On this day we remember all of those who have died and have not been saints. That is the great majority of those who have died. We pray for them because we know that prayer for the dead is important. We do not know how those who have died are purified to be in the presence of the living God, but we recognize that such purification is truly necessary. It could happen in the very act of dying or it could happen in some other way.
How long ago someone died makes no difference, we can still pray for them. This is because prayer goes beyond space and time. Today we can pray in a special way for those who have touched our lives and have died.
We pray for all of our family members who have died and all of our ancestors.
We pray for those who seem to have died with their hearts set against God.
Let us rejoice in our faith which shows us the importance of praying for those who have died. Let us trust in the compassion and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.