Hey, What about Me?

                                                               Praying for Suffering Souls

                                                                         Maggie Bishop

                                                                             Lent 2018

                My father died over 30 years ago when I was in my early 20’s. Although it was sudden we did know that he had heart problems and had spent the past couple of years trying to get his health back on track. Before he died I had a very vivid dream that he had passed and spoke to him about it the next morning. He tried to ease my concern as he chuckled and said that he would be around for a long time. Two weeks later he was lying on the side of a college track in cardiac arrest. He had been running as was his habit every day for the past 20 years.

                At the time of his passing we were Baptists and didn’t believe in praying for the dead.  I believed that he went straight to be with the Lord. It would be another 20 years before I understood the Churches teaching on Purgatory and the need to pray for the Suffering Souls.  The Mass, being the highest prayer that we have to offer, is critical to have prayed for our loved ones who have passed.

                Having one Mass said for him 13 years ago was a good and holy thing to do. But, how many Masses are enough?  Honestly, we can never know but one thing for sure is that they will never go wasted. There are plenty of souls suffering that have no one praying for them.

                Recently I had another dream about my dad. I was getting into the back seat of a car, just ducking my head in when from the opposite side my father was doing the same. He looked healthy and happy and I was so elated to see him! Why, after all of these years had I dreamed of him now? The occurrence didn’t convince me that he was so happy that he had indeed crossed  to Paradise. I thought of a story about St. Padre Pio, who had been praying for a family member that he was assured was in the Beatific Vision. His prayers were continuing and applied to the past (think: God outside of time),and this  reminded me that I need to continue to pray regardless.  I put having a Mass said for Dad on the top of my ‘to do’ list and called the church shortly thereafter.

                Recently a friend of mine had a dream about her father who had passed many years ago. She said that he gave her a stern look as if to say, ‘Hey, what about me? Get to it!’  We pray for those around us in their struggles and that is good and right. But let’s not forget about our loved ones who have died, no matter how holy of a life they may seem to have led. Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich said , "The prayer most pleasing to God is that made for others and particularly for the poor souls. Pray for them, if you want your prayers to bring high interest."

                I’d like my prayers to bring ‘high interest’. With this in mind I’ll be offering my Lent for those in Purgatory saying, ‘Hey, what about me?’ When my time comes, I pray that someone will be doing the same for me and I won’t have to come back to them in some dream to say, ‘Hey, what about me? Will you pray for me? Get to it!’

~Originally published under pen name in Catholic Times, Lent of 2018~