Why do we do that? Catholic Life Explained

Faithful Departed

Question: How can we pray for the dead throughout the year?

Answer: We commemorate the faithful departed on November 2^nd each year. However, we can and should continue to pray for the dead. Our growth in Christian perfection takes a long time. At the time of our death, many of us might not be saints yet. But God, in His mercy, allows for those who love Him to experience purification after death. Our word for that state is Purgatory. It’s the antechamber of heaven, so to speak. We know we’re getting in the house, but we’re not quite ready to go all the way in. There’s rain to shake off our coats and dirt that’s clogging our shoes.

Here on earth, we can pray for the souls in Purgatory. One way is to request that your parish offer a Mass for the intention of a specific loved one. We can also remember the departed in our daily prayers. Just as we have special intentions for family and friends here on earth, we can pray for those who have died. It’s also a good act of Christian charity to pray for the forgotten, those who have no one else to pray for them. God knows who they are!

©LPi