On March 18th 2001, Mother Mary said to the visionary Mirjana in Medjugorje, “Today I call you to love and mercy. Give love to each other as your Father gives it to you. Be merciful – with the heart. Do good works, not letting them wait for you too long. Every mercy that comes from the heart brings you closer to my Son.”
Here is one way to carry out “not letting them wait for you too long.” When someone has died, do not delay until the funeral Mass to pray for him. Do it now. Pray for his family and friends also, both the living and the dead.
The first part of the following prayer was given by Jesus to St. Gertrude the Great of Germany; we are told Our Lord promised that 1000 souls would be released from Purgatory each time the prayer was said.
The second part is added personally because Our Lady of Medjugorje invites us to pray for the people mentioned. We can ask her to beg from Jesus that 1000 souls in each of the other categories will be saved too when we pray this way. If we keep ourselves in a state of grace (especially through Confession and Holy Communion), our prayers are very efficacious.
“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 and unbelievers, for those who are far from you and those who do not know your love: everywhere, in the universal Church, in all homes and all families. Amen.”