What is the Feast of All Souls? This is the day during the liturgical year that we aside to remember and pray for the dead in the hopes of their entry into heaven.
Why is necessary that we pray for the dead? Those in purgatory cannot pray for themselves. They must rely on others to pray for them or make sacrifices on their behalf. They depend on us for their entry into heaven.
What is purgatory? This is an intermediate and temporary state between our reality and heaven. This is a state of being where the soul must undergo purification from the harmful effects of sin.
What is the scriptural evidence for praying for the dead? 2 Maccabees 12:38-46
Background Information: Judas Maccabeus, a great Jewish general of the 2nd century, had successfully led his army into a battle. A day after hostilities ceased, the troops returned to the battlefield to gather the bodies of their deceased comrades to give them a respectful burial.
To their horror, they found on the soldiers amulets and necklaces sacred to pagan idols. This was a grave sin against the First Commandment’s law against idols. Immediately, they prayed that their deceased comrades’ sinful deeds might be blotted out. They feared that their fallen comrades would face everlasting punishment. They were confident that their prayers could help atone for the sins of the dead, releasing them from punishment. The survivors took up a collection and sent it to Jerusalem so a sacrifice could be offered in the temple.