The only tragedy is not to enter heaven

A lady told a friend: “When I die, I want my remains cremated and my ashes scattered at the mall.”

- FR. BEL SAN LUIS, SVD

The friend was aghast and asked: “Ashes at the mall! Isn’t that weird? Why did you say that?”

The lady replied: “Well, it’s because my children frequent the mall but seldom visit our cemetery.”

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On All Saints and All Souls days, we commemorate the feasts to remind us of our obligation to remember our departed loved ones.

It’s noted, however, that we’re veering away from the original idea of celebrating All Saints’ Day.

Our celebration’s focus is more on worldly, if not commercial, rather than the spiritual and otherworldly.

Think of the Halloween parties, Halloween sales, “Trick or Treat,” ghosts, vampires and witch characters pervading our celebrations. Others indulge in partying and worse, gambling.

We tend to forget to pray for our departed loved ones and ponder on such things as our own death and becoming a saint.