What do you feel after you have sinned? Does it pain you to be separated from God through sin? - Daily Reflections November 2,2014

GOD IS MERCIFUL   The Church set apart this day for the departed whose souls are in purgatory. We believe that they are not yet worthy to enter God’s Kingdom. We believe that they, too, are heirs of the Kingdom. And so we pray for them, believing that in God’s time, after they have been purified of their sins, they will join the saints in heaven.        This feast expresses primarily the mercy of God and His promise to make us His people. When Jesus, His Son, died on the cross, He died for all. It is interesting to note that when He died, we were still sinners. Jesus’salvific act was for everyone for all time. God meant everyone to enter heaven and share in His glory.        It is in this context that we celebrate All Souls Day. We believe that God is merciful and those who are not yet worthy of heaven still have hope. We call this process purgation or purification. It is God’s way of giving us an opportunity, even after this life, to attain justification.        But this should not make us unmindful of the consciousness to be immediately worthy of heaven, to constantly battle sin and aim for holiness. As the Act of Contrition says, “I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell.” We should always express our sadness in being separated from God.        Most of us probably went to visit the tombs of our departed loved ones yesterday. Today, let us continue to pray for those whose souls are still undergoing purgation and beg God to finally grant them entry to heaven. And as for ourselves, let us keep the fire and spirit of holiness always alive in us. We can begin our cleansing right here on earth. Let us approach the sacrament of reconciliation and make efforts not to commit the same sins again. Let us welcome necessary sacrifices as opportunities for cleansing. Let us try, as much as we can, not to pass by purgatory anymore, but go straight to whom and where we belong, our true home and origin — God! Fr. Benny Tuazon   REFLECTION QUESTION: What do you feel after you have sinned? Does it pain you to be separated from God through sin?   Lord God, thank You for Your unending mercy. Even after our death, You extend it to us.