November 2: Solemnity of All Souls

Yesterday, November 1, we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints—those holy men and women, known and unknown, who have attained the sanctity of heaven through the grace of God. Today, on the Solemnity of All Souls, we turn our attention from the Church Triumphant (Heaven) to the Church Suffering (Purgatory). Today, we pray for the purification of the souls in Purgatory, remembering those who have gone before us, and entreating the Lord to take them into Heaven.

Theologically, we realize that some individuals, at the moments of their death, are immediately granted the rewards of Heaven. These are the saints we recognize and pray to for intercession. However, we also realize that for some of the faithful departed, ho died in the faith of friendship of the Lord, their souls (upon departing from the body) are not perfectly cleansed from venial sins, or have not fully atoned for past transgressions. These souls cannot not yet attain the Beatific Vision—the reality and goodness of God and Heaven, and must be purified from the temporal effects of their sins. The Church refers to his purification of the elect as “Purgatory,” and recognizes that the faithful on earth can help the elect trhough prayers, alms, deeds and especially by the sacrifice of the Mass.

While no official dogma exists regarding the duration or extent of purification in Purgatory, saints and writers (among them, Saint Augustine), have referred to Purgatory through the metaphor of fire. Pope Benedict XVI has stated that Purgatory may be an “existential state” as opposed to a temporal plane, and may be experienced outside the confines of space and time as we understand it. We look to Purgatory as a time of preparation, as we are scrubbed clean before entering the pure presence of the Almighty God.

The Church's teaching about Purgatory, the place of purification, is explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

"All who die in god's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven.


The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. The tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:

As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy spirit will be pardoned neither in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others in the age to come.


This teaching is also based on the practice of prayer for the dead, already mentioned in Sacred Scripture: 'Therefore [Judas Maccabeus' made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin.' From the beginning the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The Church also commends almsgiving, indulgences, and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead.”

We pause today, on this, the Feast of All Souls, to remember those who went before us marked by the sign of faith. Together, in the communion of the saints, Our Lord, and Our Blessed Mother, we pray for their purification and eternal joy in the light of Heaven!

Merciful Father,
hear our prayer and console us.
As we renew our faith in Your Son,
whom You raised from the dead,
strengthen our hope that all our departed brothers and sisters
will share in His resurrection,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen




Day 306 of 365
Prayer Intentions: The purification of the souls of Purgatory.
Requested Intentions: Spiritual growth and family peace (A); Freedom to immigrate (D); End to debt (N); Restoration of a marriage (J); Complete recovery of son (P); Recovery of parish priest, health of mother, conversion of son (J); Successful employment, end to depression (J); Successful immigration and employment (S); Conversion of an unloving daughter (M); Recovery of husband, health of mother, economic freedom (R); Freedom from depression, restoration of family relationships (N); Restoration of a relationship (J); Healing of friends from cancer (J); Complete healing of a friend with pancreatic cancer (J); Recognition of God’s Will; Obedience in vocation (J); Successful employment (M&I); For a son who struggles (S); Conversion (P); For family, peace, and social justice (J); Son’s employment (K); Discernment of the Lord’s will (A); Mother’s full recovery from a stroke (K); Employment (P); For family’s prosperity and employment (M); For a husband’s addiction (F); Health in a relationship, literary representation (D); For a mother struggling with cancer (P); Employment and financial assistance (L); End to work troubles, return to health (R); For a husband’s recovery from alcoholism (M); Healing of a father following stroke (S).