Several years ago, friends and I were discussing how to get to heaven, and I commented about the difficulty of achieving complete detachment from all sin.
My friend Jay Balza had a lot to say about that. His comment was so helpful that I printed it out and kept it all these years, because it’s been such a blessing to me, and now I want to share what he taught me to do every day.
- First begin the day with this Morning Offering Prayer. I’ve prayed one since I was a child but this version has a few additions:
O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary (here kiss your Brown Scapular *) I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with it the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day.
Source: catholic.org
O my Jesus, I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can and I offer them, together with myself, to Mary Immaculate… that she may best apply them to the interests of Thy most Sacred Heart.
* Precious Blood of Jesus, Save us!
* Immaculate Heart of Mary, Save us!
* Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have mercy on us!
- Next, make sure you go (or have gone, or will go) to sacramental confession 20 days before or after the indulgenced work.
- Reference: The Gift of the Indulgence
- Also: Norm of Confession for Gaining a Plenary Indulgence:
- My friend then advises:
- While it’s ideal to receive the Holy Eucharist by going to Mass, for the purpose of gaining an indulgence, receiving Communion alone already suffices. (Obviously if one were in the state of grace and going to daily Mass, Communion is a given.)
- Then prayers for the Holy Father’s intentions + 1 Our Father + 1 Hail Mary + 1 Glory Be. Here’s a handy link to the Pope’s Monthly Intentions.
Note that: One sacramental Confession suffices for a whole month’s worth of indulgences (see the note in red in The Daily Plenary Indulgence over at Daniel O’Connor’s blog), but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions are required for each plenary indulgence.
At the end of the day, a thorough Examination of Conscience. This is my favorite. It also appears in the Roman Missal.
Lastly, this prayer to Renounce All Attachment to Sin:
Act of Renunciation of All Attachment to Sin
Eternal Father; in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, and by the power of His most Precious Blood, poured out from His most Sacred Heart, and now physically coursing through my very own veins, and begging the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and all the angels and saints; especially St. Joseph, St. Michael the Archangel, my guardian angel and patron saint,
I hereby renounce, rebuke, and forever cast aside any and all attachment to sin; mortal and venial. I earnestly desire and intend to never once again offend you by the smallest violation of Your law.
I truly intend to never again, either in thought, word, or deed, commit even the slightest exhibition of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, or pride; and not only that, but to replace them with prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance, faith, hope, and love.
I am heartily sorry for having ever offended Thee, and I detest all of my sins, not so much because of Thy just punishments; but because I have offended Thee, my God, who art all good and worthy of all my love. I love Thee above all things, and I love my neighbor as myself for the love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured. I firmly believe all that the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed it, and I hope to obtain life everlasting through the merits of Jesus Christ, My Lord and Redeemer.
Source: Daniel O’Connor’s blog
If you want to learn more:
Plenary Indulgences: General Conditions
Plenary indulgences not impossible
The Enchiridion of Indulgences or Enchiridion Indulgentiarum (pdf file)
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