What happens to us when we die? This is THE classic question! As Catholics we believe that we will stand before Jesus and be judged. Three possibilities await us: hell for those who have totally rejected God, heaven for those who die as saints, and purgatory for everyone else. Of course, we would all like to go directly to heaven when we die, but are you and I living in such a way that we will die as saints? Would it not be more realistic to expect to spend some time being purified in purgatory? Only perfect love can see God face to face, so in purgatory we are purified that we may worthily stand before the face of God.
November is traditionally known as the Month of the Holy Souls, so beginning today and throughout November, we pray especially for all the souls in purgatory. May they soon be ready to dwell in the heavenly kingdom.
Christians believe that God is all-merciful and that Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection saved us. However, that does not free us from further purification, as we may still need to make amends for sins committed. This expiation for sin will be made either in this life or in the next. During life, all suffering is redemptive if one accepts it as such, but after death any unexpiated sin needs to be purified. Purgatory purifies the soul of sin leaving it totally pure and ready to come into God’s presence.
The Communion of Saints is the saints in heaven, those who are baptized on Earth, and the souls in purgatory. While we live, we can lessen the time a soul spends in Purgatory through our prayers and sacrifices for them. A particularly powerful means of shortening the time needed for their purification is by having Masses offered for them. Holy Mass is the greatest of all prayers. May I offer a personal anecdote? My father who was a devout Catholic, a devoted husband, and father, said to my siblings and me: “Don’t presume I am in Heaven when I die, please have Masses offered for the happy repose of my soul, just as I did for my parents.”
Traditionally, we name the Church as triumphant (the saints in heaven), the church militant (us on earth, fighting our daily challenges) and the Church suffering (those in purgatory). We are all part of the Communion of Saints! We are united to the saints in their triumph. We are united to the souls in purgatory as they prepare for their eternal reward. Both the saints in heaven and the souls in purgatory pray for us and our intentions. We, in turn, fervently offer the souls in purgatory this often-repeated prayer: “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.”