Catholic Social Tips
As Catholics, we have a liturgical dedication to pray for the souls in purgatory during November. I encourage you to pray not only for the dead but for those who mourn, too.
The first year following the death of someone is so incredibly difficult. At the same time, life returns to normal for everyone, while the friends and family of those who mourn are in a fog. For so many, there is a feeling of the need to move forward, and if they linger too long in the throes of grief, others may feel uncomfortable seeing their tears or hearing the stories.
Not hearing the name of their loved one is so hard for those who mourn; it’s like the person just evaporated from the minds of those who knew and or loved the person.
The holy days of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are meant to honor the dead and create opportunities for mourners to grieve publicly and communally without judgment.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church outlines why prayer for the dead is part of our Catholic practices: “From the beginning the church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers in suffrage for them, above all the Eucharistic sacrifice, so that, thus purified, they may attain the beatific vision of God. The church also commends almsgiving, indulgences and works of penance undertaken on behalf of the dead” (CCC 1032).
Together, the acts of praying and burying the dead are a corporal work of mercy. There are so many ways to do this beyond a funeral.
On All Souls’ Day, here are some ways to pray for those in purgatory and those in heaven.
- Request a Mass for someone who has died to be celebrated on their birthday, wedding anniversary, death anniversary or a day that was important to the family.
- Send someone who is mourning a loved one a “thinking of you” card.
- Donate to a cause supporting people experiencing poverty or a philanthropic organization that the deceased supported.
- Visit the deceased at the cemetery or send flowers to be placed on the grave.
- Pray a novena starting Oct. 26 and ending on All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2.
- Pray the chaplet of St. Gertrude, also known as the St. Gertrude rosary. Here is the prayer of St. Gertrude for the souls in purgatory: “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.”
- Set up an ofrenda, or altar, in your home for your loved ones who have gone before us.
- Attend Mass on All Saints’ Day.
- Attend parish remembrance Masses.
Last November, I donated items that belonged to my loved ones to pay them homage. At a recent retreat, I offered the phrase, “Tears are prayers from our body.” It reminds me that tears are a regular expression of our feelings for a loss and are appropriate.
Pray for those who mourn and console them. Here is one prayer commonly found online: “O Lord, we call upon you in our time of sorrow, that you give us the strength and will to bear our heavy burdens, until we can again feel the warmth and love of your divine compassion.”
