Where can I find praying for the dead/Purgatory in Holy Scripture?

2 Macc. 12: 43-46: "It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins."

1 Cor. 3: 13-14 "Every man’s work shall be manifest; for the Day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work, of what sort it is. ... If any man’s work burn, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, as yet by fire."

Matt 12:32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come"

Jesus refers to a place of purgation again in this passage: Luke 12: 58-59 "If you are to go with your opponent before the magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny."

The Church teaches us that the Holy Souls in Purgatory are officially known as "The Church Suffering" because they are undergoing purification before entering into Heaven. There may be said to be a sort of joy in Purgatory, though, despite the suffering which largely results from an absence of God.

This joy is because the Poor Souls in Purgatory are assured of their salvation. They have made it to Purgatory, so they cannot be damned to hell. They are confident that after their stay in Purgatory, they will be permitted to enter into everlasting bliss in Heaven and will never have to undergo the permanent fires of hell.

The second branch of the Church after "The Church Suffering" is "The Church Militant". We who still are working out our daily salvation are considered to be members of this group.

The third branch is "The Church Triumphant", the full company of the Communion of Saints in Heaven.

These three branches of the Church are intermingled - we pray and work together to form the body of Christ. This means that the Poor Souls in Purgatory can pray for us on earth, and we can and should do the same for them. The Poor Souls are waiting for our prayers on their behalf, as they cannot pray for themselves. That is why developing an awareness of Purgatory in your children and a devotion of praying on their behalf is so important.

Thanks to: Poor Souls

H/T Sue