Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory(All Souls’ Day 2025-11-03)

1. After rejoicing and honoring those who have preceded us in the eternal rewards of heaven, now Holy Mother Church teaches us to remember the suffering souls in Purgatory. We are consoled by the fact that, through the Communion of Saints, we benefit from the intercession of the Saints in heaven, so now Holy Mother Church urges us, out of piety and charity, to benefit the poor souls in Purgatory who will benefit from our prayers and sacrifices through the same Communion of Saints. 

2. A Catholic who dies free of mortal sin is saved. However, reason and justice would tell us that no unworthy soul can enter heaven. So if that person still has past or forgiven mortal sins but still incompletely expiated, or if that person has some venial sins, then it would be reasonable, just and merciful if God has prepared a place in the next life where that person can pay the debts of past mortal sins or expiate his venial sins. Or both things. 

3. God has revealed to us that such place exists. On two occasions in the Gospels Our Lord tells us of a place where souls can suffer and expiate for their sins and that “after paying up to the last penny” they will be free to enjoy the unending happiness of heaven.is place, where souls are purged of their attachments to sin, we call Purgatory. 

4. The existence of Purgatory is attested to, not only by the revelation of God, but also by the constant Tradition of the Church. Even in the Old Testament the Jews believed in the existence of Purgatory and prayed for their dead. 

5. After death, there is nothing more that will prevent us from seeking God. However, those souls with some impurities as we have stated above will experience a pain, that pain of being kept back from God for whom they have now such an intense longing.

6. This pain will have nothing to do with the pain of despair of having lost God, proper to those who died in the state of mortal sin, such as souls in hell suffer. 

7. On the contrary souls in Purgatory have the joy of knowing that they belong to Christ and can never lose Him anymore. They know for certain that they will see God face to face one day. Hence the term “Holy Souls” and “Faithful Departed”. 

8. Indeed they want to be purged of the stains of sin because they realize that these stains make them unfit to see God. But this longing is a painful suffering because they now comprehend God’s goodness as never before and are now drawn to Him in a way impossible for us to understand. 

9. Nor can they do anything to lessen the intensity and the length or period of their suffering, being unable anymore to merit because they are now dead, nor de they have access to God’s graces through the Sacraments for the same reason. 

10. The tradition of the Church tells us that in Purgatory souls are purified by fire. The same fire as in hell. But the effects of this same fire are different on souls who died in the state of grace and are already saved albeit suffering in Purgatory, and on souls who died in the state of mortal sin and are now condemned forever in hell. 

11. Now the question is: why should we help them? Why pray for them? Why obtain relief for them by receiving the Sacraments for them? Why have Masses celebrated for them? 

12. Firstly, they have a claim to our friendship. We are unable to know low long each soul has been in Purgatory. But it’s not impossible that some of them may have regarded us as their friends. Some may even be of our own family. We would normally help these people in this life. If we would not give them our help, would we expect others to help us if we were in the same situation? 

13. Secondly, they have a claim to justice. There may be among them some who once helped us, spiritually or materially, whom we were not able to sufficiently repay when they were still alive. Also, it’s not impossible that they may now be suffering because of sins that they learned from our own bad examples. If we are, at least, partly responsible for their demise, would we think twice in helping them? 

14. Thirdly, some have a claim to our charity. There are souls unknown to us or those who are now forgotten by everyone. But they still form part of the Mystical Body of Christ, just as we do. If both they and us belong to Christ, should we think twice in helping them knowing Our Lord died both for them and for us? What would we want others to do if we, after our death, are also forgotten by everyone? 

15. The next question is: how do we help them? Firstly by our prayers. There are many occasions when the Church, through the prayers themselves, reminds us to pray for the dead. We are reminded of the prayer after meals which ends with “May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen”. 

16. Also, when a person in grace does a good work, he may offer the value of that good work for someone in Purgatory. Mind you, if we are not in the state of grace, we cannot help anyone there. Such good works can be: attending Mass, receiving Holy communion, accepting suffering coming from Divine Providence, doing our duties the best way we can, fasting and other penances. 

17. We can also gain indulgences for the dead. From Nov.1 to Nov. 8 the Church has placed plenary indulgences, one per day, that we can gain if we fulfill the conditions for any of the souls in Purgatory. 

18. Lastly, of course, having the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered for the poor souls is the greatest help we can give them. 

19. As we can see, it is not only a duty but also a privilege to help the poor souls in Purgatory. It is a duty because what can relieve them has been placed in our hands, we who are still living. It is also a duty because we will be, one day, in the same situation and we would want God to send us someone who can help us in the same manner. 

20. It is a privilege because in so doing we follow the examples of Our Lord Himself, examples of helping those who are in need and who cannot readily repay those who help them. It’s a privilege because “Blessed are the merciful for they themselves shall obtain mercy”

Fr. Ferrer