Praying for the poor souls in purgatory is something almost every faithful Catholic is familiar with. But how often do we stop to reflect upon this sacred practice and why we should become intimately acquainted with it? If we read the myriad accounts through the ages of what each soul in purgatory experiences, it is a sobering realization and should serve as a poignant reminder of what may await us. But first, let us briefly remind ourselves of what Purgatory is and why souls of the faithful are sent there by God after death.

When we die, we will immediately stand before Christ to receive our Personal Judgment. This judgment is different from the Final Judgment, which will be a singular and public event for all souls at the end of time. Please note that the order, nature, and particular details of our Personal Judgment are largely found in tradition and are often illustrated in private revelations. This article is not meant to be an authoritative reference to the specifics. But generally, it is understood that each individual soul will be shown in an instant an account of all their deeds throughout the course of their lives, for good and for ill.

Thankfully, we are assured that they are not merely weighed against one another as many pagan traditions contend. As a priest once told me, this is highly fortunate for us, as few souls would be saved if this were the case. Rather, the ordinary means of our salvation is that we will be found in a state of Sanctifying Grace. Beyond that, we yield all final judgment to God, who provides us with the Church and the Sacraments to secure a life of grace and salvation; though God is not bound from acting outside of those circumstances. That being said, we should not presume God’s mercy nor live our lives as such. In short, if a soul is completely free from earthly and sinful attachments, they are welcomed directly into Heaven (think of certain Saints, martyrs, etc.). Souls who have rejected God and are therefore devoid of Sanctifying Grace are sent to Hell. Lastly, souls who are in the State of Grace (or by God’s mercy due to some extenuating circumstance) but are still bound to earthly attachments, the effects of sin, and require atonement for their sins are sent to Purgatory.

Purgatory is temporary, not eternal. It must also be stated that Purgatory is not a punishment; it is a mercy. As some saints have revealed, one may use the metaphor of an intense light. The less disposed one is to the fearful level of love and perfection of God, the more that light will literally cause pain to a soul (think of being in a dark room when someone shines a blinding light directly into your eyes). Therefore, the means of purification before entering the direct presence of God in Heaven requires us to be purified of any attachment or obstacle that stands in the way. Exactly how this happens cannot be explained in mere words. However, if we think of how painful it is to break a bad habit here on earth (fasting, mortification, or even something like quitting smoking or caffeine), then we can start to grasp how difficult it will be to do so even in the hereafter.

So ultimately, how and why should we pray for these “poor souls”? Again, when we listen to the Saints and Tradition, we are told of the almost immeasurably intense suffering that these souls experience. I highly recommend seeking out various accounts on this. While it is often described as fire, that may be more of a metaphor. Regardless of the exact sensation, the suffering is almost uniformly described as making hours feel like years and days feel like decades. Whether or not Purgatory is actually inside of time itself, we are not sure, but even the anticipation of waiting for Heaven is part of that suffering. It has also been said that the greatest pain of Purgatory is the Pain of Loss, specifically, the unfathomable sense of regret that an individual experiences knowing now that if they had only chosen to lead a more virtuous life, they would already be in Heaven.

One of my earliest memories as a toddler was being in a crib in the basement of my grandparents’ house. I yearned to be with everyone else, and I could actually see a light shining through the vent and hear the conversation and laughter of my entire family coming through. I wanted absolutely nothing more than to be with them but could only listen and wait in the lonely darkness of that room. Interestingly enough, I also remember a picture of Jesus next to that vent and had the knowledge that eventually, my parents would come down. The same is true in Purgatory; we will still have the hope and anticipation of Heaven, which thankfully makes it distinctly different from Hell. While no amount of prayers can free someone from Hell, we are told time and again that our prayers, sacrifices, and offerings are highly efficacious in relieving the pain and length of time that they must spend there.

Souls in Purgatory cannot pray for themselves or even for one another. This is why they solely depend on us to assuage their suffering. As we hear of the future that may await us, we are rightfully aware of how we can prevent our own extended stay by embracing our sufferings and pursuing a life of virtue. While we are not barred from offering up our sufferings for our own sake, we are primarily encouraged to first offer our prayers for the poor souls already in Purgatory. Thankfully, we are also told that they will presumably then pray for us once they reach Heaven via the relationship we know as the Communion of Saints.

So then, how exactly do we pray for them? We should first make ourselves acutely aware each day of our own pain and sufferings and how we can offer them up. Ultimately, what good are our own sufferings if we complain about them or even merely endure them? Why keep them in vain when we can surrender them as a source of healing? We should also be mindful to offer up the intention at every Mass we attend for our loved ones in addition to the souls who have no one to pray for them. Lastly, we should also acquaint ourselves with indulgences. Indulgences are not some lost relic that went away with the onset of Vatican II. Rather, they are sources of immeasurable grace that can be offered for the dead. Before the end of this year, I implore each of you to take advantage of the opportunity we have in this Year of Mercy to afford both ourselves and our loved ones the Plenary Indulgence made available to us. You can research online exactly how to take part in this gift.

In closing, please consider a daily recitation of this prayer from St. Gertrude the Great on behalf of the poor souls. While this is not an indulgence or guaranteed to immediately free a poor soul from their bonds, we trust that it is nonetheless efficacious and also a daily reminder that we can offer up all of our sufferings for those most in need of our prayers:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.