Episode 3280: The Communion of Saints: Remembering the Souls

November 2, 2025
Episode 883 Feast of All Souls – 3 years
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Book Recommendation of the Day
“Treatise on Purgatory” St. Catherine of Genoa
• Why it’s important:
This is the classic Catholic work on Purgatory, written by a 15th-century mystic who experienced vivid revelations about the purifying love of God. St. Catherine describes the souls in Purgatory as burning with desire for God not despair and shows how divine mercy and justice unite in perfect harmony.
• Key theme:
Purgatory is not punishment inflicted by God’s wrath, but the final stage of purification by His love.
• Famous quote:
“The souls in Purgatory are content with their sufferings, for they are within the ordinance of God, and they cannot will otherwise than what God wills.”
“The Communion of Saints: Remembering the Souls Who Suffer for Love”
Introduction: The Forgotten Feast of Love
Today we honor All Souls’ Day, a feast deeply rooted in the ancient faith and devotion of Holy Mother Church. On this day, the Church Militant those of us still on earth turns her eyes to the Church Suffering, the souls in Purgatory, awaiting the full vision of God. It is a feast both sorrowful and radiant: sorrowful because it reminds us of sin’s consequences, radiant because it reveals the mercy of God that purifies before glory.
In an age where the supernatural is dismissed and Protestant theology has abandoned prayer for the dead, the traditional Catholic stands as a guardian of remembrance, keeping alive the truth of the Communion of Saints. This feast calls us to charity, to intercession, and to hope in God’s perfect justice and mercy.
Segment 1: The Church Militant, Suffering, and Triumphant - The Divine Communion
The Church has always taught that the faithful are united across three states of being:
1. The Church Triumphant—the saints in heaven who behold the face of God and intercede for us.
2. The Church Suffering—the souls in Purgatory who died in God’s grace but still undergo purification for the remnants of sin.
3. The Church Militant—the faithful on earth, engaged in the battle for salvation amidst the temptations and trials of this world.
This triune communion, beautifully described by Pope Benedict XV, reflects the Mystical Body of Christ in its fullness. None of us is isolated; every act of charity, every prayer, every Mass offered for the dead binds us more perfectly to Christ, Who is the head of this living body.
St. Augustine called this bond “the holy society of the faithful,” reminding us that death does not sever the bonds of love. In God, love remains active, interceding, purifying, and restoring.
Segment 2: The Reality of Purgatory: Mercy Through Fire
The modern world finds the notion of Purgatory offensive because it denies two modern idols: comfort and self-sufficiency. Yet Scripture, Tradition, and reason all confirm its truth.
The Second Book of Maccabees (12:46) teaches, “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.”
Our Lord Himself alludes to purification in Matthew 12:32, saying that some sins are forgiven “in the world to come.”
The Fathers of the Church unanimously upheld this teaching. St. John Chrysostom exhorted: “Let us help and commemorate them. If Job’s sons were purified by their father’s sacrifice, why would we doubt that our offerings for the dead bring them consolation?”
Purgatory is not a place of despair but of hope. It is a mercy of God, where souls are cleansed in love’s fire before entering His presence. St. Catherine of Genoa wrote that the souls in Purgatory suffer gladly, because they burn with longing for the Beatific Vision and know they are saved.
They cannot help themselves. They rely on us. Every Rosary, every Mass, every indulgence offered in their name lessens their suffering and hastens their union with God.
Segment 3: A Contrast to Protestant Neglect
The Protestant Reformation, rejecting the doctrine of Purgatory, cut away one of the Church’s most compassionate truths. In denying the efficacy of prayers for the dead, they turned their back on the communion that binds heaven, earth, and the departed.
Luther and Calvin dismissed the sacred traditions rooted in apostolic times, calling them “superstitions.” Yet by doing so, they silenced the cries of countless souls who await deliverance through intercessory prayer.
Traditional Catholics must not imitate this neglect. The modern Church’s casual attitude toward death its tendency to canonize every deceased person at the funeral is a dangerous presumption. We forget that few enter heaven without purification.
To neglect the souls in Purgatory is to abandon our own brothers and sisters. It is to break the bond of charity that sustains the Mystical Body.
Segment 4: The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Indulgences for the Faithful Departed
No act of love surpasses the Holy Mass offered for the dead. The priest, standing in persona Christi, renews the sacrifice of Calvary, and the infinite merits of that sacrifice are applied to the souls for whom it is offered.
St. Padre Pio once said, “More souls of the dead from purgatory than of the living climb this mountain to attend my Masses.”
During the first eight days of November, the Church grants a plenary indulgence each day for the souls in Purgatory to those who visit a cemetery, pray for the dead, receive Holy Communion, go to Confession, and pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.
These indulgences, properly understood, draw from the Treasury of the Church the infinite merits of Christ and the superabundant merits of the saints applied to souls in need. What a magnificent work of charity!
Segment 5: The Church Suffering as Our Hidden Allies
The souls in Purgatory, though unable to merit for themselves, can intercede for us in gratitude. Many saints testify that the poor souls have assisted them in times of temptation or distress.
St. Catherine of Bologna said, “I received many favors from the souls in purgatory, and fewer from the saints in heaven.”
When we pray for the dead, we are not performing an abstract duty; we are building an eternal friendship. Those whom we help will one day intercede for us when we face judgment.
It is said that one of the greatest joys of heaven will be meeting the souls we helped to save souls who will greet us with radiant gratitude before the throne of God.
Segment 6: A Call to the Church Militant
All Souls’ Day reminds us of our duty to live as warriors of charity. The world grows cold toward spiritual realities; even many Catholics forget the supernatural bonds that unite us.
To pray for the dead is to affirm that life is eternal, that sin has consequence, and that love endures beyond the grave. In praying for the poor souls, we purify our own hearts, growing in humility and detachment.
The Church Militant is strongest when she remembers her suffering members and seeks their release. Every Hail Mary offered for them is an act of rebellion against modern indifference and disbelief.

Conclusion: The Triumph of Love Through the Cross
Let us not forget our beloved dead. Let us visit their graves, offer Masses, pray the Rosary, and perform acts of mercy in their name. Let us teach our children this sacred duty so that when we too enter the purifying fire, others will remember us.
The Communion of Saints is not a poetic metaphor. It is the living heartbeat of the Church, pulsing across time and eternity.
On this All Souls’ Day, may we remember that charity knows no grave, and that in Christ, every soul is bound in love’s eternal chain—from the Church Militant to the Suffering to the Triumphant.
Epistle – Ephesians 6:10–17
"Put you on the armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil… having the breastplate of justice, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."
Reflection on the Epistle
St. Paul calls the Christian life a spiritual warfare — not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. Every soul striving for holiness is a soldier in this battle.
On All Souls’ Day, we remember that the struggle does not end with death. Those who die in God’s grace but not yet fully purified continue the fight through the merciful fire of Purgatory. It is not punishment born of wrath, but of love a final cleansing flame that makes the soul fit to see God face to face.
Just as we arm ourselves with faith, justice, and prayer here on earth, the souls in Purgatory rely on our prayers, sacrifices, and indulgences as their shield and strength. Our charity toward them shortens their time of purification and strengthens our own armor against sin.
As St. Catherine of Genoa wrote in her Treatise on Purgatory:
“No happiness can compare with that of a soul in Purgatory except that of the saints in Heaven. The souls in Purgatory are friends of God and certain of their salvation.”
To pray for them is an act of justice, a work of mercy, and a sign of true Catholic faith for the world has forgotten them, but the Church never will.
Gospel – Matthew 18:23–35
"The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king, who would take an account of his servants… And his lord being moved with pity, forgave him the debt. But that servant, going out, found one of his fellow-servants… and he throttled him, saying: Pay what thou owest."
Reflection on the Gospel
This Gospel is about mercy and accountability the very heart of All Souls’ Day. The king’s forgiveness represents God’s mercy toward us, while the servant’s cruelty reveals how easily we forget that mercy when dealing with others.
Christ teaches that if we do not forgive from our hearts, we bind ourselves under the same debt we once escaped. The servant, though forgiven, was handed over to the torturers an image that the saints have often compared to the purifying pains of Purgatory.
The souls in Purgatory are those who died reconciled to God but still owing satisfaction for sin debts of justice unpaid, love imperfect, forgiveness incomplete. But they are purified by divine love, their will now perfectly conformed to God’s.
St. Alphonsus Liguori wrote:
“The pains of Purgatory are beyond all earthly sufferings, but the soul would not exchange them for the guilt of one venial sin.”
This Gospel calls us to forgive generously, live justly, and make reparation now so that we may face our Judge not as debtors, but as children purified by grace.
The Feast of All Souls
Established formally by St. Odilo of Cluny in the 10th century, All Souls’ Day reveals the unbroken communion of the faithful those in Heaven, those on earth, and those being purified.
While the world forgets its dead, the Church commands us to remember them not merely in sentiment, but through sacrifice: attending Mass, offering indulgenced prayers, reciting the Rosary, and visiting cemeteries to obtain the plenary indulgence granted during the Octave of All Souls.
Every prayer offered for the dead hastens their joy — and every soul released from Purgatory becomes our intercessor in Heaven.
Application for the Faithful
1. Offer a Mass for the Departed – The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the greatest act of charity for souls in Purgatory.
2. Gain Indulgences – Visit a cemetery, pray for the dead, receive Communion, and go to Confession to obtain the indulgence for souls.
3. Live with Eternity in Mind – Remember your own death; avoid sin and frequent the sacraments.
4. Forgive and Pray for Enemies – Free your heart now, so that your soul may rest in God’s mercy later.
Conclusionary Prayer
O merciful Jesus, who loves souls so tenderly, we beg Thee to look with compassion on the suffering souls in Purgatory. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and all the saints, shorten their exile and bring them quickly to the light of Thy presence.
Grant us, O Lord, the grace to live worthily, fight valiantly, and die in Thy friendship — that one day, purified and perfected, we may join the saints and our departed loved ones in eternal joy.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.