November is a time when we remember, honour, and pray, not only for our loved ones who have gone before us and whose loss we feel, but for all those who have departed from this world, “even those who no one remembers” (Pope Francis), and for those who grieve for them. We never truly stop grieving for our loved ones who have died, but I think our grief is alleviated over the years by wonderful memories of their lives with us, and by the presence of Christ, who comforts, heals, and strengthens us.
“Because of Christ, Christian death has a positive meaning: ‘for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ‘The saying is sure: if we have died with him, we will also live with him.’ ”
(CCC 1010; cf. Phil 1:21). The Catholic Church teaches that praying for the living and the dead is one of the seven spiritual works of mercy. On All Souls Day, November 2, many of you would have cleaned the graves of your loved ones who have passed. “Remembering the dead, caring for their graves and prayers of suffrage, are the testimony of confident hope, rooted in the certainty that death does not have the last word on human existence, for man is destined to a life without limits, which has its roots and its fulfilment in God.” (Pope Francis)
Catholics believe that “...death is the end of man’s earthly pilgrimage, of the time of grace and mercy which God offers him so as to work out his earthly life in keeping with the divine plan, and to decide his ultimate destiny” (CCC, 1013). The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops remind us that for Christians, “death is not the end, but rather the door through which we must pass to gain eternal life.” They encourage Catholics to pray for the souls in purgatory, recognising our shared hope in eternal life through Christ’s Resurrection.
Pope Saint John Paul II taught us: “The Church has always urged us to pray for the dead. She invites believers to regard the mystery of death not as the last word on human fate but as a journey toward eternal life...It is an important duty of ours to pray for the dead because, although they may have died in grace and in friendship with God, they may still be in need of a last purification in order to enter into the joy of heaven.”
We are all one body in Christ; we are part of the communion of saints - a belief which we express whenever we recite the Apostles Creed. Because of their closeness to God, the saints in heaven can intercede with Him for both the living and the dead - those who have died and are still in purgatory. St John Vianney said, “We can assist the dead through our prayers, our good works, and, above all, the holy sacrifice of the Mass.” Remember our Scriptures: “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40).
During this month, and indeed at other times, let us, as Instruments of Christ, offer intercessory prayers for the dead, including the rosary, and request/attend memorial Masses for them - for all those in purgatory - see Catholic Catechism 1030-1032. CCC 1030 states: “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.”
Purgatory is not a place but a process of purification for souls who die in God’s grace but are not yet perfectly holy. Pope Benedict XVI said, “Purgatory basically means that God can put the pieces back together again. That he can cleanse us in such a way that we are able to be with him and can stand there in the fullness of life. Purgatory strips off from one person what is unbearable and from another the inability to bear certain things, so that in each of them a pure heart is revealed, and we can see that we all belong together in one enormous symphony of being.” Purgatory is not hell, which denotes permanent separation from God.
And while we pray for the living and the dead, let us reflect during this month on how we are living our own lives. Let’s strive for holiness, which is our primary vocation.
