THOUGHTS ON DEATH
VERY soon your life here will end; consider, then, what may be
in store for you elsewhere. Today we live; tomorrow we die and are
quickly forgotten. Oh, the dullness and hardness of a heart which
looks only to the present instead of preparing for that which is to
come!
Therefore, in every deed and every thought, act as though you
were to die this very day. If you had a good conscience you would not
fear death very much. It is better to avoid sin than to fear death. If
you are not prepared today, how will you be prepared tomorrow?
Tomorrow is an uncertain day; how do you know you will have a
tomorrow?
What good is it to live a long life when we amend that life so
little? Indeed, a long life does not always benefit us, but on the
contrary, frequently adds to our guilt. Would that in this world we
had lived well throughout one single day. Many count up the years they
have spent in religion but find their lives made little holier. If it
is so terrifying to die, it is nevertheless possible that to live
longer is more dangerous. Blessed is he who keeps the moment of death
ever before his eyes and prepares for it every day.
If you have ever seen a man die, remember that you, too, must
go the same way. In the morning consider that you may not live till
evening, and when evening comes do not dare to promise yourself the
dawn. Be always ready, therefore, and so live that death will never
take you unprepared. Many die suddenly and unexpectedly, for in the
unexpected hour the Son of God will come. When that last moment
arrives you will begin to have a quite different opinion of the life
that is now entirely past and you will regret very much that you were
so careless and remiss.
How happy and prudent is he who tries now in life to be what he
wants to be found in death. Perfect contempt of the world, a lively
desire to advance in virtue, a love for discipline, the works of
penance, readiness to obey, self-denial, and the endurance of every
hardship for the love of Christ, these will give a man great
expectations of a happy death.
You can do many good works when in good health; what can you do
when you are ill? Few are made better by sickness. Likewise they who
undertake many pilgrimages seldom become holy.
Do not put your trust in friends and relatives, and do not put
off the care of your soul till later, for men will forget you more
quickly than you think. It is better to provide now, in time, and send
some good account ahead of you than to rely on the help of others. If
you do not care for your own welfare now, who will care when you are
gone?
The present is very precious; these are the days of salvation;
now is the acceptable time. How sad that you do not spend the time in
which you might purchase everlasting life in a better way. The time
will come when you will want just one day, just one hour in which to
make amends, and do you know whether you will obtain it?
See, then, dearly beloved, the great danger from which you can
free yourself and the great fear from which you can be saved, if only
you will always be wary and mindful of death. Try to live now in such
a manner that at the moment of death you may be glad rather than
fearful. Learn to die to the world now, that then you may begin to
live with Christ. Learn to spurn all things now, that then you may
freely go to Him. Chastise your body in penance now, that then you may
have the confidence born of certainty.
Ah, foolish man, why do you plan to live long when you are not
sure of living even a day? How many have been deceived and suddenly
snatched away! How often have you heard of persons being killed by
drownings, by fatal falls from high places, of persons dying at meals,
at play, in fires, by the sword, in pestilence, or at the hands of
robbers! Death is the end of everyone and the life of man quickly
passes away like a shadow.
Who will remember you when you are dead? Who will pray for you?
Do now, beloved, what you can, because you do not know when you will
die, nor what your fate will be after death. Gather for yourself the
riches of immortality while you have time. Think of nothing but your
salvation. Care only for the things of God. Make friends for yourself
now by honoring the saints of God, by imitating their actions, so that
when you depart this life they may receive you into everlasting
dwellings.
Keep yourself as a stranger here on earth, a pilgrim whom its
affairs do not concern at all. Keep your heart free and raise it up to
God, for you have not here a lasting home. To Him direct your daily
prayers, your sighs and tears, that your soul may merit after death to
pass in happiness to the Lord. |
Of meditation upon death
Very quickly will there be an end of thee here;
take heed therefore how it will be with thee in another world. To-day
man is, and to-morrow he will be seen no more. And being removed out
of sight, quickly also he is out of mind. O the dulness and hardness
of man's heart, which thinketh only of the present, and looketh not
forward to the future. Thou oughtest in every deed and thought so to
order thyself, as if thou wert to die this day. If thou hadst a good
conscience thou wouldst not greatly fear death. It were better for
thee to watch against sin, than to fly from death. If to-day thou art
not ready, how shalt thou be ready to-morrow? To-morrow is an
uncertain day; and how knowest thou that thou shalt have a to-morrow?
2. What doth it profit to live long, when we
amend so little? Ah! long life doth not always amend, but often the
more increaseth guilt. Oh that we might spend a single day in this
world as it ought to be spent! Many there are who reckon the years
since they were converted, and yet oftentimes how little is the fruit
thereof. If it is a fearful thing to die, it may be perchance a yet
more fearful thing to live long. Happy is the man who hath the hour
of his death always before his eyes, and daily prepareth himself to
die. If thou hast ever seen one die, consider that thou also shalt
pass away by the same road.
3. When it is morning reflect that it may be thou
shalt not see the evening, and at eventide dare not to boast thyself
of the morrow. Always be thou prepared, and so live that death may
never find thee unprepared. Many die suddenly and unexpectedly. For
at such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.(1) When that
last hour shall come, thou wilt begin to think very differently of thy
whole life past, and wilt mourn bitterly that thou hast been so
negligent and slothful.
4. Happy and wise is he who now striveth to be
such in life as he would fain be found in death! For a perfect
contempt of the world, a fervent desire to excel in virtue, the love
of discipline, the painfulness of repentance, readiness to obey,
denial of self, submission to any adversity for love of Christ; these
are the things which shall give great confidence of a happy death.
Whilst thou art in health thou hast many opportunities of good works;
but when thou art in sickness I know not how much thou wilt be able to
do. Few are made better by infirmity: even as they who wander much
abroad seldom become holy.
5. Trust not thy friends and kinsfolk, nor put
off the work of thy salvation to the future, for men will forget thee
sooner than thou thinkest. It is better for thee now to provide in
time, and to send some good before thee, than to trust to the help of
others. If thou art not anxious for thyself now, who, thinkest thou,
will be anxious for thee afterwards? Now the time is most precious.
Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. But alas! that
thou spendest not well this time, wherein thou mightest lay up
treasure which should profit thee everlastingly. The hour will come
when thou shalt desire one day, yea, one hour, for amendment of life,
and I know not whether thou shalt obtain.
6. Oh, dearly beloved, from what danger thou
mightest free thyself, from what great fear, if only thou wouldst
always live in fear, and in expectation of death! Strive now to live
in such wise that in the hour of death thou mayest rather rejoice than
fear. Learn now to die to the world, so shalt thou begin to live with
Christ. Learn now to contemn all earthly things, and then mayest thou
freely go unto Christ. Keep under thy body by penitence, and then
shalt thou be able to have a sure confidence.
7. Ah, foolish one! why thinkest thou that thou
shalt live long, when thou art not sure of a single day? How many
have been deceived, and suddenly have been snatched away from the
body! How many times hast thou heard how one was slain by the sword,
another was drowned, another falling from on high broke his neck,
another died at the table, another whilst at play! One died by fire,
another by the sword, another by the pestilence, another by the
robber. Thus cometh death to all, and the life of men swiftly passeth
away like a shadow.
8. Who will remember thee after thy death? And
who will entreat for thee? Work, work now, oh dearly beloved, work
all that thou canst. For thou knowest not when thou shalt die, nor
what shall happen unto thee after death. While thou hast time, lay up
for thyself undying riches. Think of nought but of thy salvation;
care only for the things of God. Make to thyself friends, by
venerating the saints of God and walking in their steps, that when
thou failest, thou mayest be received into everlasting habitations.(2)
9. Keep thyself as a stranger and a pilgrim upon
the earth, to whom the things of the world appertain not. Keep thine
heart free, and lifted up towards God, for here have we no continuing
city.(3) To Him direct thy daily prayers with crying and tears, that
thy spirit may be found worthy to pass happily after death unto its
Lord. Amen. |