Purgatory and prayers for the dead

By Engr. Carlos V. Cornejo

November is the month dedicated to praying for the souls in Purgatory.  Catholic tradition tells us that by the end of November a great number of souls would graduate from Purgatory and finally see God in Heaven because of the prayers and Masses offered for them by those relatives and friends of theirs who are on Earth.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church Purgatory is a place for: “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 the joy of heaven.” (CCC 1030)

A number of souls need Purgatory because God is a perfectionist.  He loves us too much to settle for anything less than our very best.  Jesus says that in the Gospel of St. Matthew: “Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:48) If we have died in the state of grace but still have venial sins in our soul or some form of attachments to things of this world, we will undergo Purgatory but willingly and dutifully because we want God to welcome us in heaven in our best attire.

Purgatory justifies our prayers for dead.  Other religious denominations don’t pray for their dead friends and relatives because they don’t believe in it.  For them it’s strictly either Heaven or Hell.  Purgatory is not explicitly mentioned in Scripture but implied in both the Gospel of St. Matthew and St. Luke.  Here we are quoting St. Matthew’s: “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”  (Mt. 5:25-26) Here the passage is telling us “to settle matters” for our sins while still on Earth which means they have to be forgiven and do penance with through good works and sufferings offered up.  Otherwise, we might be handed over to the judge (Christ) after death, and be thrown into prison (Purgatory) until we have paid for the last penny (sins) we owe.  You won’t get out until you have “paid the last penny” means you are to be completely purified of sins before you can enter Heaven.

The claim of the Protestants is true that prayers for the dead are not necessary if there are only two destinations after death or if it’s only Heaven or Hell.  We can’t pray anymore for those who are in Hell because they can’t be saved and are condemned to stay there for good.  And we don’t need to pray for the souls who are in Heaven because they have achieved already their ultimate goal.  We don’t pray for the saints in Heaven but instead pray to them that they intercede to God for us who are still fighting our spiritual battles here on earth so that by their prayers we end up being with them.

The pains of Purgatory will be greater than the pains of earth, because souls there see clearly, with no hiding, how ugly their sins were and how they harmed others and disappointed and dishonored God.  But the joys of Purgatory will also be greater than the joys of Earth because they are guaranteed of Heaven and they will not be able to sin anymore.  Purgatory is God’s mercy after death or a second chance for those who were not able to achieve holiness while still on Earth.

If your teeth are too dirty for the dentist to fix, he will give you a cleaning first.  If you are to undergo an operation for appendicitis for example and your body is still dirty, your surgeon will insist you be washed before you can be operated on.  If you come from a basketball game sweating and not smelling good you will take a shower first before having dinner with the family.   God is actually so nice that He is ready to bring us straight to Heaven after we die.  But with God’s illumination on our souls, we will be able to see clearly the dirt and wounds we still have that are in need of cleansing and healing.  We end up telling God: “If it’s ok Dad, I will shower up first.”  Father God would reply: “Ok, but you know that it will hurt.  And we would reply: “It’s ok Dad. I deserve it and you deserve it.”