Especially in November, the Month of All Souls, we again are reminded that purgatory is still very much a teaching of the Church. For those who die while in God’s grace yet still bound by human frailties, the need for a period of purification makes sense. We pray for those who have died awaiting the perpetual beatific vision of the Lord, asking God to hasten their journey toward salvation.
God certainly does not need our help to raise the dead to new life. He has, however, asked us to assist the dead with our prayers and our offerings. In what some would argue is a Catholic concept, praying for the dead is a direct reflection on humanity itself. In praying for the dead, we are reminded of our own mortality. We recognize that where our loved ones have gone, we too, hope to follow. Praying for the dead helps us to prepare for the time we may stand to make our account before our God.
From the book of Maccabees in the Old Testament to the epistles of St. Paul, the Catholic actions of making oblations for the dead has longstanding scriptural and traditional roots. Those who would deny the necessity of prayers for the dead presume to have the final say in God’s mercy. Some would argue that there is no benefit in praying for those who have died. The Church that Jesus himself established on apostolic foundations has declared otherwise. Pray for the dead, pray often.
