Praying for the Holy Souls: The Soul You Help may be Your Own
“It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” 2 Macc. 12:46
“There shall not enter into it anything defiled…” Apoc. 21:27
by Jim Curley
I lost my Dad in 1999. He was a wonderful father and certainly considered
by all to be a good man. He and my Mom passed on their love of God and love of
the Faith to me. As a Catholic, I knew about Purgatory; that place or state
where a soul which dies in God?s grace, but is not completely spotless must work
off the punishment due to confessed sins and unconfessed venial sins. While my
Dad was a knight in shining armor to me, it was also probable, or at least
possible, that he was doing time in Purgatory. The thought that he may be
suffering inspired in me the deep desire to relieve that suffering.
Praying for the souls of the dead is a tradition which goes back to our
Jewish heritage. Judas Machebeus collected silver to send to Jerusalemto be
offered for the sins of those fallen in battle. He understood that nothing
unclean or defiled could stand before God and therefore provided for the
offerings for the souls of those who had died so that they could see God.
Readingof the Psalms bears out this understanding: ?Lord, who shall dwell in thy
tabernacle? or who shall rest in thy holy hill? He that walketh without blemish
?? (Ps. 14:1-2).
Our Catholic heritage is no less rich in the existence of purgatory and the
tradition of praying for the souls of our beloved departed. Both the New
Testament and Church Councils enlighten our understanding of purgatory.
The gospel of St. Matthew describes the parable of the unjust servant in
which our Lord tells us that our debts must be paid. (?And his lord being angry,
delivered him to the torturers until he paid all the debt? (Mt. 18:34). St. Paul
says that we are saved only through fire (1 Cor. 3:15). St. Peter likens our
trials to gold being tested by fire (1 Peter 1:7).
The councils of Lyons II (1274 A.D.), Florence (1439 A.D.), and Trent (1563
A.D.) reaffirmed earlier traditions in the Church of the existence and purpose
of purgatory ? that place where those who have departed in the love of God but
before complete satisfaction has been made for their sins may be purged in order
that they can approach God unblemished. Further, the custom and tradition of the
Church Militant (the faithful left here on earth) of praying, sacrificing, and
giving alms on behalf of those souls in purgatory to make satisfaction for their
sins and thus to shorten their time of purging, was reaffirmed by these councils
also.
Purgatory is truly a grace of God because it is the nature of God which
demands that those approaching be unblemished, and thus without purgatory, many
would never reach Heaven. St. Catherine of Genoawrote that the soul, upon death,
finally free of worldly attachments, is able to see itself as it really is;
seeing the stains from its sins and desiring God, the soul throws itself into
the fires of purgatory to be cleansed in preparation for the audience with
God.
These holy souls in purgatory, the Church Suffering, cannot help
themselves. The Church Triumphant (those who have entered into their Heavenly
reward); the Church Suffering; and the Church Militant ? these three are in
reality one Communion of Saints. As the Church Militant we ask the Church
Triumphant to intercede for us before God; we offer our prayers, fasting, and
almsgiving to aid the Church Suffering. At every Mass during the Eucharistic
Prayer, we pray for the souls of our departed loved ones, those gone before us
?marked with the sign of faith.?
With all this Catholic tradition, however, it seems that prayers for the
holy souls in purgatory have waned as a private devotion in recent years.
Funeral notices for Catholics rarely plead for Masses to be said for the
departed. The Truth that God is all-merciful has sometimes been distorted to
exclude the notion of purgatory?even though this exclusion misrepresents the
true nature of God and the true nature of God?s mercy.
So, how can we regain this sense of purgatory and help our suffering
brethren? First, we can begin by making a daily commitment to offer prayers and
sacrifices for the holy souls. For example, in our first prayer of the morning,
remember to offer some of the work, joy and suffering of the day for the holy
souls. In the evening, traditionally, Psalm 129 (130) ?De Profundus? (Out of the
Depths) has been prayed for the Church Suffering. Get your family involved; pray
together for the holy souls in purgatory. Mentioning specific loved ones to be
remembered may make the prayer more meaningful for everyone. In conjunction with
our prayers, we can do a fast from something we enjoy at least one day a week
(if not more often) for the holy souls.
Finally, we can have Masses offered for our beloved deceased and those of
our friends. Every Catholic parish allows and encourages people to have Masses
offered for the deceased. Often a card is available to send to a loved one of
the deceased, notifying them that a Mass is being offered. An optional gift of
$10-$15 is generally donated for the Mass card and as stipend for the priest
offering theMass.
It is hoped that the simple exercise of remembering the holy souls in
purgatory in our daily life, taking less than two minutes every day, will become
a habitual and devout practice among the Church Militant so that the Church
Suffering may be aided and granted their deepest longings.
This practice too, will help us advance in our own spiritual life. Praying
for the holy souls will aid us in contemplating more fully our own day of
judgment, our own longing for God, and our devotion to the Holy Sacrifice of the
altar. The devout practice of prayer and sacrifice for the holy souls focuses
our attention on our own sinfulness and on our own need for God?s mercy. This
act of charity for our suffering brethren will help us to become less selfish
and more detached from the worldliness around us. The more we love, the more we
have the capacity to accept God?s love for us.
Since the practice of praying for the souls in purgatory has slowed, many,
many souls are waiting and longing for God; with no help coming from us. We must
begin to meet our obligations to the faithful departed. There are so many
waiting for their eternal reward. Someday we ourselves may be waiting in
Purgatory, and we?ll wish we had taught and encouraged those around us to pray
for the holy souls. Why don?t we start today?
By praying for these souls that long for God, may our own longing for God
be increased.
Submitted by : Claire gooski
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