Indulgences can be interpreted in our modern language to good works or works of Charity done in his grace or through the inspiration of the Holy spirit. These Indulgences cancel the consequences of our sins.
Human has been created through free will so that he may take decisions in his own freedom. God gives this freedom to his children in love and trust. When the Human betrays God’s trust and goes against God’s will , he betrays himself and the whole Creation and falls in to trouble due to his wrong decisions in life. These wrong decisions create a gap or crack in the relationship between man and God , due to the crack or gap in our relationship with God , God’s mercy does not flow in to our Soul .
When we reconcile for our Wrong Decisions and acknowledge our mistake , the grace starts flowing in to our heart but the gap or Crack created due to our wrong decision remains and must be filled through reverse decisions like the good works and for these good works , Church calls indulgences. For example if we steal some money from our employer which is a Sin and later we acknowledge our mistake and reconcile with God , God forgives through his mercy and love and the grace starts flowing back in to us but the guilt and shame and wound caused to our self and our Neighbor remains, to fill this gap we must return the stolen money to the employer with a sorry letter and make peace with him. When we do this act our soul rests in peace otherwise it never be in peace. At this stage if we die , we go to a place called Purgatory , where we are purified by the grace of God.( I think, I am not sure, these souls have been given a good work to intercede for the Whole world and conversion of sinners. )
These indulgences act as remission of our punishment or consequences of our Sins. We can create Credit Balance of these indulgences on these Earth and our purification happens on this Earth itself, due to our sacrificial and Spiritual life. We can use these Indulgences to pray for the Souls in the Purgatory or Conversion of Souls or to obtain the favor from God for ourselves and others. It is a Heavenly treasure on this earth. There are many people gain many indulgences through their good works , it can be a job done not for financial gain but for care for the Humanity. A prayer made for the healing or conversion of soul. An act of Righteousness or standing for truth and justice or may be martyrdom for the love of God. These paths takes a human being directly to Heaven because the gaps are filled upon this Earth and the soul has reconciled with God with full of grace and presence of God. When we die in the full presence of God in our life , we go direct to Heaven because our sins are already purged out on this Earth through our good works.
On 20 March 2020, the Vatican issued three plenary indulgences.
1.The first indulgence is for victims of COVID-19 and those helping them.
The actions that the indulgence is attached to include the rosary, the Stations of the Cross, or at least praying the Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and a Marian prayer.
Indulgences can be interpreted in our modern language to good works or works of Charity
2.The second indulgence is for those who make an offering for an end to the pandemic.
The offering must be either a visit to the Eucharist, Eucharistic adoration, Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, or reading the Bible for half an hour.
3.The third plenary indulgence is for the victims of COVID-19 at their hour of death
PRAYER REFLECTIONS 