As we pray today for the souls in Purgatory awaiting going to heaven, I think a good starting place is to remember the passages in Scripture that tell us that God wants everyone to be saved. In 1 Tim 2:3-4 we read, “God our savior…wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.” In 2 Pet 3:9 we read, ‘The Lord does not …[wish] that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” In John 3:16 we read, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” 1 John 4:8 tells us, “God is love.” So John telling us that God is love means not a one-time act of God giving Jesus for us, but God is eternally love; God’s very being is love.
Think of how blinding a strong light would be if you looked directly at it. We would be blinded by the light of God’s love in heaven if we were not ready for heaven, if we had not forgiven those who hurt us, if we held grudges, if we spoke badly about others, if we lacked humility, if we had not respected the Eucharist, had not confessed serious sin, and for so many other reasons, so purgatory is a grace of God’s love to enable us to purify ourselves so that we can go to heaven to see the light of God’s love. The most beautiful description of purgatory I have found is “a hospital where we learn how to love and forgive.”
Purgatory must be a joyful place because the souls know they are on the way to heaven; they are nearer to heaven than we are. When we think about purgatory in the context of God’s love, we have no need to fear. God does not want you to be afraid. We read in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.” When we really believe that God is love, then there is no need to fear.
Our prayers can help the souls on their journey of purification to the perfect love of heaven. Our prayers for them can bail them out, so to speak. Our sufferings offered for them can bail them out. We can imagine how grateful they would be for our prayers for them and they in turn would pray for us and help us. That is why the Catechism says, “Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.” (Catechism §958) So, if we pray for them, they can also help us.
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2026
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
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