Lent invites us to conversion, turning to God in prayer while turning away from our attachments. But, if we turn to God, we must also reach out to others in charity, which is why almsgiving is essential to Lent. In addition to giving charitable alms, we can also practice a form of spiritual almsgiving by praying for the dead this Lent.
We remain in communion with the dead in Christ because, as Jesus taught us, God “is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him” (Luke 20:38). But, very few of us die ready to stand before God with complete purity of heart, for only the pure of heart will see God (Matthew 5:8). We bring our loved ones with us before God, offering our prayers and sacrifices for their complete purification in purgatory. All the baggage of life–the wounds, the effects and consequences of sin, all that is unhealed and repaired–must be overcome.
Because we remain in communion with them, our Lenten spiritual exercises can help them in their purification. During Lent with Exodus, we invite you to bring forward all of your departed loved ones each Monday for prayer. We will also be remembering in our own Book of the Dead all Exodus men who have died.
On every Monday of Lent, we will pray the Office of the Dead on the Exodus. A special version of the Office of the Dead will be available through our app that includes Lauds, Vespers, and Compline. This will provide an easy entry point for praying the traditional Office for the Dead, helping us to remember and express our love for the departed.
The Divine Office, also known as the Liturgy of the Hours, marks the rhythm of time in prayer. Using the psalms as its foundation, it offers praise morning, afternoon, evening, and even in the night. Priests, religious, and laity throughout the world unite in this prayer each day. It has long been the custom to pray the traditional “Office for the Dead” in memory of our departed loves, presenting them to God’s mercy. Though often overlooked, this formed one of the most important ways of maintaining communion with departed loved ones throughout history. Pope St. Pius V specifically recommended the Office of the Dead be prayed on the Mondays of Lent and Advent.
There are some beautiful and unique elements of the Office of the Dead. The hours begin abruptly without introduction as if to recognize the disruption that has happened through death. It begins immediately with the psalms chosen for their reference to redemption from death. The Glory Be is replaced with the traditional prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them.” It contains beautiful prayers of its own, such as the Invitatory to begin Matins: “Unto the Eternal King all live. O come, let us worship Him.” Or, another of its most famous prayers, also from Matins: “Sinning daily, and not repenting, the fear of death disturbs me. For there is no redemption in Hell, have mercy on me, o God, and save me.” This Office also helps us to contemplate the reality of death and to prepare for it.
Join us through the Exodus 90 app each Monday in praying the Office of the Dead for all our beloved departed ones. This offers you one way to carry them close to your heart this Lent.
