it was dangerous.  Usually he would laugh if off, but this time he said “I know mum.”

He brought out the printed lyrics of the song and said that the words to this song kept going through his mind and that he felt that he was going mad, but that he was at peace now. I was almost too scared to ask him why? how?  when? I just asked if he had called on God and he said “Yes.”  At work that morning he had experienced an overwhelming sense of peace and love. A feeling of great burden had lifted off him.  He felt the presence of a woman.  He looked around but there was no one there.

My son still had the music filling his head – so I gave him a much better tape to listen to. When his mate rang that night, before he left, he asked us to pray for him and said that he would not be

late. After a couple of Rosaries and Divine Mercy Chaplets, we were disappointed as the night wore on, because our son did not turn up.  Finally around 2 to 3am he came in.  My husband hurried out and I started another Rosary – hoping that my husband wouldn’t ruin the obvious start that my son had made.  When my husband finally came back to bed a few hours later, he said that they had been talking and praying the Rosary together.

My son had waited back to make sure that his friends got home safely. He wanted to go and tell them about his experience. They were not interested and as he listened to them, all he would hear was “hate” in their talk. That morning August the 15^th was the feast of the Assumption.  He went to the Sacrament of Confession and afterwards he shed many tears.  Our eyes were also filled with tears of joy. He went to three of the four Masses that weekend and did so for many months after.

He has never drunk alcohol, smoked pot, nor has he listened to heavy metal rock music since that time.  He threw out all his CDs and heavy metal T-shirts.  His conversion was sudden. We felt that it was miraculous. He now has a great love for Jesus and Mary, for Saint Philomena, the Pope and for the Catholic Church.

Looking back now we can see the strong spiritual battle that was going on for him in those last few weeks.  He even said a couple of times that he was tempted to go and kill someone.  We continue to pray the novena to Saint Philomena for our son for his continuing conversion and thanksgiving and “with joy in our hearts, we will bless God who is admirable in His Saints.” Our son attended the World Youth Day in Rome.  (M.W.)

Editor’s note: This conversion took place in the late nineties and is still going strong today.

This is one of the many story in my book entitled: Help from Heaven (Answers to Prayer), which can be read free on-line by clicking here.

Please pop over and have a look.  I promise that you will not be dissappointed.

Help the Holy Souls in Purgatory and read inspiring testimonies of their  powerful intercession for their benefactors

and then teach this devotion to others, so that they will pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory as well.

St Anne’s Patronage

What kind of miracles has St Anne done over the centuries?  She has healed cripples, restored sight to the blind, healed the deaf and dumb, helped improve the disposition of spouses, aided those in poverty and helped childless couples to have children. In short she has granted all kinds of favours. If you pray to her she will show herself to be a marvelous intercessor both for your spiritual and for your temporal needs. I can personally testify to her powerful intercession.  St Anne is the mother of Mary, The Mother of God and the grandmother of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of our family members (a daughter)  has Anne for a first name and myself and another daughter has Ann as a second name.  My mother-in-law also had her name in the Lithuanian version of Anne which is  Ona, unfortunately my other daughter does not have this as one of her names.

The Holy Infant Jesus Chaplet

Sister Marguerite of  the Blessed Sacrament (1619 – 1648) composed this chaplet.  Jesus promised her that the faithful who recited it in memory of His Birth, His flight into Egypt and His Hidden Life at Nazareth would be assisted by Him in all their spiritual and temporal wants and would also gain purity of heart and innocence. 

There are a special set of chaplet beads to say this chaplet (little Rosary of the Infant Jesus of Prague). 

Start by thinking about the goodness of the Infant Jesus.  (There is a medal on the chaplet beads with the Infant Jesus’ picture) and recite the following prayer. 

Divine Infant Jesus, I adore Thy Cross and I accept all the crosses Thou will be pleased to send me.  Adorable Trinity, I offer Thee for the glory of the Holy Name of God. all the adorations of the Sacred Heart of the Holy Infant Jesus. 

Next recite the following prayers in honour of the holy family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite an Our Father prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite an Our Father prayer 

And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite an Our Father prayer 

Then say the following prayers in honour and in memory of the 12 years of Jesus’ sacred Infancy. 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us”

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

“And the word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us” 

Then recite a Hail Mary prayer 

Then recite the following prayer: 

“Holy Infant Jesus, bless and protect us”

More Infant Jesus topics

The Kindergarten Scripture Lesson on Easter

Some years ago when I was teaching a kindergarten scripture class at the local state school, my lesson focused on the true meaning of Easter. I asked the kindergarten class what was the most important thing about Easter.  Predictably their answers were about chocolate Easter eggs and rabbits. So I told them that the true meaning of Easter was about Jesus rising from the dead. As I stressed my message one of the male teachers came to the door and heard what I was saying.  He made no comment to me about my lesson.  He came to see me about another matter. 

When my daughter Julie came home from school, (The same school that I teaching scripture at), some embarrassing information came to light.  The school had run an Easter egg raffle competition which my daughter Julie had taken some tickets in.

To my great embarrassment I learnt that Julie had won both the first and the fourth prize in the raffle.  The prizes amounted to a considerable batch of chocolate Easter eggs.  I suspect that the male teacher knew about this and was probably secretly amused at the contradiction between that and my scripture lesson to the kindergarten class. 

Mary Ann Matulis

(Australia)

Learn about the powerful intercession of the Holy Souls in Purgatory for their benefactors

The Plight of the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Try the following imagination exercise to help you to imagine the plight of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.  (It won’t be sufficient, but it will be useful).  I have taken these examples from real life scenarios involving relatives. Put yourself in the following scene: you are over eighty years old and live by yourself in a small house in a retirement village.  You have a fall and break your hip and lay in agonising pain on the floor for three days, unable to reach the telephone and call for help. You have no food and drink for three days and there are other problems. (Use your imagination to fill in the gaps here).  You cannot be heard when you call for help and are terrified that no one will find you and you will die there all alone. Three days later someone notices that you are not around and goes to investigate and rescues you. The Holy Souls are much worse off than that and are waiting for your prayers and sacrifices to rescue them, relieve their pain and deliver them from Purgatory.

Next example:  you are in jail for over a year and a half, but receive only two visitors (very close family members), but other relatives don’t know that you are in there, because it has been covered up due to family shame and your friends don’t want to know you anymore.  Finally two relatives learn of this and rescue you for the last six months of your jail term by sending letters and photographs to cheer you up.  (You are helped by this). It is not possible for these two relatives to visit you because the jail is a long distance from where they live, but they do what they can to help you.

The Holy Souls are in a jail like that waiting to hear from you (receive your prayers and sacrifices) to alleviate their pain and suffering and deliver them from Purgatory so that they can enter heaven), however unlike the jail that the relative was in, their jail does not have good meals, a TV set for good behaviour and a library and a chapel with a statue of Mary and Jesus in it, a reflection garden and a Catholic chaplain to help.  The Holy Souls are in a terrible place with no comforts. 

The powerful intercession of the Holy Souls in Purgatory for their benefactors

The original statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague in the Czech republic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The History of the Infant of Prague

Favours granted by the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague

Happy Feast Day Mary, Help of Christians

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The history of the devotion to Mary Help of Christians  (from Lepanto to Australia) and also St John Bosco’s promotion of the devotion. 

Advice from St John Bosco:

  It is the office of a mother to give help to her children in all their needs. This title expresses in practice Our Lady’s position as our mother. She has all the help we need and she wants to give it to us, if only we will ask for it.

Call on Mary in all your difficulties with the little prayer, “Mary Help of Christians, Pray for us” and you will never call in vain. “Spread devotion to Mary, Help of Christians, and you will see what miracles are”.

A personal testimony

I have silently said the prayer:

Mary Help of Christians, pray for us,

(and added come to my aid in this situation), while seeing in my mind a picture of Mary Help of Christians in the sky, and below her the sea battle of Lepanto: the famous one in which Mary Help of Christians, helped the Christians gain a great victory, and have found that through this prayer, Mary has speedily sent me help in difficult situations on a number of occasions. Mary Help of Christians is the patron of Australia.

The following prayer was said in Australian Catholic schools for many years.

Prayer for the conversion of Australia

O God Who hast appointed Mary, Help of Christians, St Francis Xavier and St Therese of the Infant Jesus, patrons of Australia, grant that, through their intercession, our brethren outside the Church, may receive the light of Faith, so that Australia may become one in Faith, under one Shepherd. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Mary, Help of Christians pray for us.

St Francis Xavier, pray for us.

St Therese of the Infant Jesus pray for us.

Special note

St Francis Xavier and St Therese of the Child Jesus were patrons of Australia when it was considered to be a missionary country. They are no longer patrons of Australia. (I think that we need them back) besides I am very devoted to St Therese. (She is one of my all time favourites) and I was married on December 3 (the feast day of St Francis Xavier).

This is:  The novena to Mary, Help of Christians that was recommended by St John Bosco. 

My email enquiries to the Archdiocese of Sydney to find out exactly when Australia was no longer considered to be a missionary country, so as a consequence no longer had St Francis Xavier and St Therese of the Child Jesus as patrons of Australia have so far drawn a blank.

The prayer for the conversion of Australia was taken from a little booklet that was published in 1961.

The St Gertrude prayer for the relief of the Holy Souls in Purgatory

Our Lord dictated the following prayer to St Gertrude the Great to release many souls from Purgatory each time that it is said.

 

Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great.

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, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, those in my own home and within my family.  Amen.

 

The above prayer was given approval in 1936 by the Bishop of Liera, Portugal. This prayer is widely publicised with the claim that 1000 souls are released each time that it is said. However  “1000 souls” was replaced from the original word “many” and the words: “those in my own home and within my family” were added after 1936.

 

Reflections on the prayer of St. Gertrude the Great

which is displayed in this posting

 

Many souls who are in Purgatory need only one prayer for their release, and unfortunately they are detained until this prayer has been offered for them. The fact that the “St. Gertrude” prayer releases many souls each time it is said indicates how great is the Mercy of God.  It also shows that God is making allowances for weak human nature that tends to run away from anything that looks like penance. The fact that many souls can be released by the “St Gertrude” prayer is a large incentive to the living to say this easy prayer as often as possible; thereby increasing their merit, reducing their own Purgatory, and obtaining the assistance of the Holy Souls in their needs.

 

Learn more ways to help the Holy Souls in Purgatory and about their powerful intercession for their benefactors by pressing here.

 

If you have received any favours through the intercession of the Holy Souls in Purgatory, please email me with the details and I might be able to publish them on this blog.  My contact information is on the right hand column. Please put in the subject line of the email the following words:  Holy Souls Favours

 

The Mission Bell (poem)

The Mission Bell,

What does it tell?

To come to church and pray,

To worship Jesus,

At the start,

Of each new dawning day.

To thank Him,

Serve Him,

Praise Him,

Love Him,

To abandon every sin.

And also to let go of life’s,

Distracting noisy din.

Our humble messenger,

The Mission Bell,

Takes care of us,

And serves us well !  

  by Mary Ann