Today, November 2, we commemorate the faithful departed. Catholic teaching tells us that the souls of the just who are making up for the sins they have committed in purgatory need the prayers of those who are still on earth.

Our prayers are of great help to them for their purification and eventually their assumption into heaven. When in heaven, they are our intercessors before God who alone can give us true and lasting peace. This is the reality of our Christian faith: The Triumphant Church (the saints in heaven) continues to pray for us, the Militant Church, as we pray for the Suffering Church (souls in purgatory).

We are told that the prayers for the dead are one of the noblest deeds we can do. We plead on their behalf to God to grant them His mercy and forgiveness. It is precisely for this reason that the Catholic Church designated this day as a day of prayer for them.

Our practice of praying for the dead has been in existence since the early years of the church. The tradition has become rich in meaning and significance over the years. The Catholic Church grants a plenary Indulgence to people who will visit their departed loved ones in the cemetery and pray fervently for them and for the intentions of the Holy Father.

Another popular prayer of the church is the De Profundis. The De Profundis is a psalm of penitence that is part of vespers (evening prayer) and in commemoration of the dead.

We remember in a special way our departed loved ones. May the Lord in His mercy grant to them eternal peace. May they rejoice in God’s kingdom, where all our tears are wiped away.