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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Souls in Purgatory	Luka	Friday, October 1, 2004
Question: First of all, I compliment you on the wonderful work that you are doing. As Catholics we are taught of the importance of praying for the dead, and offering indulgences for them. My question is : when we pray for a particular soul (a relative or friend), is that soul aware that we are praying for them? For example, if we pray for a grandparent that died before we were born, would that person know of us, and be aware of our prayers? Thank you. God Bless.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Luka: I am not aware of any official teaching on this, but it stands to reason that those loved ones in purgatory are aware of our prayers for them. We know there is a "cloud of witnesses", as the writer of the Book of Hebrews reveals to us. We know that there is a Communion of Saints in which allows us to pray to the Saints. We know the Body of Christ is whole and intact. Those in purgatory are part of the Body of Christ. If one part of the Body had no awareness of the other parts that would make part of Christ's Body paralyzed. God forbid. The Body of Christ is whole, and within the economy of God we can be aware of each other and pray for each other. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Souls in Purgatory

Luka

Friday, October 1, 2004

Question:

First of all, I compliment you on the wonderful work that you are doing.

As Catholics we are taught of the importance of praying for the dead, and offering indulgences for them. My question is : when we pray for a particular soul (a relative or friend), is that soul aware that we are praying for them? For example, if we pray for a grandparent that died before we were born, would that person know of us, and be aware of our prayers?

Thank you.
God Bless.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Luka:

I am not aware of any official teaching on this, but it stands to reason that those loved ones in purgatory are aware of our prayers for them.

We know there is a "cloud of witnesses", as the writer of the Book of Hebrews reveals to us. We know that there is a Communion of Saints in which allows us to pray to the Saints. We know the Body of Christ is whole and intact. Those in purgatory are part of the Body of Christ. If one part of the Body had no awareness of the other parts that would make part of Christ's Body paralyzed. God forbid. The Body of Christ is whole, and within the economy of God we can be aware of each other and pray for each other.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum