Tag: consideration 1

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD

Thought for the Day – 27 August –CONSIDERATION I, Second Point: “Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return.”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 27 August – 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 I

“Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return.”
(Gen iii:19)

SECOND POINT:
In order more clearly to see what indeed thou art, my Christian soul, St John Chrysostom observes:
“Go to a sepulchre, contemplate
dust, ashes, worms and sigh.”
See how that corpse becomes, at first yellow and then black. Afterwards, there is seen upon the body, a white and unpleasant mould. Then there issues forth a foul and corrupt matter which sinks into the ground.
In that corruption many worms are generated which
feed upon the flesh. The rats then come to feast upon the body, some on the outside, others entering into the mouth and bowels.

The cheeks, the lips and the hair fall in pieces; the ribs are
the first to become bare of flesh, then the arms and the legs.
The worms after, having consumed the flesh eat each other, and, in the end, nothing remains of that body but a fetid skeleton which, in course of time, is divided, the bones being separated and the head falling from the body, they
“become like the chaff of the summer threshing-floors and the wind carried them away“ ” (Dan ii:35.)

Behold, then, what man is – a little dust upon a threshing-floor which is carried away by the wind!
Behold that nobleman, who was considered to be the life
and soul of society, where is he? Go into his room, he is not
there; if you look into his bed, it belongs to another; his clothes, his arms, others have already taken and divided them. If you wish to see him, you must seek for him in that grave where he is changed into all that is unpleasant and into fleshless bones.

O my God, that that body fed with so many delicacies, clothed with so much pomp, attended by so many servants, should be reduced to this !
O ye Saints, ye, who for the love of that God, Whom ye loved alone, upon this earth, knew how to mortify your
bodies and now, your bones are kept and prized as sacred relics in golden shrines and your souls which are beatified, rejoice in the presence of God, waiting for the final Day, when your bodies even, will again become the companions of your souls in glory, as they were once the companions of your souls, in bearing the cross of this world.
This is the true love of the body, so to burden it with mortifications here, that it may be happy in eternity and to deny it those pleasures here which would render it unhappy in eternity.

Affections andPrayers

Behold, therefore, O my God, to what my body will become reduced, through which I have so often offended Thee, it will be reduced even to worms and corruption.
But this does not grieve me, O my God, nay, it rather cheers me, for this my flesh to become putrid and consumed which made me lose Thee, O my Sovereign Good.
But it does grieve me very much, to think that I should have taken so much delight in those wretched pleasures which have so often displeased Thee.
But I will not distrust Thy Mercy.
Thou hast waited for me to give me pardon.
“Therefore will the Lord wait that He may be gracious unto thee.” (Isa xxx: 18)
And Thou wilt pardon me if I repent.
Yes, Thou wilt, for I do repent with all my heart for having despised Thee, O God of Infinite Goodness.
I will repeat to Thee as did St Catherine of Genoa,
“No more sins, my Jesus, no more sins.”
No, I will no longer abuse Thy patience, neither will I wait to embrace Thee until the hour of death.
O my Crucified Love, now will I embrace Thee, now will I commend my soul into Thy keeping.
“Into Thy Hands, I commend my spirit.”

My soul has been many years in this world without loving Thee, give me light and strength to love Thee during the life which remains to me.
I will not wait until the hour of death to love Thee, from this moment, 1 will love Thee and embrace Thee and unite myself to Thee and, I promise, never more to leave Thee.

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH

Thought for the Day – 26 August –CONSIDERATION I, First Point: “Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return.”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 26 August – 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 I

“Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return.”
(Gen iii:19)

FIRST POINT:
CONSIDER that thou art dust and unto dust thou must return. The day will come when thou must die,and be placed in a grave where “the worms” shall “cover thee” (Isa xiv). The same fate awaits all, both nobles and plebeians, both princes and vassals.
Directly the soul shall leave the body, with the last gasp, it will go into eternity and the body will return to its dust.
“When Thou takest away their breath, they die and are turned again to their dust.” (Ps civ: 29).
Imagine to yourself a person, whose soul has just departed.
Behold that pale corpse which is still upon the bed, the head fallen upon the breast; the hair dishevelled and bathed in the sweat of death; the eyes sunken; the cheeks hollow; the face of ashy paleness; the tongue and the lips of a leaden hue; the body cold and heavy.
Those who see it grow pale and tremble. How many there are who, upon seeing a relation or friend, in this condition, have changed their life and have left the world!

But still more dreadful, is it when the body begins to decay.
A few hours or days will hardly have passed, ere it will become offensive. The windows will have to be opened; incense will have to be burned nay, it must be sent in haste to the Church to be buried, that the whole house be not infected.
Behold to what that proud, that voluptuous man is reduced? In life he was the favourite, the one who was sought-after in society; now, he makes all those who look upon him shudder. His relatives hasten to have him removed from the house and men are hired to bear him, shut up in a coffin, to his grave.
He was once famous for his great talent, for his great politeness, for his courteous behaviour and for his facetiousness but now that he is dead, his memory will soon pass away: “their memorial is perished with them.” (Ps ix: 6).

Upon hearing the news of his death, some people say he was of great dignity others that he left his family well-provided for; some grieve because he had done them good and others rejoice because they derive some benefit from his death.
Within a short time, however, he is spoken of by no-one. And his nearest relatives, even from the hour of his death, will not hear him mentioned, lest their grief should be renewed. When the visits of condolence are made, other things form the subject of conversation and if anyone, by chance, alludes to the departed one, the relatives immediately exclaim: “In kindness, do not mention him to me.” You must consider that what you have done at the death of your friends and relations, others will do at your death too!.

Those who are living, enter upon the stage of life, to occupy the wealth and the position of the dead and little, or no esteem, is paid to the dead and very little mention is ever made of them.
Your relatives will, at first, mourn for you for some days but they will soon be consoled with that share of property which will fall to them, so that they will shortly rejoice because of your death and, in the same room in which your soul has gone forth, to be judged by Jesus Christ, they will dance and eat, laugh and play, as they did before and your soul, where will it be then?

Affections and Prayers

Jesus, my Redeemer, I thank Thee that Thou didst not let me die when I was in disgrace with Thee. During how many of the past years have I not deserved to be cast into hell?
If I had died on such a day, or on such a night, what would have become of me for all eternity? I thank Thee for this, O my God. I accept my death as a satisfaction for my sins and I accept it in whatever manner it may please Thee to send it to me.
But since Thou hast waited for me until now, wait for me yet a little longer.
“Let me alone that I may take comfort a little.” (Job x 20).
Give me time to weep over the offences which I have committed against Thee, before Thou comest to judge me.
1 will no longer resist Thy sweet Voice which calls me. Perhaps these words which I have just read may be the last call for me. I confess, I do not deserve pity, for Thou hast so often pardoned me and I, ungrateful one who I am, have again offended Thee but
“a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt Thou not despise.” (Ps li: 17).
O Lord, since Thou wilt not despise a broken and contrite heart, look upon a traitor, who being repentant, flees unto Thee.
“Cast me not away from Thy Presence.” (Ps li: 11).
In mercy, do not cast me from Thee, for Thou hast said,
“Him that cometh to Me I shall in no wise cast out.” (St John vi: 37).
It is true that I have offended Thee more than many others because I have been favoured by Thee with light and grace but, the blood which Thou hast shed for me, gives me courage and gives me pardon, if only I repent.
Yes, O my Sovereign Good, I do repent with my whole heart for having despised Thee. Pardon me and give me grace to love Thee for the time to come.
I have offended Thee too many times already. I will not spend the life which remains to me, O my Jesus, in giving Thee offence but, I will spend it ever weeping over the displeasure I have caused Thee and in loving Thee with all my heart, Thou, O God, Who art so worthy of infinite love.