As a community of one faith, we celebrate today’s sacrifice of Holy Mass for all who have gone and who are yet to arrive at the banquet of the Lord in heaven. These groups of individuals are currently on their way to heaven, being purified/purged of any residual imperfections. Do we know who they are? No. Yesterday, when we celebrated “All Saints” day, we rejoiced and begged the intercession of those who are in union with God. So anyone not there yet is included in our prayers today.
The Reality
What if an individual is neither in heaven nor on their way to heaven? In other words, the person is in hell? Jesus indeed made great emphasis on the reality of hell (Matthew 5:22; Mark 9:43). The Church’s teaching on the subject clarifies it as a conscious rejection of divine love. Several Saints, such as Hildegard of Bingen, Bridget of Sweden, Frances of Rome, Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, Catherine of Sienna, Teresa of Avila, Faustina Kowalska, John Bosco, Blessed Catherine Emmerich, etc, documented their visions of the afterlife, including Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. Such experience influenced their emphasis on divine mercy, intercession for souls, and conversion.
We have no definitive way of knowing who is in hell. Therefore, we ought to focus on the ministry of “Communion of Saints”– a “mutual communication of prayers” (As Pope Leo XIII puts it in Mariae Caritatis) with the Body of Christ (Saints in Heaven, the pilgrim Church on earth and those in Purgatory). The Scripture asks us to keep our focus on Christ, “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Focusing on Jesus, our Saviour, we give thanks for the gift of salvation to all, which is why we have the opportunity to pray for souls in purgatory in a special way today.
Importance of Praying for the Dead
“Communion of the Saints” remains unbroken even with death. The faithful departed share in this communion we have with the Saints in heaven, the church (saints on earth), and the souls undergoing the final phase of cleansing in purgatory. We have a responsibility to remain in communion with all members of the Body of Christ. This communion mirrors the oneness of the Blessed Trinity and the oneness of God. A prayer as simple as, “May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace, Amen,” is great each time we remember a loved one or anyone who has passed, but also every time we utter any prayer; it is charitable to pray for the dead.
Grief
In the recent past, I have heard stories of individuals finding it very difficult to overcome grief over the loss of a loved one. Grief can be painful. We take comfort in the blessings of our Lord’s mercy, presence, and hope of eternal life with God. Out of intensive grief, some have tried to get in touch with a departed loved one through “unchristian” means — consulting a medium, palm reading, or fortune telling. Such activities open the soul to spiritual danger by granting unhealthy access to unknown spirits in one’s life. The only safe way to stay connected with a loved one who has passed is the Lord’s Way. The Scripture reminds us that “if we die with Christ, we will also live with Him” (2 Tim 2:11). We do not need external forces/powers outside of Christ. He is more than enough, and He is our peace.
As we continue to help one another as individual members of the Body of Christ, let us remain thankful to God for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, who saves us into eternal life.
