Tag: consideration V

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on DEATH

Thought for the Day – 11 September – CONSIDERATION V, Third Point – “Be you ready ”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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.

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on REPENTANCE

Thought for the Day – 10 September – CONSIDERATION V, Second Point – “Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. ”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 10 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)

SECOND POINT
The Lord does not wish us to be lost, therefore, He never ceases to warn us to change our habit of life, bv threatening to punish us.
“If a man will not turn, He will whet His sword,”
(Ps vii: 13)’
“Behold, ” He says in another place, “how many because, they would not leave sinning, when they were least expecting it and were living in peace, thinking to live for many long years, have been surprised by death which has suddenly come upon them.”
“For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them. ” (i Thess v: 3).
Likewise He says:
“Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. ” (St Luke xiii: 3).
Why, therefore, does He give us so many warnings before He sends the punishment, if He does not wish that we should amend our lives and so avoid dying an unhappy death?
St Augustine well observes that he who says to thee:
“Take care,” wishes thee no ill.

It is, therefore, necessary to prepare our account before the day of reckoning may arrive. My Christian brother, if before this night arrives you should die and your eternal welfare should be decided, what do you think? Would your reckoning be in order, or would you not, indeed be rather willing to give anything to obtain from God, one year, one month, or at least one day more?!
And, wherefore, now that God does give you this time, do you not seek to make your conscience free from everything? Is it because you cannot think this day can be the last for you?
“Delay not to be converted to the Lord and defer it not, from day to day. For His wrath shall come on a sudden and in the time of vengeance, He will destroy thee.” (Ecclus v: 8, 9) .

If you wish to be saved, my brother, sin must be left behind, therefore, as a day will come when you must leave it, why do you not leave it now? inquires St Augustine. Perhaps you are expecting death but for those who are obstinate, death is not the time for pardon but for vengeance.
“In the time of vengeance He will destroy thee.”

When someone owes you a large sum of money, you immediately take the precaution to provide yourself with a written security, saying to yourself:
“Who knows what may happen?”
And why do you not use the same precaution concerning your immortal soul which is of much more importance than the large sum? Why do you not say of your soul:
“ Who knows what may happen?”
If you were to lose that money, you would not lose everything and even if in losing it, you should lose all your inheritance, still you would have the hope of regaining it.
But if in death, you should lose your soul, then indeed would you lose all and there would be no hope of ever again rescuing it.
You are so diligent in keeping an account of your money, lest by chance any should be lost. if a sudden death were to befall you and if death should come upon you unawares, while you are at enmity with God, what would become of your soul for all eternity?

Affections and Prayers

All, my Redeemer, Thou hast shed all Thy Blood. Thou hast given Thy Life to save my soul and I have so often lost it, hoping in Thy Mercy and, in this way, have I so often made use of Thy great Goodness, for what? to offend Thee more! For this, I deserved that Thou shouldst suddenly deprive me of life and then send me to everlasting punishment.
I have, as it were, been fighting with Thee but Thou hast fought, by showing Mercy towards me and I, by offending Thee; Thou by seeking me and I by flying from Thee; Thou by giving me time to implore pardon for all the offences committed against Thee and I, by using that time to add offence to offence. Gracious Lord, make me feel the great wrong I have done against Thee and make me feel it is my greatest duty to love Thee.

Ah, my Jesus, how couldst Thou love me so much, Thou who didst seek me so many times when I fought to drive Thee from myself? How couldst Thou show so many favours to one who has so often given Thee offence?
From all this I understand, how desirous Thou art that I should not be lost.
I repent with all my heart for having offended Thee,
O God of Infinite Goodness. Ah, receive this ungrateful sheep who returns repentant to Thy Feet, receive it and bind it to Thy shoulders, so that it may nevermore stray from Thee.
No, I will nevermore fly from Thee. I would love Thee, I would be Thine Own and if only I am Thine, I am content with every pain, for what greater pain can I feel, than to live without Thy grace, separated from Thee,Who art my God, Who hast created me and my God, Who has died for me?
Ah, hateful sins, what have you done? You have made me displease my dear Saviour, Who hast loved me so much.
Ah, my Jesus, as Thou hast died for me, even so, ought I to die for Thee. Thou didst die for love of me and I ought to die of grief for having so much displeased Thee.

I accept death when and in what manner it may please Thee to send it to me but until now I have not loved Thee, or I have not loved Thee enough; it is not thus that I would die. Oh grant me a little more time, so that I may indeed love Thee before I die. Therefore, change my heart, wound it, inflame it with Thy holy Love. Grant this, through that exceeding Love which made Thee die for me.
I love Thee with all my soul and l am indeed desirous to love Thee. Never let me lose Thee again. Give me holy perseverance and give me Thy most holy Love.