Death is Our only Certainty
by
Saint Alphonsus Liguori
The sentence of death has
been written against all men: you are a man; you must
die. "Our other goods and
evils," says Saint Augustine, "are uncertain; death alone is certain." It is
uncertain whether the infant that is just born will be poor or
rich, whether he
will have good or bad health, whether he will
die in youth or in
old age. But it
is certain that he will die. The
stroke of death will fall on all the
nobles and
monarchs of the earth. When death comes there is
no earthly power able to resist
it. Saint Augustine says,
"Fire, water, the sword, and the
power of princes may be resisted; but death cannot be
resisted." Belluacensis relates: "Behold, with all
my power, I cannot induce death to wait one more hour for me." When the term of
life arrives, it is not deferred a single moment. Thou hast appointed
His
bounds, which cannot be passed.
Dearly beloved reader, though you should live as many
years as you expect, a day will come, and on that day an
hour, which will be the last for you. For me, who am now
writing, and for you, who read this, has been decreed the
day and the moment when I will no longer write, and you will
no longer read. "Who is the man
that shall live and not see death?" - (Psalm
88:49). The sentence has already been passed. There
never has been a man so foolish as to flatter himself that he will not have to
die. What has happened to your forefathers will also happen to you. Of the
immense numbers that lived in this country in the beginning of the last century
there is not one now living. Even the princes and monarchs of the earth have
changed their country; of these nothing now remains but a
marble mausoleum with
a grand inscription, which only serves to teach us that of the great ones of
this world nothing is left but a little dust enclosed in the
tomb. "Tell me,"
says Saint Bernard, "where are the lovers of the
world? Of them nothing remains save ashes and worms."
Since our souls will be
eternal, we ought to procure, not a fortune which soon ends, but one that will
be everlasting. What would it profit you to be happy here (if it were possible
for a soul to be happy without
God), if hereafter you must be
miserable for all
eternity? You have built that house to your entire satisfaction; but remember
that you must soon leave it to rot in a
grave. You have obtained that
dignity
which raises you above others; but death will come and reduce you to the level
of the poorest peasant.
Prayer
Ah! Unhappy me, who have
spent so many years only in offending Thee, O God of my soul. Behold these years
are already past: death is perhaps at hand; and what do I find but pains and
remorse of conscience? Oh, that I had always served Thee, O my Lord! Fool that I
have been! I have lived so many years on this earth, and instead of acquiring
merits for Heaven, I have laden my soul with debts to the Divine Justice.
Ah, my dear Redeemer, give
me light and strength now to adjust my accounts. Death is perhaps not far off. I
wish to prepare for that great moment, which will decide my eternal happiness or
misery. I thank Thee for having waited for me till now; and since Thou hast
given me time to repair the past, behold me, O my God! Tell me what I am to do
for Thee. Dost Thou wish me to weep over the offences I have offered to Thee? I
am sorry for them, and detest them with my whole soul. Dost Thou wish me to
spend the remaining years and days of my life in loving Thee? I desire to do so,
O God; I have even hitherto frequently resolved to do so; but I have violated my
promises. O my Jesus, I will be no longer ungrateful for the great graces Thou
hast bestowed upon me. If I do not now change my life, how shall I be able at
death to hope for pardon and for Paradise? Behold, I now firmly resolve to begin
to serve Thee in earnest. But give me strength; do not abandon me. Thou didst
not abandon me when I offended Thee: I therefore hope more confidently for Thy
aid, now that I purpose to renounce all things to please Thee. Accept me, then,
as one of Thy lovers, O God worthy of infinite love! Receive the traitor that
now casts himself with sorrow at Thy feet - that loves Thee, and asks Thy mercy.
I love Thee, O my Jesus; I love Thee with my whole heart; I love Thee more than
myself. Behold, I am Thine; dispose of me, and of all that I possess, as Thou
pleasest. Give me perseverance in obeying Thy commands; give me Thy love; and
then do with me whatsoever Thou wishest. Mary, my mother, my hope, my refuge, to
thee I recommend myself; to thee I consign my soul: pray
to Jesus for me.
Amen
|
