Tag: St Alphonsus de Liguori,

Posted in HOW to PRAY at ALL TIMES, QUOTES on PRAYER

Thought for the Day – 6 November – “How to Pray at All Times”

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Thought for the Day – 6 November – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

“How to Pray at All Times”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

In order to see us to the beginning of Advent, I will be posting short excerpts from this Treatise on Prayer.

This beautiful little work was first published in 1753. It is, therefore, one of the earliest works of St Alphonsus. The Saint entitled it: ‘A method of Conversing Continually and Lovingly with God and, to the title, he added a note to say that it had been translated from the French but that he had ‘ augmented it with holy thoughts, affections and practices. It was surely the Saint’s humility whichmade him thus minimise his part in the composition of the book, for, as a matter of fact, he entirely recast the little French Treatise and made it all his own. His biographer, Father Berthe, could write of it: ‘In this golden little book are to be found the most familiar thoughts of the holy author. (Life Vol I P 575).

It will be easily seen that the Treatise has a twofold message. St Alphonsus, like the Divine Redeemer before him, always puts the thought of God’s justice andthe fear of punishment, before those who are obstinate in sin. But, following again the Redeemer’s example, the saintly Doctor preaches, in burning words the truth that every soul wishing to serve God may go to Him with perfect, unwavering confidence. To such souls God shows, Infinite tenderness and love. This message of confidence to men of goodwill, is the first lesson which the Saint teaches, with convincing force, in the following pages.
The second lesson is deduced from the first – those who wish to serve God should speak to Him frequently, confidingly, lovingly.

Be it remembered, this Treatise is from the pen of a Doctor of the Church every sentence of it bears the impress of his authority. A new translation of it is now given to the faithful in the hope that it will continue its mission of mercy and lead men, in ever increasing numbers, to speak to God, frequently and lovingly.

Posted in GOD ALONE!, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on UNITY/with GOD, QUOTES on WILL (Reasonable or Superior), The WILL of GOD

Thought for the Day – 5 November – CONSIDERATION XXXIV, The Final, Conformity to the Will of God

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Thought for the Day – 5 November – 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 XXXIV
The Final

Conformity to the Will of God
“In His pleasure, is life.”
(Ps xxx: 5)

FIRST POINT:
ALL our salvation and all our perfection, consist in loving God. “He who loveth not . . . . abideth in death.” (i John iii: 14).

“Charity … is the bond of perfection.” (Col iii: 14).
But the perfection of love consists, then, in the uniformity of our will with the Divine Will. Since this is the chief effect of love, according to St Dionysius, to unite the wills of those who love, so that they have but one heart and one will.
So, therefore, our repentances, our communions, our alms-deeds, please God in proportion as they correspond with the Divine Will, since otherwise, they are not virtues but defects and worthy of correction.
It was principally to teach us this truth by His example, our Blessed Lord came down from Heaven. Mark what He said on coming into the world, as the Apostle writes: “Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldst not but a Body hast thou prepared Me. . . . Then said I, Lo, I come to do Thy Will, O God.” (Heb x:5- 7).
… And this He expressed frequently, saying: “I came down from Heaven, not to do Mine Own Will but the Will of Him Who sent Me.” (John vi: 38). And by this He desires that we should know His great Love for His Father, when we see that He died in obedience to His Father’s Will. “But that the world may know that I love the Father and, as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do.” ( John xiv: 31). He says later, He acknowledges for His own, those alone, who do the Divine Will. “Whosoever shall do the Will of My Father Who is in Heaven, the same is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matt xii: 50).

This, then, is the one scope and desire of all the Saints in all their works – the fulfilment of the Divine Will.
Henry Suso said: “I would much rather be the vilest worm on earth, according to the Will of God, than a Seraph according to my own.”
St Teresa wrote, “All that he ought to try to procure, who exercises himself in prayer, is to conform his own to the -Divine Will and he may be assured, in this conformity the highest perfection consists; he who most aims at such conformity,, will receive from God the choicest gift and will make most progress in the spiritual life.”
The blessed in Heaven, love God perfectly by their entire conformity to the Divine Will. Hence, it was that our Blessed Lord taught us to pray: “Thy Will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.” (Mat vi: 10).

He who performs the Divine Will, becomes a man after the Lord’s “own heart,” just as the Lord called David: “I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after Mine Own Heart, who shall fulfil all My Will.” (Acts xiii: 22).
And why? Because David was always prepared to follow the Divine Will “O God, my heart is ready, my heart is ready.” (Ps cviii: i). And, He desired nothing further of the Lord. than that he might be taught to do His Will,
“Teach me to do the things which pleaseth Thee.” (Ps cxliii: 10.).

Oh, of what great value is the act of perfect resignation to the Will of God! It is sufficient in itself to make a Saint! Whilst St Paul was persecuting the Church, our Blessed Lord appeared to him, enlightened him and converted him; the Saint immediately desired to do the Divine Will: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?” (Acts ix: 6)
And then our Lord said- at once: “He is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My Name before the Gentiles” (Acts ix: 15).
He who fasts, gives alms, mortifies himself for God, gives Him a part of himself but he, who gives God Conformity to His Will, gives Him his entire self and this, is that whole, which God demands of us – the heart, that is, the will!

To fulfil the Divine Will, in short, is the aim of all our desires, devotions, meditations, communions – it expresses the scope of all our prayers, the seeking for grace, so that we may follow all which God would have us do – the asking for light and strength, to conform ourselves in all things to His Wil, but especially, in the embracing of those things which are opposed to our self-love, as Venerable Avila said, a single
“Blessed be God,” for things contrary to ourselves, was of more avail than an infinity of thanksgiving, for such things which please us!

Affections andPrayers

Oh, my God! my entire ruin in time past has been through my being unwilling to conform myself to Thy holy Will.
I now hate and abjure many times, those days and moments in which, by doing my own will, I have opposed Thine!

O God of my soul.
Now I give it all to Thee ; receive it, O my Lord and bind it so closely to Thine Love that it may never be able again to rebel against Thee.
I love Thee, Infinite Goodness and for the love I bear Thee, I offer myself wholly to Thee. Dispose of me and of all I am, as it may please Thee, so that I,in all things, may resign myself to Thy holy Will. Free me from the disgrace of having done that which was contrary to Thine Will and then, do with me as Thou wilt.

Eternal Father, hear me, for the love of Jesus Christ.
My Jesus, hear me, through the merits of Thy Passion.

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, EUCHARISTIC ADORATION and Nocturnal, GOD is LOVE, HOLY COMMUNION, PREPARATION for DEATH

Thought for the Day – 4 November – CONSIDERATION XXXIII, The Holy Communion

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Thought for the Day – 4 November – 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 XXXIII

The Holy Communion
“Take, eat; This is My Body.”
(Matt xxvi: 26)

FIRST POINT:
LET us observe how great a gift is this Holy Sacrament;  how great is the Love which Jesus has shown to us in this gift and, how great is His desire, of our reception of this, His GREAT GIFT.

Let us consider, in the first place, the great Gift, Jesus Christ procured for us, in giving Himself to be wholly Food in the Holy Communion.
St Augustine says that our Blessed Lord: “although He is omnipotent, was not able to give us more than this.”
St Bernardine of Sienna asks: “What greater treasure can the heart of man possess, than the most holy Body of Christ?”
… If our Redeemer had not given us this gift, whoever would have been able to ask for it, who would ever have dared to say to Him, Lord, if Thou desiredst to make us know Thy Love, conceal Thyself under the form of Bread and permit us to feed on Thee!? It would have been esteemed madness! even to think of this.
St Augustine asks: “Would it not seem madness to say, Eat My Flesh and drink My Blood!?”

When our Blessed Lord revealed to His disciples this gift of the Holy Sacrament which He wished to leave them, many of them could not attain to the belief of it and they parted from Him, saying: “How can this Man give us His Flesh to eat? …. This is a hard saying; who can hear it? (John vi: 52,60).
But what men were not able, at any time to conceive, the great Love of our Lord Jesus Christ, both intended and wrought.
St Bernardine says that our Blessed Lord left us “this Sacrament to be a memorial of His Love” and the record which St Luke has left of our Lord’s words, agrees with this statement: “Do this in remembrance of Me.” (Luke xxii: 19).
St Bernardine adds, the love of our Lord was not satisfied with sacrificing His Life for us: “In that excess of fervour, when He was ready to die for us, He was impelled, by this ocean of love, to do a greater work than ever had been wrought, to give to us His Body for food.”
Abbot Guerric says, in this Sacrament, Jesus “poured out upon His friends, the last strength of His Love” and the same sentiment is expressed more forcibly, when it was said of old that, in the Eucharist, our Blessed Lord, “as it were, poured out upon men, the riches of His Love.”

… Our Blessed Lord, in Holy Communion, gives us, for food, not only a part of His own table, not only a part of His own Body but His whole Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity!: “Take, eat; this is My Body” and, together with His Body, He gives us even His Soul and His Divinity. In short, says St John Chrysostom, in this Holy Communio, Jesus Christ “gave Himself to thee wholly and left nothing for Himself.”
St Thomas Aquinas adds: “God, in the Eucharist, has given to us, all He Is and all He has.”
St Bonaventure exclaims with wonder of our Blessed Lord’s Presence in the Eucharist: “Behold, He Whom the world cannot contain, is our prisoner!”

And, if the Lord in the Eucharist gives us His whole Self, how can we ear He will deny us any grace we ask of Him:  “How shall He not, freely give us all things!?” (Rom viii: 32).

Affections and Prayers

O my Jesus!
What has ever led Thee to give Thy whole Self for our food? And what remains, after Thou hast given us this gift, to compel us to love Thee?
Oh ! Lord, give usThine Light and make us to understand, how excessive is the love which caused Thee to reduce Thyself to food, to unite Thyself to ourselves, poor sinners!
But if Thou givest Thyself wholly to us, it is a reason why we also should give ourselves wholly to Thee.

O my Redeemer, how have I been able to offend Thee, Who hast so loved me and Who hast had nothing more Thou couldst do to gain my love? Thou hadst become Man for me; Thou didst die for m ; Thou hast made Thyself my food; tell me what more it remains for Thee to do?

I love Thee, O Infinite Goodness; I love Thee, O Infinite Love! Lord, come often into my soul: inflame me wholly with Thy holy Love and cause me to forget all else, that I may neither think of, nor love any other than Thee.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, GOD ALONE!, GOD is LOVE, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on CREATION, QUOTES on LOVE of GOD

Thought for the Day – 3 November – CONSIDERATION XXXII, The Love of God

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Thought for the Day – 3 November – 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 XXXII

The Love of God
“We love Him because He first loved us.”
(i John iv: 19)

FIRST POINT:
CONSIDER, in the first place, God deserves to be loved by you, since He loved you first, that you might love Him and He, has been the first of all to love you.
“I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” (Jer xxxi: 3).
The first to love you on earth, were your parents but they did not love you before they knew you but God, loved you before you had any being. When neither your father nor your mother were in the world, God loved you when the world was not even created, God loved you. And how long before the creation of the world did God love you? Perhaps a thousand years or ages. There is no need to reckon years and ages. Know, that God has loved you from eternity!
“ I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn Thee.” (Jer xxxi: 3)’

In short, God has loved you since He has been God; as long as He has loved Himself, He has loved you. Therefore, St Agnes had good reason to say: “I am prevented by another love.” When the world and the creature demanded her love, she answered: “No, O world, no, O creature, I cannot love you. My God has been the first to love me and it is, therefore, right that I should consecrate my love to God alone.”
Thus, my brother, from eternity has thy God loved you and from love alone, has selected you from the number of many men He could have created and has given you being and a position in the world. For your love even, He has made many other beautiful creatures to serve you and might remind you of the love which He has for you and which you owe to Him.
St Augustine writes: “Heaven, and earth and all things, tell me that I ought to love Thee.” Whence, the Saint observed, the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the rivers, they seemed as if they would all speak and say to him: “Augustine, love God, since He has created us for you, in order that you might love Him!”

The Abbot de Ranee, when he admired the hills, fountains and flowers, said they recalled the love which God had towards him.
St Teresa said, creation reproached her own ingratitude towards God.
St Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, whenever she held in her hand any beautiful flower or fruit, felt as if wounded with a certain arrow in her heart, with the love towards God, saying within herself, “Thou, my God, hast planned, from eternity, to create a certain flower or fruit, in order that I .might love Thee!”

Consider further the especial love God had towards you in causing you to be born in … the bosom of the true Church. How many are born amongst idolaters, infidels, or heretics and are lost! How few have it their lot to be born amongst men, where the true Faith reigns and of the number of those few, the Lord has elected you.
How many millions are deprived of the Sacraments, of sermons, of the example of good companions and of all the other aids to salvation which are in the true Church! And God has willed to grant you all these great benefits and graces, without any merit on your part, even seeing beforehand, your demerits … He already foreknew the injuries which you would do to Him.

Affections and Prayers

O Sovereign Lord of Heaven and earth, Infinite Good, Infinite Majesty, Who hast so loved men, how is it then that Thou art so disregarded of men?
But amongst these men, Thou, my God, hast so particularly loved me and bestowed upon me such special grace which Thou hast not granted to others and I seem to have despised Thee more than other!

But I throw myself at Thy feet, O Jesus, my Saviour. I should deserve to be cast away, for the ingratitude which I have committed but Thou hast said that Thou Icnowest not how to cast away a penitent heart which returns to Thee.
“Him who cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” (John vi: 37) .
My Jesus, I repent of having offended Thee.
In the time past I have been ungrateful to Thee, now I own
Thee for my Saviour and my Redeemer, Who died to save me,and to be loved by me. When shall I cease, my Jesus, to be ungrateful to Thee … This day I resolve to love Thee with all my heart and to love none other than Thee.
O Infinite Goodness, I adore Thee for all those, who adore Thee not and I love Thee, for all those, who love Thee not.
I believe in Thee, I hope in Thee, I love Thee, I offer Thee my all; aid me with Thy grace. …

Posted in DOCTORS of the Church, GOD ALONE!, ONE Minute REFLECTION, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on TRUST and complete CONFIDENCE in GOD, REDEMPTORISTS CSSR, The WORD

One Minute Reflection – 3 November – ‘ …In this way, stand firm in peace, certain that “no-one has hoped in the Lord and been confounded ” …’

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One Minute Reflection – 3 November – “The Month of the Holy Souls in Purgatory” – Within the Octave of All Saints – Pentecost XXIV – Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 8:23-27 – Scripture search here: https://www.drbo.org/

“And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying: Lord, save us, we perish.” – Matthew 8:25

REFLECTION – “God is not at all displeased when, on occasion, you quietly complain to Him. Do not be afraid to say to Him: “Lord, why dost Thou stand afar off?” (cf Ps 9:22 LXX) Thou knowest well I love Thee and only long for Thy Love. Graciously come to my aid and do not abandon me.”

If your desolation continues and your anguish is unbearable, unite your voice to that of Jesus, Jesus dying in affliction on the Cross; say, as you beg the Divine pity: “My God, my God, why hast Thou abandoned me?” (Mt 27:46) But profit from this trial, firstly so as to humble yourself even more, while reminding yourself that we are not worthy of any consolations when we have offended God and then, so as to revive your confidence even more by reminding yourself that, whatever He may do or permit, God only has your wellbeing in mind and that, in this way, “all things work together for the good” (cf Rm 8:28) of your soul. The more trouble and discouragement besiege you, the more you should arm yourself with courage and cry out: “The Lord is my Light and my help, who should I fear?” (Ps 26:1). Yes, Lord, it is Thou Who enlightens me, Thou Who will save me; in Thee I entrust myself, “in Thee I place my hope: I shall never be confounded” (Ps 30:2 LXX).

In this way, stand firm in peace, certain that “no-one has hoped in the Lord and been confounded ”(Sir 2:11 Vg.), none have been lost after having placed their trust in God.” – St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop and Most Zealous Doctor of the Church (What Should We Speak About With God? – from: ‘How to Converse Continually and Familiarly with God’).

PRAYER – Almighty, eternal God, Who granted us to honour the merits of all Thy Saints in a single solemn festival, bestow on us, we beseech Thee, through their manifold intercession, that abundance of Thy mercy for which we yearn. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who lives and reigns with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen (Collect).

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on PERSEVERANCE, QUOTES on PRAYER, QUOTES on WATCHING, SOLDIERS/ARMOUR of CHRIST

Thought for the Day – 2 November – CONSIDERATION XXXI, Of Perseverance

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Thought for the Day – 2 November – 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 XXXI

Of Perseverance
“He who shall endure unto the end,
the same shall be saved.”
(Matt xxiv: 13)

FIRST POINT:
“IT is of the many to begin, of the few to persevere,” writes S.
St Jerome.
Saul, Judas, Tertullian, began well but they ended badly, since they did not persevere in good.
“In Christians, the beginnings are not sought for but the end,” continues the aint and St Bonaventure confirms this by saying: “Perseverance alone is crowned.”
Hence, St Laurence Justinian calls perseverance “the door of Heaven.”

So that he cannot enter into Heaven who cannot find the gate of entrance. My brother, you have at this present time abandoned sin and may justly hope that you have been pardoned, in this case, you are the friend of God but know that you are still, not saved. And when will you be saved? When you have persevered even to the end!
“He who shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

Have you begun the good life? thank the Lord but St Bernard warns you: “The reward is promised to those beginning, it is given to those who persevere.” It is not enough to run for the prize but we must run until we obtain it, or, as the Apostle says: “So run that ye may obtain.” (i Cor ix: 24).
Now, truly, you have. put.your hand to the plough, you have
begun to live well but now, ever very much, fear and tremble: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil ii: 12). Wherefore? Since, if you turn and look back which God forbid and go back to your evil life, God will declare you to be excluded from Heaven: “No man, having put his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” (Luke ix: 62.

Pray for the grace of the Lord, frequent Holy Communion, make a daily meditation. Blessed are you if you have progressed to do thus and if, so doing, Jesus Christ shall find you, when He comes to judge you.
“Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when He cometh, shall find so doing.” (Matt xxiv:46).

But do not believe, now you have set yourselves to serve God, temptations are either wanting or are, at an end. “My son, if thou come to serve the Lord …. prepare thy soul for temptation.” (Ecclus ii: I) Know that now, more than ever, you ought to prepare yourself for the battle, since your enemies, the devil, the world, the flesh, more than ever will arm themselves to fight against you, to make you lose that which you have already gained!
Denis the Carthusian says: “By how much, anyone the more
bravely endeavours to serve God, by so much, does the adversary rage against him.” This is stated in the Gospel according to St Luke, where it is said: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out ,Then goeth he and taketh seven other spirits more wicked than himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” (Luke xi: 24, 26)
… Consider, therefore, what arms you have which will avail to defend you from these enemies and to preserve you in the grace of God. Against being overcome by the devil, there is no defence save prayer, for St Paul says: “We wrestle, not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers.” (Eph vi: 12).
He wishes by this statement to warn us, we have not strength to resist one so powerful, whence we need assistance from God, by which aid, we can do all things! “I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me.” (Phi. iv: 12). But this aid is not given unless it be sought for by prayer. “Ask and ye shall receive.” Let us not trust ourselves, then, or our resolutions; for if we put confidence in these, we shall be lost but when we are tempted by the devil, let us place it in the Hand of God, commending ourselves to Jesus Christ. This is especially needful when our chastity is tempted, since this temptation is the most terrible of all and it is that, by which the devil gams the most victories. We have not strength in this respect, save from God. We must, therefore, in such temptations, quickly fly to Jesus Christ and frequently invoke His holy Name. He who so acts, shall conquer and he who acts not thus, shall be overcome.

Affections andPrayers

“Cast me not away from Thy presence.” (Ps li: 11).
Ah, my God, do not cast me away from Thy Presence. 1 know
well that Thou wilt never abandon me if I do not first abandon Thee.
… But, Lord, do Thou give me the strength which I must have to resist hell which seeks to find me again its slave.
I ask it of Thee, for the love of Jesus Christ. Establish, O my Saviour, between Thee and me, a perpetual peace which will never be broken and, therefore, give me Thy holy love.
“He who loveth not, …. abideth in death.” (i John iii: 14).
But he who loves Thee, is not dead; Thou, O God of my soul,
must save me from this unhappy death. I was lost, truly Thou
knowest it. It was Thy goodness alone which led me back to
my present condition where I hope to continue in Thy Grace.

Ah! do not suffer me, my Jesus, … to turn away and lose myself.
I love Thee above all things and I trust ever to be bound by this holy love and so being bound, to die and so being bound, to live forever!

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

Thought for the Day – 31 October – CONSIDERATION XXIX, On Heaven

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Thought for the Day – 31 October – 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 XXIX

On Heaven
“But your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”
(John xvi: 20)

FIRST POINT:
LET us now endeavour to endure patiently the afflictions of this life, offering them to God in union with the pains which Jesus Christ endured for our sakes and. let us encourage ourselves with the hope of Paradise.
All these afflictions, sorrows, persecutions and fears, will one day come to an end and when we are saved, they will become joys and pleasures for us in the Kingdom of the blessed.
Even thus does the Lord encourage us: “Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.”

Let us, therefore, reflect today somewhat upon Paradise. But what can we say of this Paradise, if the Saints who had more knowledge than we, were unable to make us understand the joys which God has in store for His faithful servants and David could only express his praise of it by saying, that Paradise is a rest which is very desirable: “Oh, how amiable are Thy dwellings, Thou Lord of Hosts.” (Ps Ixxxiv: I)
But thou, at least, our holy Paul, thou who hadst the happy chance of being ravished at the sight of heaven, “caught up into Paradise, tell us something of what thou hast seen. No, says the Apostle, it is not possible to explain that which I have seen. The delights of Paradise are “unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter.” (2 Cor xii: 4).
They are so great that they cannot be described unless they are enjoyed. I can tell you nothing more, says the Apostle, than “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for those who love Him.” (i Cor ii: 9).

We are unable to understand the joys of Paradise because we have no conception except of the joys of this earth. … Even thus do we form notions of the joys of Paradise. It is beautiful to see, on a summer’s night, the sky all glittering with stars and how delightful, in the time of spring, to stand on the sea-coast when the sea is calm, so that the rocks within can be seen all covered with seaweed, and the fishes which glide nimbly by and, it is very delightful to be in a garden full of fruit trees and flowers, surrounded by running fountains and with birds which fly about and sing as they fly. Some might say: “Oh, what a paradise!”
What a paradise? Do you say, What a paradise?
Very different are the joys of Paradise.

In order to understand something, although obscurely, of Paradise, let us remember that the Omnipotent God is there, Who is ever engaged in delighting the souls who love Hun.
St Bernard says: “Dost thou wish to know what there is in Paradise? There is nothing which thou wouldst not have but everything that thou wouldst have, there.”

O God, what will the soul say upon entering into that blessed Kingdom?
Let us imagine that some young girl and youth, who, having consecrated themselves to the love of Jesus Christ, are dying; the hour of death having arrived, the spirit quits this earth. The soul is presented before the Judgment Seat, the Judge embraces her and makes known to her that she is saved. Her Guardian Angel comes to meet her and rejoices with her; she thanks the Angel for the assistance given to her and the Angel then says: “Take courage, beautiful soul, rejoice, for thou art now saved. Come and see the Face of thy Lord.”
Behold, the soul now passes through the clouds, the heavens
and the stars. She enters Heaven. O God, what will she say when she enters for the first time that blessed country and when she looks for the first time upon that City of delights?
The Angels and the Saints will come to meet her and they will welcome her with shouts of joy. What consolation she will have in meeting again those relations or friends, who entered Paradise before her. The soul will then wish to kneel before them and to worship them but they will say to her: “See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow-servant.” (Apoc xxii: 9). Then the soul will be led to Jesus, Who will receive her as His spouse and will say to her: “Come with Me from Lebanon, My spouse.” (Cant iv: 8). Rejoice greatly, My spouse, all thy tears, griefs and fears are now forever ended, receive the everlasting crown which I have obtained for thee by My Blood. Jesus Himself will then lead her to receive the
blessing of His Divine Father, Who, embracing her, will bless her, saying: “Enter thou into the joy of Thy Lord.” (Matt xxv: 21) and He will bless her with the same beatitude which He Himself enjoys.

Affections andPrayers

Behold, my God, at Thy Feet one ungrateful, who was created by Thee for Heaven but who, often for miserable pleasures, has renounced it to Thy Face and has chosen to be condemned to hell!
But I hope even now, Thou hast forgiven all the injuries I have committed, of which I repent endlessly and will continue to repent until death. I desire that Thou ever wouldst renew my pardon.

But, O my God, although Thou hast already pardoned me, it will yet be ever true that I had no disposition to embitter Thee, my Redeemer, Who, to bring me to Thy Kingdom, hadst given Thine Life. But may Thy compassion, O my Jesus, be ever praised and blessed, for with so great patience Thou hast borne with me and in place of chastisements, Thou
hast increased graces, lights and calls.
I see, my dear Saviour, that Thou didst will my special salvation and in Thy country to love Thee eternally but Thou desirest firsly that I should love Thee on earth. Yes, I will love Thee, and this, even were there no Heaven, while I live, with all my soul and with all my might.
It is enough for me to know that Thou, my God, desirest to be loved by me! My Jesus, assist me with Thy grace and do not abandon me.

… My Jesus, Thy merits are my hope. I place all my trust in Thy intercession. Thou didst deliver me from hell when I was in sin; now that I desire Thee, do Thou save me and make me
holy.

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on REPENTANCE

Thought for the Day – 30 October – CONSIDERATION XXVIII, The Remorse of the Lost

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 30 October – 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 XXVIII

The Remorse of the Lost
“Where their worm dieth not
and the fire is not extinguished.”
(Mark ix: 46-47)

FIRST POINT:
BY the worm that does not die, St Thomas Aquinas thinks, is signified, that remorse of conscience, by which the lost will be eternally tormented in hell.
The remorse will be manifold, with which conscience will gnaw the heart of the reprobate but, three forms of it will be the most afflicting – firstly, the thought of the little for which they are lost, then, the little which was required for their salvation and lastly, the great good which they have lost!

The first wound, then, which the lost will experience, will be the thought of, for how little he is lost. After Esau had eaten of that pottage of lentils, for which he had sold his birthright, Holy Scripture says, that, through grief and remorse, “He cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry.” (Gen xxvii: 34) Oh, how the lost will howl and roar, when he thinks that for a few momentary and hurtful gratifications he has lost an eternal Kingdom of joy and has to see himself, eternally condemned to a perpetual death. Whence, he will weep much more bitterly than Jonathan did, when he found himself condemned to death by Saul, his own father, for having eaten a little honey, “I did but taste a little honey … and lo, I must die. (i Sam xiv: 43).

… And does the sinner by chance, who lives without God, ever delight in his sins? How long do the pleasures of sin last? They endure but moments and all the rest of the time in which the sinner lives, devoid of the Grace of God, is a time of pains and torments. Now, what indeed will these moments of pleasure appear to the poor condemned one, and what, in particular the last moment and last sin, through which he was lost? Then he will say, for a wretched animal pleasure which endured but for a moment and which, as soon as possessed, disappeared as the wind: “I shall have to continue to burn in this flame despised and abandoned by all, whilst God shall be God for all eternity.”

Affections and Prayers

Lord, enlighten me that I may know the wrong which I have committed in offending Thee and the eternal punishment which I have deserved on this account.
My God, I feel great sorrow for having offended Thee but this sorrow consoles me, for, if Thou hadst sent me to hell as I deserved, this remorsewould have been the hell
of my hell!
But now, this remorse consoles me, since it gives me the courage to hope for pardon from Thee, Thou Who hast promised, to pardon those who repent.
Yes, my Lord, I repent of having outraged Thee. I embrace this sweet grief, I even pray Thee to increase it and to preserve it within me, until death that so, I may ever weep
bitterly over the displeasure I have caused Thee.

My Jesus, pardon me. O my Redeemer, Who, although having pity upon me, hadst no pity for Thyself, condemning Thyself to die of grief to liberate me from hell, have pity upon me.
Grant, then, the remorse of having offended Thee may keep me ever sorrowful and, at the same time, may inflame me wholly with love of Thee, Who has so greatly loved me, and Who hast, with so much patience, borne with me.
… I thank Thee for these Graces, O my Jesus. I love Thee : I love Thee more than myself, I love Thee with my whole heart.
… “Cast me not away from Thy Presence.”

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HELL

Thought for the Day – 29 October – CONSIDERATION XXVII, The Eternity of Hell

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 29 October – 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 XXVII

The Eternity of Hell
“And these shall go into everlasting punishment.”
(Matt xxv: 46)

FIRST POINT:
IF hell were not eternal it would not be hell ,for that pain which does not last long, is not very great. … When a pain lasts for a long time, even should it be a very light one, … it becomes unbearable. But why do I speak of pain? For a comedy or a concert which lasted very long, even for a day, would not be borne for weariness; how would it be if it lasted for a month or for a year?

What then will hell be? in which it is not the hearing of the same comedy or music, or the suffering the toothache, or the swelling; nor is it suffering the torture of … red-hot irons but there will be all torments, all pains and for how long? Through all eternity, “Shall be tormented day and night, forever and ever.” (Apoc xx: 10).

The belief in this eternity, is an Article of Faith it is not only a certain opinion but is a Truth witnessed to us by God in many places of Holy Scripture: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.” (Matt xxv: 41) “And these shall go into everlasting punishment.” (Matt xxv: 45) “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction.” (2 Thess i: 9) “Everyone shall be salted with fire.” (Mark ix: 48) As salt preserves, so the fire of hell, in the very time in which it torments the lost, performs the office of salt, preserving life to them. St Bernard says: “There, the fire consumes, that it may always, preserve.”

Now, what madness would it be of anyone, who, to obtain one day of pleasure, should condemn himself to be shut up in a pit some twenty or thirty years. If hell were to last a hundred years .. if it should not last more than two or three years, still it would be great madness for a moment of vile pleasure, to condemn oneself to two or three years of burning. But it does not treat of thirty, of a hundred, of a thousand, or of a million years but of eternity; it is a question of suffering fo ever, the same torments which will never end, never be lightened even for a moment!

The Saints, therefore, had reason, whilst they were in this life and even in danger of being condemned, to weep and to tremble. The blessed Isaiah, although living in the desert in fasting and penitence, wept, saying, “Alas, unhappy me, for I am not yet delivered from the fire of hell.”

Affections andPrayers

O my God, hadst Thou sent me to hell, as truly many times I have deserved to be sent and Thou, through Thy pity, hadst afterwards delivered me from it, how greatly would I have remained indebted to Thee? and from thenceforth, what a holy life I should have begun to live?

Now, with still greater mercy. Thou hast preserved me from falling into it, what shall I do Shall I turn again and offend and provoke Thee to scorn, in order that Thou mayest properly send me to burn in that prison of Thy rebels, where so many indeed truly burn for lesser sins than mine?
Oh, my Redeemer, so have I acted in time past; instead of serving Thee in the time which Thou hast given me to weep over my sins, I have spent it in still further provoking Thee to anger.
I thank Thy Infinite Goodness which has borne with me so long; if it had not been Infinite, how could it ever have so borne with me? I thank Thee for having ,with so great patience, waited for me until now and I thank Thee especially for the light which Thou now givest me, by which Thou teachest me to know my madness and the wrong I have done … My Jesus, I detest them and I repent with my whole heart.

Pardon me by Thy Passion and so assist me by Thy Grace that I may never offend Thee more.
… Oh, my Lord, I pray Thee, place before my eyes this just fear of being abandoned by Thee, whenever the devil may tempt me to offend Thee gain.
My God, I love Thee, never will I lose Thee again. Assist mw by Thy Grace that I may never more sin against Thee.

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, The LAST THINGS, The SECOND COMING

Thought for the Day – 27 October – CONSIDERATION XXV, The General Judgement

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Thought for the Day – 27 October – 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 XXV

The General Judgement
“The Lord is known to execute judgement.”
(Ps ix: 16)

FIRST POINT:
IF now we consider well, there is no person in the world more despised than Jesus Christ. We take more account of a peasant than we do of God because, we fear, if we have offended others, lest he being filled with wrath, should avenge himself but we commit offences against God over and over again as if God were not able to avenge Himself whenever it pleases Him!

… But, therefore, it is that the Redeemer has appointed a day which will be the day of General Judgement, called, even in Holy Scripture, “The day of the Lord,” in which Jesus Christ will be known to be that Sovereign Lord, Who indeed He is. “The Lord is known to execute judgement.” (Ps ix: 16). Hence, such a day is no longer called a day of mercy and pardon but “a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of waste and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess.” (Zeph i: 15). Yes, for then will the Lord, very justly, redeem to Himself the honour which sinners, during this life, have sought to deprive Him of.

Let us try to imagine, in what way, the judgement of that great day will come to pass.
Before the Judge shall come, “there shall go a fire before
Him.” (Ps xcvii: 3). Fire shall come from Heaven which will burn the earth and all the things of the earth, “The earth also and the works which are therein, shall be burned.” (2 Pet iii: 10). So that palaces, Churches, Towns, Cities, Kingdoms, all, will become a pile of ashes. This house, all polluted as it is with sin, will be purged with fire. Behold the end which all the riches, the pomps and the pleasures of this world, will have.
For those who are dead, the trumpet will sound and they will all arise. “For the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised.” (i Cor xv: 52).

St Jerome observes: “As often as I reflect upon the Day of Judgement, I tremble – that trumpet seems ever to resound in my ears, Arise, ye dead and come to judgement.”
At the sound of that trumpet the beautiful souls of the Blessed, will descend, to be united to their bodies, with which they have served God in this life but the miserable souls of the lost,“ will ascend from hell, to be united to those accursed bodies with which they have offended God.
Oh, what a difference will there be, then, between the bodies of those who are Blessed and the bodies of those who are lost.
The Blessed will appear beautiful, lovely and more resplendent than the sun. “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun.” (Matt xiii: 43). O happy he, who in this life knows how to mortify his flesh by refusing pleasures which are forbidden and who, in order to keep it more under control, refuses it even the lawful pleasures of the senses and ill-treats it as the Saints have done! Oh, what happiness will he derive from it on that day!

On the other hand, the bodies of the lost, will appear deformed, black and offensive. Oh, what anguish will the lost soul feel upon being united to its body! The soul will exclaim: “Accursed body, in order to please thee I am lost!” And the body will reply: “Accursed soul, when thou hadst reason in thy power, wherefore didst thou grant me those pleasures which have caused both thee and I to be lost for all eternity!?”

Affections andPrayers

Ah, my Jesus and my Redeemer, Thou Who one day will be my Judge, do Thou pardon me before that day shall arrive.
“Cast me not away from Thy presence.” (Ps li: 11) .
Now Thou art a Father to me and as that Father do Thou receive into Thy favour, a son, who returns repentant to Thy feet.
My Father, I ask pardon from Thee. I have offended Thee unjustly, I have left Thee wrongfully. Thou didst not deserve to be treated as I have treated Thee. I repent and I grieve with all my heart. Pardon me. Do not turn away Thy face from me, do not drive me from Thee as I deserve …
Remember the Blood which Thou hast shed for me and have mercy upon me. My Jesus, I desire no other Judge than Thee.

St Thomas of Villanova said: “I willingly submit to the Judgement of Him Who died for me and, that I might not be condemned, suffered Himself to be condemned to the Cross!”
And before him, St Paul said: “Who is he Who condemneth? It is Christ Who died …. for us.” (Rom viii: 34) .

My Father, I love Thee and for the time to come, I wish never more to leave Thy feet.
Do Thou forget the wrongs I have committed against Thee and give me a great love towards Thy goodness. …
Jesus, make me live a life ever grateful to Thy Love, so that in that day, I may be found “in the valley, amongst the number of Thy lovers.”

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on SIN, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL

Thought for the Day – 25 October – CONSIDERATION XXIII, The Delusions infused by the Devil into the Mind of the Sinner

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Thought for the Day – 25 October – 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 XXIII

The Delusions infused by the Devil
in the Mind of the Sinner
“That they mav recover themselves
out of the snare of the devil.”
(2 Tim ii: 26)

FIRST POINT:
LET us picture to ourselves some young person once fallen into grievous sin but who now, has confessed it and has regained the Divine grace. The devil again tempts such a one to fall, he resists but already he wavers because of the delusions which the enemy puts into his mind. I say to such: “Young man, tell me what thou dost wish to do?
Art thou willing to lose the grace of God which thou hast
regained and which is worth more than all the world, in order to obtain that miserable satisfaction? Dost thou wish to write the sentence of thy eternal death to condemn thyself to burn forever in hell?” Thou sayest, No, I do not wish to condemn myself, I wish to be saved; if I commit this sin I will confess it afterwards.

This is the first delusion which the devil presents to you. Thou sayest that afterwards thou wilt confess it? But, in the meanwhile, thou art losing thy soul. Tell me, whether, if thou hadst a jewel in thy hand which was worth a very large sum of money, wouldst thou throw it into the river saying: “Presently I will search carefully,and then I shall hope to find it again?” but thou hast in thy hand that most beautiful jewel – thy soul which Jesus Christ has bought with His Blood and thou art willingly throwing it into hell! for by sinning thou art already condemned according to the present justice and thus casting it away, thou art saying, I hope to regain it by confessing.

But if thou shouldst not regain it? For in order to regain it,
a true repentance is necessary which is the gift of God. And if God should not grant this repentance? And if death should come and deprive thee of the time for confession?
Thou sayest that thou wilt not allow a week to pass without
confession. But who promises thee this week? Thou sayest
that thou wilt confess to-morrow. But who promises thee tomorrow?

St Augustine writes thus – God has not promised to give thee to-morrow, perhaps He will give it to thee and perhaps He will refuse to give it to thee; even as He has denied it to so many, who at night have gone to bed alive and in the morning have been found dead. How many, indeed, in the act itself of sin, has the Lord struck dead and sent to everlasting punishment? And if He should do the same with thee, how couldst thou amend thy eternal ruin? Know, that because of this mistake, in saying: “Afterwards I will confess,” the devil has borne many thousands of Christian souls to hell. … All, when they sin, sin in the hope of confessing their sin and thus, have so many miserable ones been condemned and now they can no longer remedy their condemnation.

But thou sayest: “I am not strong enough to resist that temptation” this is the second delusion of the devil who tries to make thee feel that thou hast not strength to resist the present passion.
Firstly, we must understand that God, as the Apostle tells us, is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted beyond that which we are able. (l Cor x: 13).
Moreover, I ask thee, if now thou art not strong enough to resist, how canst thou gain strength afterwards? Afterwards, the enemy will not cease to tempt thee to commit other sins and then, he will be much stronger against thee and thou wilt be much weaker. If, therefore, now thou art not strong enough to extinguish that flame, how wilt thou be able to do so, when the flame is much greater Thou sayest that God will give thee His help. But God already gives His assistance to thee; why, therefore, with His Grace canst thou not resist? Perhaps thou art hoping that God will increase His aid and His graces, after thou hast increased thy sins!? But if now thou requirest greater assistance and strength, why not ask God to grant them to thee? Perhaps thou art doubting God’s faithfulness, when He promised to give thee all that thou need: “Ask, and it shall be given thee.” (Matt vii: 7).
God cannot fail; fly to Him; He will give thee that strength which is necessary for thee to resist.

Ancient Fathers have declared that “God does not command things impossible to be performed but, by commanding, bids thee both do what thou can and to pray for what thou cannot do and He helps you to do it.”

Affections andPrayers

Therefore, my God, is it because Thou hast been so good to me that I have been so ungrateful to Thee?
We have, as it were, been battling each other – I, in flying from Thee and Thou, in seeking me; Thou in doing me good and I, in doing evil against Thee.
Ah, my Lord, if there were no other reason, the goodness alone which Thou hast shown me, ought to have inspired me with love for Thee; for after I have increased my sins, Thou hast increased Thy Graces. And, whenever have I deserved the Light which Thou art giving to me?
My Lord, I thank Thee with all my heart and I hope
to come to Heaven, there to thank Thee for that Light through all eternity. I hope, through Thy Blood, to be saved and I hope it with certainty because Thou hast shown so many mercies to me.

In the meantime I hope Thou wilt grant me strength. never more to betray Thee. … I have offended Thee often enough.
In the life that remains to me I wish to love Thee. And how can I help loving a God, Who, after having died for me, has borne with me with so much patience, notwithstanding the many insults I have offered to Him?
O God of my soul, I repent with all my heart; would that I could die of grief. But if during the past, I have turned from Thee, now do I love Thee beyond every thing, much more than I love myself.

Eternal Father, through the merits of Jesus Christ, succour a miserable sinner who wishes to love Thee.

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 24 October – CONSIDERATION XXII, The Habit of Sin

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Thought for the Day – 24 October – 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 XXII

The Habit of Sin
“When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt.”
(Prov xviiu: 3)

FIRST POINT:
ONE of the greatest evils which the sin of Adam caused us, is the wicked inclination to sin. This made the Apostle weep when he found himself impelled, by concupiscence, towards those same sins which he detested. “But I see another law in my members …. bringing me into captivity to the law of sin.” (Rom vii: 23).

And, therefore, it happens with us that being infected by this concupiscence and with so many enemies who urge us onto evil, we find it so difficult to reach the blessed country without sin. Now, such being our frailty, I ask, what would you say of a traveller who would have to cross the sea in a storm in a shattered boat and yet, should wish to load it with a weight which, even were the boat a strong one and there were no storm, would be enough to send it to the
bottom? What would you predict concerning the life of such an one?
Now, we say the same of the habitual sinner, who, having to pass over the sea of this life – a sea which is very tempestuous and, where many are lost in a weak and shattered boat, which is our flesh and to which we are united, is willing to weigh it down with habitual sins! For in this habitual sinner, it is very difficult to be saved because the evil habit darkens the mind and hardens the heart and by doing so, easily renders him obstinate, even to death.

In the first place, the evil habit produces blindness. And why is it that the Saints ever beg God to give them Light and why do they fear lest they should become the greatest sinners in the world? It is because they know that if, for one moment, they were to lose the Light, they might commit any wickedness. How is it that so many Christians have been willing to live in sin, until they have, at last, condemned themselves? “Their own malice blinded them.” (Wisd ii: 21).
Sin has deprived them of sight and so, they have become lost. Each sin produces blindness, so when the sin increases, so does the blindness increase. God is our Light; the more,, therefore, the soul withdraws itself from God, the more does its darkness increase. … As the light of the sun cannot enter in a vessel filled with earth, so the Divine Light cannot enter a heart filled with vices. And, therefore, it is that we see many relaxed sinners lose this Light,
and go on from sin to sin and never again think of amending their ways.

These miserable sinners have fallen into that dark pit, where they can do nothing but sin, speak only of sin, think only of sin and, at last, they scarcely recognise the evil in sin.
St Augustine observes, that “the habit itself of evil, does not suffer sinners to see the evil which they do.” So they live as if they no longer believed in a God, a paradise, a hell, or an eternity.
And, behold, for that sin which, at one time, caused them to feel great horror, through the evil habit, no longer causes them to feel it.
… “Observe,” says St Gregory, “with what ease a bit of straw is moved by the slightest puff of wind” even thus do we often see some, who, before they fell, once resisted, … and strove against the temptations but after the sin, became habitual, they yielded to every temptation and every occasion of sin presented to them. And, wherefore? Because the evil habit has deprived them of Light.

St Anselm tells us that the devil acts with many sinners, like anyone who holds a bird tied by a string, who allows it to fly but directly it flies he pulls it back again to earth. Even so, as the Saint observes, does it happen with habitual sinners: “Entangled by a bad habit, they are held by the enemy; flying, they are cast down into the same vice.” … As St Chrysostom observes: “Habit is a difficult thing which sometimes compels those,. who are unwilling, to do what is wrong.” Yes, because, according to St Augustine, the bad habit at last becomes a sure necessity! And St Bernardine also adds: “Habit is changed into nature” for, as it is necessary for man to breathe, even so to habitual sinners who are made the slaves of sin, it seems necessary to sin.
… These wretched ones will open their eyes in hell, when there will be no longer any good in opening them, except to weep more bitterly over their folly.

Affections andPrayers

My God, Thou hast indeed favoured me with Thy blessings in blessing me more than others and I have clearly, by my offences, displeased Thee more than any other.

Oh sorrowful Heart of my Redeemer, Who upon the Cross wast afflicted and tormented when beholding my sins, give me, through Thy merits, a living knowledge and grief for my sins.
Ah, my Jesus, I am full of wickedness but Thou art Omnipotent; truly canst Thou fill me with Thy holy Love. Therefore, in Thee do I trust Thou Who art good and of Infinite Mercy. I repent, O Sovereign Good, for having offended Thee.

Oh, would that I had died, rather than have given Thee this offence. I have been forgetful of Thee but Thou hast never been forgetful of me. I can see it through that Light which Thou dost now grant me. Since, therefore, Thou dost grant me that Light, grant me too, the strength to be faithful to Thee.
… In Thee, O my Jesus, do I hope never more to be confounded in sin and deprived of Thine Grace.

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

Thought for the Day – 20 October – CONSIDERATION XVIII, Of the Number of Sins

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Thought for the Day – 20 October – 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 XVIII

Of the Number of Sins
“Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore, the heart of the sons of men
is fully set in them to do evil.”
(Eccles viii: 11)

FIRST POINT:
IF God were to chastise offences, immediately, He would not be nsulted as He is now but because the Lord delays His punishment and waits, sinners take courage to further offend Him.

We must understand, that although God waits and endures, He will not wait and suffer forever. It is the opinion of many of the holy Fathers that, as God has determined for each man, the days of his life, the state of his health, the talents He wills to bestow upon him “Thou hast ordered all things in measure, number and weight” (Wisd xi: 21) so has He determined for each one, the number of sins which He will pardon which, being fulfilled, He pardons no more!
St Augustine says: “We should remember that, for a certain time, the long-suffering of God bears with each one of us but when this time is completed, no pardon is reserved for him.”
St Eusebius of Caesarea also says that “God waits up to a certain number and afterwards, leaves the sinner.”

This opinion of the Fathers is supported by Holy Scripture.
In one place it says that the Lord delayed the ruin of the Amorites. “For the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” (Gen xv: 16). In another, “I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel.” (Hos i: 6). Again, “Because all those men …. have tempted Me now these ten times. … Surely
they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers.”
(Num xiv: 22, 23). In another place Job says: “My transgression is sealed up in a bag.” (Job xiv: 17).

Sinners keep no account of their sins but God does, strictly, that He may punish when the harvest is ripe that is, when the number is completed. …
Sinner, you should fear, for the sins which have been forgiven you, for if you add another sin, it may be that the new sin with those already pardoned, will complete the number and then, there will remain no more mercy for you and this Holy Scripture plainly declares: “The Lord patiently expecteth that when the day of judgement shall arrive, He may punish them in the fulness of their sins.”
(2 Mace vi: 14) .
So that God waits until the day in which the measure of sins is full and then, He punishes.
Of this delayed punishment, there are many examples in Holy Scripture and especially in the case of Saul, who was forsaken by God for his last disobedience and who prayed that Samuel would intercede for him, saying: “I prav thee, pardon my sin and turn again with me that I may worship the Lord.” (i Sam xv: 25). But Samuel answered: “I will not return with thee, for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord and the Lord hath rejected thee.” (Ib xv: 26). …

Oh, to how many miserable sinners does it not happen that they live for many years in their sins but when their number is fiull, they are seized by death and are sent to hell! “They spend their days in wealth and in a moment, go down to the grave.” (Job xxi: 13).

Affections andr.Prayers

Oh, my God, I thank Thee; how many, for fewer sins than mine are now in hell and for them there is no more pardon or hope! Whilst I am still living, … I have, if I desire it, the hope of pardon and of Heaven. Yes, my God, I desire pardon. I repent, above every other sin, that of having offended Thee because I have offended Thy Infinite Goodness.

Eternal Father, “Look upon the Face of Thine Anointed.” (Ps Ixxxiv: 9). Look upon that Son, Who died upon that Cross for me. By His merits, have pity upon me.
I promise to choose death rather than to offend Thee more. I may justly fear, thinking upon the sins that I have committed and the graces which Thou hast bestowed upon me, that should I add another sin, my measure would be full and I should be condemned.
Oh, help me by Thy grace – from Thee I look for light and strength to be faithful to Thee and if ever Thou seest that I should again offend Thee, let me die in this moment, in which I trust that I an in Thy grace.
I love Thee, my God, above all things and I fear more than death itself, to find myself agaiagain out of Thy grace ; in mercy gran, this may never be.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on REPENTANCE, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 19 October – CONSIDERATION XVII, Of the House of Divine Mercy

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Thought for the Day – 19 October – 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 XVII

Of the House of Divine Mercy
“Not knowing that the goodness of God
leadeth thee to repentance?”
(Rom ii: 4)

FIRST POINT:
WE read in the parable in St Matthew xiii that the tares, having grown in a field together with the corn, the servants wished to pluck them up.
“Wilt Thou then that we go and gather them up ?”
But the Master answered: “Nay; …. Let them both grow together until the harvest and at the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them.”
From this parable we learn the patience which the Lord shows to sinners and also, the severity which He shows to those who are obstinate.

St Augustine observes, the devil deceives men in two ways,
“By despair and by hope!”
After the sinner has committed the sin, he tempts him to despair, through fear of the Divine Justice but before the sin is committed, he tempts the sinner to commit it, by telling him of the Divine Mercy.
Therefore, the Saint warns everyone, by saying: “After sin, hope for mercy; before sin, fear justice.”
Yes, because he who makes use of mercy to offend God, does not deserve mercy.
Mercy is shown to him who fears God, not to him who makes use of it so as not to fear God. He who offends justice, observes Abulensis, can fly to mercy but he who offends the same mercy, to whom can he fly?

It is but seldom a sinner is found so hopeless, as to wish to be condemned. Sinners are willing to sin but they are not willing
to give up the hope of being saved. They commit sin and
say to themselves, God is merciful; I will commit this sin and
afterwards confess it. Behold, says St Augustine, this is how
sinnersspeak: “God is good, I will do what pleaseth me” but
O God, how many, who are now in hell, have said the same!

… The mercy of God is Infinite but the acts of this mercy are finite. God is merciful but He is also just. … As St Augustine observes, God never fails in His promises, neither does He fail in His threats!
Take care, says St Chrysostom, when the devil but not God, promises thee Divine Mercy, that thou mayest commit sin.
Woe, add St Augustine, to him who hopes, so that he may sin: “ Woe to that perverse hope.” Oh ! exclaims the Saint, how many there are, whom this vain hope has deceived and caused to be lost!

… In short, although God endures, for some time, yet He will not endure forever. If God were to suffer sin forever, no-one would be lost but it is the general opinion, that the greater part, even of Christians are lost.
“For wide is the gate and broad is the way, which leadeth to destructio, and many there be, who go in thereat.” (Matt vii:13). …

Affections and Prayers

Ah, my God, I have been one of those who offended The,
notwithstanding Thou wast good to me. Lord, wait for me,
do not abandon me because I hope, Thy grace helping me,
never more to provoke Thee to abandon me.
I repent, O Thou
Infinite Goodness, for having offended Thee and for, having
thus abused Thy patience. I thank Thee that Thou hast
waited for me until now. From this day forward, I will never
more abuse Thee as I have done, in the time that .is past. Thou hast borne with me so long that Thou mightest one day see me made a lover of Thy Goodness.
That that day be already come, is my hope.

I love Thee more than anything and I prize Thy grace
more than all the kingdoms of the world; rather than lose it, I would lose my life, if it were possible to do so, many times over,
My God, for the love of Jesus Christ, give me holy perseverance until death, with Thy most holy love. Never allow me to betray Thee any more, neither to cease to love Thee.

Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, PREPARATION for DEATH

Thought for the Day – 18 October – CONSIDERATION XVI, Of the Mercy of God

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Thought for the Day – 18 October – 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 XVI

Of the Mercy of God
“Mercy rejoiceth against judgement.”
( James ii: 13).

FIRST POINT:
GOODNESS is diffusive in its nature, that is to say, it inclines ever to communicate its goodness to others.
Now, God, Who by nature is Infinite Goodness, has a sovereign desire to communicate His happiness to us and, therefore, it is not His nature to punish but to show mercy to all. As Isaiah says, punishment is opposite to the inclination of Almighty God. “ He shall be wroth …. that He may do His work, His strange work.” (Isa xxviii: 21). And when the Lord
chastises in this life, He chastises so that He may show mercy in the next. “Thou hast also been displeased; O turn Thee unto us again.” (Ps Ix: I). He appears to be angry, so that we may repent and detest our sins.
“Thou hast shown Thy people heavy things; Thou hast given us a drink of deadly wine.” (Ps lx: 3).
And if He sends us any punishment, He sends it because He loves us and that we may be delivered from eternal punishment.
“Thou hast given a token for such as fear Thee that they may triumph because of the truth. Therefore, were Thy beloved delivered.” (Ps Ix: 4, 5).

And how can the mercy be ever admired and praised enough which God shows towards sinners in waiting for them, in calling them and in receiving them when they return?
And, in the first place, oh, how great is the patience which God exercises owards us in waiting for our repentance!
My brother, when thou wast offending God, He could have caused thee to die but He waited for thee and, instead of chastising thee, He conferred His benefits upon thee. He preserved thy life and provided for thee. He feigned not to see thy sins, so that thou might repent. “Thou overlookest the sins of men, for the sake of repentance.” (Wisd xi: 24).

But how is it, Lord, that Thou Who canst not endure the sight of a single sin, yet remainest quiet when Thou beholdest so many?
“Thou beholdest that dishonest one that revengeful one that blasphemer, whose offences increase daily but yet ,Thou punish them not and why so much patience?”
Therefore, will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you.” (Isa xxx: 18).
God waits for the sinner, so that he may amend his ways and thus, He may pardon and save him.

St Thomas observes, all creation – fire, earth, air, water – would punish the sinner by instinct, to avenge the wrongs done to the Creator, for “all creation, in its service to Thee, the Creator, turns against the impious.”

Yet God, in His mercy withholds them. But, Lord, Thou dost wait for these wicked ones that they may repent, yet dost Thou not see they are making use of Thy mercy to offend Thee more?
… And wherefore then so much patience?
Because God willeth not the death of the sinner but that he should be converted and live.
“As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” (Ezek xxxii: 11).
St Augustine goes so far as to say, that if God were not God, “He would be unjust on account of the long-suffering which He shows towards shiners.” To wait for that one who makes use of God’s patience only to become more sinful, would appear unjust to the Divine honour. “We sin,” the Saint goes onto say, “We sin and are attached to it, and some make their peace with sin ; they sleep in sin for months and for years . We rejoice in sin, some even boast of their wickedness and art Thou appeased ?”

It would seem as if we were fighting with God, we were provoking Him to punish us but He inviting us to pardon!

Affections,and Prayers

Ah, my Lord, full well do I know, at this very hour, my place ought to be in hell.
But because of Thy mercy, I am not there but in this place, even at Thy feet and I can hear Thee telling me, that Thou dost wish to be loved by me.
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.”

And Thou dost assure me of Thy pardon if only I repent of the offences which I have committed against Thee. Yes, my God, since Thou desirest to be loved even by me, who am a miserable rebel against Thy Majesty, I will love Thee with all my heart and I will repent for having offended Thee, more than any other sin into which I may have fallen.

Ah, enlighten me, O Infinite Goodness and make me to know the wrong I have done Thee.
No, I will no longer resist Thy calls. I will no more displease
the God Who has loved me so much and Who has pardoned
me so many times and with so much love.
Ah, would that I had never offended Thee, O my Jesus ! Pardon me and grant that from this day forward, I may love none other than Thee that I may live for Thee alone, Thou who didst die for me.

Grant that I may suffer for Thy love, since Thou hast suffered so much for mine. Thou hast loved me from eternity; grant that I may burn with Thy love in eternity. I hope for all things because of Thy merits.

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on HELL, QUOTES on MORTAL SIN, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 17 October – CONSIDERATION XV, On the Evil of Deadly Sin

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Thought for the Day – 17 October – 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 XV

On the Evil of Deadly Sin
“I have nourished and brought up children
and they have rebelled against me.”
(Isa 1:2)

FIRST POINT: “”
WHAT does he do who commits a deadly sin?
He insults God, he dishonours God, he embitters God.

In the first place, by the deadly sin he commits, he insults God.
As St Thomas observes, the malice of an injury is measured
according to the person who does it and the person who receives it. It is very wicked to insult a peasant but it is worse to insult a nobleman and still much worse, to insult a king.
Who is God ? He is the King of kings: “Lord of lords and King of kings.” (Apoc xvii: 14).
God is of Infinite Majesty, with respect to Whom, all the princes of the earth, the Saints and the Angels in Heaven, are less than a grain of dust.
Nay, says Isaiah, compared with the greatness of God all creatures are as the smallest things, even as though they had never been: “All nations before Him are as nothing.” (Isa xl:17).

Even such is God and who is man? St. Bernard answers,
even a sack of worms and food for worms, who, in a short time, will be devoured by worms: “Miserable and poor and blind and naked.” (Apoc iii: 17).
Man is a miserable worm who can do nothing; he is blind and can see nothing and poor and naked and has nothing. And this miserable worm dares to insult God!

… The Angelic Doctor is right when he says: “the sin of man contains a malice almost infinite.
Sin has a certain infinity of malice from the infinity of the Divine Majesty.”
Nay, St Augustine calls sin absolutely an “infinite evil!”
Therefore it is, that if all men, and all Angels, were to offer themselves to die and to annihilation, they would not be able to make satisfaction for one single sin!

God punishes deadly sin with the great punishment of hell but, however much God punishes the sinner, all theologians agree that God punishes it “Citra condignnm” that is, with less punishment than deadly sin deserves.
And what punishment can be great enough for a worm who tries to set himself against his Lord? God is Lord of all, because He has created all things.
And in fact, all creatures obey God: “The winds and the sea obey Him” (Matt viii: 27).
“Fire and hail, snow and vapours, wind and storm, fulfilling His word.” (Ps cxlviii: 8).

But what does man do when he sins?
He says to God, Lord, I do not wish to serve Thee …
“Who is the Lord that I should obey His Voice ….. I know not the Lord.” (Exod v: 2).
Even thus does the sinner say: “Lord, I know Thee not ; I wish to do what pleases me.”
In short, he despises God and turns away from Him and, it is indeed committing a deadly sin, to turn away from God. “A turning away from the unchangeable good,” as St Thomas observes.

Of this does the Lord complain.
… Thou hast been ungrateful, says God, thou hast left Me, since I would never have left thee, thou hast turned away from Me.
God has declared that He hates sin, therefore, He cannot do otherwise than hate him who sins: “For the ungodly and his ungodliness, are both alike, hateful unto God.” (Wisd xiv: 9). When man sins, he is bold enough to declare himself the enemy of God. “He stretcheth out his hand against God and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.” (Job xv: 25).
… And when the sinner consents to sin, he stretches out his hand against God. He stretches out his neck, that is to say, pride and flies in the Face of God; he arms himself with a thick shield, with ignorance! and says: “What have I done ? what harm is there in the sin I have committed? God is merciful; He pardons sinners.”
O my God, keep me from such boldness and blindness!

Affections andPrayers

Behold, O my God, at Thy Feet the rebellious one; the bold
one, who has had the boldness to insult Thee so many times
and to turn away from Thee but now I seek for mercy from
Thee.
For Thou hast said: “Call unto Me and I will answer thee.” (Jer xxxiii: 3).
I know that hell is a fitting punishment for me but Thou knowest that I feel very sorry for having offended Thee, O Thou Infinite Goodness, more sorry than if I had lost everything I possess and my life even.
Ah, my
Lord, pardon me and never let me offend Thee more. Thou
hast waited for me, so that I may forever bless Thy mercy and
love Thee. Yes, I do bless and love Thee and hope because of.
the merits of Jesus Christ, never more to be separated from Thy Love. … Ah, take me entirely into Thy possession, my soul, my body,
my powers, my senses, my will and my liberty.
… Thou Who art my only good, my only adorable One, be also my only love. Give me zeal in loving Thee.
1 hope for it from Thee, O Thou, Who art Omnipotent.

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN, QUOTES on HELL

Thought for the Day – 16 October –CONSIDERATION XIV, Life is a Journey to Eternity

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Thought for the Day – 16 October – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

CONSIDERATION XIV

Life is a Journey to Eternity
“Man goeth to his long home.”
(Eccles xii: 5)

FIRST POINT:
FROM beholding that, in this world, so many evil-livers live in prosperity and, so many righteous men, on the contrary, live in adversity, even the Gentiles recognised, by the light of nature alone, this truth – as there is a God and, as this God is just, so there must be another life, in which the wicked will be punished and the good rewarded! What these Gentiles saw by the light of reason alone, we, Christians, confess, by faith: “Here we have no abiding city but we seek
one to come.” (Heb xiii; 14). This world is not truly our country but, for us, it is a place of passage, through which we must pass quickly to our “long home.”
“Man goeth to his long home.”

Therefore, my reader, the house in which you dwell is not your house; it is an hostel from which, quickly and when you least expect it, you will have to depart.
Know, when the time of your death has arrived, those most dear, will be the first to thrust you out.
And what will be your real home? A grave will be the home of your body, until the day of judgement and your soul will have to go to its long home, either to Paradise or to Hell.
Wherefore, St Augustine addresses you: “Thou art a guest; thou beholdest and thou passest onwards.”
That traveller would be insan, who, passing through a country, would wish to lay out there all his inheritance in the purchase of a villa or a house in that place which, in a few days he must leave.
Reflect, yet, says the Saint, that in this world thou art a passenger, do not place thy affections on what thou seest, behold and pass on and procure a good home where you will have to dwell forever.

If thou art saved, happy art thou. Oh, what a beautiful home is Heaven! All the palaces of Monarchs, so exceedingly rich, are hovels when compared with the City of Heaven which alone can be called “the perfection of beauty.” (Lam ii: 15).
In that place, you will not have anything left to desire; remaining in the company of the Saints and of Jesus Christ, without further fear of harm. In short, you will live in an ocean of delights,and in perpetual joy which will never end:
“Everlasting joy upon their heads.” (Isa xxxv 10). This joy will be so great that, through all eternity, at every moment, it will appear to be ever new.

But, if thou art lost; unhappy thou! Thou wilt be confined in a lake of fire, abandoned by all and without God. And for what time? Perchance, when a hundred thousand years shall have passed by, your punishment will be ended? What end!
A hundred thousand million years and ages will pass by, and your hell will be ever at its beginning. For what are a thousand years in comparison with eternity? Less than a day that has passed,
“A thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday, seeing that it is past as a watch in the night.” (Ps xc: 4).

Do you wish to know what will be your home which will receive you in eternity? It will be exactly that which you deserved and which you chose by your own actions!

Affections and Prayers

Behold, then, O Lord, the home which I have deserved by my life; alas, Hell! where, from the first sin which I committed, I ought to remain, abandoned by Thee, deprived of the hope of being able to love Thee more.
Let Thy mercy forever be blessed which, having waited for me, also gives me time to atone for my sin! Let the Blood of Jesus Christ be blessed which has obtained this mercy for me.
No, my God, I do not desire further to abuse Thy patience. I repent, above every other sin, having grieved Thee, not so much on account of having deserved hell, as that I have abused Thy infinite goodiiess.
Never more, my God, never more; let me die rather than offend Thee more. If I were now in Hell, O my Sovereign Good, I could not love Thee any more, neither couldst Thou further love me. I love Thee and I desire to be loved by Thee.
I do not deserve this but Jesus Christ merits it, Who so sacrificed Himself upon the Cross that Thou mightst be able to pardon and love me.

Eternal Father, for the love, then, of Thy Son, give me grace to love Thee ever and to love Thee much, more and more.
I love Thee, O my Father, for having given Thy Son!

Posted in JESUIT SJ, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on THE WORLD, QUOTES on VANITY

Thought for the Day – 15 October – CONSIDERATION XIII, The Vanity of the World

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Thought for the Day – 15 October – Meditations with Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787) Bishop, Confessor, Most Zealous Doctor of the Church

As Advent is approaching quickly and I am desirous of posting specific “Advent Thoughts,” I am curtailing this Series and will only post the First Point in each “Consideration” – we will revisit the Second and Third Points in the future, should Our Lord allow us the time.
Please comment below if you have any ideas, either for or against this plan.
The last Post before my break was on 30 September: https://anastpaul.com/2024/09/30/thought-for-the-day-30-september-consideration-xii-the-importance-of-salvation/

“Preparation for Death”
By St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori (1696-1787)

CONSIDERATION XIII

The Vanity of the World
“What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul. ”
(Matt xvi: 26)

FIRST POINT:
A CERTAIN ancient philosopher, named Aristippus, was shipwrecked on a voyage and lost all his goods but he reached the shore. Being much renowned for his knowledge, he was provided with all that he had lost by the inhabitants of the place; whence he wrote to his friends in his own country, who following his example that they should care to provide themselves with those things only which could not perish in shipwreck!

So precisely do our parents and friends who are in eternity speak to us, bidding us provide only in life, such good things as death cannot destroy. The day of death is called “the day of destruction” (Deut xxxii: 35). For in that day all earthly goods, honours, riches, pleasures – all will be destroyed. Hence, St Ambrose says: “They are not our own possessions which we are not able to take away with us; our virtue alone accompanies us!”
What serves it then, says Jesus Christ, to gain the whole world, if losing the soul in death, we lose all.
“What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”

Ah, this mighty truth! how many young men has it bidden to seek the cloister; how many hermits to live in deserts; how many martyrs to give their lives for Jesus Christ!
St Ignatius de Loyola, by this truth, drew many souls to God, especially the beautiful soul of St Francis Xavier who, living in Paris, gave himself up to the world. St Ignatius said to him one day: “Remember, the world is a traitor, it promises but it does not fulfil: if it should perform what it promises, it is
not able to fill thy heart. But let us suppose that it could satisfy it, how long would this, thy happiness endure ? Can it last longer than thy life? and, in short, what canst thou carry into eternity?
Is there perchance any rich’ man who has carried thither either a piece of money or a servant for his convenience? Is there any king who has carried a thread of the purple through his love of it ?”
On hearing these words, t. Francis left the world; he followed St Ignatius and he became a great Saint.!

“Vanity of vanities,” so Solomon called all the goods of this world, although he had not denied himself one pleasure of all those which are in the world, as he himself acknowledges. “Whatsoever mine eyes desired, I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy.” (Eccles ii: 10).
Sister Margaret of St Anne, of the Barefooted-Carmelites, daughter of the Emperor Rudolph II, said: “ Of what use are kingdoms at the hour of death.”

How wonderful! the Saints tremble when they think upon- their eternal salvation. Father Segneri trembled, in great terror, demanding of his confessor: “What say you, Father, shall I be saved?”
St Andrew Avellino trembled and wept, saying: “Who knows whether I shall be saved?”
St Louis Bertrand was so tormented by this thought even,so terrified in the night, he sprang out of bed, saying:
“And who knows but I shall be damned ?”
And sinners live condemned and sleep and jes, and laugh!

Affections andPrayers

O Jesus, my Redeemer, I thank Thee that Thou hast made me to know my folly and the sin which I have committed in turning away from Thee, Who hast shed Thy Blood and Thy life for me. No, Thou hast not deserved to be treated by me as I have treated Thee.
Behold, if death should come to me now, what should I find in myself, except sins and remorse of conscience which would cause me to die in great disquiet ?
I confess, my Saviour, I have sinned, I have erred in leaving Thee, my Highest Good, for the miserable pleasures of this world; I repent with my whole heart.
Alas ! by that grief which slew Thee on the Cross, give me such sorrow for my sins as may cause me to weep during all that remains of my life for the wrongs I have done Thee.
My Jesus, my Jesus, pardon me and I promise never more to offend Thee and ever to love Thee.

I am no longer worthy of Thy love since I have so despised it in
the past but Thou hast said: “I love them who love Me.”
(Prov viii: 17) I love Thee, do Thou also love me; I will no longer live in Thy disgrace. If Thou wilt love me, I renounce all the pomps and pleasures of the world. Hear me, my Lord, for the love of Jesus Christ. I pray that Thou wouldst not banish me from Thy heart.

I consecrate myself to Thee wholly; my life, my inclinations, my senses, my mind, my body, my will and my liberty. Receive me; do not reject me as I deserve, for having so often rejected Thy friendship.
“Cast me not away from Thy presence.” (Ps xxi:11).

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, Quotes on SALVATION, The LAST THINGS

Thought for the Day – 30 September – CONSIDERATION XII: The Importance of Salvation

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Thought for the Day – 30 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 XII

The Importance of Salvation
“We beseech you, brethren, …. to do your own business.”
(i Thess iv: 10, 11).

FIRST POINT:
THE “business” of eternal salvation is assuredly an affair which is to us more important than any other and yet, it is the most neglected by Christians. They spare neither time nor diligence to attain that post, or to gain that lawsuit. To conclude that marriage, how many counsels, how many steps are taken? they neither eat nor sleep.

And yet, to secure eternal salvation, what do they do? how do they live? They do nothing, nay, they do all things to lose it! and the larger number of Christians so live, as if death, judgement, hell, Heaven and eternity could not be an article of faith but fables invented by the poets. If they lose a lawsuit or a harvest, what grief do they not feel? What pains do they not take to repair the loss? If they lose a horse or a dog, what diligence do they not exercise to find it?
They lose the grace of God; they sleep, they jest and they laugh.
Wonderful fact! All are ashamed to be called negligent in the affairs of the world and yet, how many are not ashamed to neglect the affairs of eternity which is all-important! They deem the Saints to be wise, since they have attended solely to their salvation and then, they attend to all other things of the world and not at all to the soul!

But, says St Paul, do you, my brethren, do you, attend only to that great concern which you have, of your eternal salvation; for this is the only affair which.is important to you.
“We beseech you, brethren, …. to do your own business.” Let us then be persuaded, eternal salvation is for us, the concern of the last importance, the one concern and, it is an irreparable concern if ever we make a mistake.
It is the most important concern : yes, since it is an affair of the greatest consequence; it concerns the soul which, if lost, all
is lost!
St Chrysostom tells us that the soul ought to be more precious to us than all the goods of the world. It is sufficient to know, in order to understand this, God Himself has given His Son to die to save our souls: “God so loved the world, that He gave His Only-Begotten Son.” (St John iii: 16).
And the Eternal Word did not refuse to purchase them with His own Blood. “Ye are bought with a price.” (i Cor vi: 20).
So that, as a holy Father observes: “The redemption of man was effected at so precious a price, man seemed to be of equal value to God.”

Hence our Blessed Lord said: “What shall a man give in
exchange for his soul?” (St Matt xviz: 26). If the soul, then, be of so great a value, for what worldly goods, shall a man exchange and so lose it?

St Philip Neri had reason to call him mad, who does not attend to the salvation of his soul. If on this earth there were men, mortal as well as immortal and the mortal men beheld those who were immortal, wholly concerned with the things of this world in acquiring honours, possessions and in worldly amusements, they would certainly exclaim: “Oh, madmen who ye are. You are able to gain eternal goods and do you strive after these alone which are miserable and transitory? And is it for these that you condemn yourselves to eternal pains in the next life? Leave us, unhappy, who can only think of these earthly things, for whom all will end in death.”

But no, since we are all immortal, how is it that so many endanger the soul for the miserable pleasures of this world? How is it, says Salvian, Christians believe there is a judgement, a hell, an eternity and yet live without fearing them?

Affections and Prayers

Ah, my God, how have 1 spent the many years which Thou
hast given me, to the end that I might attain eternal salvation!
Thou, my Redeemer, hast purchased my soul with Thy Blood
and Thou hast consigned it to me, to the intent that I might
attend to its salvation and I, have only attended to the losing
of it, by offending Thee, Who has so greatly loved me.

I thank Thee, for still Thou art giving me time to repair this great loss which I have made. I have lost my soul and Thy bountiful favour. Lord, I repent and grieve with my whole heart. Alas! pardon me, for I resolve from this day forth to sacrifice everything, even life, rather than Thy friendship. I love Thee above every good and I resolve to love Thee ever, O Highest Good, worthy of infinite love.
Help me, my Jesus, in order that this, my resolution, may not be like other past resolutions,which are all so many betrayals. Make me to die ratker than to turn again and offend Thee, and cease to love Thee.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL, QUOTES on TIME

Thought for the Day – 29 September – CONSIDERATION XI, Third Point: The Value of Time – “Redeeming the time …”

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Thought for the Day – 29 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 XI

The Value of Time
“Redeeming the time because the days are evil.”
(Eph v: 16)

THIRD POINT:
“Walk while ye have the light.” (St John xii: 35).
We must walk in. the way of the Lord during life, while we have the light, for this light will be lost in death. The time of death is not the time to prepare but to already find ourselves prepared.
“Be ye ready.”

When death comes, nothing can be done; what is then done is done. … And what are we doing? We know for certain that within a short time and, it may happen at any hour, the most important trial we can undergo, will take place which will be the trial of our eternal salvation and shall we now lose time.
Some will say ‘but I am young, after some years I will give myself to God.‘ But I answer, ‘You know the Lord cursed the fig-tree He found without any fruit, although it was not the time for fruit, as is noticed in the Gospel.‘
“For the time of figs was not yet.” (St Mark xi: 13). By this Jesus Christ wished to show us that man, at every time, even at the time of youth, ought to yield the fruits of good works, otherwise he will be cursed and, for the future, will yield no fruit.
“No man shall eat fruit of thee hereafter, forever.” Thus did the Redeemer speak to that tree and even thus does He curse that one whom He calls but who resists His call.

The devil considers the time of our life to be but short and, for that reason, he loses no time in tempting us.
“The devil is come down unto you, having great wrath because he knoweth, he hath but a short time.” (Rev xii: 12). The enemy loses no time in tempting us that we may be lost and shall we lose any time in seeking to be saved? Others will say: “But what harm can I be doing.“
O God, is it not doing harm, to waste time in play, or in useless conversations which can bring no profit to the soul Perhaps God grants this time to you, that you may waste it Holy Scripture tells us, no! for “defraud not thyself of the good day.” (Ecclus xiv: 14). Those labourers, of whom St Matthew writes, did not do evil but they wasted their time and for this they were reproved by the master of the vineyard. “Why stand ye here all the day idle?” (St Matt xx: 6).
At the day of judgment Jesus Christ will ask us for an account of every idle word spoken. Any time which is not employed for God is time wasted! Therefore, does the Lord exhort us, saying: “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither thou goest.” (Eccles ix: 10).

A Teresian nun once observed that, in the life of the Saints there is no to-morrow; tomorrow is for sinners alone, who are ever saying, some day, some day. until death comes to overtake them.
“Behold, now is the accepted time.” (2 Cor vi: 2).
“To-day, if ye will hear His Voice, harden not your hearts.” (Ps xcv: 8). God now calls upon you to do good; do it at once because, when to-morrow comes, either there maybe no more time, or God may never call thee again!

And if, during the time which is past, you have unfortunately spent it in offending God, try to mourn over the sin during the life remains to you.
As King Hezekiah proposed to do, “I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.” (Isa xxxviii: 15). God gives you your life hat you may now, in some measure, redeem the time lost.
“Redeeming the time because the days are evil.” (i Eph v: 16).
St Augustine comments upon this: “Thou redeemest the time, if the things thou hast neglected to do, thou doest now.”
St Jerome observes of St Paul, although he was the last of the Apostles, yet he was the first in merits because of all he did after he was called. Let us consider, that if there were nothing else, at each moment we could increase our store of eternal goods.
If it were granted to you to gain as much land as you could walk round or, as much money as you could count, in one day, would you not make haste to walk round or to count it? And you can gain eternal treasures in one moment and yet, are you willing rather, to waste the time?
What you can do to-day, do not say you can do it to-morrow because this day will be lost to you and it will never return. …

Affections and Prayers

No, my God, I will no longer waste this time which Thou, in
Thy Mercy, dost grant me. I deserve now to be weeping
fruitlessly in everlasting punishment. I thank Thee for having
preserved me in life. Therefore, for the days which may remain to me, I will live only to Thee. … I wish to weep over
the offences I have committed against Thee and whilst weeping, I feel certain that Thou wilt pardon me; for the prophet assures me: “Thou shalt weep no more; He will be very gracious unto thee. ” (Isa xxx: 19).

If I were now in hell I could never love Thee more but now I love Thee and hope ever to love Thee. If I were now in hell, I should never more be able to ask Thee for more grace but now, I can hear Thee saying: “Ask and it shall be given unto you.” Therefore, since I can still ask Grace of Thee, these two gifts will I ask, O God of my soul – give me perseverance in Thy Grace and give me Thy Love and then do with me what Thou wilt.
Grant that at every moment of life which may remain to me, I may ever commend myself to Thee, my Jesus, by saying:
“Lord, help me, Lord, have mercy upon me; let me never more offend Thee; let me ever love Thee.”

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

Thought for the Day – 28 September – CONSIDERATION XI, Second Point: The Value of Time – Oh, time forever lost!

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Thought for the Day – 28 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 XI

The Value of Time
“Redeeming the time because the days are evil.”
(Eph v: 16)

SECOND POINT:
There is nothing more precious than time but yet there is nothing less valued and more despised by men.
This is what St Bernard deplores, when he says: “The days of salvation pass away and few reflect that the day which has passed away from him, can never return.”
That gambler will be seen to waste both day and night in play; if he is asked what he is doing, he answers: “We are passing time away.” Another idler will be seen to loiter about the streets, for whole hours together, looking at those who pass by, either speaking of wicked, or else about useless things ; if he is asked what he is doing, he answers: “I am passing the time.”
Poor, blind ones! who are wasting so many days, days which will never return.

O despised time, thou wilt be the thing most desired by the
worldly at the time of death. They will desire one more year,
one more month, one more day but they will not have it, they
will then hear it declared, that “time shall be no longer.” What would not each one of those give for one more week, one more day, in order the better to clear his conscience. St Lawrence Justinian observes. each one of these will then be willing to give up everything to obtain only one hour more. But this hour will not be given them; the Priest who is with them will say, there is no more time for thee; “Depart, O Christian soul, from this world.”

Nevertheless, the prophet bids us remember God and obtain
His grace before the light shall fail: “Remember now
thy Creator … while the sun or the light … be not darkened. ” (Eccles xii: I, 2).
How it distresses a pilgrim when he finds out that he has wandered from the correct way and it is already night and there is no longer time to find the proper path. This will be the distress when death comes to him, who has lived for many years but who has not spent those years in loving God: “The night cometh, when no man can work.” (St John ix: 4). Death will be to him the time of night, when he will be able to do nothing.
“He hath called the time, against me.” (Lament i: 15, Vulg). His conscience will then remind him of the time he has had and how he has squandered it in the ruin of his soul; the many calls and graces he has received from God to become holy and yet, was not willing to profit by all this and then, he will behold the way closed against him! Then will he weep and say: “Oh, fool I have been! Oh, time forever lost! Oh, wasted life! Oh, years are lost in which I should have become holy but I did not and now, there is no longer time.” But what will these lamentations and sighs avail, when his life’s scene is forever closing, the lamp is well nigh spent and the dying man is drawing near to that last moment upon which his eternity depends?

Affections andPrayers

Ah, my Jesus, Thou hast given away Thy whole life to save
my soul, there has been no moment of it in which Thou hast
not offered Thyself to the Eternal Father, in order to obtain
pardon and eternal salvation for me and I have lived so
long in the world and until now, I have never spent any time in Thy service. Alas! for everything I have done fills
me with remorse of conscience. My sin has been very grievous.
The good that I have done has been too little and too full of imperfection, of lukewarmness, of self-love and of distraction.

Ah, my Redeemer, it has all been thus because I was forgetful of all Thou hast done for me. I have been forgetful of Thee but
Thou hast never been forgetful of me. Thou hast sought me
whilst I was flying from Thee and hast so often called me to
Thy love. Behold me, my Jesus, I will no longer resist Thee.
Shall I, indeed, wait until Thou dost give me up?
I repent, O my Sovereign Good, for having separated myself from Thee through my sin. I love Thee, O Thou Infinite Good, Thou Who art indeed worthy of infinite love.
Ah, do not allow me ever to waste the time which Thou hi Thy mercy dost grant me. Do Thou ever remember, my beloved Saviour, the love Thou hast borne for me and the pains Thou hast suffered for me. Make me remember all this, so that, during the life that may remain to me, I may only think of loving Thee and pleasing Thee. I love Thee, my Jesus, my love, my all. I promise Thee ever to perform acts of love when I can. Give me holy perseverance. I trust entirely in the merits of Thy Blood.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on TIME

Thought for the Day – 27 September – CONSIDERATION XI: The Value of Time

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 27 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 XI

The Value of Time
“Redeeming the time because the days are evil.”
(Eph v: 16)

FIRST POINT:
WE are told in Holy Scripture to be careful of time which is the most precious thing and the greatest gift, God bestows upon living man.
The Pagans even understood the value of time.
Seneca observed that “the value of time is priceless.”
But the Saints have much better understood it.
St Bernardine of Sienna says: “one single moment of time is of very great importance because, at any one moment, a man may, by one act of contrition or of love, gains the Divine grace and eternal glory.
Time is a treasure which can be found in this life alone; it is to be found neither in Heaven nor in hell. This is the lamentation of the lost in hell,”

Oh, that an hour were given.
They would give anything for one hour in which they might be able to remedy their ruin but this hour they will never have. In Heaven there are no tears but if the blessed could weep, this would be a cause for lamentation that they had lost any time during this life in which they might have acquired greater glory, for such time they now can never have.

And you, my brother, how are you spending the time? And for what reason do you put off until tomorrow that which you can do today?
Remember, that the time which is already past away, is no longer yours; the future is not in your power, the present time alone you have for doing good.
St Bernard warns us, saying: “Wherefore do you presume upon the future, o miserable one, as if the Father had put the times in thy power.”
And St Augustine asks: “Do you count upon a day, who cannot count upon an hour!? How can thou promise thyself the day of tomorrow, if thou knowest not whether one more hour of life will be thine?”
St Teresa thus concludes and says: “If thou art not ready to die today, thou ought to fear, lest thou should die an unhappy death!”

Affections and Prayers

O my God, I thank Thee for the time Thou art giving me to atone, as far as I am able, for .the sins of my past life.
If at this moment Thou shouldst cause me to die, one of my greatest
griefs would be to think of the time I have lost.
Ah, my Lord, Thou didst give me the time to spend in loving Thee and I have spent it by offending Thee.
I deserved to be sent to hell from the first moment I turned away from Thee but Thou hast called me to repentance and Thou hast pardoned me.
I promised never more to offend Thee but since then, how many times have I not again offended Thee and Thou hast again pardoned me? Forever blessed be Thy Mercy!
If it were not Infinite, how could it thus have borne with me? Who else would have shown such patience towards me as Thou hast?
How much I grieve for having offended a God so good!

My dear Saviour, the patience alone Thou hast shown towards me ought to have inspired me with love for Thee. Ah, nevermore allow me to be ungrateful to the love Thou hast borne for me.
Separate me from all things and draw me wholly to Thy Love.

No, my God, I will no longer waste that time which Thou hast
given me to atone for the evil I have done I would spend it all
in serving and loving Thee.
Give me strength, give me holy perseverance. I love Thee, O Thou Infinite Goodness and I hope to love Thee in eternity.

Posted in CONFESSION/PENANCE, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on DEATH

Thought for the Day – 25 September – CONSIDERATION X, Second Point – How We Must Prepare for Death – ‘Examine what you have done …’

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Thought for the Day – 25 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 X

How We Must Prepare for Death
“Prepare to meet thy God.”
(Amos iv.:12)

SECOND POINT.
Therefore, my brother, as it is certain that you will have to die, lose no time in casting yourself at the feet of your Crucified Lord; thank Him for the time, He, in His Mercy, gives you, to make your conscience clear in His Sight and then take all the wickedness of your past life in review, especially the wickedness committed in youth!

Glance over the Divine commands; examine what you have done, the society you have been in the habit of visiting; make a note of all your failings and make a general confession of your whole life …
Oh, how much a good general confession assists a Christian in living a holy life!
Consider that these are examinations for eternity and, therefore, make them as if you were on the point of being examined by Jesus Christ, Who will be your Judge.

Drive away from your heart, every unholy affection, every spiteful feeling; remove now! every scruple concerning the property of others, characters taken away, scandals spread abroad and make up your mind to fly those occasions in which you may be in danger of losing God.
Consider that which seems difficult to you now, at the moment of death will seem to be impossible!

It is of the greatest importance that you should make a resolution to practise eveiy means to preserve yourself in the grace of God – namely, to attend daily Celebration [of the Mass], to meditate upon the eternal truths, to go to Confession and to Communicate at least every week, to examine your conscience every night and, above all, to commend yourself very often to God, calling upon the most Holy Name of Jesus, and this, particularly at the time of temptation.
By so doing we may at least hope to die a happy death and to obtain our eternal salvation.

And, as for the past, you must trust in the Blood of Jesus Christ, Who gives you these lights now because He wishes you to be saved. By living thus and trusting in Jesus, God gives us His assistance and our souls gain strength!
Therefore, make haste, dear reader and give yourself to God, Who thus calls you and you will begin to taste that peace, of which your sin until now has deprived you.
And what greater peace can anyone feel than being able to say, when lying down to rest at night: “If I should die this night, I hope to die in the grace of God,”
If we are awaiting death with resignation when it is God’s Will, it is even consoling to hear the thunders roaring and to feel the earth trembling.

Affections andPrayers

Ah, my Lord, how I thank Thee for the Light Thou givest
me. I have so often left Thee and turned away from Thee but
Thou hast never left me. If Thou hadst, I should have remained blind, as I was willing to be during the years past; I
should have remained obstinate in my sin; I should neither
have felt the wish to leave it, nor the desire to love Thee. Now
I feel very grieved for having offended Thee and a great desire
to remain in Thy grace.
I feel a great aversion to those wretched pleasures which caused me to lose Thy friendship.
All these feelings of sorrow for past sins are graces which come from Thee and make me hope that Thou art willing to pardon and to save me.

Since, therefore, with all my sins, Thou hast not abandoned me but hast wished to save me, behold, Lord, I give myself entirely to Thee. I repent beyond every other evil, of having offended Thee and I would give my life many times over, if it were possible, rather than lose Thy grace. I love Thee, my Highest Good; I love Thee, myJesus, Who died for me and I hope, through Thy Blood Thou wilt nevermore permit me to be separated from Thee. No, my Jesus, nevermore would I lose Thee. I would ever love Thee in life, I would love Thee in death and I would love Thee for all eternity.
Do Thou ever keep me and do Thou increase my love towards
Thee and this I ask through Thy merits.

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

Thought for the Day – 24 September – CONSIDERATION X – How We Must Prepare for Death

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Thought for the Day – 24 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 X

How We Must Prepare for Death
“Prepare to meet thy God.”
(Amos iv.:12)

FIRST POINT:
ALL confess that they must die and die but once and that there is nothing of greater consequence than this; for our eternal happiness, or our eternal unhappiness, depends upon the moment of death.
We all know a happy or an unhappy death depends upon the life we have led. And yet, how is it, nearly all Christians live as if they would never have to die and, as if dying a happy or an unhappy death, could be of little importance?

Truly we lead a wicked life because we think not upon death. “In all thy works remember thy last end and thou shalt never sin.” (Ecclus vii: 40).
We must be persuaded that the hour of death is not the proper time to set our accounts in order, nor to make the great concern of our eternal salvation secure. The wise ones of this world, in worldly matters, take every precaution at the proper time towards obtaining that gain, that post, that matrimonial alliance; when the health of their body is concerned, they lose no time before applying the needful remedies. What would you say of anyone who, having undertaken an academic contest, would defer preparing himself for it until the time had arrived?
Would not that general indeed be mad, who should wait until besieged, to lay in stores of provisions and arms?
Would not that pilot be mad, who should forget to provide himself with cable and anchors, until the time of the tempest?

That Christian is even in this state, to whom the hour of death arrives before his conscience is made clean in the sight of God.
“When your fear cometh as desolation … then shall they call upon Me but I will not answer, therefore, shall they eat of the fruit of their own way.” (Prov i: 27, 28, 31).
The time of death is a time of tempest and confusion; then will
sinners call upon God to help them but only for fear of hell, to
which they see themselves so near and without a sincere conversion and, therefore, God will not hear them.
Therefore, also, very justly, they shall then reap the fruits of their evil life! Alas for them, it will not be enough to take the Sacraments.
It is necessary to die hating sin and loving God beyond all things but how can he hate forbidden pleasures, who, until that time, has loved them, so much? and how can he love God beyond all things, who, until that time, has loved the creature more than God?
The Lord called those virgins foolish and, indeed, they were so, who wished to prepare their lamps when the bridegroom was nigh.

A sudden death is dreaded by all because there is then no time to settle our accounts. All confess that the Saints were indeed wise because they prepared for death before it came.
And what are we doing? Do we wish to find ourselves in danger of being obliged to prepare for death when death is already near? therefore, now is the time in which we must do that which we shall wish we had done, when death is nigh.
Oh, what anguish will the memory of the time we have lost, and even more, the time that has been badly spent, then cause us – a time given by God to make ourselves worthy,but a time that is past and will never return!
What anguish will it then give us to hear: “Thou canst be no longer steward.”
There will be no more time for repentance, to frequent the
Sacraments, to hear sermons and to pray. What will be done, will be done. We shall then require a sounder mind, a quieter time, to make our confession as it should be made, in order to resolve many points of grave scruple and thus to ease our conscience but, “time will be no longer.”

Affections andPrayers

Ah, my God, if I had died during one of those nights, of which Thou knowest, where now should I have been?
I thank Thee for having waited for me and I also thank Thee for all those moments which would have been spent in everlasting punishment from that time when I first offended Thee.

Ah, give me Thy Light and make me to understand the great wrong I have done Thee, by willingly losing Thy grace which Thou hast merited for me, in sacrificing Thyself upon the Cross for me.
Ah, my Jesus, pardon me, for I repent with my whole heart, above every other evil, of having despised Thy Infinite Goodness. I hope that Thou hast already pardoned me. Ah, help me, O my Saviour, so that I may never lose Thee more.

Ah, my Lord, if again I should offend Thee as I used to do, after having received so many lights and graces from Thee, should I not deserve a special place of torment? Ah, through the merits of that Blood which Thou hast shed through love of me, never permit this. Give me holy perseverance, give me Thy Love.
I love Thee, O my Sovereign Good and I wish never to cease to love Thee, even until my death.
My God, have mercy upon me for the love of Jesus Christ.

Posted in AUGUSTINIANS OSA, DOCTORS of the Church, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FEAR, St Alphonsus de Liguori,

Thought for the Day – 23 September – CONSIDERATION IX, Third Point – The Peace Felt by a Just Man When Dying – “He cannot die badly who has lived well!”

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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.

Posted in DYING / LAST WORDS, ON the SAINTS, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on MARTYRDOM

Thought for the Day – 22 September – CONSIDERATION IX, Second Point – The Peace Felt by a Just Man When Dying – ‘O beloved death! …’

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 22 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)

SECOND POINT:
“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.”
It seems, in the sight of the unwise that the servants of God die with sorrow and unwillingly, even as the worldly do but no, for God knows well how to comfort His children when they are dying and amidst the pains of their death, He makes them feel a certain incomparable sweetness, as a foretaste of Paradise which, within a short time, He will bestow upon them.
Like those who die in sin, who even upon their death-bed experience certain foretastes of hell, such as remorse, fear and
despair; so, on the contrary, do the Saints, by the acts of love
which, at that time they often make to God, by the desire
and by the hope which is within them, of very soon enjoying God, begin even before death, to feel that peace which they will afterwards fully enjoy in Heaven.

Death to the Saints is not a punishment but a reward. “For so He giveth His beloved sleep.” (Ps cxxvii: 3).
The death of him, who loves God, is not called death but sleep, so he can truly say: “I. will lay me down in peace and take my rest.” (Ps iv: 9).
Father Saurez died in such peace that whilst dying he was
able to say: “I did not think it was so sweet to die.”
Cardinal Baronius having been advised by his physician not to think so much about death, replied: “And why? Is it perchance that I fear it? I do not fear but I love it!”

Cardinal St Fisher, as Saunders relates, when about to die for the Faith, put on the best clothes he had, saying, he was going to a wedding.
When he came in sight of the scaffold he cast away his staff,
saying: “Make haste my feet, make haste, for we are not far from Paradise.” And before dying he sang Te Deum, in returning thanks to God, Who had allowed him to die a Martyr’s death, for the holy Faith and thus being filled with joy, he placed his head under the axe.

St Francis of Assisi sang while dying and invited the others to sing too. One, Brother Elias, made answer saying: “We ought to weep, Father and not to sing when we are dying.” But the Saint replied: “I cannot do less than sing, seeing that, within so short a time, I am going to enjoy God.”

A Teresian Nun dying when she was young and seeing the
other Nuns begin to weep, she said to them: “ O God, wherefore do you weep, I am going to find my Jesus; if you love me rejoice with me!”
Father Granada relates that a certain hunter found a solitary leper singing when dying: “Why is it,” said the hunter, “that thou canst sing when, in this condition?” The hermit answered, saying: “Brother, between me and God there is only the wall of this my body, now I can see falling into pieces that which was my prison and I am going to see God and, therefore, I comfort myself and sing.”

This longing to see God, made St Ignatius the Martyr say, that if the wild beasts did not come to take away his life, he would irritate them and thus, provoke them to devour him.

St Catherine of Genoa would not allow anyone to consider death a misfortune, for she said: “O beloved death! how ungraciously art thou welcomed! and why do thou not come to me, when I call upon thee day and night?”
St Teresa desired death so much that she considered it death, not to die and accordingly she composed the celebrated Hymn: “I die because 1 do not die”
Even such is death to the Saints!

Affections andPrayers

Ah my Sovereign Good, my God! if during the years that are
past, I have not loved Thee, now will I be converted to Thee. I
bid farewell to every creature and I choose to love Thee alone,
my sweetest Saviour.
Tell me what Thou wishest me to do that I may do it.
I have already committed offences enough against Thee. The life remaining to me, I would wish to spend it all in pleasing Thee.
Give me strength, in some way to atone, with my love, for the ingratitude which, until now, I have shown Thee.
I have deserved, all these years, to be cast into everlasting punishment. Thou hast sought me so many tunes, now at last, Thou hast drawn me to Thee; let me now burn with the fire of Thy holy love.

I love Thee, O Thou Infinite Good,
Thou wishest me to love Thee only and with reason, for Thou
hast loved me more than all and Thou alone art worthy to be
loved and I will love Thee only, for I would do all I can to
please Thee. Do with me as Thou wilt. It is enough that I
love Thee and that Thou lovest me.

In the Tower by TPS
Posted in DIVINE Mercy, Goodness, Patience, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FORGIVENESS, QUOTES on PEACE, QUOTES on SIN

Thought for the Day – 21 September – CONSIDERATION IX, The Peace Felt by a Just Man When Dying

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 21 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)

FIRST POINT:
“The souls of the just are in the Hand of God.”
If God holds the souls of the just in His Hand, who is it that can pluck them out of it? It is true that hell never ceases to tempt and to insult the Saints, even when they are dying but God never ceases to assist them and, when, as St Ambrose observes, His faithful servants are placed in more danger, then. does He give them more assistance.

When the servant of Elisha saw the City surrounded by enemies, he was affrighted but the Saint encouraged him, saying: “Fear not, for they who be with us, are more than they who be with them.” (2 Kings vi: 16). And Elisha then prayed and the young man’s eyes were opened and he saw an army of Angels sent by God to defend them!
The devil will indeed come to tempt the dying man but his Guardian Angel will also come to comfort him. St Michael, who is appointed by God to defend His faithful servants in this their last combat with hell but, above all, Jesus Christ will come to keep this His penitent and innocent sheep, for whose salvation He once gave up His life. He will give thy soul that confidence and strength which, in such a combat, it will stand in need of, so that He will exclaim with all courage: “Lord, be Thou my helper.” (Ps xxx: 10).

“The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom then shall I fear?” (Ps xxvii: I) God, as Origen observes, cares much more about our eternal salvation than the devil does about our eternal ruin because, God Loves us much more than the devil hates us.
God is faithful, observes the Apostle and will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we are able (i Cor x: 13).
But you will say: “Many Saints have died in great fear concerning their eternal salvation.” I answer, few are the examples of those who, having led a holy life, have afterwards died in great fear.

Belluacensis observes, the Lord permits this in some Saints, in order to purge them when dying from some defect. Besides, do we not read that almost all God’s servants have died with a smile upon their lips?
To all, the Divine Judgment gives fear of death but where sinners pass from fear to desperation, the Saints pass to assurance.
St Antoninus narrates that St Bernard, being ill, was tempted to fear but, thinking upon the merits of Jesus Christ, he dismissed every fear, saying: “My merits are Thy Wounds.”
St Hilarion at first was afraid but later he said, rejoicing: “Go forth, my soul, of what art thou afraid? For well nigh seventy years thou hast served Christ and dost thou now fear death?” As if he wished to say, my soul, what dost thou fear after having served a God Who is faithful and
Who will never abandon him, who has been faithful to Him in life?

Father Joseph Scamacca being asked if he felt he was dying with confidence, answered: “What! have I been serving Mahomet all my life that I should now doubt the goodness of my God as to whether He may wish me to be saved?”
If the thought of having once offended God at any time should torment us in death, we know the Lord has promised to remember no more, the sins of the penitent.
“If the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed, … they shall not be mentioned unto Him.” (Ezelc xviii: 21, 22).
But some will say, how can we be sure that God has pardoned us? St Basil even, asks this question and replies: “If we can say, I hate and abominate my sin because he who hates sin, may rest secure that God has pardoned him already.”

The heart of man cannot exist without love; it either loves the creature, or it loves God; if it does not love the creature, then it loves God. And who is it that loves God? Even he who keeps His commandments.
“He who hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is who loveth Me.” (St John xiv: 21).
He, therefore, who dies, observing God’s commands, dies loving God and he who loves God shall not fear for “perfect love casteth out fear.” (i St John iv: 18).

Affections andPrayers.

Ah, my Jesus, when will that day come when I shall be able
to say, “My God, never more shall I be able to lose Thee?”
When will that day come when I shall see Thee face-to-face,
and shall rest secure of loving Thee, with all my strength for all eternity?

Ah my Sovereign Good, my only love, as long as I live I shall stand in danger of offending Thee and of losing Thy blessed grace!
There was once an unhappy time when I loved Thee not and when I despised Thy Love but now, I repent with all my heart and hope Thou hast already pardoned me; for now I love Thee with all my heart and I desire to do all I can, to love Thee and to please Thee but I am still in danger of not loving Thee, and of again turning away from Thee.
Ah, my Jesus, my Life, my Treasure, do not permit me to do this. Rather than allow this dreadful misfortune to befall
me, let me now die the most painful death it may please Thee to send me. I am content with it and I pray for it.

Eternal Father, for the love of Jesus Christ, give me not over to this
great ruin. Punish me as Thou wilt, I deserve it and I accept
it but deliver me from the punishment of ever beholding myself deprived of Thy grace and of Thy Love.
My Jesus, for Thine own sake have mercy upon me!

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on ETERNAL LIFE, QUOTES on HEAVEN

Thought for the Day – 20 September –CONSIDERATION VIII, Third Point – The Death of the Just – “ The Gate of Life …”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 20 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)

THIRD POINT:
Not only is death the end of our labours but, it is even the Gate of Life, as St Bernard observes. He who wishes to enter in and see God, must pass through this gate.
“This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter into it.” (Ps cxviii: 20).
St Jerome called out to death and said: “Open to me, my sister.” My sister, death, if thou dost not open the door, I cannot go in to enjoy my Lord.

St Charles Borromeo, having a painting in his house which represented a skeleton with a scythe in the hand,called for the painter and ordered him to erase the scythe and to paint a golden key; desiring by this that the wish for death should ever be kindled in his heart, for death is that key which must open the Gate of Heaven for us to see God.

St John Chrysostom observes that if a King had prepared an apartment in his Palace for someone but, for some time desired that person to live in a hovel, how much would he not desire to leave the hovel and to go to the Palace?
The soul during this life, being in the body, is as it were, in a prison, from which it must pass to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, therefore, David prayed, saying: “Bring my soul out of prison.” (Ps cxlii: 9).
And the holy Simeon, when he had the Infant Jesus in his arms, sought for no other favour than death, so as to be freed from the prison of this life: “Lord, now lettest Thou, Thy servant depart in peace.” (St Luke ii: 29).
St Ambrose also says: “he seeks, as if he were held by necessity, to be dismissed.”
The Apostle also desired the same grace when he said: “having a desire to depart and to be with Christ,” (Phil i:23).

What joy the cup-bearer of Pharaoh felt when he heard from Joseph that he should soon be released from prison and should return to his post!
And a soul who loves God, does it not rejoice when it hears that, within a short time, it will be released from the prison of this world and will go to enjoy God?
“Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.” (2 Cor v: 6). Whilst we are united to the body, we are far from the sight of God, as it were, in a foreign land and far from our own Country and, therefore St Bruno remarks, our death ought not to be called death but Life!
Hence, the death of the of the Saints is called their birthday; yes, because when they die they are borne to that blessed life which will never have an end.

St Athanasius observes: “the just die not but are translated.”To the just, death is no other, than the transition to eternal life.”
“O beautiful death,” says St Augustine, “and who is he who does not long for thee, seeing thou art the end of all work, the end of toil and the beginning of eternal rest?”
Therefore, the Saint earnestly prayed, saying: “May I die, O Lord, that I may see Thee?”

St Cyprian observes, that death must indeed be feared by the sinner because he will pass from a temporal to an eternal death. “Let him fear to die, who shall pass to the second death” but he who is within the Grace of God, does not fear death because he will pass from death to an Eternal Life.
In the life of St John the Almoner, it is related, a certain rich man recommended his only son to the Saint and gave him many alms, so that the Saint might obtain a long life for his son from God but, the son soon afterwards died. As the father was grieving over the death of his son, God sent an Angel to him, who said: “Thou didst seek a long life for thy son, know that he is now enjoying it eternally in Paradise.” This is the Grace Jesus Christ obtained for us, as it was promised in Hosea: “O death, I will be thy plague.” (Hos xiii: 14). Jesus, in dying for us, made our death to become Life.
When Pionius the Martyr was being borne to the scaffold, he was asked by those who led him: “How it was he could go so joyfully to death?” The Saint answered: “You deceive yourselves; I go not to death but to Life.”
Even thus was the youthful St Symphorian encouraged by his mother when the time of his Martyrdom drew nigh: “O my son, life is not taken away from thee; it is exchanged for a better.”

Affections and Prayers

O God of my soul, for the time past I have dishonoured Thee, in turning away from Thee but Thy Son has honoured Thee in sacrificing His Life to Thee upon the Cross. Through the honour done to Thee by Thy dearly Beloved Son, forgive the dishonour I have done Thee.
I am very sorry, O my Sovereign Good, for having offended Thee and I promise, from this day forward, to love none other but Thee. I hope for my salvation from Thee. Whatever I have now that is good, is all of Thy Mercy; I know that I receive it all from Thee: “By the Grace of God, I am what I am.” (i Cor xv: l0).

If during the time past I have dishonoured Thee, I hope to honour Thee forever in eternity in blessing Thee for Thy Mercy.
I feel a great desire to love Thee but Thou givest me the desire and I thank Thee for it, O Jesus, my Love. Continue, oh, continue to help me, as Thou hast already done, for I hope, from this day forward, to be Thine and Thine alone.


I renounce all worldly pleasures, for what greater pleasure can I have, than pleasing Thee, my Lord, Who art so lovely, and Who hast loved me so much? I only seek for love, O my God and I hope ever to seek it from Thee, until dying in Thy Love, I shall reach the Kingdom of Love, where, without beseeching any longer, I shall be filled with love and never, for one moment, cease to love Thee, with all my strength, forever in eternity.

Posted in PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on CONSCIENCE, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on TEMPTATION, QUOTES on the DEVIL/EVIL

Thought for the Day – 19 September –CONSIDERATION VIII, Second Point – The Death of the Just – “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes …”

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 19 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)

SECOND POINT;
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death.” (Apoc xxi: 4) .
Therefore, in death the Lord will wipe away from the eyes of His servants the tears which they have shed, living as they do in trouble, in fears, in dangers and in battles with hell.
What can be greater consolation to a soul who has loved God when death is announced, than the thought, that soon it will be freed from the many dangers there are in this life of offending God; from the many barbs of conscience, and from the temptations of the devil. This present life is a continual warfare with hell, in which we are in constant danger of losing our souls and then, our God!

St Ambrose tell us, that upon this earth we are ever walking amidst the snares of the enemy who lies in wait to rob us of the life of grace.
It was this danger which caused St Peter of Alcantara to say when dying, to a religious who, when assisting him, touched him:
“My brother, keep away from me because I am still living and am yet in danger of being eternally lost!”
It was this danger also that caused St Teresa to be consoled
each time she heard the clock strike, rejoicing that another hour of warfare was passed, for she said: “At any moment of my life, I may sin and by doing so, I may lose God.”

Therefore, it is that the Saints are so rejoicing, when death is announced to them, knowing, as they do that very soon their battles and their dangers will be ended and they, within a very short time, will reach that happy state when they will no longer be able to lose God.
It is related in the lives of the Fathers – once when an aged
Father was dying in Scythia, he laughed when the others wept; on being asked why he laughed, he answered:
“Wherefore do you weep, knowing, as you do, that I am going to my rest?”
Likewise, St Catherine of Sienna,when she was dying, said:
“Rejoice with me, for I am leaving this world of sorrows and I am going to a place of rest.”
St Cyprian observes, that if someone were living in a house, the walls of which were falling down and the floors and roof were shaking, so that everything was threatening ruin, would not such a one be very desirous to quit that house?
In this life, all things are threatening ruin to the soul – the world, hell, the passions, the rebellious senses; these all draw us onto sin and to everlasting death. The Apostle exclaims: “ Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Rom vii: 34).
Oh, what joy will the soul feel when it hears those words:
“Come with Me from Lebanon, My spouse, with Me from Lebanon … from the lions’ dens.” (Sol Song iv: 8). Come, my spouse, come from the place of tears and from the dens of lions which are seeking to devour thee and to make thee lose the Divine grace.
Therefore, St Paul desiring death, said that Jesus Christ was his only life and, therefore, he thought that to die was his greatest gain, since, in dying, he obtained life which has no end.
“For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil i: 21).
It is a great favour which God grants to that soul that is in a state of grace to take it from this world, where, at any time, it may become changed and may lose the friendship of God!
“He was taken away lest wickedness should alter his understanding.” (Wisd iv: II..

Happy in this life is he, who is united to God but, like the sailor, who cannot be called safe until he has arrived in port and is escaped from the tempest: even so, a soul cannot be called fully happy, until it has departed this life in the favour of God.
Now, if it causes joy to the sailor when, after many dangers, he has almost safely arrived in port, how much more shall not he rejoice, who is just on the point of securing eternal salvation?!
Besides, in this life, it is impossible to live without committing sin, at least venial sin: “For a just man falleth seven times.” (Prov xxiv: 16).
He who is leaving this life, ceases to give offence to God.

St Ambrose asks: “What is death but the sepulchre of vice!” It is even this that makes death so desirable to
the lovers of God.
With this, the venerable Vincent Caraffa consoled himself when dying, by saying: “When I cease to live, I shall cease to offend God.”
And St Ambrose also said:
“Wherefore, do we desire this life, in which the longer anyone lives, the greater will be the burden of sins with which he is laden!”
He who dies in the grace of God, is placed in a state in which he cannot, neither does he know how, to offend God. “The dead know not how to sin,” remarks the same Saint.

Therefore, the Lord praises the dead, more than any man living, although he may be a Saint. “Wherefore I praised the dead who are already dead, more than the living.” (Eccles iv: 2).

A certain good man ordered, that he, who should come to announce his death to him, should say:
“Rejoice because the time is come when thou shalt no more offend God!”

Affections and Prayers

“Into Thy Hands I commend my spirit, for Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, Thou God of truth.” (Ps xxxi: 5). Ah, my sweet Redeemer, where should I have now been if Thou hadst allowed me to die when I was living far from Thee? I should now be in hell.where I could never love Thee more.
I thank Thee for not having abandoned me and for having granted me so many graces to win my heart to Thee. I am very sorry for having offended Thee. I love Thee above all things. I pray Thee ever to make me more sensible of the evil I have committed in despising Thee and, of the love which Thy Infinite Goodness deserves.
I love Thee and I would like soon to die, if it be Thy holy will, in order to be freed from the danger of ever losing Thy holy Grace,and to be sure of loving Thee forever in eternity.

Ah, during the years which may remain to me, give me strength, my beloved Jesus, to do something for Thee before death shall overtake me. Give me strength to withstand the temptations and passions and especially against that passion which, for the past time, has most caused me to displease Thee.
Give me patience in infirmity and under the wrongs I may receive from men. I now pardon, through Thy love, all who may have despised me and I pray Thee, to give them those graces which they may desire.
Give me strength to be more diligent in avoiding even venial sins, concerning which I know that I am negligent. Help me, my Saviour, I hope for all things by of Thy Merits.

Posted in CHRIST the JUDGE, PREPARATION for DEATH, QUOTES on CONSOLATION, QUOTES on DEATH, QUOTES on FAITH

Thought for the Day – 18 September –CONSIDERATION VIII, The Death of the Just

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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.