We are evaluating old indulgences that have been approve on todays date of:
March
2
List of Traditional materials we will be looking at today, and the current/withstanding grants that they satisfy (directly or indirectly).
236. Sacred Heart of Jesus, protect
partial indulgence… General Grant 1
427. Prayer - Behold, O Mother of Perpetual Help,
partial indulgence… Grant 17
508. A Devout Exercise – Novena in honor of the Saint
partial indulgence… Grant 22
568. A Prayer - O glorious Saint Rita
partial indulgence… Grant 21
707. A Prayer - O God of goodness and mercy
partial indulgence… Grant 15
NOTE:
Every prayer may be eligible for a partial indulgence, if applied correctly, under Grant 15.
Every invocation may be eligible for a partial indulgence, if applied correctly, under ‘General Grant ’ 1
Every practice may be eligible for a partial indulgence, if it is applied correctly, under one of the ‘General Grant’s 2, 3, or 4
Some spelling errors may be present.
Abbreviations that are found at the end of an indulgence prayer/practice (like S. P. Ap., and S. C. Ind.,) are, in essence, a specific ecclesiastical approval for a particular indulgence.
Traditional indulgences are ordered by their last date of approval.
The full written outline of the requirements for a partial or plenary indulgence, found at the end of an indulgence prayer/practice, may be omitted if not all of the information is unique or notable. (You will see three dots when there is a break in text …)
CHAPTER III. ‘GOD THE SON’ – Art. VII. “THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS” – I. Ejaculations and Invocations
236. Sacred Heart of Jesus, protect our families. An indulgence of 300 days. A plenary indulgence once a month on the usual conditions, if this devout invocation is repeated daily (S. P. Ap., June 7, 1918 and March 2, 1932).
Every invocation may be eligible for a partial indulgence, if applied correctly, under ‘General Grant’ 1. The specific reference in the 'Manuel of Indulgences' is as follows: A partial indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, while carrying out their duties and enduring the hardships of life, raise their minds in humble trust to God and make, at least mentally, some pious invocation.
CHAPTER V. “THE MOST BLESSED VIRGIN MARY” – Art. VII. “THE BLESSED VIRGIN UNDER DIVERS TITLES” - XIII. Our Lady of Perpetual Help
427. I. Behold, O Mother of Perpetual Help, at thy feet a wretched sinner, who has recourse to thee and trusts in thee. O Mother of mercy, have pity on me; I hear all men call thee the refuge and hope of sinners: be therefore my refuge and my hope. Help me for the love of Jesus Christ: hold out thy hand to a fallen wretch, who commends himself to thee and dedicates himself to be thy servant for ever. I praise and thank God, who of His great mercy hath given me this confidence in thee, a sure pledge of my eternal salvation. Alas, it is only too true that in the past I have fallen miserably, because I did not come to thee. I know that with thy help I shall conquer; I know that thou wilt help me, if I commend myself to thee; but I am fearful lest in the occasions of sin I shall forget to call upon thee and so I shall be lost. This grace, then, do I ask of thee; for this I implore thee, as much as I can and know how to do; namely, that in the assaults of hell I may ever run to thy protection and may say to thee: Mary, help me; Mother of Perpetual Help, permit me not to lose my God. Hail Mary, three times.
2. O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant me ever to be able to call upon thy powerful name, since thy name is the help of the living and the salvation of the dying. Ah, Mary most pure, Mary most sweet, grant that thy name from this day forth may be to me the very breath of life. Dear Lady, delay not to come to my assistance whenever I call upon thee; for in all the temptations that assail me, in all the necessities that befall me, I will never leave off calling upon thee, ever repeating: Mary, Mary. What comfort, what sweetness, what confidence, what tenderness fills my soul at the sound of thy name, at the very thought of thee! I give thanks to our Lord, who for my sake hath given thee a name so sweet, so lovable, so mighty. But I am not content merely to speak thy name; I would utter it for very love of thee; it is my desire that love should ever remind me to name thee, Mother of Perpetual Help. Hail Mary, three times.
3. O Mother of Perpetual Help, thou art the dispenser of every grace that God grants us in our misery; it is for this cause that He hath made thee so powerful, so rich, so kind, that thou mightest assist us in our miseries. Thou art the advocate of the most wretched and abandoned sinners, if they but come unto thee; come once more to my assistance, for I commend myself to thee. In thy hands I place my eternal salvation; to thee I entrust my soul. Enroll me among thy most faithful servants; take me under thy protection and it is enough for me: yes, for if thou protect me, I shall fear nothing; not my sins, for thou wilt obtain for me their pardon and remission; not the evil spirits, for thou art mightier than all the powers of hell; not even Jesus, my Judge, for He is appeased by a single prayer from thee. I fear only that through my own negligence I may forget to recommend myself to thee and so I shall be lost. My dear Lady, obtain for me the forgiveness of my sins, love for Jesus, final perseverance and the grace to have recourse to thee at all times, O Mother of Perpetual Help. Hail Mary, three times. An indulgence of 500 days (S. C. Rites, May 17, 1866; S. P. Ap March 2, 1934)
This prayer is granted a partial indulgence under Grant 17, because it has been “approved” at least once. The specific reference in the 'Manuel of Indulgences' is as follows: A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly address the Blessed Virgin Mary with some approved prayer
P.S. Prayers may be said on the memorial of any saint listed in the calendar recite, according to Grant 21. This would offer the opportunity for a partial indulgence. Prayers for this Grant must be “approved by legitimate authority.” Therefore, this prayer would be a valid option in honor of the Marian feast: the Feast Day of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
CHAPTER VII. - “THE SAINTS” – Art. IV “IN HONOR OF OTHER SAINTS” – XI. SAINT PAUL OF THE CROSS, CONFESSOR
508. A Devout Exercise - The faithful who perform their devotions in honor of St. Paul of the Cross, with the intention of repeating the same for nine successive days, may gain: An indulgence of 3 years, once each day; A plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, at the end of the nine-days’ exercise (Pius IX, Rescript in his own hand Oct. 17, 1867; S. P. Ap., March 2, 1935).
This devout practice would fall under Grant 22, for novenas. For an indulgence, novenas need to be said “publicly,” which is generally understood that a parish or diocese or the Church at large set-up/approves a novena to be said by the laity. You cannot do it only on your own or in a group that is not sets/approved by a current ecclesiastic authority. Novenas like these, known as ‘private’ novenas, are notwithstanding for an indulgence.
The specific reference in the 'Manuel of Indulgences' is as follows: A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly assist at public novenas
CHAPTER VII. - “THE SAINTS” – Art. IV “IN HONOR OF OTHER SAINTS” – LII. Saint Rita, Widow
568. A Prayer - O glorious Saint Rita, thou who didst share in a marvelous manner the sorrowful Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for me the grace to suffer in patience the miseries of this life, and be my refuge in all my necessities. An indulgence of 300 days, once a day. A plenary indulgence on the usual conditions, once a month, for the devout recitation of this prayer every day (Pius X, Audience, July 30, 1906, exhib., Aug. 11, 1906; S. P. Ap., March 2, 1936).
Approved prayers may be said on the memorial of any saint listed in the calendar, according to Grant 21. The specific reference in the 'Manuel of Indulgences' is as follows: A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who on the memorial of any saint listed in the calendar recite in that saint’s honor the prayer taken from the Missal or another one approved by legitimate authority.
CHAPTER IX. “FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS” – Art. VII. “MISCELLANEOUS DEVOTIONS” – XXXVI. For the Consecration of Families
707. A Prayer - O God of goodness and mercy, to Thy fatherly protection we commend our family, our household and all that belongs to us. We commit all to Thy love and keeping; do Thou fill this house with Thy blessings even as Thou didst fill the holy House of Nazareth with Thy presence.
Keep far from us, above all things else, the taint of sin, and do Thou alone reign in our midst by Thy law, by Thy most holy love and by the exercise of every Christian virtue. Let each one of us obey Thee, love Thee and set himself to imitate in his own life Thine example, that of Mary, Thy Mother and our Mother most loving, and that of Thy blameless guardian, Saint Joseph.
Preserve us and our house from all evils and misfortunes, but grant that we may be ever resigned to Thy divine will even in the sorrows which it shall please Thee to send us. Finally give unto all of us the grace to live in perfect harmony and in the fulness of love toward our neighbor. Grant that every one of us may deserve by a holy life the comfort of Thy holy Sacraments at the hour of death. O Jesus, bless us and protect us.
O Mary, Mother of grace and of mercy, defend us against the wicked spirit, reconcile us with Thy Son, commit us to His keeping that so we may be made worthy of His promises.
Saint Joseph, foster-father of our Saviour, guardian of His holy Mother, head of the Holy Family, intercede for us, bless us defend our home at all times.
Saint Michael, defend us against all the wicked cunning of hell.
Saint Gabriel, make us to understand the holy will of God.
Saint Raphael, keep us free from all sickness and from every danger to our lives.
Our holy Guardian Angels, keep our feet safely on the path of salvation both day and night.
Our holy Patrons, pray for us before the throne of God.
Yea, bless this house, O God the Father, who hast created us; O God the Son, who hast suffered for us upon the holy Cross, and Thou, O Holy Spirit, who hast sanctified us in holy Baptism. May the one God in three divine Persons preserve our bodies, purify our minds, direct our hearts and bring us all to everlasting life.
Glory be to the Father, glory be to the Son, glory be to the Holy Ghost! Amen. An indulgence of 500 days once a day (S. C. Ind., Jan. 19, 1889; S. P. Ap., March 2, 1933).
In the list of current grants there a Grant titled “ACT OF FAMILY CONSECRATION.” This Grant does have guidelines for consecration to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and it does require a prayer of consecration… but this is not the prayer it is referring to. This is a general-devotion Act of Family Consecration, not the one of Consecration to the Holy Family or Sacred Heart. Those prayers are listed near this one, but it is not this one.
So, instead, because this prayer is not the one for this grant, I will safely place this prayer under Grant 15. The specific reference in the 'Manuel of Indulgences' is as follows: A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who for their personal edification devoutly spend time in mental prayer.
This concluded the Traditional Indulgences
Every prayer/practice that we evaluated today is taken from the last approved publication of the Raccolta. The Raccolta was once the official book/document/list of approved Indulgences. In its last publication there were 780+ individualized prayers/practices that were approved for gaining indulgences.
In 1967 indulgence practices were revised so that indulgences are now, today, granted more in the style of “category” of prayers/practices rather than individually. This leaves me with the question: how do the indulgenced prayers/practices from the Raccolta (traditional indulgence) line up with the indulgences of today? That question is what this “study” seeks to answer.
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