Thought for the Day – 23 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 IX
The Peace Felt by a Just Man When Dying
“The souls of the just are in the Hands of God
and the torment of death, shall not touch them.
In the sight of the unwise, they seemed to die,
…. but they are at peace.”
(Wisd iii: 1-3)
THIRD POINT:
How is it then, that he can fear death who hopes to be crowned after death?
St Cyprian says, “We cannot fear to die, who await our crown when we are killed.”
How can anyone fear death, who knows that dying in grace, his body will become immortal: “This mortal must put on immortality.” (i Cor xv: 53).
He who loves God and desires to see Him, regards life as a pain and death as a joy: “He lives patiently, he dies delightedly,” says St Augustine.
St Thomas of Villanova says: “death, if it finds a man sleeping, comes as a thief, robs him, kills him and casts him into the pit of hell but, if death finds a man vigilant, it salutes him as the ambassador of God and says: ‘The Lord expects thee at the nuptial feast; come and I shall lead thee to the blessed Kingdom which thou hast desired.”
Oh with what joy does he await death who is in the grace of God, hoping, as he does, soon to see Jesus Christ and to hear Him say: “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.” (St Matt xxv: 21).
Oh how well then will he understand the force of the repentance, the prayers, the alienation from the things of this world and all that he has done for God!
“Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruits of their doings.” (Isa iii: 10).
Then will he, who has loved God, enjoy the fruit of all his good works.
Therefore, did Father Hippolitus Durazzo, when a friend of his, a religious, was dying, with every sign of salvation, rejoice and not weep. For how absurd it would be, remarks St John Chrysostom, to believe in an eternal Heaven and yet, to pity anyone who goes there! What joy it will bring to him, who has loved Jesus Christ and who has often received Jesus Christ in the Holy Communion, to see this same Jesus enter his room at the most solemn hour of death, to accompany him in his journey to the other life.
Oh happy he who can then say with St Philip Neri: “Behold my Love, behold my Love.”
But some will say: “Who can tell what fate will be mine?
Perhaps, after all, my end will be an unhappy one!”
But, to those who thus speak, I ask: “What is it that makes death dreadful?” Sin only – therefore, it is sin we ought to fear and not death!
St Ambrose observes, “ it is clear, the bitterness is not from death but from sin; fear is not to be referred to death but to life!”
Therefore, if you desire not to fear death, live in holiness: “To him who fears the Lord. it will be well in his last hour.”
Father Colombiere considered it quite impossible, for him, who has been faithful to God all his life long, to die an unhappy death.
And, before him, St Augustine has remarked: “He cannot die badly who has lived well!”
He who is prepared for death, does not fear it, although it should be sudden. “But the just man, if he be presented with death, shall be at rest.” (Wisd iv: 7).
And since we are unable to go to enjoy God, except we die, St John Chrysostom exhorts us “to offer to God that which we are bound to render to Hun.” And let us understand, he who offers his death to God, performs the most perfect act of love which can be done towards God; for, by willingly embracing that death, which it pleases God to send us and that time and manner of death which God wishes, he makes himself like unto the holy Martyrs.
He who loves God, ought to long and sigh for death because death unites us eternally to God and frees us from the danger of ever losing Him again.
It is a sign that we love God but little, if we have no desire soon to go to see Him, feeling certain that we shall never be able to love Him more.
For the meantime, let us love God as much as we can in this life. For this alone should we live, to increase in our love for Him; the measure of love for God in which death will find us, will be the measure of our love for God in a blessed eternity.
Affections andPrayers
Bind me, my Jesus, to Thyself, so that I may never more be
severed from Thee. Make me wholly Thine before I die, so
that, when I behold Thee for the first time, I may behold Thee
in peace.
Thou hast sought me when I was fleeing from Thee; oh, do not drive me from Thee now that I seek Thee.
Pardon
me whatever displeasure I may have caused Thee. From this
day forward I wish to think of serving and loving Thee only.
I am already too much indebted to Thee.
Thou didst not refuse to shed Thy Blood and give Thy Life throughLlove of me. I would wish to be entirely consumed for love of Thee, as Thou wert for me.
O God of my soul, I would love Thee much in this life, so as to
love Thee much in the life to come.
Eternal Father, draw my whole heart to Thee, take from it all earthly affections, wound it, enflame it with Thy holy Love. Hear me, through the merits of Jesus Christ. Give me holy perseverance and give me the grace ever to ask it of Thee.
AnaStpaul 