Throughout the month of November, Catholics around the world are invited to reflect on the lives of those who have gone before us, especially the poor souls in Purgatory. This sacred time, traditionally associated with All Souls Day on November 2, offers a profound opportunity to unite in prayer and intercession.
Developed at the Councils of Florence and Trent, the doctrine of Purgatory explains what happens to those of us who die in a state of grace but still carry the temporal effects of sin.
“All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death, they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven,” the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains in paragraphs 1030-1031. “The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.”
The doctrine rests on Sacred Scripture’s teaching on prayer for those who have gone before us, especially elucidated in 2 Maccabees, where we are told that Judas Maccabeus “made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin” (12:46). St. Paul, too, prays for his deceased friend, Onesiphorus, writing, “May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day” (2 Tim 1:18). Even Jesus himself prayed to the Father for his friend, Lazarus, when he had died (Jn 11). Throughout the Scriptures, we are taught of the necessity and the beauty of praying for our beloved deceased.
During November, the Church calls us to remember and pray for those who have gone before us, especially the holy souls in Purgatory. As part of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church Militant–that is, all of us here on earth–can unite herself to the Church Triumphant in praying for the Church Suffering. Our prayers can be a source of grace, comforting and assisting these souls, allowing them to enter the fullness of God’s presence.
Whether by offering Masses, praying the Rosary, engaging in works of mercy, prayerfully visiting cemeteries or interceding for the poor souls in Purgatory in some other way, the Church invites us to “pray without ceasing” for our beloved dead throughout the month.
So, this month, Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila invites all the faithful to pray fervently for the poor souls in Purgatory. Through our prayers, we help those in need of purification and grow in our own understanding of God’s mercy and love.
Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
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