LET'S UNITE IN PRAYING FOR THE DEAD!
I've come across a viral post discouraging prayers for the deceased, and it's disheartening to see people even fellow Catholics subscribing to this belief and it somehow indicates a lack of enthusiasm in exploring our faith. The central idea in the viral post is that the deceased cannot hear our prayers, they can't be saved. It suggests that once a person passes away, they face immediate judgment for salvation or condemnation.
Given this perspective, would you consider the possibility that your departed loved ones or anyone you believed to be good-hearted might be condemned in hell?
It's essential to acknowledge that "nobody's perfect," which is why we seek God's mercy by following His will to attain perfection, a journey many of us struggle with.
Heaven is a place of perfection, and to reach there, we must be in a state of grace, to become sinless. Even seemingly harmless actions like white lies, negative thoughts, cursing, gossiping, gluttony, or lust are considered sins that affect our souls.
Imagine your departed loved one as a clean white paper, and every sin you know they committed is like a dot of a pencil on that paper. Do you believe that paper would remain in its original, perfect state with even a single dot? Heaven, as mentioned, is a realm of perfection, void of anything that destroys purity.
Now, why do we pray for the salvation of the dead?
WARNING: The following are based on Catholic Theology.
In 2 Maccabees 12:44-45 (NRSV): "For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore, he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin."
This passage provides historical context for the practice of praying for the dead and making atonement on their behalf, indicating that such actions were considered "holy and pious" in the Old Testament era.
Some may find it funny when we talk about the existence of purgatory, perhaps we were influenced by how they were depicted on TV, a place of sadness, obliviousness, and emptiness. But the term "purgatory" is derived from the Latin "purgatorium" which means "a place for cleansing" or "a place for purification". And surprisingly, the idea of purgatory is found in the bible.
In 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NRSV): "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire."
This passage is often interpreted to suggest a process of purification or testing by fire after death, which is one of the concepts used to support the idea of purgatory.
Dear fellow Catholics, let us unite in prayer for not only our departed loved ones but also for all the souls in purgatory seeking purification on their journey to salvation. By doing so, we hope to help them find their way to the eternal peace of God's Kingdom. Isn't that the very essence of our wish, that they may truly "rest in peace"?
If you're unsure about how to pray for them, consider reciting the Rosary or offering St. Gertrude's prayer for the departed souls.
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