Thought for the Day – 12 January – The Death of the Just

Thought for the Day – 12 January – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971) – Feast of the Baptism of the Lord

The Death of the Just

“Consider now the death of the just man.
Through his dying tears, he also will see the world slipping away from him.   But, one thing will remain to comfort him, namely, the memory of his good actions, of the virtues he acquired, of his fervent prayers and of his voluntary mortifications.
Above all, there will remain his great love of God, for Whom he has lived, worked and drawn breath.
In that moment, this love will even increase the flaming desire consuming his poor, frail body, to be united to God.
He will be able to say, as some of the Saints have said – “I never thought it would be so sweet to die.”
With St Louis, he will be able to say: “I am going joyfully to meet my God.”
He will be able to exclaim with St Charles: “I long for my body to be dissolved, so that I may be with Christ!” (Phil 1:23)

In the sight of God, the death of the good man is a very precious thing.   “Precious in the eyes of the Lord, is the death of His faithful ones” (Ps 115:6).”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci