The Church today prays for all souls in purgatory awaiting the day they will join the saints in heaven. The Holy Mass is the principal means of fulfilling the great commandment of charity towards the dead. We can also relieve their sufferings through our prayers, suffrages and penances. (Fr James Socias, et al [Eds], “Daily Roman Missal”, 1989, p1681)
Commemoration of All Departed Souls
Dear brothers and sisters ... meditate on our own future lot, as each of us thinks of his and her dear ones who have gone before us in the sign of faith and sleep the sleep of peace. “We are God’s children now; what we shall be later has not yet come to light.” (1 Jn 3:2) So there is a gap between what we are and what we shall become.
Between these two poles lies our waiting and our hoping goes well beyond death, because it considers death only as a transition towards definitive meeting with the Lord, so as to be “like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 Jn 3:2).
Today, we are called to live a particular communication with our deceased. In faith and prayer, we reestablish our family links with them; they watch us, follow after us and assist us. They already see the Lord just “as he is”. So they encourage us to continue on the way, that pilgrimage which still remains to us on earth. The fact is that we “have no lasting city” (Hebrews, 13:14) here.
The important thing is for us not to grow weary, above all not to lose sight of the ultimate goal. Our departed are there where we, too shall be. Indeed, there is common ground betwen us and them, which makes us neighbors. It is the ground of our mutual introduction into the trinitarian mystery of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, on the basis of the same baptism. We here touch hands, because death does not exist on this ground; there is but a single flow of unending life.
Ref: cf “Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II”, 1984, p380
Purgatory is a place of purification
During this month the Church invites us to pray more insistently and offer suffrages for the souls in Purgatory. Pope John Paul II encourages us:
“We feel bound by charity to offer those brothers and sisters who have experienced the fragility proper to human existence the help of our vigilant prayer. May whatever residue of human weakness still remaining in them to delay their happy encounter with God be definitively wiped out.” (John Paul II, “Address”, 2 November 1982)
To enter eternal life we must be purified of all sin. A soul stained by venial faults cannot enter heaven; “nor the one who practises abomination or falsehood, but only those ... written in the book of life of the Lamb” (cf Rev 21:27).
“No one is barred from heaven because God is all-merciful. Our Lord will welcome us into glory with his arms wide open. The Almighty is so pure, however, that if a person is conscious of the least trace of imperfection and at the same time understands that Purgatory is ordained to do away with such impediments, the soul enters this place of purification glad to accept so great a mercy of God.” (cf St Catherine of Genoa, “Treatise on Purgatory”, 12)
The inclination to sin due to original sin is increased by personal sin. If one has not sufficiently expiated any specific offences against God during the course of our present life, there is further need for reparation to be accomplished. In the first place, evil dispositions may remain rooted in our soul at the hour of our death.
In Purgatory the soul experiences very intense suffering due to a kind of flame ‘more painful than anything a man can suffer in this life’. (St Augustine, “Commentary on the Psalms”, 37:3) There is great joy too, though, since heaven comes afterwards. The soul in Purgatory having won the last battle awaits a more or less imminent encounter with God.
We can greatly help the souls in Purgatory enter heaven sooner. “We know our union with the brethren who have died in the grace and faith of Christ is not in the least weakened or interrupted by their death. On the contrary it is strengthened by our conveying spiritual goods for their benefit.” (Second Vatican Council, “Lumen Gentium”, 49)
Besides helping shorten their time of purification, we can merit for them as we purify our own inordinate tendencies. Pain, sickness and suffering are excellent means permitted by the Lord. They can be a grace to make reparation for personal sin. Our present life must be a time for purification.
Penance rejuvenates our soul and is disposed for Life with a capital ‘L’. “Do not ever forget that after death you are going to be welcomed by Love itself. Within the love of God you will find implicit all the noble human loves on earth as well. Our Lord has arranged for us to spend this brief day of our earthly existence working, and like his only-begotten Son, ‘doing good’.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Friends of God”, 221)
The infinite value of the Mass makes it the most important prayer to offer up for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. (cf Council of Trent, Session 25) We can also offer our prayers for their benefit, especially the Rosary, our work, the sufferings and all kinds of difficulties we experience, as well as the indulgences we merit for them during our earthly existence. (cf Paul VI, Apostolic Constitution, “Sacrarum indulgentiarum recognitio”, 1 January 1967)
We should remember our parents with particular devotion; pray especially for our relatives and friends. St Theresa encourages us to strive to do penance now. “How sweet will death be for the person who has fully repented of all personal sins and leap over Purgatory.” (St Theresa, “Way of perfection”, 40:9)
Our intention of reaching heaven without passing through Purgatory can be immensely fruitful. We need to have an effective desire so that with the help of grace we can achieve the desired purification during this life.
Our Blessed Mother, 'Refuge of sinners', will obtain the grace for us to act accordingly. May we be filled with a holy determination to convert our life into a time for true penance, in reparation for our unworthy thoughts, words, and deeds.
Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 7:242-7
Memorial: Our Lady of Emmimont, near Abbeville. This church is much visited by pilgrims. — (Antiq. d’ Abbev., lib. i.) “Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar (http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)
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