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Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory:
01 November
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.” Psalm 116:15
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The month of November each year is dedicated to commemorating those who have died and departed to their heavenly home. It begins with All Saints Day celebrated on November 1 to remember all the numerous holy souls who died and are believed to have entered into Heaven. As only some of the popular saints have specific dates dedicated as feasts for remembering them, this day is celebrated to mainly honor all the hundreds and thousands of holy souls that have entered into Heaven and do not have any specific day dedicated in their honor. In most countries this is a day of holy obligation when Holy Masses are offered for the dead. This practice began in 1261 when the Church began to honor martyrs on this day. Later, all those holy souls who lived a life of extraordinary holiness on earth also began to be remembered on this day.
November 2 is celebrated as All Souls Day to remember all the faithful departed. This practice of remembering all the dead is believed to have been instituted by St. Odilo of Cluny in the year 1030. He was the fifth Benedictine Abbot of Cluny and is believed to have instituted the annual commemoration of all the faithful departed on November 2 every year in Cluny and his monasteries. He called for the day to be observed by the members of his community with almsgiving, prayers and sacrifices for the relief of the suffering souls in purgatory. This was eventually added to the calendar of the Catholic Church and today is celebrated to honor all the dead.
The teachings of the Catholic Church as documented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church says “Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death, in a particular judgement that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of heaven- through purification or immediately, or immediate and everlasting damnation.” (CCC:1022).
Hence those who have lived in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified enter into Heaven immediately on death whilst those who die in God’s grace and friendship but still are imperfectly purified will eventually enter Heaven but will have to undergo purification prior to that. The Church gives the name ‘Purgatory’ to this final purification of the elect.
This month is dedicated to these holy souls who are in Purgatory and are being purified. We who are on earth can help these holy souls in their purification by praying for them. This practice of praying for them is also seen in the Old Testament (2 Maccabees 12:46). The Church from very beginning has always honoured the memory of the dead by offering Holy Masses and prayers, through almsgiving, indulgences and works of penances undertaken for the dead. Therefore this month let us dedicate to praying for the souls of all our departed loved ones as well as those who have no one to pray for them on earth.