Welcome to Part 4 of Bishop Earl Boyea's reflections upon why we should pray for our dead. In this installment, Bishop Boyea reminds us of the prayerful communion that exists between those of us who have died and those of us who have yet to die.
"Sisters and brothers, we are not in this alone," says Bishop Boyea, "Our cultural tendency toward extreme individualism leads many of us to forget our calling as the Body of Christ, a communion with includes those in Heaven who already see the face of God, those of us on earth who are striving to be what we have been called to be, and those in purgatory who are being cleansing for their final entry into Heaven."
The pious custom of praying the dead has been a constant feature of Christian life since the days of the Early Church. It is particularly commended by the Church during November, the Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory.