St. Joseph's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

There is no doubt that there is a judgment after death and in the second coming Jesus Christ will reward salvation 'to those who eagerly wait for him' (Heb. 9:27-28) to those who did works of charity fort he poor (Mt. 25:31-46). There is no direct exhortation in the Bible to pray for the Lord. However, in 2 M c 12:42­45 we find Judas Machabeus collecting money and sending it to Jerusalem for sin-offering to blot out the sins of the soldiers who died in the battle. "If he had not believed that the dead would be raised, it would have been foolish and useless to pray for them" 0/44). In his firm and devote conviction that all God's faithful people would receive a wonderful reward, Judas made provision for a sin offering to set free from their sin those who had died. As Christians we too believe in the resurrection of the body and the life ever lasting. So we have to pray for the remission of sin of all the faithful departed from this world.

The reference in Mt. 12:32, regarding "sin against Holy Spirit" tells that it will not be forgiven "either in the age or age to come". The phrase 'age to come' could mean 'life after death'. The statement the 'sin against Holy Spirit' will not be forgiven even in the 'age to come', could mean that there are some other sins which could be forgiven in the 'age to come'. Hence the need for prayer.