The Dogma of Purgatory is often forgotten by the majority of the faithful. Saint Francis de Sales once said "we do not sufficiently remember our dear departed; their memory seems to perish with the sound of the funeral bells." We have an obligation to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Although the Poor Souls are assurred of their salvation and the beatific vision, they are not yet there. They are truly suffering. They are no longer able to pray for themselves, therefore they rely completely upon the prayers of their friends here on earth.
Prayer and sacrifices for the departed are part of our Christian worship. Devotion towards the souls in Purgatory is a devotion infused into our souls by the Holy Ghost. It is a holy and wholesome thought, says Scripture, to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.
Today a votive Mass will be offered for the souls in Purgatory. Let us pray with the Church Militant for the Church Suffering.
Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching
Prayers at the Foot of the Altar
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