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“The fire of Purgatory is the same as the fire of Hell; the difference between them is that the fire of Purgatory is not everlasting.”​

~ Saint John Vianney

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“With Charity towards the dead we practice all the works of charity. The Church encourages us to aid the souls in purgatory, who in turn will reward us abundantly when they come into their glory.”​

~ Saint Francis de Sales

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“As we enter Heaven, we will see them, so many of them, coming towards us and thanking us. We will ask who they are, and they will say ‘a poor soul you prayed for in purgatory.'”​

~ Venerable Fulton Sheen

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   From the earliest days of the Church, Catholics have believed in a place of final purification for the faithful who died. Those who died a martyr were recognized as already with God, since they were perfectly conformed to Christ and His Cross by their martyrdom. For the many believers who never had the opportunity to give such a public witness, the Church offered prayers, especially the Mass, that having been purified from every imperfection they would enter into Heaven. This can be found in many ancient texts, as well as the witness of the catacombs and of tombs. In the Middle Ages the theological explanation was developed and the name Purgatory began to be used, since it aptly describes the belief of the Church from the beginning up until today.

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   [ "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. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect…" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1030-1031) ]

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   While the word Purgatory does not appear in Scripture, the possibility of purification after death certainly does in undeveloped form. For example, in the book of Maccabees, Judas Maccabee sends an offering to the Temple on behalf of his fallen men who had committed a superstitious act (2 Macc. 12:39-45). While this Catholic biblical text is not in the Protestant Bible, owing to its removal by the Reformers, it nonetheless witnesses to the faith of Israel in the 2nd century B.C. In the New Testament, Our Lord advises us to settle our affairs before going before the judge, or else we may be thrown into prison, where we remain until our debt is paid.

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   [ "Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison; truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny." (Mt. 5:25-26) ]

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   This is a basic principle of justice: debts of justice must be paid. We cannot pay our debt to God because it is infinite. However, Christ paid that debt, uniting our nature to His Divine Nature, and we receive forgiveness when we turn to Him in repentance through those whom He appointed for this purpose (John 20:21-23; 2 Cor. 3:5-6). The temporal guilt, due to the consequences in us, in others, in the good order of society, remain, and we must settle them to the extent we are able—returning stolen money, correcting injury to someone’s good name, asking forgiveness of someone we hurt, physically, emotionally, morally and so on—if not in this life, in the next. It is these debts within our power to repair that we cannot simply set aside, whether in life or in death.

   November, therefore, which begins with the solemn celebration of all the saints in glory, is set aside to remember, pray for, and do penance for, the poor souls experiencing their purgation, or cleansing, as they await the glory of heaven. Throughout the month of November, a black-draped 'catafalque' (empty coffin), symbolic of the remains of all the faithful dead, will be present in the church along with a book for the names of the those deceased you wish to be remembered at the Masses offered throughout this month.  I also highly encourage you to obtain a plenary indulgence for the holy souls in Purgatory by visiting the church and the cemetery to pray for the dead during the novena period of All Souls (Nov. 1-8) or a partial indulgence throughout the rest of November.  Information on indulgences may be found here:

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https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1178

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   While the celebration of Mass is the highest means the Church can provide for charity for the dead, we can also relieve their sufferings through our prayers, sufferings, and penances. The Church views the act of praying for the souls in Purgatory with such importance that she has included this work in the seventh spiritual work of mercy: "Praying for the living and the dead."  Let us offer our prayers for the souls of those who are awaiting their eternal heavenly glory that, when we die, we may have many friends among the saints to pray for us and welcome us into the family of God's heavenly kingdom!
 

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O Mary, Mother of Mercy, Pray for us! 
And may the souls of the faithful departed, 
through the mercy of God, rest in peace!
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Oremvs Pro Invicem!

Father Albert Beltz, KHS, Pastor​​