Thought for the Day – 3 September – CONSIDERATION III: First Point “For what is your life?”

Thought for the Day – 3 September – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“Preparation for Death”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

CONSIDERATION III

“For what is your life?
It is even a vapour which appeareth for a little time.”
(St James iv: 14)

FIRST POINT:
WHAT is your life?
It is like unto a vapour which is dispersed by a breath of wind and is no more.
All know they must die but, the mistake so many make, is, they imagine that death is so far off, it will never overtake them.
But no! for Job warns us that the life of man is short:
“ Man is of few days. …. He cometh forth like a flower and is cut down.” (Job xiv: i, 2.)
The Lord commanded Isaiah to preach this same truth:
“Cry,” He said to him,
“All flesh is grass. ….
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth.” (Isa xl: 6, 7)
The life of man is like the life of a blade of grass; death comes, the blade is dried up and behold, life is finished and the flower of all grandeur and of all earthly possessions, is cut down.
“My days are swifter than a post.” (Job ix: 25).
Death comes to meet us more quickly than a messenger and we, at every moment, run towards death. At every step we take, at every breath we draw, we approach death.

“During the time I write,” observes St Jerome, “I am approaching death.”
“For we must needs die and are as water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again.” (2 Sam xiv: 14).
Thou’seest how that stream flows to the sea and these running waters, they will never return again, thus, my brother, do thy days pass and thou drawest near to death, so do thy pleasures pass thy amusements, pomps, praises, acclamations and what remains?
“The graves are ready for me.” (Job xvii: I).
We shall be cast into a grave and there we shall have to lie deprived of everything. At the moment of death the remembrance of all the delights enjoyed in life, of all the honours we have acquired, will only serve to increase the grief and the mistrust which we shall feel as to obtaining eternal salvation. The miserable wordly one will then exclaim, ‘Alas! my house, my gardens, that furniture, those paintings, those garments, within a short time will no longer be mine!’
“The graves are ready for me.”

Alas! for at that time no earthly possession will be regarded, except with sorrow, by him who has loved it with such devotedness.
And this grief will only serve to place the salvation of the soul in greater danger; for we know that those who are so fond of the world, at the time of death, will only permit their infirmities, the physicians who are to be called in and the remedies which may relieve them, to be discussed and when the condition of their souls is spoken of, they immediately grow weary and desire that they maybe left to repose because they have a headache and they cannot bear the noise of conversation and when, sometimes they answer, they become confused, neither do they know what to say. Even so, do those die who think but little upon death.

Affections andPrayers

Ah, my God and Lord of Infinite greatness, I blush to appear before Thee. How often have I esteemed Thy friendship of less moment than a base pleasure, a passion of anger, a vain whim, a vapour?

I adore and kiss Thy holy Wounds which I, nevertheless, have inflicted on Thee by my sins but, through which, however, I hope for pardon and salvation.
Make me to feel, O my Jesus, the grievous wrong I have done Thee in leaving Thee, Thou Who art the Fountain of all good, to drink of waters which are putrid and poisonous. What do I now feel because of all my many offences against Thee, except remorse of conscience and fruits for hell?

“Father, …. lam unworthy to be called Thy son.” (St Luke xv: 21).
My Father, do not cast me from Thee. It is true I do not
deserve Thy Love, that I may become Thy son but Thou hast died to give me pardon. Thou hast said, “Turn ye unto Me, . . . and I will turn unto you.” (Zach i: 3) .
I leave every gratification, I renounce all the pleasures the world can give me and I turn to Thee.
Pardon me through that Blood which Thou hast shed for me, for I repent with all my heart, for all the offences which I have committed against Thee. I repent, for I love Thee beyond all other things. I am not worthy to love Thee but Thou art indeed worthy to be loved, let me love Thee, do
not turn from me, let this heart which once neglected Thee, now love Thee.
Thou didst not leave me to die, when I was living in sin, in order that I might come to love Thee yes, I do indeed desire to love Thee during the remainder of my life and, I would love none but Thee. Help me, give me holy perseverance and Thy most holy Love.