Purgatory practices

[USMC_Convert]

So a couple of questions but first, I do believe in purgatory, I do believe in having Masses said for the dead; however, I’ve had some questions come up from others and myself that I’m not quite sure of the answer.

1. Let’s say you have a Mass said for a soul in purgatory, what if the soul is already out of purgatory? Isn’t that a waste of a Mass? How do we know when to stop having Masses said?
2. Can you have a Mass said for a non-Catholic? Say a Protestant, or what about an atheist or Muslim?
3. Furthermore, whether they were Catholic or not, if someone dies and goes to hell but has Masses said for them don’t those Masses go to waste? They are in hell, they cannot benefit from the Masses whatsoever correct? What happens with those Masses?
4. Having Masses said for the Holy Souls in Purgatory is obviously of the utmost importance; however, what about having Masses said for the living? Wouldn’t having a Mass said, for example, for the conversion of sinners, or for someone’s family be also a good use of the Mass?
5. So there is this guy who upon receiving the Holy Eucarist asks God to take it from him and give it to the Holy Souls in Purgatory as they cannot receive while they are in purgatory and asks God to let it complete their purification. Is he correct? Will it complete their purification? Can they not receive while in Purgatory, and would God do something like that?

 

[TheDoctor]

So a couple of questions but first, I do believe in purgatory, I do believe in having Masses said for the dead; however, I’ve had some questions come up from others and myself that I’m not quite sure of the answer.

1. Let’s say you have a Mass said for a soul in purgatory, what if the soul is already out of purgatory? Isn’t that a waste of a Mass? How do we know when to stop having Masses said?
2. Can you have a Mass said for a non-Catholic? Say a Protestant, or what about an atheist or Muslim?
3. Furthermore, whether they were Catholic or not, if someone dies and goes to hell but has Masses said for them don’t those Masses go to waste? They are in hell, they cannot benefit from the Masses whatsoever correct? What happens with those Masses?
4. Having Masses said for the Holy Souls in Purgatory is obviously of the utmost importance; however, what about having Masses said for the living? Wouldn’t having a Mass said, for example, for the conversion of sinners, or for someone’s family be also a good use of the Mass?
5. So there is this guy who upon receiving the Holy Eucarist asks God to take it from him and give it to the Holy Souls in Purgatory as they cannot receive while they are in purgatory and asks God to let it complete their purification. Is he correct? Will it complete their purification? Can they not receive while in Purgatory, and would God do something like that?

1. Mass intentions are never wasted. If the soul is out of purgatory then God can apply the graces for a soul who needs them but remember God exists outside time so we can never assume that any grace is not put to some good use some way,.
2. Yes, Mass can be said for anyone, living or dead.
3. See #1. God will use the graces as He deems fit.
4. Absolutely. Mass are said for the living and the dead and for all situations.
5. The souls in Purgatory cannot physically receive the Eucharist as we can but they can receive the graces we obtain from the Eucharist through our prayers for them.

Cool questions!

 

[edward_george]

So a couple of questions but first, I do believe in purgatory, I do believe in having Masses said for the dead; however, I’ve had some questions come up from others and myself that I’m not quite sure of the answer.

1. Let’s say you have a Mass said for a soul in purgatory, what if the soul is already out of purgatory? Isn’t that a waste of a Mass? How do we know when to stop having Masses said?

**How would you know if the soul is out of purgatory, short of them having been canonized a saint? It’s not as though there’s a way to measure that, and really it’s hard to say how time works in terms of the next life and the way we experience it. Maybe the person got out of purgatory temporally before a Mass was offered, but it was the grace of that Mass that got them out. We shouldn’t quantify these kinds of things or map them to a timeline so much as we should stay constant in prayer.

** 2. Can you have a Mass said for a non-Catholic? Say a Protestant, or what about an atheist or Muslim?
**Yes to all of the above. I have offered Mass for non-Catholic friends and family members with some regularity. Masses can be offered for someone’s conversion, even. **

1. Furthermore, whether they were Catholic or not, if someone dies and goes to hell but has Masses said for them don’t those Masses go to waste? They are in hell, they cannot benefit from the Masses whatsoever correct? What happens with those Masses?
   Then God applies the graces of the Mass to whomever and whatever he wills.
2. Having Masses said for the Holy Souls in Purgatory is obviously of the utmost importance; however, what about having Masses said for the living? Wouldn’t having a Mass said, for example, for the conversion of sinners, or for someone’s family be also a good use of the Mass?
   **Of course it would be, and we do it all the time. This past week in my parish, the requested intentions were about 1/3 of the time for the intentions of someone living. And as I said, I offer Mass for my friends and family quite often, especially on their birthdays or anniversaries or when they’ve gotten married. **
3. So there is this guy who upon receiving the Holy Eucarist asks God to take it from him and give it to the Holy Souls in Purgatory as they cannot receive while they are in purgatory and asks God to let it complete their purification. Is he correct? Will it complete their purification? Can they not receive while in Purgatory, and would God do something like that?
   **I would say thinking of it like that might not be a good way to look at it so much as offering your Communion up for someone else. Will it complete their purification? Who knows. Again, there’s not a real way to quantify this. We can attempt to gain a plenary indulgence on behalf of a soul in purgatory, wherein we perform some indulgenced action (like praying the Rosary in a group or walking through a Holy door or making some other pilgrimage, just to name a few) and complete the “usual conditions,” namely to confess and receive communion within a specified amount of time of performing the action (usually 9 days before or after), pray for the Holy Father’s intentions, and not be attached to sin. Again, this isn’t something we can quantify or measure, but we still attempt to do it and we can do it (once a day, anyway) on behalf of a particular soul in purgatory.

-Fr ACEGC**

 

[brad90956]

Having Masses said for the dead or praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory is never wasted whether that person is in Heaven or Hell. God would never let something so good and beautiful go to waste.

I have Masses said and pray (The Rosary) for my dad who died 3 years ago. I have faith and trust that God and The Blessed Virgin Mary will use it according to their heavenly wisdom to help the souls that need it the most if it cannot help my dad because the souls in Purgatory cannot help themselves.

 

[PJM]

So a couple of questions but first, I do believe in purgatory, I do believe in having Masses said for the dead; however, I’ve had some questions come up from others and myself that I’m not quite sure of the answer.

1. Let’s say you have a Mass said for a soul in purgatory, what if the soul is already out of purgatory? Isn’t that a waste of a Mass? How do we know when to stop having Masses said?

REALLY great questions. thanks

The answer is that no “good thing goes to waste”

Their are a great many Souls in Purgatory; all of whom are in need :and want} of our prayers.

So in the instance you described, the GRACE merited would go to another Soul in need,

1. Can you have a Mass said for a non-Catholic? Say a Protestant, or what about an atheist or Muslim?

That is a rarely asked question {for me the 1st time its being asked}. The underlying question seems to be" CAN only Catholics enter into purgatory?

The answer is NO, Purgatory is not exclusively for Catholics, even though we may be the "only believers, along with the Orthodox churches of its existence}

Purgatory is a place for all Souls who die with NO unforgiven, unremitted MORTAL sins {1 John 5:16-17 & John 20:19-23}

Because all sins have a “public nature”, meaning they effect others than the sinners themselves, GOD attaches a penalty that the Church terms “The Temporal punishment due to sins”

This DEBT imposed by God applies to all humanity and ALL sins, and must be repaid in full, prior to entry into heaven where everything, like God Himself is Perfect. Even sins that HAVE been rightly confessed and forgiven, still acquire this DEBT.

The Debt can be paid for unearth through good works, charity, and indulgences; or repaid through the suffering of Purgatory.

Indeed Purgatory exist precisely to “make perfect” the Soul so that it can ascend into heaven, as is a requirement of Divine Justice…

TEMPORAL PUNISHMENT. The penalty that God in his justice inflicts either on earth or in Purgatory for sins, even though already forgiven as to guilt" Fr. Hardon’s Catholic Dictionary

1. Furthermore, whether they were Catholic or not, if someone dies and goes to hell but has Masses said for them don’t those Masses go to waste? They are in hell, they cannot benefit from the Masses whatsoever correct? What happens with those Masses?

Firstly we ought not assume or presume that any soul HAS chosen for themselves, Eternal hell. Repentance and Conversion are possible on the death bed, and a pious soul can be lost at the last moment if they despair of God’s Divine Mercy. So ONLY God can know for sure.

And Again GOD would apply those earned graces to a Soul in need, so they never “go to waste.”

The Mass /the Eucharist is God Himself, and the summit of all Catholic Beliefs, so certainly this is a commendable practice, as just as certainly, God is eager to hear tehse type of petitions from us.

Our Catechism teaches:
.
1324 The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian life.” “The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.”

There is no more meritorious prayer that we can participate in and offer up for others. Amen!

5. So there is this guy who upon receiving the Holy Eucarist asks God to take it from him and give it to the Holy Souls in Purgatory as they cannot receive while they are in purgatory and asks God to let it complete their purification. Is he correct? Will it complete their purification? Can they not receive while in Purgatory, and would God do something like that?

NOT precisely, BUT yes in its effect.

The graces we merit at Mass though the Most Holy Eucharist, can be intended for others as well as ourselves.{living and deceased}. THAT my friend is one of the Key reasons to be a Practicing Catholic.

BUT only God is the tally keeper of Temporal Punishments debt, so only God can determine what is sufficient to release a Soul to Heaven. God is a Generous and Merciful God, and MUST be, can only be Just and Fair. we rely on these traits of God, and then permit God to be GOD and make the judgment calls.

THANKS for asking
Patrick

 

[CathBoy1]

I would say you’ve already gotten some pretty solid answers, so the only thing I will add is a prayer.
Here is a link to the prayer of St Gertrude for souls in purgatory, it is said to release 2,000 souls every time it is recited & as others have already said, any prayers intended for a soul in purgatory, that for whatever reason is not there, God will redistribute the graces of that prayer as He sees fit.

catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=424

Peace in Christ