St. Francis Xavier, Jan. 1548: "When I was at Malacca I established the
custom that at the beginning of night the souls in Purgatory, and the souls
of the living who are in a state of worldly sin, should be recommended to
the prayers of the pious in all the streets. This practice not only
encouraged the good, but threw terror into the wicked. The city appointed a
man for the purpose. with a lantern in one hand and a bell in the other, and
calling out from time to time in a loud voice. 'Pray for the souls of the
faithful Christians who are suffering in Purgatory'; and then, 'Pray also
for those who, lying under the burden of mortal sin, take no pains to be
delivered from it."

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We should be praying hard for the souls in purgatory. Especially for our relatives and friends that may be there. They cannot pray for themselves. They need our prayers, sacrifices and Masses said in their honor. This is one of the most important things we can do while still on earth. Additionally, if we help souls to be released earlier from purgatory, you can be sure they will return the favor once they are in heaven with prayers for us going through our trials here on earth. It's a win:win situation, but we should be doing it soley for the purpose of helping the souls, not for what we'll get from it.