The Church is made up of three realities. There is the Church militant which is each of us here on this earth who now take up our daily struggle towards Heaven. There is the Church Triumphant which is those who have now been called home to Heaven. It was only yesterday that we celebrated All Saint’s Day and thus each and everyone who is now in Heaven. Finally, there is the Church Suffering. This is the Church which unfortunately is often forgotten. The Church Suffering is the souls who now find themselves in Purgatory and thus are very much so in need of our prayers and sacrifices.
We live in the midst of a culture which rejects death and yet death is the one thing that we can be sure of which will eventually catch up with each of us. Not only do we reject death, but when we are faced with its reality we get uncomfortable and don’t know what to say or think. Nevertheless, as Christians we must understand and trust that death has no power of us. Death is not the end of life, but rather for those faithful souls in the incorporation into Heaven and thus the ability to see God face to face.
The souls who find themselves now in Purgatory will one day see God face to face. These faithful souls will eventually find their way into Heaven and thus when that time comes they will pray for us for they will be numbered among the saints and thus venerated on All Saint’s Day. Nevertheless, they are not there yet and thus we cannot forget about the Church Suffering. We cannot forget about the souls in Purgatory.
Often at death we forget about this Church and thus pass it by with our proclamation that these souls are now in Heaven and thus now numbered among the Church Triumphant. With such a proclamation we do a great injustice to our beloved dead. We thus forget to have Mass offered for them, we thus forget to offer our prayers on their behalf, and we thus forget that we need to offer sacrifice for them.
To live in denial of Purgatory is to do a grave injustice to the souls of the deceased. Scripture itself instructs us that nothing which is unclean will enter into Heaven. Be this true then all of us would be in trouble. Who here among us is without sin, please raise your hand. Who here judges not their neighbor? Who here lusts not in their heart for another? Who here doesn’t stretch the truth? Who here is perfectly content with God and doesn’t have longings that they sometimes place before Him? Yes, nothing which is unclean will enter Heaven and thus none of us would be numbered among the Church in Heaven if Purgatory were not true. We are not the second coming of the Immaculate Conception, but rather very much so in need of the mercy of God.
Let us not continue to deny or forget about the Church Suffering, the Church which is now in Purgatory. Let us heed the instruction found within the 2 Maccabees and thus offer prayer and sacrifice for their behalf. Truly souls are in need of our assistance. Let us forget or deny this task.
Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
