An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians. She opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the Saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of temporal punishments due for their sins. Thus the Church does not simply come to the aid of these Christians, but also spurs them on to works of devotion, penance, and charity.
Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same communion of Saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them, so that the temporal punishment due to their sins may be remitted.
Both partial and plenary indulgences can always be applied to the dead as suffrages. Any of the Christian faithful who, being at least inwardly contrite, perform a work carrying with it a partial indulgence, receive through the Church the remission of temporal punishment equivalent to what their own act already receives. To be capable of gaining indulgences a person must be baptized, not excommunicated, and in the state of grace, at least at the time the prescribed works are completed. Actually to gain indulgences the person must have at least the general intention of doing so, and must perform the acts enjoined at the time stipulated, and in the manner required, according to the tenor of the grant.
Our intention for the day could be: Lord I wish to gain all the indulgences I can this day, and I place them in the hands of Our Lady to give out to poor souls.
Invocations that Gain for us a Partial Indulgence
A partial indulgence may be gained several times a day.
An invocation, or aspiration, as far as indulgences are concerned, is considered as complementing an action, by which the faithful raise their heart and mind with humble confidence to God in performing their duties or bearing the trials of life. A pious invocation perfects the inward elevation; both together are as a precious jewel joined to one’s ordinary actions to adorn them. An invocation can be of the briefest kind, expressed in one or a few words or only mentally.
Some Examples of Short Prayers:
My God; Father; Jesus;
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Lord, I believe in you; I adore you; I place my trust in you.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you; because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
May the Holy Trinity be blessed! My God and my All!
May Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament be praised and adored forever.
Send, O Lord, laborers into the harvest.
All for Jesus through Mary! O Lord, increase our faith.
My Jesus, it is for love of you (that I do this action), save souls;
Mary, my mother, my Hope!
Plenary Indulgences
A plenary indulgence may be gained only once a day.
A member of the faithful may, however, gain a plenary indulgence at the hour of death even after having gained one already on the same day.
Besides the exclusion of attachment to sin, even venial sin, the requirements for gaining a plenary indulgence are the performance of the indulgenced work and fulfillment of three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion, and prayer for the Pope’s intention.
Some plenary indulgences may be gained on the basis of a single sacramental confession; only one may be gained, however, on the basis of a single Eucharistic communion and prayer for the Pope’s intention.
The three conditions may be carried out several days preceding or following performance of the prescribed work. But it is more fitting that the communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intentions take place on the day the work is performed.
If a person is not fully disposed, or if the prescribed work and the three mentioned conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will only be partial.
The condition requiring prayer for the Pope’s intentions is satisfied by recitation once the Our Father and a Hail Mary for his intentions; nevertheless, all the faithful have the option of reciting any other prayer suited to their own piety and devotion.
