THE SOULS IN PURGATORY

THE SOULS IN PURGATORY

November is the month dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The Church here commemorates all her faithful children who have departed from this life, but have not yet attained the joys of heaven.  In this month, we, the Church Militant (i.e. on earth)  in this month, increase our prayers and sacrifices for the Church Suffering (i.e. in purgatory) – those who will join their heavenly family elect, but who still need prayer.

Thus, throughout the month, we offer our prayers specifically to these suffering souls, many of whom have nobody to pray for them at all.

And our prayers increase immediately, as the Liturgy of the Feast of All Souls  commemorates all the Faithful Departed.

Intensifying our prayers for the holy souls throughout November, we find perhaps the greatest visible expression of the connexion between the Church Triumphant, the Church Suffering and the Church Militant. Here we express our faith in the sure destination of these souls whose only destination is PERFECT GLORY IN HEAVEN.

This is beautifully expressed in the St. Andrew’s Missal:

The Feast of All Saints is intimately connected with the remembrance of the Holy souls who, detained in purgatory to expiate their venial sins or to pay the temporal pains due to sin, are none the less confirmed in grace and will one day enter heaven. Therefore after having joyfully celebrated the glory of the saints who are the Church triumphant in heaven, the Church on earth extends her maternal solicitude to the place of unspeakable torment, the abode of souls who equally belong to her …

Nowhere in the Liturgy is more vividly affirmed the mysterious unity which exists between the Church triumphant, the Church Militant and the Church Suffering, and never is better fulfilled the double duty of charity and justice incumbent on every Christian by virtue of his membership of the Mystical body of Christ.

It is through the very consoling dogma of the Communion of Saints that the merits and suffrages of the saints may benefit others. Whereby … the Church can join her prayers here on earth to those of the Church in heaven and supply what is wanting in the souls in purgatory.