The Holy Church of God is composed of three parts: The Church Militant, the Church Triumphant, and the Church Suffering or Purgatory. This triple Church constitutes the mystical body of Jesus Christ, and the souls in Purgatory are no less His members than are the faithful upon earth and the elect in Heaven. In the Gospel, the Church is usually called the Kingdom of Heaven. Purgatory is a part of this vast kingdom!
The Book of Maccabees reminds us that: “It is a holy and wholesome thought, to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” Prayer for the dead, sacrifices, and suffrages all form a part of Christian worship and devotion towards the souls in Purgatory which the Holy Ghost Himself infuses with charity into the hearts of the faithful.
How as the Church Militant do we obtain relief for the souls in Purgatory? Prayers, alms, fasts, and penances of any kind, indulgences, and above all the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are all means by which we can gain relief for the poor souls, provided we are in a state of grace. The merciful assistance which God allows us to give to our suffering brethren is of excellent profit to ourselves as well. It is a work not only advantageous to the departed, but also holy and salutary for the living. "Sancta et salubris est cogitatio pro defunctis exorare."
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