In November Catholics pray for the poor souls in purgatory – those believed to be completing their journey to heaven. In accordance with Church teachings, purgatory is a place for those who departed life in God’s grace, not entirely free from venial faults.
What is purgatory like? It is a place of great joy. They realize that they have won the victory and they are being prepared for heaven. This is where they want to be. They want to be purified before they see God. It is also a place of great suffering. They cannot help themselves because the time for merit ended with death.
From the earliest days of Christianity, the Church taught that praying for the dead was an obligation, an act of charity believed to help souls enter into the fullness of heaven more quickly.
We call them the poor souls, because they are poor, because they can’t do anything at all to help themselves. They rely totally on us. They’re also called poor because they don’t know when they will reach heaven.
How can we help?
The best devotion to help the holy souls is the holy sacrifice of Mass. Along with the Mass: the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic Adoration, Holy Communion and daily prayers are very powerful devotions because of the indulgences attached to them that can be offered for deceased loved ones.
According to the Catholic Church, the souls in purgatory can intercede on behalf of the living. Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.
The more you pray for them, the more effective their intercession is for you. You’ve got to remember who they are: our fathers, mothers, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, our friends, neighbours, and our priests; people that have been entwined in the fabric of our lives.
While the Church devotes the entire month of November to pray for the souls in purgatory, we stressed the importance of praying for them throughout the year. Remember the holy souls all year-round. They suffer day and night without any repose. Never stop praying for the dead even if they are already in heaven.
