All Souls Day
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Today is the Feast of All Souls – the day we are reminded that our family and friends in purgatory need our help to reach heaven.
Sadly, the souls in Purgatory don’t receive the help they need because many people don’t believe in Purgatory.
In Matthew 5:23-26, Jesus speaks about Purgatory: “Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny.”
What is the price of sin? There is a two-fold consequence of sin. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God therefore it makes us incapable of eternal life. Jesus removes that with Baptism or later with Confession. The second consequence of sin is a disordered attachment to the things of this world which manifests itself in the deadly sins: pride, vain ambition, envy, sloth, anger, greed, gluttony and lust. These prevent us from the complete union with God in heaven. We should remove these vices in this life but if we don’t then God in His mercy will remove them in Purgatory.
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St Paul describe purgatory as a purifying fire
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 “For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble—each man’s work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work, which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”
The “Day” refers to our particular judgment
● And notice how it is described as a fiery trial
He can’t be referring to hell,
● because it’s clear that the people who undergo this “purifying fire” will be saved,
● while those who are in hell are lost forever.
He can’t be referring to heaven,
● because he mentions the suffering of loss,
● while in heaven every tear will be wiped away
● St. Paul must be referring to Purgatory
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Why is the word Purgatory not in the Bible?
The Bible speaks of three places after death:
A. Heaven which the Bible calls Heaven
B. Hell, which Jesus calls Gehenna or the unquenchable fire reserved for those who to the end of their lives refuse to believe and be converted, where both soul and body can be lost.
C. A third place which is named Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek. Later the Bible was translated from Hebrew and Greek. Purgatory is the Latin word for Sheol and Hades.
So the reality of Purgatory is in the Bible. Still, lots of people do not believe in Purgatory.
The Book of Revelation 21:27 says nothing unholy will enter heaven. That means the vices of Pride, Envy, Anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, lust, Gossip, grudges, Impatience, and so on cannot be in heaven. Well, what are we going to do because these will still be in us when we die? Does that mean we will be excluded from heaven and we will go to hell?
Thankfully the infinitely merciful love of God can purify us after death. The CCC speaks of Purgatory (1030)
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.
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CCC 1032 reminds that by our prayer, especially by offering the sacrifice of the Mass, as well as Rosaries, chaplets, our sufferings, almsgiving and indulgences, we can help those in Purgatory.
In her Diary, St. Faustyna relates many instances of helping souls in Purgatory:
“When Sister Dominic died at about one o’clock in the night, she came to me and gave me to know that she was dead. I prayed fervently for her. In the morning, the sisters told me that she was no longer alive, and I replied that I knew, because she had visited me. The sister infirmarian [Sister Chrysostom] asked me to help dress her. And then when I was alone with her, the Lord gave me to know that she was still suffering in PURGATORY. I redoubled my prayers for her. However, despite the zeal with which I always pray for our deceased sisters, I got mixed up as regards the days, and instead of offering three days of prayer, as the rule directs us to do, by mistake I offered only two days. On the fourth day, she gave me to know that I still owed her prayers, and that she was in need of them. I immediately (28) formed the intention of offering the whole day for her, and not just that day but much more, as love of neighbor dictated to me. (Diary, 1382)”
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The Church is the family of God united by the Holy Spirit.
In this family God the Father enables His children to help one another by their prayer, work, joy, suffering and almsgiving. God accepts these gifts from his children and uses them to bring grace to our brothers and sisters in need, whether on earth or in Purgatory. In this way we can help the poor souls in Purgatory to reach heaven by:
1. Offering the Infinite and Perfect prayer and sacrifice of Jesus in the Mass for souls in Purgatory
2. Pray the Rosary the Stations of the Cross and Divine Mercy Chaplet for the poor souls in Purgatory
3. Accept with trust and offer with love your own suffering
4. Almsgiving – give money to the Church and the Poor as a sacrificial offering for those in purgatory
5. Offer indulgences for them.
As I am sure you do, I have lots of relatives and friends who have died before me. I make a deal with them. I’ll help you while I am on earth. Then you help me from Heaven!