WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO OFFER IT UP? Dedicating Your Sufferings to the Holy Souls in Purgatory A number of spiritual practices that were very common in the past have been neglected in recent decades. As belief in the doctrine of Purgatory has waned, fewer people pray for the Holy Souls —those who died in a state of grace, but without having fully atoned for their sins. And far fewer people engage in the practice of offering it up — offering up our daily sufferings, toil, and stress for the good of these souls in Purgatory. The Church invites us to pray for the dead every day, offering also our sufferings and difficulties that they, once completely purified, might be admitted to enjoy the light and peace of the Lord for all eternity. We Benefit, Too, by Helping the Holy Souls When we offer up our daily sufferings, we benefit, too, because we learn better to cope with the challenges of our daily life. Whenever we find ourselves in a bad situation, we should remind ourselves that were offering it up for the Holy Souls, because the merit of our offering increases when we cope with the situation with Christian charity, humility, and patience. How Do You Offer It Up? In the most general sense, any prayer or intention to offer it up is sufficient. Simply stop at a moment of stress, or as you enter into a situation that you know will be stressful, make the Sign of the Cross, and say something like: O Jesus, I offer up my struggles and sacrifices today for the relief of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. A better way, though, is to memorize a Morning Offering and to say it when you first wake up: Morning Offering I offer Thee all my prayers, works, and sufferings in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus, for the intentions for which He pleads and offers Himself in the holy sacrifice of the Mass, in thanksgiving for Thy favors, in reparation for my offenses, and in humble supplication for my temporal and eternal welfare, for the wants of our holy Mother the Church, for the conversion of sinners, and for the relief of the poor souls in purgatory. I have the intention to gain all the indulgences attached to the prayers I shall say, and to the good works I shall perform this day. I resolve to gain all of the indulgences I can in favor of the souls in purgatory. Traditionally, the Morning Offering, along with the Our Father and the Act of Faith, the Act of Hope, and the Act of Charity, were the centerpieces of Catholic morning prayers. In the Morning Offering, we dedicate our entire day to God, and we promise to offer up our sufferings throughout the day for the souls in Purgatory.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 04:07:23 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015