Thought for the Day – 6 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 IV
The Certainty of Death
“It is appointed unto men, once to die.”
(Heb ix: 27).
FIRST POINT:
The sentence of death is written against all men; thou art man, thou hast to die.,
St Augustine observes “our good things and our evil things are uncertain, death alone is certain.”
It is uncertain, whether the new-born infant will be poor or rich, whether it will have good or bad health, whether it
will die young or old but, it is quite certain it will have to die.
Every noble, every Monarch, will be cut off by death.
And when death arrives, there is no strength able to resist it.
Fire may be resisted, water may be resisted, the sword may be resisted, the power of princes may be resisted but when death comes, there is no power able to resist.
Belluacensis relates that a certain King of France whose last moment was fast approaching, exclaimed,:
“Behold, that I, with all my power, am unable to make death wait one more hour for me!”
When the end of life is indeed come, not even for one moment can it be deferred!
“Thou hast appointed his bounds which he cannot pass.” (Job xiv: 5).
Should you, therefore, live, dear reader, for all the years which you hope still one day must come and one hour of that day which will be the last for you. For myself, who am now writing and for you, who will read this little book, there is a day and there is a moment decreed, in which I shall no longer write, neither will you read.
“What man is, he that liveth and shall not see death?” (Ps cxxxix: 47).
The sentence is passed. There has never been a man as foolish as to flatter himself he will not have to die. That which happened to your ancestors will also happen to you. Of all those, who, at the beginning of the last Century were living in your country, behold not one of them remains. Even the Princes, the Kings of the world, have passed
away; nothing remains of them but a marble mausoleum with a grand inscription which now serves to warn us that a little dust confined within the tomb is all which remains of the grand ones of this world.
St Bernard asks:
“Tell me where are the lovers of the world?” and he replies,
“Nothing remains of them, save ashes and worms.”
Therefore, we must endeavour to obtain, not that happiness
which has an end but that which is eternal, for our souls are eternal; for of what use would it be, to be happy, (even were it possible for true happiness to be felt by that soul which is at enmity with God), I repeat, to be happy in this life, if in the life to come, you must be unhappy for all eternity? You have built that house to your satisfaction but you must reflect and think, soon you will have to leave it, to remain corrupting in a tomb. You have obtained that dignity which renders you superior to others but death will soon come and will make you lower than the lowest peasant on the earth.
Affections and Prayers
Alas, wretched one who I am, who for so many years have
only offended Thee, O God of my soul.
Alas, that those years have already passed away and perchance, death is drawing nigh and I feel my conscience troubled and filled with remorse.
Oh, that I had ever served Thee my Lord!
How foolish have I not been, to have lived so many years and instead of trying to fit myself for the other world, I have laden myself with debts to the Divine Justice.
My dear Redeemer, give me light and strength now to make my reckoning sure with Thee.
Death for me, perhaps, now stands nigh at hand.
I should like to prepare myself for that great moment in which my everlasting happiness, or unhappiness depends. I thank Thee for having waited so long for me and since Thou dost give me time to atone for what I have done amiss, look upon me, O’my God and tell me what I must do for Thee.
Dost Thou wish me to grieve over the offences. I have committed against Thee?
I do grieve over them, they do displease me very much indeed.
Dost Thou wish me to spend the years and days which may
remain to me, in loving Thee?
Yes, then I will do so.
O God, during the years which are past, many times have I desired to do this but my desires have afterwards proved failures.
No, my Jesus, I will no longer be ungrateful for the many favours Thou hast bestowed upon me.
If now, at least, I do not try to love Thee, how shall I be able when the hour of death approaches to hope for pardon in Paradise?
Behold now I do really firmly resolve to place myself in Thy service. But Thou must give me strength, Thou must not abandon me. But Thou didst not abandon me when I offended Thee, therefore, do I indeed greatly hope for Thy gracious assistance, now that I have resolved to leave all, in order to please Thee. Accept me, therefore and love me, O God, Thou Who art worthy of infinite love. Accept the traitor, who being now repentant, embraces Thy feet and
loves Thee and asks Thee for mercy.
I love Thee, O my Jesus,
I love Thee with all my heart, I love Thee much more than I
love myself. Behold I am Thine alone. Dispose of me and
all that is mine, as it may please Thee; give me perseverance in obeying Thee give me Thy Love and then do with me as Thou wilt.
AnaStpaul 