Praying for the holy souls in purgatory: Musicians’ edition
In Catholic tradition, the month of November is dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The practice of praying for all those in Purgatory actually first originates in Jewish tradition, and has continued on in Catholic tradition from the earliest days of the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church discusses this in #1032:
This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: "Therefore [Judas Maccabeus] made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin." From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead:
Let us help and commemorate them. If Job's sons were purified by their father's sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them some consolation? Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.
There are, of course, the standard prayers and practices, and we should by all means look to incorporate those into our lives during this month:
Pray the eternal rest prayer regularly
Say a prayer every time you pass a cemetary
Include the Holy Souls in Purgatory as an intention in any rosaries or Divine Mercy Chaplets you pray this month
Pray the St. Gertrude prayer for souls
But is there anything special we can do as musicians? After contemplating it, I believe there are; so here’s some ideas!
Special Ways to Pray for the Holy Souls as a Musician
1. Have a Mass said for a Catholic composer or musician who’s passed on. The easiest way to have a Mass said for someone is to contact your parish office. Here’s a short list of prominent ones to get you started!
Giovanni Palestrina
Antonio Vivaldi
Joseph Haydn
W.A. Mozart
Ludwig von Beethoven
Franz Lizst
Antonin Dvorak
Anton Bruckner
Edward Elgar
Francis Poulenc
Gabriel Faure
Marcel Moyse
Mary Lou Williams
2. Offer up your rehearsals, performances, or lessons for a particular soul. This could be a deceased family member, friend, or colleague, one of the composers/musicians from the list above, or even just generally the Holy Souls in Purgatory. No matter who you pick, be intentional and consistent in offering up your work for them!
3. Choose a Requiem Mass to listen to, and say a prayer for the composer if he/she is deceased. There’s no better month than November to incorporate a Requiem Mass into your listening, and it can be a good opportunity to remember to pray for the soul of the person who composed it if they’ve passed on!
The practice of praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory is a beautiful and long-standing tradition in the Catholic Church. As Catholic musicians, we would do well to remember to extend this practice to those Catholic composers and musicians who have gone before us in addition to our loved ones. Let’s continue through what remains of November with intentionality in praying for our beloved dead.
