Eternal Rest Grant unto Them O, Lord...

..And let perpetual light shine upon them.

It is the eve of All Souls day, which has become one of my favorite feasts recently. This year, my husband lost his grandma. I loved Sophie, she made me laugh, she had a quick wit,even if she forgot my kids names. She was 93, and lived a hard, but good life. When she was dying, her daughter, my mother in law, decided it was silly to call a priest for final sacraments, after all, she was a good person, and God is merciful. Both are true, but it broke my heart and made me quite mad that she did not receive the final sacraments. This month especially we are praying for her, hoping she can receive all the graces of our prayers.

Many people presume that heaven is a sure thing, as soon as you die. I was not raised knowing about purgatory, I was even told it did not exist. Woe to all those who have not learned otherwise. It is vital to pray for the dead. Why? Well, they can pray for us in return, and Lord knows, I need all the prayers I can get. A priest reminded me to ask the souls in Purgatory that had the same defects I have to pray for me, and I will pray for them. Someday, I hope to see those souls and thank them. But there are greater reasons, like getting the souls of those we love. The more the merrier, right? What joy there will be the day I see all of my relatives and friends who have gone before me. Our purpose in life is to get people to heaven, and praying for the Holy Souls is part of that. In fact, it is easier than praying for the souls still on earth. The Souls in purgatory are going to go to heaven, after their time of purification, souls on earth, still can end up not making it.

In this month of the Holy Souls, remember them, have your children pray for them, visit a cemetery between November 1-8, for an indulgence. There are only benefits to praying for them, they are helpless on their own, they need us. I also recommend the book Father Philip tells a Ghost Story to help teach children about the souls in purgatory. I wish I had learned more sooner, but it is never too late.