The Psalm That Became a Prayer for Souls in Purgatory

It was during a quiet afternoon of translation work that I discovered a treasure. As I poured over Don Dolindo Ruotolo’s writings on the Psalms, his words on Psalm 142(143) caught my breath. Here, in this prayer of David, Don Dolindo had found something beautiful—a voice for the souls in purgatory. How fitting to share this discovery in November, when the Church turns her heart to these suffering souls. Before I tell you what Don Dolindo saw in these verses, let’s read the Psalm that moved him so deeply:

1. O Lord, hear my prayer. Incline your ear to my supplication in your truth. Heed me according to your justice. 2. And do not enter into judgment with your servant. For all the living will not be justified in your sight. 3. For the enemy has pursued my soul. He has lowered my life to the earth. He has stationed me in darkness, like the dead of ages past. 4. And my spirit has been in anguish over me. My heart within me has been disturbed. 5. I have called to mind the days of antiquity. I have been meditating on all your works. I have meditated on the workings of your hands. 6. I have extended my hands to you. My soul is like a land without water before you. 7. O Lord, heed me quickly. My spirit has grown faint. Do not turn your face away from me, lest I become like those who descend into the pit. 8. Make me hear your mercy in the morning. For I have hoped in you. Make known to me the way that I should walk. For I have lifted up my soul to you. 9. O Lord, rescue me from my enemies. I have fled to you. 10. Teach me to do your will. For you are my God. Your good Spirit will lead me into the righteous land. 11. For the sake of your name, O Lord, you will revive me in your fairness. You will lead my soul out of tribulation. 12. And you will scatter my enemies in your mercy. And you will destroy all those who afflict my soul. For I am your servant.

Don Dolindo unveils how this Psalm, originally attributed to David, perfectly mirrors the cry of the souls in purgatory. Here is his profound meditation:

The soul in purgatory stretches out her hands to God, begging Him to listen to her and not judge her as she deserves, for it would be impossible for her to justify herself, recognizing in the light of eternity the full gravity of her faults.

The enemy of her soul has not succeeded in destroying her but has crushed her with venial sins, relegated her to darkness, and seeks to make her forgotten by men. How often Satan prevents the deceased from being suffraged through temptations and abuses!

The soul in purgatory remembers God’s benefits, especially that of Redemption, and truly yearns for Him like parched earth, because she burns in the fire. The time of her purification seems extremely long to her, and she begs God to shorten it, not to turn His face away from her, so that she may not be abandoned as her body is abandoned in the grave.

She implores mercy from the morning, when the Church Militant offers the Holy Sacrifice and prays for her. The Church Militant responds to the cry of the souls in purgatory by asking the Lord for the grace to tread His ways, to fulfill His will, to be vivified by the Holy Spirit and guided by Him along the right paths, to be victorious over her enemies, because the holy life of the faithful echoes in Purgatory and brings there the refreshment of love and charity.

As we can see, the Psalm 142(143) adapts magnificently to the souls in purgatory, who, moreover, complete in themselves the final stretch of the Passion of Jesus Christ that purifies them and makes them worthy of eternal glory.

Let us pause for a moment to consider a particularly striking element of Don Dolindo’s commentary—the spiritual warfare surrounding the souls in purgatory.

Don Dolindo suggests that Satan prevents the deceased from receiving suffrage (prayers and offerings made for the souls in purgatory) through temptations and abuses. Through temptations, Satan may entice the living to neglect praying for the deceased or to forget about them, thus reducing the spiritual aid they receive. Through abuses, Satan attempts to distort or misuse religious practices, potentially leading people away from offering proper suffrage for the souls in purgatory. Don Dolindo emphasizes that these actions by Satan aim to make the deceased forgotten by men. This implies that the enemy’s goal is to sever the connection between the living and the souls in purgatory, thereby prolonging their purification process.

As we contemplate these profound mysteries, let us turn to Mary, our Mother of Hope, who stood beneath the Cross and witnessed the ultimate triumph of God’s mercy:

O Mary, you who proclaimed that God’s mercy extends from generation to generation (Luke 1:50), teach us to remember our brothers and sisters in purgatory. Like you who kept all things in your heart (Luke 2:51), help us preserve their memory in our daily prayers. You who were present when the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost (Acts 1:14), inspire us to persevere in offering spiritual aid to the suffering souls.

Mother of Mercy, you who witnessed your Son’s words “Amen I say to you, this day you shall be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43), strengthen our hope in God’s purifying love. As you rejoiced that God “has exalted the humble” (Luke 1:52), help us trust that He will also raise up the souls in purgatory to the glory of heaven.

Guide us, Star of the Sea, until that day when “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. And neither mourning, nor crying out, nor grief shall be anymore. For the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Until then, keep us faithful in prayer that all your children may be united in the eternal praise of your Son. Amen.

Author’s Note: If you would like to read more about Don Dolindo’s spirituality, check out this book: Don Dolindo’s Spiritual Guidance.

Photo by Gabriel Castles on Unsplash

Ruotolo, D. D. (1939). Commento alla Sacra Scrittura. Apostolato Stampa, 33.