Pete from Chicago calls in and asks Patrick if it’s true that prayers only benefit souls in Purgatory on specific days, like the day they died or special feast days (All Souls Day). Patrick quickly clears that up: No!  You can always pray for the souls in Purgatory, any day, anywhere, and it helps!

He explains that there are special graces on All Souls Day, but prayers work anytime. God isn’t limited by time; He can apply your prayers to help souls in Purgatory no matter when they passed away. And hey, don’t worry about missing some “magic window” of effectiveness; your prayers are always valuable!

Patrick also goes on to talk about how prayers can work in two big ways:

Help Souls in Purgatory: Your prayers can shorten someone’s time in Purgatory by helping purify their soul faster.

Pray Now, Affect the Past: Amazing fact: God is outside time, so your prayers today can actually influence someone’s conversion before they die. So, if you’re worried about a loved one who passed, your prayers now could have helped them turn back to God before they died. Mind. Blown.

In a nutshell: Don’t stop praying for the dead. Whether they’re in Purgatory or needed help converting before they passed, your prayers are always effective in ways that are deeper than we can imagine. God’s got this! 🙌

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