We are entering into the month of November, the month that the Catholic Church sets aside in a particular way to pray for the poor souls in purgatory. Many Christians, including Catholics, do not understand or believe in purgatory. So, what exactly is purgatory and why do we pray for the dead?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church has a great explanation of purgatory. “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” (CCC 1030).
Perhaps a simple and easy way to explain it is through the analogy of a shower. Imagine seeing a small child fall into a mud puddle. What’s your first response? You would probably think, “Oh, the poor thing!” Then, what do you see? The parent rushes over and picks the toddler up out of the mud. Before the mother or father allows the little one to run around the house to play, what happens? Mom or Dad will take the dirty clothes off the kid, give him a shower, and then put clean clothes on him. Now the child can play inside the house.
A similar thing happens with us and God. We fall into a mud puddle every time we sin. Jesus picks us up from the muck and filth and forgives our sins, as long as we are sorry for them. He also gives us the grace to change our lives and become better people. If we respond to this grace while still living on earth, through prayer, acts of kindness, and other positive actions, that is like changing our muddy clothes, taking a shower, and putting on clean clothes.
If we complete that process of showering and changing our clothes on earth, when we die, we are ready to enjoy heaven, our new home. However, if we are unrepentant or have not done enough to remove the stains of sin while we are living on earth, when we die, our merciful God gives us another chance. At the time of our immediate judgement, he offers forgiveness, if we are repentant, but we still must take a shower and change into clean clothes. We cannot enter heaven with the stain of sin on our souls. This second chance is the state of purification that the Church calls purgatory. Once we have the stains of sin removed, we have attained perfect holiness and are able to enter into heaven and enjoy its bliss.
Why do we pray for the dead? The poor souls in purgatory cannot pray for themselves, nor can they offer up sacrifices to atone for their sins. By praying and offering sacrifices for them, we can decrease the length of time needed for their purification. There’s even a great bargain here for us: the poor souls can pray for our intentions. Their prayers are powerful. I love to make deals with them. I pray for them and they pray for me and my intentions. It’s a win/win situation.
So, every time you take a shower, remember to pray a little prayer for a poor soul in purgatory. I think you will find it to be a great blessing.
*Artwork: An Angel Frees the Souls of Purgatory by Ludovico Carracci, 1610
-Sr. Mary Ann Kessler, T.O.R.
