Recite This Prayer for Your Deceased Father

 In Roman Catholicism, your father is considered the model of God in your life. Upon the death of your father, you can try to repay him for all he had done for you through prayer. A "Prayer for a Deceased Father" can help your father's soul find repose or peaceful rest and you can help his soul through purgatory and to achieve grace and reach heaven.

This prayer is a good way to remember your father. It is especially appropriate to pray as a novena (for nine straight days) on the anniversary of his death; or during the month of November, which the Church sets aside for prayer for the dead; or simply anytime that his memory comes to mind.

A "Prayer for a Deceased Father"

O God, who hast commanded us to honor our father and our mother; in Thy mercy have pity on the soul of my father, and forgive his his trespasses; and make me to see him again in the joy of everlasting brightness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Why You Pray for the Deceased

In Catholicism, prayers for the deceased can help your loved ones ascend to a state of grace and reach heaven. If your father was living in a state of grace, which means he was free of mortal sins, then doctrine dictates he will enter heaven. If your father was not in a state of grace but had lived a good life and had at one time professed a belief in God, then that person is destined for purgatory, which is like a waiting area for those in need of purification of their mortal sins before they can enter heaven.

The Church states it is possible for you to assist those who have gone before you by way of prayer and works of charity. Through prayer, you can ask God to have mercy on the deceased by forgiving them of their sins and to welcome them into heaven as well as to comfort those in grief. Catholics believe that God listens to your prayers for your loved ones and all those in purgatory.

The celebration of Mass is the highest means the Church can provide for charity for the dead, but you can also relieve their suffering through prayers and penances. You can also help the poor souls by doing acts and prayers that have indulgences attached to them. There are many indulgences, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, that can be obtained during the month of November.

Loss of a Father

The loss of a father hits at your heart's core. In most cases, your father had been with you for your entire life—until now. The loss of that connection to someone who had such a formative impact on your life leaves a giant, dad-sized hole in your heart. The flood of all things unsaid, all the things you wanted to do together, it all comes crashing in at once, like another burden on top of the giant one you have when you have to lay your loved one to rest.

When someone you love dies, it is expected that questions of faith and spirituality come up. For some, faith is challenged, for others, faith is extinguished, for some, faith is comforting, and for others, it is a new exploration.

People grieve a loss in different ways. You should try to be flexible, and gentle with yourself and others. Allow grief and mourning to unfold naturally. Grief helps you process what is happening, what changes will occur, and will help you grow in the painful process.