Funeral Prayers

[sonofbarry]

Hi, everyone.
Just a few questions about funerals and prayer in general.

1. If the deceased is actually in hell (but we obviously don’t know that), are the prayers wasted, or do they just become “prayers of thanks” or something like that? Surely we can say a prayer of thanks, not knowing their fate, and in recognition of their place in our lives.
2. If the deceased is in Purgatory (and we don’t know that), then these are the meaningful prayers, right? These are the prayers that can actually do something for that soul. Having said that, I’ve never once heard a prayer offered for a specific person who is thought to be in purgatory.
3. If the deceased went straight to Heaven (and, once again…) then prayers are not needed, is that right? No prayer can ever add to the joy or prospect of bodily resurrection of that soul.

Most times, the deceased is assumed to be “in God’s loving care”, but that seems a huge leap of faith to make.
Should we just sit there at the service and assume the person made a last confession and received final anointing? I suppose we must, if we don’t know otherwise. The family would know, of course, but it would be most impolite to ask them.

 

[pianistclare]

Welcome to the fora.
Just pray.
Leave the detail to God to sort out.
No prayer is EVER wasted.

 

[brad90956]

Prayers to God are never wasted. Prayers for the faithful departed pleases God, who makes use of our prayers to help purify these souls that He loves. Those in purgatory cannot pray for themselves. They can no longer merit anything for themselves and rely entirely on others to pray and make sacrifices on their behalf.

We don’t know what the state of the soul was at the hour of death. Only God knows the state of the soul.

If the soul is in Hell, the prayer cannot help them but as I said, the prayer is not wasted. God will apply that prayer to another soul(s). If the soul is already in Heaven, and you continue to pray for them, they get “accidental glory.” St. Thomas Aquinas calls it “accidental glory” because the soul gets an increase in its intimacy with God and an increase in its intercessory power.

Bottom line…Never stop praying for the dead, no matter how long they’ve been gone. You continue to push them up higher. The prayers are never wasted. God is never outdone in generosity.

 

[CB_Catholic]

Hi, everyone.
Just a few questions about funerals and prayer in general.

1. If the deceased is actually in hell (but we obviously don’t know that), are the prayers wasted, or do they just become “prayers of thanks” or something like that? Surely we can say a prayer of thanks, not knowing their fate, and in recognition of their place in our lives.
2. If the deceased is in Purgatory (and we don’t know that), then these are the meaningful prayers, right? These are the prayers that can actually do something for that soul. Having said that, I’ve never once heard a prayer offered for a specific person who is thought to be in purgatory.
3. If the deceased went straight to Heaven (and, once again…) then prayers are not needed, is that right? No prayer can ever add to the joy or prospect of bodily resurrection of that soul.

Most times, the deceased is assumed to be “in God’s loving care”, but that seems a huge leap of faith to make.
Should we just sit there at the service and assume the person made a last confession and received final anointing? I suppose we must, if we don’t know otherwise. The family would know, of course, but it would be most impolite to ask them.

Well, I would think that being “in God’s loving care” would be apt for Purgation, as God IS caring for that person, preparing him/her for heaven. It also is an euphemism that is non-specific enough that the loved ones do not lose hope, which is important during that period of time, yet does not specifically say the person is in heaven. And everybody, while alive, was in the care of God, or they would not have existed.