Thought for the Day – 11 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 V
The Uncertainty of the Hour of Death
“Be ye, therefore, ready also, for the Son of Man
cometh at an hour when ye think not.”
(St Luke xii: 40)
THIRD POINT
“Be you ready. ” The Lord does not say that we must prepare ourselves when death comes upon us but that death, when it comes, must find us prepared!
When death comes, as it will do, in as it were, a great tempest and confusion, it will be almost impossible to give ease to a troubled conscience. Even thus does reason argue. But God warns us, by saying, He will not then come to give pardon but to avenge the scorn which the wicked have shown concerning His favours.
“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Rom xii: 19)
St Augustine observes that this will be a just punishment for one, who, when able, has not wished to be saved and who, when willing to be saved, will not be able!
But some will say: “Perhaps even then, it will be possible for me to be converted and live.” But would you throw yourself into a well, saying: “Perhaps even though I throw myself in, I may live and not die?”
O God! what a thing is this, that sin should so darken the mind. as to make it lose even reason! When men speak of the body, they speak like wise men but when they speak of the soul, they speak like fools.
My brother, perhaps this point which you are now reading maybe the last warning God may send you. Let us hasten to prepare for death, so that it may not overtake us unprepared.
St Augustine says that God keeps the last day of our lives secret from us, so .that, at any and everyday, we may be prepared to die. St Paul teaches us that, it is not only necessary to work out our salvation with fear but even with trembling.
“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil ii: 12)
St Antoninus tells us of a certain King of Sicily who, in order to make one of his subjects understand the fear in which he occupied the throne, made him sit at table with a sword suspended by a slender thread over his head, so that being thus situated, he could hardly eat any food. We are all standing in the same danger, for at any moment the sword of death may fall upon us, upon which our eternal salvation depends.
It is indeed a question of eternity.
“If the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.” (Eccles xi: 3). If when death comes, it should find us in the grace of God, oh, what joy will it be for the soul then to exclaim,
“I have secured all things, never again can I lose God; I shall be happy forever.” But, on the contrary, if when death comes it should find the soul in a state of sin, with what despair will it then cry out: “Thus have I sinned and my sin can never be reclaimed for all eternity.”
Oh, wherefore did I err and my sin will never be pardoned throughout all eternity!
This fear made the venerable Father Avila, when the announcement was brought to him that he was dying, cry out and say:
“Oh that I had a little more time to prepare myself for death!”
This fear also made the Abbot Agathe exclaim, although he died after many years of repentance: “ What will become of me, for who can understand the judgements of God?”
St Arsenius also trembled when the hour of death arrived and, being asked why, he was in such fear, answered:
“This fear is not new to me, I have felt it all my life.” Especially did holy Job tremble, saying: “What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when He visiteth, what shall I answer Him?” (Job xxxi: 14).
Affections andPrayers
Ah, my God, there is no-one who has ever loved me as Thou
hast loved me and yet, there is no-one whom I have ever displeased more than I have displeased Thee.
My only hope is in Thy Blood, O my Jesus.
Eternal Father, look not upon my sins but look upon the blessed Wounds of Jesus Christ; look upon Thy well-beloved Son, Who is grieving for me and beseeching Thee to pardon me.
I am very sorry, O my Creator, for having displeased Thee; it grieves me more than any other evil. Thou didst create me to love Thee and I have been living as if Thou hadst created me to offend Thee.
For the love of Jesus Christ, pardon me and give me grace to love Thee.
At one time I resisted Thy Will; now, I will no longer resist it; I will do all Thou dost command me.
Thou dost wish me to detest all the offences I have Committed against Thee. I do indeed detest them with all my heart. Thou dost command me to resolve never more to offend Thee; I do indeed resolve to lose my life rather than to lose Thy grace. Thou dost wish me to love Thee with my whole heart, then indeed I will love Thee with all my heart, and will love none other than Thee and Thou shalt be, from this day forth, my only loved One, my only Love. Thou dost command me to have holy perseverance but, it is from Thee alone that I can hope to obtain it.
For the love of Jesus Christ, let me ever be faithful to Thee and that I may always say to Thee with St Bonaventure:
“My beloved is One, my love is One.”
No, I do not want my life to be spent any longer in giving Thee, even the slightest offence. I would spend it only in weeping over the displeasure I have given Thee and in henceforth loving Thee alone.
AnaStpaul 