The Lord’s Prayer for the Departed

OUR Father, who art in heaven. I beseech thee that thou wouldst forgive all the souls in purgatory, whereinsoever they have neither loved nor worthily honoured thee, their adorable and most beloved Father, who of thine own mere grace didst adopt them to be thy children, and have thrust thee forth from their hearts in which thou didst delight to dwell. And in satisfaction for this their sin, I offer thee that love and honour which thy beloved Son showed thee upon earth, and that most abundant satisfaction which he hath made for all their sins. Amen.

Hallowed be thy Name. I beseech thee, O thou Father of compassion, forgive the souls of the faithful departed whereinsoever they have not worthily honoured nor duly made mention of thy holy Name, but have taken it in vain, and by their scandalous life rendered themselves unworthy of the name of Christians. And in satisfaction for these their sins I offer thee the consummate holiness of thy Son, whereby he magnified thy Name by his teaching, and made it honourable by his work. Amen.

Thy kingdom come. I beseech thee, O Father of compassion, vouchsafe to forgive the souls of the faithful departed whereinsoever they have not fervently longed nor ardently striven after thee and thy kingdom, in which alone is true rest and abiding glory. And for this and all their sloth in doing good I offer thee the most holy and longing desires of thy Son, wherewith he desired to make them heirs together with him of his kingdom. Amen.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. I beseech thee, O Father of compassion, vouchsafe to forgive the souls of the faithful departed, and especially of those consecrated to thee in the religious life, whereinsoever they have not preferred thy will above their own, nor have loved it in all things, but have too often lived and done only according to their own will. And in satisfaction for this their disobedience I offer thee the union of the sweetest Heart of thy Son with thy Will, and all that his most ready and loving obedience wherewith he was obedient unto thee, even to the death of the cross. Amen.

Give us this day our daily bread. I beseech thee, O Father of compassion, vouchsafe to forgive the souls of the faithful departed whereinsoever they have not received the most blessed and adorable Sacrament of the Altar with pure and perfect desire, devotion, and love; or have received it unworthily, or seldom, or not at all. And in satisfaction for these their sins I offer thee the consummate holiness and the devotion of thy Son, together with that most ardent love and ineffable yearning desire wherewith he bestowed upon us this most inestimable treasure. Amen.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. I beseech thee, O Father of compassion, vouchsafe to forgive the souls of the faithful departed whereinsoever they have sinned against thee by any one of the seven mortal sins, and especially wherein they have not forgiven those who had trespassed against them, or have not loved their enemies. And for all these their sins I offer thee that most sweet and tender prayer which thy Son prayed to thee for his enemies while hanging on the cross. Amen.

And lead us not into temptation. I beseech thee, O Father of compassion, vouchsafe to forgive the souls of the faithful departed whereinsoever they have not resisted their concupiscence and the sins to which they were especially prone, but have again and again consented to the devil and the flesh, and entangled themselves by their own will in many grievous evils. And for all these their manifold sins I offer thee the glorious victory wherewith thy Son overcame the world and the devil, together with all his most holy life and conversation, his toil and weariness, his most bitter Passion and his Death. Amen.

But deliver us and them from every evil and every woe through the merits of thy beloved Son, and bring us to the kingdom of thy glory, which is none other than thy most glorious self. Amen.