Jail Break

Prayer and penance for people in Purgatory  

Luke 12:54-59 

Jesus said to all the people: As soon as you see a cloud coming up in the west, you say, “It’s going to rain,” and it does. When the south wind blows, you say, “It’s going to get hot,” and it does. Are you trying to fool someone? You can predict the weather by looking at the earth and sky, but you don’t really understand what’s going on right now. Why don’t you understand the right thing to do? When someone accuses you of something, try to settle things before you are taken to court. If you don’t, you will be dragged before the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to the jailer, and you will be locked up. You won’t get out until you have paid the last cent you owe.   

          One of the fun games you find at a church carnival is called “Jail-a-Friend.” How does it work? Well, first you have to have a “jail.” Second, you have to designate someone as “sheriff.” And third, you have to have a friend you can throw into jail. Whom would you like to elect as the Sheriff of Immaculate Conception School? Now, who would you like to throw in jail; let’s pick three people.   

          Now, here’s the important part of this game: how do you get the people out? How do you break them out of jail? Well, the people in jail can’t use their own money, so they have to call their friends to pay for them to get out. You see, once you are in jail, you cannot get yourself out, others have to help you. Are there any friends who’d like to help these three get out of jail, or should leave them there? That’s what I thought.   

          In the gospel today, Jesus is also talking about going to jail, but he means a different kind of jail. He says, “Try to settle things before you are taken to court. If you don’t, you will be dragged before the judge. Then the judge will hand you over to the jailer, and you will be locked up. You won’t be let out until you have paid the last cent you owe.” Now, Jesus is not talking about a pretend jail, like at a church carnival. He’s actually talking about purgatory. You see, after we die we’ll meet Jesus (the Judge), and we will have to “pay” for all the wrong things we’ve done. Now, just like in the carnival game of “Jail-a-Friend,” you need others to pay to get you out, so too, our prayers help get people out of purgatory-jail.   

          Boys and girls, today I want to tell you about three things you and I can do to get people out of the Purgatory-Jail, a kind of spiritual “jail break”! First, we can pray for people in purgatory at Mass. In the bulletin every week, we list the “intention” of the Mass, even this children’s school Mass has a special intention. That intention is the name of someone who has died and is in “purgatory jail” that we’re trying to get out and go to heaven. Every Mass is trying to break someone out of Purgatory-jail. Second, there are envelopes in the pews. On the front of them, you write the names of people who have died (not those who are alive), and we put those envelopes on the altar, and pray for them in 9 Masses called a “novena.” We do that so we can break them out of Purgatory-jail. And third, some people pray for the dead as part of their “Grace Before Meals.” They add at the end of Grace this brief prayer: “May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.” Before they eat, they pray for a jail break.   

          Today let us pray for those who have died; our prayers can truly help them get to heaven faster. Tomorrow, let’s hope someone will pray for us and break us out of jail.  

          Praised be Jesus Christ!