A Practical Guide To The Works Of Mercy

 

One of the lamentable pendulum swings in the Church today is to associate the works of mercy we are commanded by the Lord throughout scripture to perform with the "SJW" camp. It's not an unmerited reaction: at the small CINO college where I used to work, the Catholic identify of the institution was summed up in a pithy "we do service." And indeed, the students made sandwiches for the homeless, ran clothing drives, and visited the elderly sisters in the convent's nursing home.  All good things that we are called to as Christians--and all things a secular humanist could do just as well. 

So what makes Christian charity different? Love undergirds everything in the true Christian life, as the Apostle writes, "let all your things be done in charity" (1 Cor 16:14), while charity comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and an unfeigned faith (1 Tim 1:5). 

In the fourth chapter of his epistle to the Ephesians, St. Paul also writes of the different gifts of the Spirit given to the brethren:

"And he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and other some evangelists, and other some pastors and doctors, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ep 4:11-12)

Likewise, the Church lays out for us once again a "both/and" charge to do the works of mercy-- corporal and spiritual. Whereas a Social Worker (who may or may not be Christian) may devote his or her life to the former as a matter of vocation (in the secular sense), a devout Christian may see his work primary as spiritual in nature: praying, making reparations, etc. And indeed some cloistered religious do devote their life to this noble calling 24/7 (Carthusians, Carmelites, etc) 

But for many of us lay persons living in the world, I think a both/and approach is appropriate for our state in life. The degree to which we are able to serve and in what capacity given our constraints varies, but I do think many of us do structure our lives in a way which precludes much "space" for charity--the way we often given "from our surplus, not our need" (Mk 12:44) when God calls for first fruits. As Catholics, we know we are capable of structuring our lives to put "first things first," i.e., the Divine Law, as evidenced in making Sunday Mass and the laying fallow of the Sabbath a priority regardless of our schedules and circumstances. But do we also prioritize the practical exercise of charity to evidence our faith in the same way?

It is harder to do when we see the exercise of charity and the works of mercy as an obligation (which it is) rather than an opportunity and means of blessing for both giver and those that receive it. This is not always easy to do, especially for those who tirelessly work in fields in which their exercise of this work goes unappreciated and taken for granted. But this, too, is a blessing from the Lord, who sees in secret and repays in kind (Mt 6:4). And the Lord makes this a practical opportunity, for "when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind; And thou shalt be blessed, because they have not wherewith to make thee recompense: for recompense shall be made thee at the resurrection of the just (Lk 14:13-14).

So, we are called to exercise charity, to perform the works of mercy--both corporal and spiritual. So, what are they, and what are some ways we can live them out in a concrete manner? See below (note, in the interest of brevity I may share some links of things I've written already on the particular work of mercy from past posts):

THE CORPORAL

Feed the Hungry

Give Drink to the Thirsty

Clothe the Naked

I am grouping these three corporal works together because in the hierarchy of human needs and in our modern society, they can be performed simultaneously. At our old parish, we would pack snack bags with granola bars, fruit, sandwiches, etc with bottles of water and do a "walk around the block" before Mass so our kids could hand them out to the veterans and others who seemed like they could use some nourishment. We also encouraged them to pray beforehand and ask the Holy Spirit to "send someone" into their purview to receive this offering.

In recent years we have pulled back on donations to formal charities and instead have also prayed for opportunities to exercise this in a way that hurts a little more with particular families in need. In more than one occasion we were made aware of large families in which the husband had been laid off, or injured; in many of these instances the families were not destitute but it was also harder for them to qualify for aid (the "fall through the cracks" dilemma) and we wanted to simply ease the burden for them. In every circumstance so far, they were eventually able to get back on their feet and use the money for groceries, mortgages, and other necessary expenses. I try to write the check quickly, for an amount bigger than I would rationalize if I was using my head, send it off and forget it was ever written. 

Visit the Imprisoned

This work of mercy, too, can be a literal application. It took me a while to get clearances at our local county prison, but once I did I made monthly visits to both large groups of men (to read the scriptures to them out loud) and to individual inmates. Not everyone may be able to do this, but in lieu of physical visits there is always the opportunity to be a pen-pal to someone who is incarcerated. What's nice about this is even busy homemakers or working dads can carve out a half hour to write a letter and all it costs is the price of a stamp. When was the last time you got a letter in the mail? Isn't it nice?

Shelter the Homeless

Sheltering the homeless can be taken literally, but for many of us with families and small children, it is not always prudent and takes discernment. However, one thing we have done as a family is host families of limited means for a few nights whose child with cancer needed treatment at a nearby city hospital when Ronald McDonald house was full. We did this through this organization, which is not religious but nevertheless provides a good service for those who may not be able to afford hotel accommodations. 

Visit the Sick

This afternoon my daughter and I paid a visit to an elderly woman in a rehab facility. This is really low-hanging fruit that really cheers the neglected Christs in places like this, many of whom do not have families to visit and suffer from crushing loneliness. We brought some flowers from the yard in a jelly jar and a Miraculous Medal on a chain as a small gift. We stayed and chatted for about ten minutes total. It's also a nice thing to do with your kids, since the elderly seem to really love seeing them. I got the contact from our parish secretary who knew of shut-ins and those unable to get to Mass. It wasn't complicated, took no special skill, and took all of half an hour. 

Bury the Dead

This is one where many us, unless we are undertakers, may not do. We have a funeral to go to in a couple weeks, but are of course not actually doing the burying. But we did have a Mass said for the deceased, which is a great spiritual benefit to their souls. 

THE SPIRITUAL

Admonish the Sinner

See my post Why (and How) To Admonish a Brother In Charity. This can be a very hard work of mercy, and takes discernment, but may save his soul in the end. 

Instruct the Ignorant

I had a co-worker mention that she went to Mass recently because her son was going through CCD and doing his first Penance. I knew she didn't go to Mass regularly, but mentioned she received Communion. I mentioned (as charitably as I could) that the Church expects us to go to Confession at least once a year, and always when we are in a state of mortal sin, and that not attending Mass every Sunday and HDO is a mortal sin. I emailed her a detailed examination of conscience and told her to read it and encouraged her to join her son and make use of the Sacrament of Penance. She admitted she is a "bad Catholic" for rarely attending Mass outside of Christmas and Easter and never going to Confession. But at least she can't claim ignorance now.

Sometimes we need to pop people's bubble as a spiritual work of mercy, regardless of how uncomfortable it is and how badly they have been catechized so they no longer have any excuse. We can do it charitably, but we need to do it when we have the opportunity, or we will be judged just as harshly as a sin of omission.

Counsel the Doubtful

Comfort the Sorrowful

My wife is good about being available to women with things like a kitchen table and a cup of tea. She's a good listener, and a good encourager too. Many people today are struggling with doubts and anxiety, and we can encourage by making time and space for them in invitation. As St. Paul says, "encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing" (1 Thes 5:11) And when we encounter someone who is downcast and hurting, we share their cross, mourning with those who mourn (Rom 12:15). "Love and hurry are fundamentally incompatible. Love always takes time, and time is the one thing hurried people don't have."

Bear Wrongs Patiently

See what this looks like in my post By Your Words You Shall Be Condemned, where I cover some of St. Ambrose's treatise on the matter. 

Forgive All Injuries

Forgiveness can take really deep work, and grace is necessary for it to be perfected. See Forgive Quickly, Before You Change Your Mind. If we do not forgive our brother, our heavenly Father will not forgive us. So it's important!

Pray For The Living And The Dead

See my article The Tender Favor of Indulgences for more on this efficacious and much neglected work of mercy.

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We will be judged on our tangible charity (Mt 25) and true religion is caring for widows and orphans (Ja 1:27). But it doesn't have to be complicated! As mentioned above, a lot of these are low-hanging fruit, and don't take any special skill--just charity, which is a gift of the Holy Spirit given to anyone who asks (Mt 7:11). You may also find you do not hit all of these, and that's okay too. But it's also okay to "try out" different works to round out your character as a Christian. These are just some suggestions, and I only share what we have done not as any kind of merit, but to give some tangibility and examples of what one can do. The perfect is the enemy of the good. As one of my friends is fond of saying, "half the battle is just showing up!"

For God's Sake, Seek The Indulgence

 

In a similar vein to yesterday's post on St. Therese's confidence in God and avoiding Purgatory (posted on the Feast of All Saints), I wanted to bring up another point that many people get hung up on now that we are celebrating the Feast of All Souls.

I was chatting with some young people at a party this past weekend and was exhorting them to take advantage of the Church's great gift of indulgences, especially by praying for the dead at a cemetery this week. I didn't want to assume their knowledge on the topic, so I just reiterated the basics: An indulgence is the extra-sacramental remission of the temporal punishment due, in God's justice, to sin that has been forgiven; when the indulgence is plenary, it completely remits this temporal punishment and when it is partial it does so partially. To fulfill the conditions to gain an indulgence (for one's self, or for one dead), one must be in a state of grace, and fulfill the general conditions. 

When I was relaying the general conditions, someone came over and interjected about the need to be completely detached from sin, even venial sin (which is true). But she basically expressed it in a way that set up the gaining of a plenary indulgence as exceedingly difficult because of this particular condition; ie, don't count on gaining one.

She wasn't wrong. But that's why I mentioned the post from yesterday on the kind of trad piety that presumes purgatory rather than a fervent hope and trust that Heaven is possible for us, that sainthood is possible, that with God all things are possible. If a young Catholic were to say, "I want to be a saint!" it would be easy to smoulder their enthusiasm through discouragement in this way. 

But is that the case with indulgences? Is "complete detachment from sin, even venial sin" even possible for mortal, sinful man here on earth? 

In short, yes, because the Church does not demand the impossible, and would not offer this gift were it not possible for us. 

I'm not going to reinvent the wheel here, as others have written on this topic and I am simply sourcing information. But consider the following:

"A full detachment from sin is the interior disposition in which there is no sin that one is unwilling to renounce.

A person who is detached from all sin recognizes that even a minor venial sin is an offense against the goodness of God and thus is willing to give up even that as well. Such a detachment would be lacking if one has an attachment to one or more sins, e.g. perhaps a particular situation one is unwilling to change, or a particular disposition one is unwilling to amend. A detachment from sin doesn’t mean one must succeed in changing those things, since the future cannot be known, but that one is willing in that moment.

With that clarification, motivated by a love of God above all else, a full detachment from sin is certainly possible." [1] 

Or this:

"Although a person might still sin, as we all do, or even be inclined to habitual sin, such as using God's name in vain, yet so long as the attachment to the sin or the desire to commit it is absent from the person's soul, he or she would be considered "free from attachment to sin."  (If this disposition is in any way less than perfect or if any of the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be only partial.)" [2]

And this:

"We may treat the more “lenient” view as common teaching since the Church clearly intends to grant plenary indulgences that can be obtained by the faithful every day. It would not seem reasonable to do this if it were almost impossible to gain them in practice.

We may therefore encourage people to carry out the works prescribed for the gaining of a plenary indulgence (including, for many, a return to the sacrament of confession) without discouraging them by the rigorist opinion that a plenary indulgence can scarcely ever be gained in fact. It is also a good thing to pray before doing the indulgenced work, asking God to take away all affection for venial sin and conceiving in our hearts a hatred of any sin since all sins displease God who loves us so much." [3]

In short, it is a great act of charity to ask for indulgences to apply to the souls in purgatory; in this case, the perfect is the enemy of the good (ie, if you cannot meet the conditions for a plenary indulgence, a partial indulgence is the next best thing). It is also spiritually prudent and reasonable to claim them for oneself as well. In both instances, it encourages us to "be holy, as I am holy" (1 Pt 1:16) both for our own sakes and for the suffering souls whom we can aid (but who cannot aid themselves). 

To discourage someone in a Jansentist fashion because it is "impossible" or, if not impossible, as least improbable does not aid those souls if one does not seek the indulgence on that account. 

If you are not in a state of grace, let that be your motivation to get in a state of grace, to beg God for His grace to accomplish this. 

If you are attached to sin (that is, you are unwilling to give up certain sins), again, let this be your motivation to seek a greater good and leave the seed of death behind as a snake sheds its skin. 

If you are not perfect, you are not alone. You do not have to be perfect to obtain a plenary indulgence, and that is not what detachment from all sin, even venial, commands as we can see above. But you must love God more than you love your sin, and be honest about your disposition.  

If you say, "why bother? I'll never be free of ___ sin. I'll never be in a state in which I can obtain an indulgence. There's no hope for me," the Devil wins, the souls continue to suffer, and Heaven becomes a pipe dream for "other people." 

Listen to me:

Heaven is for you. 

You belong there. 

You were made for it. 

And God can get you there.

Have confidence in God. Believe in the authority of the Church, His Bride. Shoot for Heaven. Leave your sin behind. Trust in His mercy. Pray for the grace. 

And for the suffering souls' sake, seek the indulgence.

Purgatory And Christian Charity

 

A friend recommended a film to me, Purgaotry (2021) by a Polish Catholic director, which my wife and I plan to watch this evening. I will let you know how it is in the next few days. 

For Catholics, we believe the state of Purgaotry is a savage grace our Lord extends to us for our purification after death. The souls who go to Purgatory are saved, but experience the temporary (but very real) pains of Hell, for as Scripture says, "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Rev 21:27). God's justice is just that--just. He gives us every opportunity and grace to repent in this life, and through our hardness of heart and apathy, we often choose the alternative--sin. 

But even for those who die in a state of imperfection with the stains of venial sin, they will be purified in the most painful way--by the flames of Hell. The only difference is that it is not forever, and how long we remain in purgatory after death depends on how much work or burning away needs to be done on our souls to bring us to perfection. Make no mistake--Purgatory is a grace. The Lord could send us straight to Hell, which is what we deserve. 

Of course, Protestants don't believe in Purgatory, this "third state," because they don't believe in differentiation between mortal and venial sin, and erroneously deny tradition as "man-made." The saints who go straight to Heaven are those who die in a state of grace and have done the requisite penance in this life to atone for their sins (again, something Protestants take issue with based on Martin Luther's erroneous theology). But Catholics do. We recognize the Church Militant (those fighting the good fight here on earth), the Church Triumphant (the saints in Heaven), and the Church Suffering (those in Purgatory). 

Here on earth, we can do the spiritual works of mercy by praying for the souls in Purgatory. One of the best ways for this is to obtain a plenary indulgence for the dead at every opportunity.

 

The following is an excellent explanation of what one must do to gain indulgences. It is taken from The Gift of an Indulgence by the Apostolic Penitentiary and based on the Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, Fourth Edition, July 1999 (for more information cf. Manual of Indulgences, 2006, USCCB).

1. This is how an indulgence is defined in the Code of Canon Law (can. 992) and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1471): "An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints".

2. In general, the gaining of indulgences requires certain prescribed conditions (below, nn. 3, 4), and the performance of certain prescribed works.

3. To gain indulgences, whether plenary or partial, it is necessary that the faithful be in the state of grace at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed.

4. A plenary indulgence can be gained only once a day. In order to obtain it, the faithful must, in addition to being in the state of grace:

— have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin;

— have sacramentally confessed their sins;

— receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to receive Jesus while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is required);

— pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.

5. It is appropriate, but not necessary, that the sacramental Confession and especially Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope's intentions take place on the same day that the indulgenced work is performed; but it is sufficient that these sacred rites and prayers be carried out within several days (about

20) before or after the indulgenced act. Prayer for the Pope's intentions is left to the choice of the faithful, but an "Our Father" and a "Hail Mary" are suggested. One sacramental Confession suffices for several plenary indulgences, but a separate Holy Communion and a separate prayer for the Holy Father's intentions are required for each plenary indulgence.

6. For the sake of those legitimately impeded, confessors can commute both the work prescribed and the conditions required (except, obviously, detachment from even venial sin).

7. Indulgences can always be applied either to oneself or to the souls of the deceased, but they cannot be applied to other persons living on earth. [The Gift of the Indulgence, Apostolic Penitentiary, 29 January, 2000, www.vatican.va].

The complete detachment from sin necessary to gain a plenary indulgence and mentioned in n. 4 is expressed in different words by the act of contrition below which says, “I detest all my sins…” This should be taken to mean all venial as well as mortal sin. This detachment from sin is not a feeling but simply an act of the will. 

There are various ordinary ways to obtain plenary indulgences for the dead. I try to engage in these spiritual works every opportunity I have, if not every day, because of my own debt to the Lord, but also as a work of spiritual charity. They are not hard (believe me, when compared to the pain of Purgatory), and are within reach of every Catholic:

Other works that may gain a plenary indulgence every day are a half hour of reading or listening to the Scripture, a half hour of adoration of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist whether in the tabernacle or exposed, or making the Stations of the Cross in an approved manner. Each of these works must include all the other conditions mentioned in n. 4 in the quotation above. One may fulfill the half hour of Scripture outside of a church and alone. 

Sometimes I will listen to Scritpure being read for a half hour while driving. Sometimes it will be a half hour visit to the Lord in Adoration, or a communal rosary before Mass in church. I only know a handful of people close to me who have died, so instead of "earmarking" these indulgences, I just offer them to Mary to dispense to a soul as she sees fit. 

I have committed so many sins in this life, that I am still working out my salvation with fear and trembling while I still have breath. But I also try to not let any opportunity to exercise charity go wasted, whether corporal or spiritual. You can too. Can you imagine the indebtedness of a forgotten soul, with no one to pray for them, being released from Purgatory because of your prayers here on earth on their behalf as an advocate? I have to believe there is merit there. 

Yes, yes, we do not "buy" our way into Heaven through good works. We are saved by grace and grace alone. But the authority given to Peter to loose and bind (again, another scriptural mandate spurned by Protestants) allows the Church and Her Holy Pontiff the authority to do just that--loose and bind. As the Master says, "Don't I have the right to do as I wish with my own money? Or are you jealous because I am generous?'" (Mt 20:15). Demons recognize rightful authority when they see it, and they know when one does not possess such authority given by Christ to his priests (especially in exorcisms). And they will do anything they can to keep us from praying, including praying for the dead to loose them from the torment they are experiencing by Satan's hand. 

You can't fool God. He knows everything you ever did, every slander and idle word, every foul thing done in the dark. Yes, you deserve Hell. It is only God's grace--and your co-operation with that grace by the will--that keeps you from going there. Charity and good works (remember--faith without works is dead! Ja 2:26) goes beyond feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty, which we must do. It includes the spiritual works of mercy, including praying for the living and the dead.  We will be judged on our charity in this life. Don't let the opportunity to live it out pass you by.

“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny." (Mt 25:25-26)

The Tender Favor of Indulgences

In the summer of 2017, during the centennial anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima, we made a local pilgrimage as a family for the purpose of obtaining a plenary indulgence for my mother-in-law who had passed away the year prior. Being intentional about this spiritual work of mercy (praying for the dead) was relatively new for us and so when we heard that we could obtain the remission of temporal punishment due to sin for one being purified in purgatory by way of indulgence (Latin: indulgentia, to be kind or tender), we did so for the benefit of my mother-in-law.

When my father-in-law passed away last month, I started digging around in the treasure chest of gifts the Church provides for the faithful to assist us as we "work out our salvation in fear and trembling" (Phil 2:12). What I discovered was that the gaining of a plenary indulgence wasn't just reserved for special jubilee years, but that they were available to the faithful year round through a variety of means. 

Think about it for a moment. Christ through his Holy Church gives us so many gifts already. He washes away the pernicious stain of Original Sin with the waters of Baptism, something we could never under our own power do ourselves, and strengthens our witness in Confirmation. He gives us the gift of his body and blood in the Holy Eucharist so that we might never go spiritually hungry. He gives us the grace and solace of undeniable forgiveness through his ministers in the Sacrament of Confession, and when it is not available to us in emergencies He grants absolution by way of Perfect Contrition. He gives the sick and those in danger of death the Sacrament of Anointing and Extreme Unction. He sanctifies our vocations, whether that is in Holy Orders or Holy Matrimony. 

Beyond the seven sacraments, He also gives us divine Revelation in the Holy Scriptures that is accessible to anyone so that we might know his Divine character. We have the lives of the saints to show us the way of those who have gone before us in holiness. He provides us with additional grace by way of sacramentals such as the scapular, holy water and blessed salt, the Miraculous Medal, and various other "weapons in our arsenal" for spiritual battle.  

As if that weren't enough, belief in indulgences and Her authority to grant them is an infallible teaching of the Church. We can have full confidence that God WANTS TO SAVE US and gives us every possible grace so that we might be with him in Paradise, including the remission of temporal punishment due to sin for the indulged, whether it be for ourselves or for a deceased member of the Church Suffering. This is a supreme gift, which Christ through His Church has the authority to grant us and chooses to do so for our benefit and the benefit of those we love.

What I found when doing a little research was that the gaining of indulgences, whether plenary or partial, can be an everyday act of charity, not just a once a year thing. 

How so? Well for one thing, one can obtain a plenary indulgence--that is, the complete remission of temporal punishment due to sin, for ourselves or one who has died and is in Purgatory--by the following:

-reading or listening to Holy Scripture for half an hour;

-praying before the Blessed Sacrament for half an hour;

-making the Stations of the Cross in an approved manner;

-reciting the rosary alone in a church, or communally with others outside of a church.

These are not onerous tasks! Besides being edifying for our own spiritual lives, they give us the opportunity to cooperate with grace to be a tender favor for the dead being purified, especially those with no one to pray for them. Take advantage of them!

Of course it goes without saying that the usual conditions for an indulgence apply: being in a state of grace, receiving Holy Communion (1 per indulgence), sacramental Confession (which can satisfy several indulgences), prayers for the Holy Father (an Our Father and Hail Mary suffice), and the detachment from all sin, including venial sin.

How many lost opportunities to pray for the dead and obtain favor them we let pass through our fingers!  But we can remedy that by being intentional in our spiritual charity, especially as we move into the penitential season. 

Why not obtain a Old Testament and New Testament on disk, or mp3, and listen on the way to work? I have a thirty minute commute, so this is what I do. Then after work, I go to Mass, pray for the pope, receive communion, and make an act of the will to be detached from sin. The next day, lead your family in the rosary at home. Go to Adoration for half an hour a few times a week. Go to Confession regularly as needed (for me it is once a month or so on average). In doing so, you can literally help free a soul completely from their torment and see them welcomed into happy repose every day. 

You may run out of deceased relatives or loved ones to pray and obtain indulgences for if you do this every day. No matter. Continue to fulfill the conditions and offer them to Mary to dispense the graces to whomever she chooses; she probably knows better than you do who needs them. And it is ok to obtain them for yourself as well (remember, an indulgence can only be applied to a deceased or oneself, not another living person)

You may get hung up on the needing to be completely detached from sin, even venial sin. Remember, such intentions rests in the will, not the emotions. We can express this desire of the will in a heartfelt recitation of an Act of Contrition. Of course, one must be in a state of grace, but God does not command the impossible. Remember how much grace he pours out on us because he wants us to take advantage of those graces. He wants men to be saved.  

One final word--strangely, it can sometimes be difficult to trust that God (and by extension, Holy Church) would offer such mercy to sinners; surely we must do more. It is not easy to become a saint--if it was, we would have many more! Although it is not easy, it is not complicated. The way of the Little Flower is an example of "taking the elevator" to Heaven by way of complete trust in God as Father. And so, when we fulfill the conditions and trust in charity that God will apply it to a soul in need, we should not second guess "that was too easy, it should be harder, maybe it didn't work," etc., nor should we second-guess this infallible teaching of Holy Church. Though the abuses of indulgences was right to be criticized, Martin Luther truly threw the baby out with the bathwater when he broke from Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Remember: God truly desires that all men be saved (1 Tim 2:4). He does not command the impossible, but gives us the grace necessary to carry out our duties (Jas 4:6). Praying for the dead is a spiritual work of mercy (2 Macc 12:39-46). We here on earth have the luxury of time. It is not forever, but what we do have should be spent to prepare ourselves and aid those being purified who have gone before us. 

This supreme act of charity God will not fail to repay.