Thought for the Day – 18 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 VIII
The Death of the Just
“Precious in the Sight of the Lord
is the death of His Saints.”
(Ps cxv: 15)
FIRST POINT:
WHEN we view death according to the senses, it terrifies and affrights us but, when we view it with the eye of faith, it consoles us and makes us desire it.
It appears terrible to sinners but lovely and very precious to Saints.
St Bernard tells us, .“death is precious as the end of labours, the consummation of victory, the gate of Life!” “The end of labour,” yes, truly, does death put an end to our labours and toil.
“Man, born of a woman, is of few days and full of trouble.” (Job xiv: i).
Behold what our life is; it is short, it is full of misery, infirmities, fears and passions. The worldly, who desire a long life, what do they seek, observes Seneca but a longer time of suffering? If we continue to live, do we not continue to suffer? as St Augustine himself remarks.
Yes, indeed, because, according to St Ambrose, our present life was not given to us for repose but for work and by that work, to make ourselves worthy of eternal life. When God, as Tertullian justly observes, shortens the life of anyone, He shortens his suffering. Hence, it is, although death was given to man as a punishment for sin, yet, notwithstanding this, the miseries of this life are such, as St Ambrose remarks, death would appear to be given to us rather as a relief, than a punishment.
God calls those who die in His grace blessed because their labours are finished and they go to their rest.
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. … Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours.” (Rev xiv: 13).
The. torments which afflict the sinners, when dying, do not trouble the Saints.
“The souls of the just are in the hand of God and the torment of death shall not touch them.” (Wisd iii: I).
The Saints do not grieve when they hear the “Prqficiscere” (“Go forth Christian soul”) which terrifies the worldly so much. The Saints are not troubled when they have to leave their worldly goods, for they have kept their hearts severed from them. They go about ever repeating to themselves,
“God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Ps Ixxiii: 25).
Blessed are you, writes the Apostle to his disciples, who have been stripped of all your earthly possessions, for the sake of Jesus Christ.
“You …. took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance.” (Heb x: 34).
They do not grieve at leaving the honours because they always detested them and reckoned them, as they indeed are, nothing but smoke and vanity; they esteemed loving God and being loved by God, their only honour.
They do not grieve at leaving their relations because they have only loved them in God; when dying, they commend them to that Heavenly Father, Who loves them more than theyselves and trusting to be saved, they hope to be able to help them more, when they are in Paradise, than while on this earth.
Finally, what they have ever said in life: “My God and my all,” they repeat, with greater consolation and tenderness when dying.
He, therefore, who dies loving God, is not tormented by the fears which death brings with it but, on the contrary, he is pleased with them, thinking that his life is now ended and that there is no more time to suffer for God and to offer Him anymore proofs of his love.
Then, lovingly and peacefully, he gives Him these last moments of his life and consoles himself in uniting the sacrifice of his death with the sacrifice which Jesus Christ once offered for him, on the Cross to His eternal Father.
And thus, he joyfully expires, saying: “I will lay me down in peace and take my rest.” (Ps iv: 9).
Oh, what peace to die thus, given up to and reposing in the arms of Jesus Christ, Who has loved us even unto death and was willing to endure a cruel death, to obtain a sweet and peaceful death for us.
Affections and Prayers
O my beloved Jesus, Who, to obtain a happy death for me, wast willing to die a death so bitter upon Calvary, when shall I behold Thee?
The first time that I shall see Thee, it will be as my Judge, in that same place in which I shall breathe forth my soul.
And then, what shall I say to Thee? What wilt Thou say to me? I will not wait until that time to think what I shall say. I will think now. I will say to Thee:
“My dear Redeemer, Thou art the same Who hast died for me. At one time I did offend Thee, I was ungrateful to Thee and I did not deserve Thy pardon but now, being assisted by Thy Grace, I repented and during the remainder of my life, I have mourned because of my sins and Thou hast pardoned me.
Pardon me once more, now that I am at Thy feet and do Thou Thyself give me a general absolution for my sins.
I did not deserve to love Thee any more, for having despised Thy Love but Thou, in Thy Mercy, hast drawn my heart to Thee and if, it has not loved Thee as Thou ought to be loved, at least, it has loved Thee above all other things, giving up everything in order to please Thee.
Now what wilt Thou say to me ?
I can see, that Paradise and possessing Thee in Thy Kingdom, is a blessing too great for me but I cannot trust myself to live far from Thee, especially now that Thou hast once let me see Thy beautiful and lovely Face.
Therefore, I seek to live in Paradise, not that I may be happy there but that I may love Thee more.
And now, my beloved Judge, raise Thy Hand and bless me and tell me I am Thine and Thou wilt be mine, forever.
I would ever love Thee, do Thou ever love me.
Have Mercy upon a soul who loves Thee with all its strength and longs to see Thee, so as to love Thee more.”
Even thus do I hope, O my Jesus, do I hope then to speak to
Thee. In the meantime, I pray Thee, to grant me grace, so
to live that when dying, I may say to Thee that which I have
of just thought.
Give me holy perseverance and give me Thine Love.
AnaStpaul 