How to Pray the Ancient and Powerful Office of the Dead

[Michie]

“Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.” —St. John Chrysostom

At first glance, the above title (“the Office for the Dead”) sounds like some soul-crushing nine-to-five, suburban “office park” job where your very life is slowly sapped away from you. However, what we refer to in the Office for (or, if you prefer, of) the Dead” is the Liturgy of the Hours that is set aside for that explicit purpose: to pray for the dead.

It has been remarked in these pages that we should not forget the dead, and that is very much true, especially as November is the month of All Saints and All Souls.

However, what sets the Office for the Dead apart from many other good and pious practices and devotions — the apogee being a Mass said in remembrance of the faithful departed — is that it is a liturgy that one can practice alone at any time (barring the day being a Sunday or a Solemnity).

In a perfect world the Divine Office is said in common, and even better, in choir. However, the world is, of course, far from perfect, and getting a quorum together at a given time to recite the Holy Offices is no small feat — though I did belong to one parish in the Diocese of Paterson where Vespers were said every Monday night, and about 10 souls, including priests and religious sisters, along with the laity, regularly

Continued below.

How to Pray the Ancient and Powerful Office of the Dead

“Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.” —St. John Chrysostom

www.ncregister.com

 

[RileyG]

Thank you for posting

 

[iarwain]

“Let us not hesitate to help those who have died and to offer our prayers for them.” —St. John Chrysostom

One of the criticisms of the Catholic Church is that prayers for the dead are encouraged. Those who are against this point out that nowhere in the Bible does it say we should pray for the dead. I do pray for the dead, however. How could you not pray for your departed loved ones and fellow humans?

This is really a key point when it comes to Catholicism. Another criticism is praying to saints, which is something I have never been so enthusiastic about. But I saw a priest who gave a good rationale for it. He said that God was the lord of the living, not the lord of the dead. And that His followers had eternal life, thus were in a state of life with God. So he said that asking for intercession from a saint was just like asking a friend to pray for you, since the saint is alive in Christ. This is different from the idea that people remain dead until their resurrection.

 

[WarriorAngel]

One of the criticisms of the Catholic Church is that prayers for the dead are encouraged. Those who are against this point out that nowhere in the Bible does it say we should pray for the dead. I do pray for the dead, however. How could you not pray for your departed loved ones and fellow humans?

This is really a key point when it comes to Catholicism. Another criticism is praying to saints, which is something I have never been so enthusiastic about. But I saw a priest who gave a good rationale for it. He said that God was the lord of the living, not the lord of the dead. And that His followers had eternal life, thus were in a state of life with God. So he said that asking for intercession from a saint was just like asking a friend to pray for you, since the saint is alive in Christ. This is different from the idea that people remain dead until their resurrection.

Criticism comes from wresting [interpreting] scriptures for themselves, and moreover, doing so in English which is a pale comparison to the Koine Greek.

Well most of the Protestants followed Luther who threw out Hannukah and of course also in Maccabees where there are the prayers [AND INDULGENCES FOR THE TEMPLE] for the dead, which Jews still do for 11 months.
And Jesus actually in fact - as well as the Apostles, knowing to pray for the dead did not need to further reiterate the necessity continue to explain the spiritual world and purgatory [aka ghosts et al]

That said: Jesus did tell us what sin would need prayers.
Grudges. [See Matthew]
The Master heard that the debtor was forgiven then he turned around and pummeled his debtor.
So off to jail til the debts are paid.
(Jesus describing Heaven ^)
What is purgatory - Heaven?
It is the spiritual world of Heaven without the Almighty's Presence, but His continued absolute mercy.

Jesus said in the next life, one sin won't be forgiven.
Alluding to sins still being forgiven.

Only folks who find His mercy incomprehensible and His statement to be AS perfect as the Father Himself to be in His Presence... are really just not getting it.
Not only did He become flesh, removing Himself from His glory, and He died... but His mercy did not stop there.

So why have warnings or laws about avoiding sins at all, if His debt paid for us but we do not put in effort?
According to this lapse ideology, nobody has to make a single effort.
Yet Paul said run the race....

Purgatory is the MERCY times a million the Lord has for wayward sinners who could not remain perfect, IE, work their hardest to stay away from it yet still love the Lord and the LORD so loves the sinners or His entire life and death are moot.


His mercy far exceeds our understanding and He reads the persons heart, ignorance, mental incapacity etc at death..
And in fact, the soul that cannot stand before Him, runs.
If filled with hate for Him, they run further to hell.