Eternal Rest, Grant unto Us

On All Saints Day we celebrate the souls in heaven and ask for their prayers, and All Souls Day we remember those who have died and pray for them. But how do we know who gets sorted into which category? Other than the canonized saints, how are we to know who is a soul praying for us in divine glory or a suffering soul in need of our prayers?

From our perspective, it’s a rather nebulous distinction. We have no way of knowing for certain the state of others’ souls. At best, we must rely on a person’s reputation and private revelation. We may feel the assurance of a passed loved one watching over us, or sense the urgent need to pray for another. But ultimately, we have to rely on faith.

We have to trust God that all will be sorted appropriately in the hereafter. Maybe that means years of purification. Maybe that means an empty hell. Maybe it means that annoying neighbor is now desperately praying for you. We may have our ideas of what that may be and who may be where, but we are working blindly, reaching out in the dark with only the faintest outline of what that reality is. 

Still, we reach, because we don’t want to sever that connection. We want to know what happens next. We want to still feel connection with passed loved ones. We want to believe in healing and justice and comfort and mercy and peace. 

If we pray for the dead who need prayers and ask the saints for prayers, I trust that God can sort out any categorical errors on our part. The important thing is to pray. And in seeking grace and comfort on the other side, maybe we can realize the need in praying for those around us as well, and working to make this time on earth one of mercy and peace too.