“He is not the God of the dead but of the living” (Mark 12:27).

Praying for Those Who Have Gone Before Us

As the calendar nears November each year, many stores prominently feature displays of colorful decorations for Day of the Dead. In recent years, popularized by the animated movie “Coco,” the number of Day of the Dead celebrations has surged. Is this popular holiday just a new name for All Souls’ Day?

Although Day of the Dead and All Souls' Day share a significant component—remembering people who have died—we are called on All Souls’ Day to carry out a distinct charge, which is to pray for the faithful departed.

Why would we need to pray for the dead?

As now-Bishop Robert Baron says in this video, everyone, except for the saints, passes from this life in a state of attachment to the thing that separates us from God: sin. For the faithful departed—including most of us when our time comes—purgatory perfects the soul and prepares us for our eventual welcome in heaven. On All Souls’ Day, we are called to pray for the people in Purgatory.

Decluttering and Deep Cleaning

Those of us who are fans of decluttering and love a deep cleaning are in the right faith. As Catholics, we learn that Purgatory purges and cleanses—not our junk drawers, closets, and garages but our spiritual capacity, which, as Bishop Barron notes, the Church calls the soul.

Most of us have sat at remembrance and funeral services and nodded along when hearing the wonderful (and mostly accurate) words said about the dearly departed. However, we all recognize that, in reality, few of us are worthy of those praises every day. It is in that dimension, between when we leave our earthly home and when we enter Heaven, that our souls go through a decluttering and deep cleaning phase that purges us of what separates us from God.

Scripture informs us that “nothing unclean will enter [Heaven]” (Revelation 21:27). Just as we want to present our best to someone special, Purgatory will provide that makeover for our soul.

Taking a Peek Into That Other Dimension

All of us know that shocking feeling of hearing that someone has died. The question that often comes to mind is, “Wait, I just saw them! Where are they now?”

It’s not that they are somewhere else but, rather, “somehow” else, as Bishop Barron says in another sermon. He notes that the departed are in a different dimensional system, which is not limited by space and time, and “preserved in the memory and through the power of God.”

On All Souls’ Day, when we reflect on what is beyond the physical realm, we may be comforted by the notion that when we die, our soul will not be breathed out into nothing. Rather, it will be “in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch [it, and it will be] in peace” (Wisdom 3:1,3).

A Meaningful All Souls’ Day

Aside from participating in street processions; enjoying the sights of face paintings and bright, beautiful flowers; and tying the past with the present with tasty food and timeless music, here are some ways to honor All Souls’ Day:

• Attending Mass is a primary way to connect with our loving Father as well as the saints and souls now in the hand of God. (The day before All Souls’ Day, All Saints’ Day, is usually a Holy Day of Obligation.)

• Wear a piece of jewelry or clothing that belonged to a deceased family member or one that he or she gave you. Doing so can keep them “close” throughout the day.

• Take in a deceased loved one’s favorite works of writing, film, or music. The arts are often referred to as an expression of the soul. Art that moves us touches us spiritually.

• Reflect on a strength or weakness of a departed loved one, and either follow their lead or counter their weak spots with an act of service.

• Make a donation to a charity that was particularly close to a deceased loved one’s heart.

• Pray for the souls of the faithful departed. Since praying aligns us with the will of God, it also reduces the distance that separates all of us from our loving Father.

As we draw nearer to our own death and remember that years ago, as well as years from now, people had been and will be praying for those in Purgatory, it is comforting to reflect on Bishop Barron’s statement that when we pass, we join a community that “remains connected to God and connected to everything God loves.” Amen.

Linda A. Burrows is an attorney specializing in trust and estate law in southern California. She studied journalism at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, law at Pepperdine, and tax law at Georgetown. Linda is the founder of Soul Soda, a non-profit with the mission of refreshing faith in those, particularly Catholics, who are feeling disconnected from their religious roots. She is a wife and mother of three teens. Linda’s Confirmation name was that of St. Gabriel the Archangel.