Praying for people who are probably in heaven?

[CompSciGuy]

Whenever there is a call to pray for the dead (like in mass when they pray for those who have gone before us and pause for you to pray for specific people) I often will go through a mental list of people I know who have died and pray for them. However, sometimes there are one or two people that, when I pray for them, it feels really weird doing so because of the likelihood that they are not in purgatory, and I should actually be asking for their prayers… like Catholic friends and relatives who have lived their entire lives in service of others and have lived holy lives, and some of whom even appear to have seen saints, angels or Christ as they were passing into the next life. It just seems very unlikely that such people would be in need of my prayers, but rather vice versa. Does anyone else experience this? Is this perhaps being presumptuous?

 

[Billy112]

If they are in heaven, they are not unstable or over-sensitive and likely would not be offended by you praying for them in good faith. You can ask the Lord to use your prayer for somebody who needs it in case they don’t.

 

[peter26]

Someone once said no prayer is ever wasted.

But also, don’t assume that someone who appears pious lives a saintly life. In all likelihood, these people were struggling with some sins and need prayers just as much as anyone else.

 

[Usige]

First, I would never assume someone is in heaven unless they have been canonized. Sometimes the outward face we see hides a darkness. Someone that performs charitable acts may do so to offset some other deficiency. Not saying that is the case for the people you are think of, but really just saying that we can never know the inner secrets that might need to be purged.

Secondly, even if they are in heaven your prayers will be applied to others. Perhaps an aunt is a saint, but your prayers help a homeless man that died without family or friends to pray for their soul. In that case someone that is in heaven stands as a proxy for those poor souls that are forgotten, so your prayers are never wasted.

 

[Purgatory_Pete]

But also, don’t assume that someone who appears pious lives a saintly life. In all likelihood, these people were struggling with some sins and need prayers just as much as anyone else.

Exactly.

St. Francis de Sales once said of Purgatory,
“I fear the good opinion which my friends have formed of me:
They will believe me in Heaven and leave me to suffer."

 

[Elizium23]

There is nothing preventing your praying TO people, in addition to praying FOR them. This is the only way canonized saints get that way - pious Catholics praying to them for intercession. So if you believe Grandma died in a state of grace and is welcomed into the light of His face, by all means pray TO her with your petitions and thanksgiving. It is the only right thing to do. I pray to my dearly departed family members all the time.

 

[crystal_waters]

Unless the person was as holy as somebody like mother Teresa or one of the other saints we must never assume that they are in heaven…to do that you are depriving them of prayers and masses they desperately need to leave purgatory sooner…

Hope the person is in heaven, but pray your whole life as though the person is in purgatory…if the person is in heaven your prayer wont be wasted as good will use it for another soul in purgatory who needs it…

God bless you

Crystal waters

 

[HungerNThirst4R]

Someone once said no prayer is ever wasted.

But also, don’t assume that someone who appears pious lives a saintly life. In all likelihood, these people were struggling with some sins and need prayers just as much as anyone else.

Agreed! My grandmother passed away two weeks ago tomorrow, I was with her when she passed and have been praying for her fervently. But while in confession several days go and discussing some guilt I felt about the time leading up to her death, the priest told me he knew she was in heaven. Now, being that Jesus speaks through the priest during confession I’ve been trying to use this as a sign that I don’t always have to constantly pray for her. But in all honesty I still do just to be safe. I also pray for those who have long past, you can just say “and all those souls in Purgatory” right after so you don’t forget anybody.

 

[crystal_waters]

Agreed! My grandmother passed away two weeks ago tomorrow, I was with her when she passed and have been praying for her fervently. But while in confession several days go and discussing some guilt I felt about the time leading up to her death, the priest told me he knew she was in heaven. Now, being that Jesus speaks through the priest during confession I’ve been trying to use this as a sign that I don’t always have to constantly pray for her. But in all honesty I still do just to be safe. I also pray for those who have long past, you can just say “and all those souls in Purgatory” right after so you don’t forget anybody.

Priests can’t know that someone is in heaven…only the church can declare someone is in heaven after a very long and thorough canonisation process…my advice :- keep praying for your grandmother