November and the Intercession for the Dead

Nov 24

November 26, 2023

November is traditionally the month of the year where we pray for the dead. Why would we do that? Aren’t all the dead in either heaven or hell? The souls in heaven and hell don’t need our prayers, so why are we praying for the dead? Answer: because a huge number of the deceased are in purgatory, heaven’s washroom. Consider the following account of such an incident.

“Reigning from 1198 to 1216, Pope Innocent III was one of the most influential and important pope’s of his era. He granted St. Francis of Assisi and his small band of follower’s permission to found the Order of Friars Minor; he convened the Fourth Lateran Council which, among other things, dogmatically defined the doctrine of transubstantiation; and he organized great efforts to combat heresy in Europe, and repel invading Muslim forces. Then, after more than 18 years as pope, he suddenly died. But that wasn’t the last we heard from him.”
“The story goes that on the day Pope Innocent III died, or soon thereafter, he appeared to St. Lutgardis of Aywieres in Belgium. St. Lutgardis is considered to have been one of the great mystics of the 13th century (1200’s), known for her miracles, visions, levitation, and particularly adept teaching. When Pope Innocent appeared to her, he thanked her for her prayers during his lifetime, but explained that he was in trouble: he had not gone straight to heaven but was in purgatory, suffering its purifying fire for three specific faults he had committed during his life. And he made a desperate plea for help: ‘Alas! It is terrible; and will last for centuries if you do not come to my assistance. In the name of Mary, who has obtained for me the favor of appealing to you, help me!’ Then he vanished. With a sense of urgency, St. Lutgardis quickly told her fellow religious sisters what she had seen and prayed for his soul.” – Story taken from ChurchPop Editor: www.churchpop.com November 1, 2015.

There is a prayerful spiritual bond between those in the beatific vision of heaven, the Church triumphant: those in the Purgatory of heaven, the Church suffering: and the Church on earth, the Church militant.

We are all sinners yet no one in heaven is (anymore). How does the transformation from sinner on earth to sinless in heaven happen? How are our sins atoned for after death? God has a plan for all this – purgatory – a word derived from Latin, meaning: purgation, purification, or cleansing. Purgatory is the process after death, of the saved, by which God’s justice for our sins is satisfied through our remorse (which is very painful), and we are purified by God and prepared to enter the beatific vision of heaven. This process of purgation lasts for various lengths of ‘time’ and intensity depending upon the state of each person’s soul at death. The Catechism of the Catholic Church does a very good job of explaining what purgatory is, as do the websites www.catholicanswers.org and www.newadvent.org.

On November 2nd we commemorated all those people who are in purgatory with our prayers and sacrifices for their progress toward, and ultimate happiness, in the beatific vision of heaven. The whole month of November is a time when we pray for the dead and offer our Masses for them. Just as when someone on earth is in need of help we pray for them, so too do we pray for those in Purgatory. They can no longer pray for themselves, merit anything, or help themselves in anyway. So whatever we do for them is of great help: prayer, novenas, indulgences, cold showers, kindness towards others, fasting from: food, sleep, TV, internet, shopping, etc. Remember, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If we pray and offer sacrifices for the dead in this life, the odds grow exponentially that someone will do the same for us when we die.

“I know when you pray for me, and it is the same with all of the other souls here in purgatory. Very few of us here get any prayers; the majority of us are totally abandoned, with no thought or prayers offered for us from those on earth” --Message from a soul in purgatory

Know too, that the holy souls in purgatory (holy because they are no longer sinners) can pray for us too, and they appreciate the opportunity to do so. They are not only aware of our prayers and sacrifices for them, they are also aware of our requests for their help, and their prayers for us are very powerful. There is a caveat though. The holy souls of purgatory have to be asked by name to pray for us and for those whom we wish them to intercede for. So pray and do penance for your deceased loved ones, and those beyond your family who have no one to intercede for them in death; and ask deceased family members to pray for you or your holy cause. With the assistance of the Church Triumphant and Militant, let’s help all those who are in the Church Suffering atone for their sins and move along into the beatific vision of heaven.

Here's a prayer from St. Faustina Kowalska for the holy souls in purgatory:

Eternal Father,
I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for the sins of the souls in purgatory. Lord, have mercy.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on the souls in purgatory. Christ, have mercy.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on the souls in purgatory. Lord, have mercy.
For those who have died, we pray:
For members of my family,
Through the mercy of God may they rest in peace.
For my friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners . . .
For the priests who administered the sacraments to me . . .
For the religious men and women who were a part of my life . . .
For my teachers, counselors, and mentors . . .
For my schoolmates and workmates . . .
Through the mercy of God may they rest in peace,
For the doctors, nurses, and all health workers who gave me care . . .
For those who harmed me in any way . . .
For those I harmed . . .
For those who on earth prayed for me . . .
For those now in purgatory who are praying for me . . .
For every soul in purgatory, each one Your beloved son or daughter . . .
Welcome them into heaven, Dear Lord, where the perpetual light of Your mercy will shine upon them forever. Amen.