December 4, 2022, 12:00 PM

The Advent Season is a great time to examine our lives and confess our sins in the Sacrament of Penance. Does God forget those sins? Two Scripture citations appear to indicate He does. “You will cast all our sins into the depth of the sea” (Micah 7:19) and “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities and remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). However, God is omniscient and cannot forget. These verses really mean that God forgives our sins. However, forgiveness does not remove the effects of sin or the punishments. For example, kids playing baseball in their yard hit a ball that flies into the neighbor’s yard and breaks a window. The kids apologize to the owner, and he forgives them. However, the window needs fixed, there must be reparation. So, when we die some finishing work is needed due to our sins. “It is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Any lingering imperfections and reparations must be purged. This is our understanding of Purgatory. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says, “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven” (CCC #1030). St. Paul gives us great insight when he writes, “each man’s work will become manifest; for the (Judgment) Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done” (1 Corinthians 3:13). The Bible points to this final perfecting when it says God “will wipe every tear from their eyes (Revelation 21:4). Now you know!