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Month of November is specially dedicated to pray for the souls in purgatory. On 2nd of November we specially remember and pray for these souls. However, many Christians, including some Catholics, have this common question: Why should we pray for those who have already died? To answer this we, first, need to understand what is meant by ‘purgatory.’

What is Purgatory?

Purgatory is not a physical place filled with fire and untold sufferings for souls as a punishment for their sins before they enter heaven. Rather, it is a spiritual stage that a soul needs to undergo to purify itself before being admitted into the presence of God.

Why is purgatory needed? A soul who dies in mortal sin without repentance will not be able to enter heaven. However,  if a person who has been living a holy life dies without  sincere repentance for some venial sins he committed, will he lose his chance to enter the presence of God? God will, certainly, reward him with heaven for the holy life he lived.  However, after the life  in this world a soul comes to the realization of the sinful life it has been living and the many ways in which it has offended so loving a God. This realization fills the soul and it wishes to purify itself before entering heaven.

This realisation of having offended a loving God and the failure to respond to the love of God burns within the soul like fire. It is this pain of the soul that is symbolised by fire. There are some of us who think that if we die soon after a good confession we shall go directly to heaven. Even after a sincere confession it is necessary that we make atonement for our past sins. If we injure a friend of ours it is not enough that we ask pardon and feel sorry about it. We need to make up for the pain we caused him even after he or she forgives us by seeing to the expenses  incurred for medical treatment or by personally taking care of him. Similarly, after a good confession our sins are forgiven but the effects of those sins remain which need to be removed through acts of charity. If a person, after a good confession, was not able to make atonement for his or her sins he will have to do it in purgatory.

Saints who have had insights into purgatory says that the fire of purgatory (pain that a soul feels for having offended God) is equal to that of hell. St. Cyril of Alexandria does not hesitate to say that “it would be preferable to suffer all the possible torments of Earth until the Judgment day than to pass one day in Purgatory. “

St. Antoninus and his Friend

St. Antoninus, the illustrious Archbishop of Florence, relates that a pious gentleman had died, who was a great friend of the Dominican Convent in which the Saint resided. Many Masses and suffrages were offered for his soul. The Saint was very much afflicted when, after the lapse of a long time, the soul of the poor gentleman appeared to him, suffering excruciating pains. “Oh, my Dear Friend, ” exclaimed the Archbishop, “are you still in Purgatory, you who led such a pious and devout life?” “Yes, and I shall remain there still for a long time,” replied the poor sufferer, “for when on Earth I neglected to offer suffrages for the souls in Purgatory. Now, God by a just judgment has applied the suffrages which have been offered for me to those souls for whom I should have prayed.” “But God, too, in His Justice, will give me all the merits of my good works when I enter Heaven; but first of all, I have to expiate my grave neglect in regard to others.” So true are the words of Our Lord: “By that measure with which you measure, it will be measured to you again. “Remember, you who read these lines, that the terrible fate of this pious gentleman will be the fate of all those who neglect to pray for and ù refuse to help the Holy Souls.” ( From the booklet Read or Rue it)

Should We Pray for the Souls in Purgatory?

We are all supposed to love and help our neighbours. Who are our neighbours? Jesus told us through the parable of the Good Samaritan that the one who is in need is our neighbour. Who else can be in greater need than the souls in purgatory! It will be a grave crime to withdraw a help that we can easily offer these souls which can liberate them for eternity.

How will the souls repay the helps given to them through our prayers?

How will the souls respond to the help given them? It would be utterly impossible to describe their unbounded gratitude to those who help them! Filled with an immense desire to repay the favors done them, they pray for their benefactors with a fervor so great, so intense and so constant. St. Catherine of Bologna says: “I received many and very great favors from the Saints, but still greater favors from the Holy Souls.” In short, every soul who reached heaven through our prayers will be continually praying for us before God. If you help 10 souls or 100 souls, imagine how great will be the prayer support that you will  have from heaven.

Another great grace that they obtain for their helpers is a short and easy Purgatory, or possibly its complete remission!

Saint John Massias, the Dominican lay brother, had a wonderful devotion to the Souls in Purgatory. He obtained by his prayers (chiefly by the recitation of the Rosary) the liberation of one million four hundred thousand souls! In return, they obtained for him the most abundant and extraordinary graces and came at the hour of his death to help and console him and accompany him to Heaven. This fact is so certain that it was inserted by the Church in the bull of his beatification.

How can We Pray for the Souls in Purgatory?

How can we help the souls in purgatory? One effective way is to offer Masses for them at least once a week. It is enough that we keep this as an intention before the Mass. We can pray rosaries, Divine Mercy chaplets etc. for them. One effective prayer  was taught by Jesus himself to St Gertrude. It goes like this, “Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most Precious Blood of Jesus, with all the Masses being said all over the world this day, for the Souls in Purgatory.”

So dear friends, let’s not neglect this grave obligation. It is our duty to help the souls in purgatory. When we do this we can be certain that they will be beside us to assist us in our needs.

Those who wish to read more about this subject download Read or Rue it by Fr Paul O’sullivan.