The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
I was reflecting recently on the many faces of sadness, grief, and sorrow during the recently concluded 2026 soccer World Cup. We saw grown men and women, players and fans, weeping and lamenting, because they were eliminated from this prestigious tournament held every four years.
Then the thought crossed my mind: If people can wail and lament their failure to win a soccer World Cup, imagine the regret and anguish that will come from missing out on eternal life. Imagine the endless torment for the souls that have been brought into the kingdom of God in baptism and then lose the glorious gift of living eternally with Him.
This is the image that comes to mind when I reflect on Matthew 13:44-52, where Jesus speaks about the kingdom of heaven. There is first a time of gathering in which people, good or bad, are brought into the kingdom: “The kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind.” This is what happens in baptism, where God makes us His own people, irrespective of our virtues or vices.
Some of those brought into the kingdom strive to become righteous by cooperating with God’s grace. They do anything, endure all things, and sacrifice what is necessary to possess the kingdom of God. They are the ones who “out of joy go and sell all that they have” to remain in that kingdom. They have eternal gladness and joy.
Then some are brought into the kingdom but do not strive for eternal life. They fail to do what is necessary, or endure or sacrifice anything for fullness of life with God. They become the wicked who have only eternal regret and anguish: “The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
So, how can we face the anguishes of the present life and still strive for eternal life? How can we overcome the temporal regrets and anguishes and strive for eternal gladness and joy? In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans (8:28-30), we find three ways that we can do so.
1. Be Firmly Grounded in God’s Love for You
Because of God’s undying love for each of us, “we know that all things work for good for those who love God.” As long as we have a fervent love for God, God will work for our eternal good in all things. We may not attain our temporal goals and desires, but God will work things out for our eternal good, which is a much greater good.
For example, let us reflect briefly on what happens to us in the sacrament of Reconciliation. We slowly lay aside our pride and ego and bring to confession our horrible and shameful sins. Jesus does not just wash us clean by the power of His blood. He actually infuses His love and grace into our hearts so that we can love and serve God more faithfully than we had done in the past. We have a firmer hope and determination to attain heaven simply because we believe in His merciful love for us even in our sins and miseries.
We cannot be overcome by the grief and regrets of this life if we have such a fervent love for God in our hearts even in the face of sin and evil.
2. Strive to Be Faithful to God’s Purpose in Everything
St. Paul reminds us that “we are called according to God’s purpose.” God has a loving purpose in calling us and in all that He gives and permits in our lives. If we are going to attain eternal gladness and joy, we must labor to be faithful to the divine purpose in all things and not seek our own selfish purpose.
God said to King Solomon, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” The king could have asked for a long life as king, the death of his enemies, or for earthly riches. However, Solomon’s greatest desire was to be faithful to the divine purpose in making him king. He replied, “Give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?” (1 Kgs. 3:5,7-12). God was so pleased with his reply that He gave him all the wisdom that he desired and even more.
How faithful are we to the divine purpose in God’s gifts of time, treasures, abilities, and talents? Are we using our bodies to praise and serve God? Are we making use of our God-given genders to serve Him as male and female, or are we futilely trying to change our genders? Are we using our relationships with others to cultivate our pure love for God, i.e., to love others for God’s sake, or are we in relationships for the sake of what we can get? Are we seeing in our trials and sufferings a means of selfless love for God and others?
The more that we are faithful to God’s purpose in all these things, the more that we can overcome the regrets and anguishes of this life and aim for eternal gladness and happiness of heaven.
3. Be Christlike
In the words of St. Paul, “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” We are not just called to be good, but to be Christlike in our actions and relationships with God and with others. Like Christ, we aim for loving fidelity to the will of God in all things and in loving service to others as our brothers and sisters.
The more that we tend towards Christlikeness, ready to share in His experiences and to do what He did out of love for God, the more that we will experience moments of victory and triumph over the painful things of life. Regrets and anguish cannot have the final word in our lives if we are becoming like Christ because we will surely experience divine consolation and victory: “As we have shared much in the sufferings of Christ, so through Christ do we share abundantly in His consolation” (2 Cor. 1:5).
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, there are many things in this life that can leave us feeling sorrow, anguish, and even regret. Maybe it is a failed marriage or business. Maybe it is deteriorating health or rejection from loved ones. It may be persistent struggles with sin and lingering shame. Maybe we have many disappointments in life.
We must remember that these things, no matter how painful they are, cannot separate us from the love that God has for us as His children in His kingdom. Listen to St. Paul on this:
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creatures will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:38-39)
We must have strong faith that we are part of God’s kingdom even now. We continue to strive for eternal life because we know that His love for us is strong and unchanging. These painful things of present life also cannot hinder us from striving for eternal life if we keep in mind that the greatest anguish and regret is to be a member of God’s Church here on earth and still lose out on eternal life in the next.
Our Lord Jesus Christ assures us that He came so that “we might have life and have it abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). He became one like us, suffered, died, rose from the dead, and gives us His Spirit so that we might live with Him for all eternity. He brought us into His kingdom, and He is laboring for our eternal communion with Him. He surely does not want us to live in eternal regret and anguish.
Thus, He comes to us in each Eucharist to give us the grace to abide in His love, live according to His purpose in all things, and to become more like Him. If we hold onto our faith and strive till our last breath for eternal life, we will surely attain eternal joy and gladness and avoid eternal regret and anguish.
Glory to Jesus!!! Honor to Mary!!!
Photo by Zulmaury Saavedra on Unsplash
