It is one thing to ask for prayers from the saints in heaven, but do we really need to pray  for the dead? Since the beginning of the Apostolic Church, the answer has been a resounding YES! The Church then and now offers intercessions for the dead and prayers for them at the Eucharistic celebration. In our Apostle’s Creed, we profess to believe in the “communion of saints” which is not a community in heaven without any relation to us, but an assembly that we remain in constant communication with through Christ, the Mediator between heaven and earth. Simply put, just as we pray for the purification of people on earth, charity demands us to remain in prayerful solidarity with them even after their death as they overcome their imperfections. St. Gregory the Great explains how Matthew 12:3-32 has this in mind: “As for certain lesser faults, we must believe that, before the Final Judgment, there is a purifying fire. He who is truth says that whoever utters blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will be pardoned neither  in this age nor in the age to come. From this sentence we understand that certain offenses can be forgiven in this age, but certain others  in the age to come” (cf. Catechism #1031). We pray for the dead who are assured of salvation but who nonetheless benefit from our prayerful intercession as they purify themselves of minor faults in their preparation to see God face to face.

Scripture references:
2 Maccabees 12:43-46
Matthew 12:31-32