A lot can be said about the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy. For those who aren’t familiar with the list, they are as follows: instructing the ignorant, counselling the doubtful, admonishing the sinners, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving offences willingly, comforting the afflicted, and praying for the living and the dead. Much can be said about each one, and much has been said about each one already. For this article, I will focus more on praying for the living and the dead.
Praying; a lot can be said about this just in general. Some will argue that prayer does nothing, as it actually doesn’t do anything to alleviate someone else’s pain or grief. That argument also pops up when it comes to injustice. But prayer is so much more than that. It is handing over the reins to God, asking Him to do for others what you yourself cannot. It’s why many people who cannot do things for others, because of time or distance, turn to prayer. For, after all, words can only go so far as well (even though we do place a lot of value on them). Prayer is but a form of communication with God. We pray to ask, to beg forgiveness, to offer thanksgiving, to say “I love you.” We also pray for others. And sometimes, when we ask God for something, the answer can be a “no,” whether because it wasn’t time, something better is coming, or it’s simply not good for you.
Many saints are known for their lives of prayer; but a select few come to mind when talking about praying for the living and the dead. Saint Monica is a particularly well-known saint when it comes to praying for the souls of the living (her son most especially). Yes, it took years and years of constant praying, but it paid off. Not only did her son convert, but he was baptized together with his son and went on to become a great Doctor of the Church. In this case, St. Monica had to wait for what she prayed for; but she did eventually get it.
Saint Rita of Cascia, on the other hand, got her prayers answered a little more quickly – but time was of the essence. She did have to pray a long time before her husband finally converted and became a better man; but, by then he had made many enemies and they wanted him dead. One day, they got their chance and murdered her husband. As per the rules of the day, Rita’s two boys were expected to avenge their father. Rita, however, did not want her boys to kill anyone, so she begged the Lord to take her sons. He did take them, she forgave her husband’s murderers, and was finally able to become what she had always wanted to be: a nun. So while, yes, she had to wait before becoming a nun, her requests for her sons were answered in a more prompt-manner to prevent them from continuing the bloodshed.
Saint Gertrude the Great gave us one of the best-known (or at the very least, one of the most used) prayers: for the Souls in Purgatory. When Jesus gave her the prayer, he told her that when it was said, well a thousand souls would be released from Purgatory. Just imagine: a thousand souls each time this prayer is uttered lovingly and faithfully. Oh, how many souls must still linger then in Purgatory? How many times was it not said well? We must continue to pray for them, that they may enter into the presence of God all the more quickly.
St. Padre Pio was allowed to interact with a few souls from Purgatory. They all asked for prayers to help them get into Heaven faster. Some got in fairly quickly. Others had to wait a little longer to cross that line into Heaven. But St. Padre Pio continued to pray for the souls in Purgatory, regardless of if he knew them or not, because he was firmly of the belief that they really needed our help; and by golly he was going to give it to them.
These are just a few of the examples of saints praying for the living and the dead. As one can tell, their prayers were answered. For some, it took time and patience as well as prayer. Others got their prayers answered right away. Noted, of course, these were all examples of praying for others – not praying for one’s own material gain, safety, or health. When it comes to those things, it is a matter of what God knows to be best. But for souls, it usually is a “yes.” There’s just time involved because, as you would with a dirty dish, sometimes you have to put in the time to get that soul fully clean. As in, you have to pray hard to help that soul get ready for a good cleaning. Change takes time, and God is very, very patient. Isn’t it wonderful to have such an understanding, patient, and merciful Lord? So, don’t give up hope on that loved one who has left the Faith or who might have gone into Purgatory. Pray for them. Pray as well as you can. Pray whenever you think of them. Every little bit helps, and maybe you’ll be able to see each other in Paradise.