Our prayers for the faithful departed, besides helping them on in their spiritual progress, also create a bond between us and them through our common sharing in the life of Christ who is both their Lord and ours.  And that bond is closest in the Eucharist, which is his own ordinance uniting in his own Person all the members of his mystical Body the Church – the Church Militant on earth (fighting against evil) with the Church Expectant in Purgatory (waiting to go to Heaven) and the Church Triumphant in Heaven.

So in the Eucharist we offer their Saviour and ours before the Throne of God on behalf of our faithful departed as they continue their pilgrimage along the path of the righteous which, like the light of dawn, “…shines brighter and brighter until full day” (NRSV, Proverbs 4:18).

References

1. Newman, J.H. (1865) The Dream of Gerontius.  Available from:
http://www.ccel.org/n/newman/gerontius/gerontius.htm (Accessed 18 October 2011) (Internet).

2. St Augustine of Hippo (354-430) Confessions, Book I, Chapter I.  (Words quoted above are slightly amended).  Available from:
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf101.vi.I_1.I.html (Accessed 18 October 2011) (Internet).