A PRAYER FROM THE RACCOLTA FOR THE HOLY SOULS

V. O Lord, hear my prayer
R. And let my cry come unto Thee

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant unto the souls of Thy servants and handmaids the remission of all their sins, that through our devout supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired, Who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.

This bold prayer is part of a set of prayers that form a novena for the Holy Souls.

At long last I have decided to order my own copy of The Raccolta: A Manual of Indulgences, Prayers and Devotions Enriched with Indulgences in Favor of All the Faithful in Christ.  I do not have a proper understanding of indulgences and have decided to remedy this. I have tried getting a working knowledge of indulgences by roaming around the internet and while some writers on some sites have gone to great pains, I am as confused as ever. My study of the Raccolta may heal my sense that to seek an indulgence is absolutely futile; I remember being taught in school by cocksure teachers that devotions enriched with indulgences were a thing of the past and had absolutely no value. I had textbooks that denigrated the practice of gaining indulgences as corrupt. As with many things I was taught in school, I have to learn the opposite to get it right. Thankfully I have a rebellious spirit that is best suited for these times. Had I been born in another time, and had schooling where I was taught by devout marms that indulgences are real and valuable, then I might have done the opposite, and lost my soul.