Seventh Day
The Bible, in its very first pages, shows us that a custom of praying for the dead existed among the people of the earliest centuries. This implies the existence of purgatory, because it stands to reason that we do not pray either for the saints in heaven or for the damned in hell. For, says St. Thomas Aquinas, those prayers would be useless and in vain, if there were no purgatory, because prayers cannot be offered up for those who have already arrived at their end, but only for those who have not yet reached their final destiny. When Jacob and Joseph were about to depart from this world they earnestly besought those who stood around their death-beds, especially their own children, to convey their mortal remains to Palestine. For those pious patriarchs well knew that their descendants there would offer sacrifices of expiation, and they hoped these offerings would gain for them the longed-for peace and rest. On the announcement of the death of Saul all the inhabitants of Jabes imposed upon themselves a seven days’ fast. The inspired poet-king takes part, not only in the sorrow, but also in the sacrifices. He himself sings in touching, elevated strain, the doctrine of purgatory, when describing the inexpressible joy and delight of those souls who have happily passed through the fire and water of tribulation, and have arrived at the ardently longed-for joy and refreshment of the Lord. The prophet Micheas says: “I shall arise, when I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light. I will bear the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against Him, until He judge my cause and execute judgment for me: He will bring me forth into the light, I shall behold His justice.”
Prayer.
Release, O Lord, etc., etc.