St. Anthony Mary Claret: The Golden Key to Heaven

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Meditation 8. The Parable of the Prodigal Son


Commentary — Before the final meditation of the first section, which is on the purgative way, we judged it fitting to present the meditation on the parable which Jesus told concerning the prodigal son. This parable offers the sinner a wonderful encouragement to avoid despairing of pardon, no matter how many and how great his sins are. It teaches him at the right time to go to a confessor — who stands in God's place — so that the confessor may hear his confession and absolve him, and thus clothe him in the sacred garment of grace.

The parable as St. Luke tells it in chapter 15 (vv. 11-24) — "A certain man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father: Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his substance. And not many days after, the younger son, gathering all together, went abroad into a far country: and there wasted his substance, living riotously. And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country: and he began to be in want. And he went and cleaved to one of the citizens of that country. And he sent him into his farm to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

And returning to himself, he said: How many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, and I here perish with hunger? I will arise and will go to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee. I am not worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And rising up, he came to his father. And when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and was moved with compassion and running to him fell upon his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him: Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee. I am not worthy to be called thy son. And the father said to his servants: Bring forth quickly the finest robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and make merry: Because this my son was dead and is come to life again, was lost and is found."

Preparatory Prayer as on page x

Composition of Place — Imagine you see a young man who is sad and worried, reddened by the sun, wearing tattered clothes, seated on a rock beneath a holm oak, surrounded by a herd of swine. Pressed by hunger, he takes from the ground some of the husks that these dirty animals have drivelled and tread upon, which he eats, as they grunt and stink all around him. He deplores his misfortune, saying: "Oh, what a miserable life this is, as I compare it with what I was!"

Prayer of Petition — My God and Lord, grant me light and grace to understand this parable well; and I beg Thee to grant that, as I imitated the prodigal son in separating myself from Thee, I may now imitate him in returning to ask Thy forgiveness.


**First Point**

In this parable the Father is a reminder of Our Lord. The elder son, so humble, obedient and good, represents a good Christian who keeps God's law always in every way; and the prodigal son is a very vivid reminder of the sinner.

Youth brings on its own calamities when a young man lets himself be carried away by delusions — by a love for pleasure, for gambling, for going places. He makes companions and friends of those who have his likes and dislikes. He is anxious to see and be seen and to always appear elegantly dressed.

As is the way with young men, he lets himself be drawn by his passions, in particular by impurity. Instead of resisting temptation, he stirs up these passions by the conversations he has with companions and friends. He is always looking for and remaining in occasions of impurity, so that if he did not fall into sin, it would be a greater miracle than that of the three young men who were cast into the fiery furnace in Babylon and walked about in the flames without being burned (Dan. 3:50). But there is a great difference between those three youths and that one. They did not thrust themselves into the furnace, but others cast them in, and because of that God preserved them with a miracle. But the prodigal son voluntarily entered into, and remained in the occasion of sin, and for this reason, he was lost so miserably.

According to the way of young men, he craved independence and wanted to be rid of parental authority, even though it was something suitable and profitable for him. He was even rash and bold enough to ask his father to give him the portion of the inheritance that fell to him. What ingratitude! What bad will!


Affective Acts

(1) Self-knowledge — My soul, you have here a picture of what you have done. You have surrendered to pleasure and fun. You have placed yourself into the midst of the fires of passion, and have let yourself become so inflamed that through all your faculties and senses you have spurted forth sparks of impurity so as to scandalize others and inflame them. Your very eyes have appeared full of adultery, as Saint Peter says of certain sinners. Your mouth has had the rottenness of an open sepulcher, from which evil words come forth and dirty stories, dirty jokes, evil songs, by which you blacken the pure silver of chastity in everyone who has the misfortune to listen to you. Your actions, your bodily movements, and your clothing and manners reveal what you are. Impurity leads you to desire and to gain an independence from God and from your parents and superiors, so that you become fully a person of loose morals. You have the boldness to ask God, your Father, for what you think is your due according to nature. No, you do not ask for it; you snatch it and abuse your whole patrimony. You abuse your faculties and your senses, all your natural graces, such as health, good looks, wealth, and all the rest — which belong not to you, but to God. For what do you have which you have not received?

(2) Repentance — Alas! What a terrible thing I have done! What ingratitude! What injustice!


**Second Point**

The prodigal son, with the patrimony that he received from his father, went away from his homeland and squandered all he had. A great famine came, and he hired himself out to an employer who made him take care of swine. Here in this parable, O Christian, you have a discourse by Christ Himself about what has happened to you. By sin you separated from God your Father. You wasted everything by a discarded life. You found yourself stripped of grace like another Adam and Eve. A great spiritual famine has stricken you. You lack the bread of God's grace, the Eucharistic Bread, for you do not receive Holy Communion. You lack the nourishment that comes from reading good books and the Word of God. Deprived of these holy foods by which the just man lives, from which you have voluntarily cut yourself off, you are afflicted and hungry. Just as the body cannot live without eating, and if it cannot eat one thing, it will eat something else, so likewise the soul will act. If it is not nourished with virtues, it will feed on vice.

The prodigal son hired himself out to an employer who had him keep swine. And you, O Christian, what have you been doing? Alas! You have hired yourself out — or we will do better to say that you have enslaved yourself — to satan, who makes you keep the unclean swine of vice and sin, such as pride, covetousness, anger, lust, gluttony, sloth, unbelief, indifference, irreligion, impiety.

All of these vices are keeping you company as the swine were company to the prodigal son. Just as he fed himself with the food of the swine he tended, so you feed on vice. You have an employer so tyrannical and cruel that he does not feed you with a satisfactory diet. He does not provide you with enough to meet your needs, nor does he even permit you to fill your stomach with unclean husks. How often you crave riches which you cannot obtain, or thirst for honors which you cannot acquire, or want to get revenge on someone when you cannot, or you want some delicious food and drink that you cannot get! Perhaps you struggle after some elegant clothes, some indecent fun and amusement, and even get it. But is it a diet that satisfies you? You are always left hungry. What a pitiful state!

With the prodigal son, it was his hunger that led him to comprehend the situation. He said, "I am perishing here with hunger. What, then, shall I do? Ah, I know what I will do. I will arise and go to my father and say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you. I am not worthy to be called your son. But at least admit me to be one of your least servants.'"

You see, Christian soul, the decision which the prodigal son soon made? You, too, should make such a decision. Do you not now perceive that vice is a diet insufficient for nourishing you? Vices can be engaging and fascinating, but they cannot meet your needs and satisfy you. Remember what you were before. Reflect on what you are, and how things go with those who are serving God faithfully. They go about clothed with the garment of grace, virtue, and merit. They feed on the bread of life and understanding, are sustained by a good conscience and by trust in God. They are content, joyful and satisfied. For once, then, decide to arise and go see your Father.


Affective Acts

(1) Determination — I do not want to tend the unclean animals of vice, guilt and sin. I do not want to give any further service to such a cruel tyrant as satan, who, after enslaving me and degrading me, and making me undergo so many miseries, would give me eternal damnation as my reward. I want to go back to my Father. Now I perceive what I have lost. — Alas! My Father! How evil I have been! How heedless! I have offended Thee. Oh, what a wretched thing to do! What an outrageous thing to do! I have done wrong to myself. I have made no progress. I have gained nothing but discredit, displeasure, hardship, and damnation.

(2) Resolution — My Lord and Father, I am resolved to return to Thee. I know well that I am unworthy to be accepted as Thy son. But at least receive me as the least of Thy servants. Though I have failed as Thy son because of my foolishness and malice, Thou hast not disowned me. Thou hast always been and are my good Father. Thou wilt forgive me. Yes, my Father, Thou wilt accept me. I know Thy generous, kind heart. Thou wilt pardon me.


**Third Point**

The prodigal son set about his undertaking. At once difficulties appeared. He would have to overcome certain human fears. He would have to overlook the things that might be said by people in his home, by his friends, relatives and neighbors. Doubtless he would say to himself: Alas! Everybody will look. Everybody will talk. Everyone will remember what you were before, what you said and did. And now, when they see you this way, what will they say?

But fearlessly he conquers and overcomes everything. He presents himself at his home. His father receives him with all tenderness, love and joy. As for all those obstacles and difficulties which before had appeared overwhelming, he saw them vanish like smoke.

Yes, Christian soul, make up your mind for once. Then carry out that mind. Go, hasten to your Father. Do not be afraid. Do not let satan deceive you. He will make obstacles appear unconquerable. He will make your conversion appear scarcely less than impossible. He will construct a great barrier by suggesting that God will not pardon such great and numerous sins, that your confessor, who holds God's place, will not welcome you, that he will gruffly send you away. Satan will tell you that there is no longer any remedy, that you cannot get rid of your evil ways, that it is impossible for you to always stay away from certain fun-seeking, from certain sinful pleasures. Also he will bring before you the things that worldly people say. Put no stock in satan. See to it that your change is a genuine one. Make a good confession of all your sins, and you will see that all these difficulties vanish like smoke.

The Father confessor will listen to you with all sweetness and charity. He does not show alarm at the numerous and great sins of a penitent. What gives him pain — and very much pain — is if he sees that the sinner comes without the disposition, without the willingness to correct himself. That is what grieves his zealous heart. But if he sees that a sinner comes with a converted and humble heart, then he is unable — nor would he know how — to have contempt for him. Just the opposite is true. He receives the soul with open arms, and from his heart welcomes him. A tenderness and affection rather incline him to tears. He thanks the Lord as he witnesses this great mercy which is showered on the sinner before him. With joy he admires the sinner's courage and determination in conquering himself and conquering satan and all human respect. Oh, what gladness he experiences! And what joy the sinner feels when the Father confessor, having heard the confession, gives absolution. In the midst of his sobs of emotion he says these words of Saint Augustine: "Those tears that I shed out of sorrow for sin are sweeter than all the delights and pleasures of the theater and worldly amusements." Oh, what gladness does his heart not experience when he finds himself clothed again in sanctifying grace by means of the sacrament of penance! The greatest joy comes when he sees himself admitted to Holy Communion. Oh, what gladness! It seems to him that the whole Heavenly court comes to make festival in his heart.


Affective Acts

(1) Resolution — I am now resolved. I will go to Confession today. I will not delay any longer. I will tell all my sins to the father confessor. I hope to receive pardon for them all. O my Heavenly Father, how sorry I am for my sins! I will always, always avoid sin, my Father, with the help of Thy Divine Grace.

(2) Prayer of Petition — O Mary, my most loving Mother, Advocate of poor sinners who want to amend. I truly wish to amend my ways. I want to make a good confession of all my sins. By Your holy sorrows obtain for me a great sorrow for my sins. Oh, how grieved I am, my Mother, for having sinned! for having offended my God and Thee! For having again crucified Thy Holy Son, Jesus, by my sins!

O my Jesus! I come to Thee full of sorrow for my sins. I am ashamed and distressed at seeing how I have put Thee on that Cross by my sins. But I am encouraged as I remember that Thou prayed from the Cross for the very ones who crucified Thee. Thy Most Precious Blood does not plead for vengeance like the blood of Abel, but It begs for pity, mercy, pardon. And so, filled with confidence, I pray:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me;
Body of Christ, save me;
Blood of Christ, inebriate me;
Water from the side of Christ, wash me;
Passion of Christ, strengthen me;
O Good Jesus, listen to me;
Within Thy wounds, hide me;
Never let me be parted from Thee;
From the malignant foe, guard me;
At the hour of my death, call me;
and bid me come to Thee
that with Thy saints I may praise Thee forever.
Amen.


Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.

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Section II

Meditation 9. Fruits One Should Gain from the Preceding Meditations


Preparatory Prayer as on page x

Composition of Place — Imagine you see Jesus nailed on the Cross and that He says to you: See how much I have done and have suffered, in order to deliver you from hell and save you. And you — will you not do what you should for yourself?

Prayer of Petition — O my Jesus! I do not want to be damned . . . I wish to be saved . . . no matter what it may cost . . . My Savior, grant me the help and grace I need in order to gain my eternal salvation. Amen.

We have now considered, my soul, the terrible calamities which a soul must suffer who loses its last End. But of what profit is this knowledge if souls do not set about their duty, using all means necessary to avoid falling into those calamities, and to make sure that they will gain their last End? I will explain to you here what one must do; and you, my soul, collect your thoughts and weigh my words with attention in the presence of Jesus Crucified.


**First Point**

The first fruit the soul should gain from all the preceding meditations is a sincere repentance and a perfect contrition of all the sins committed . . . Tell me, my soul, in what state is your conscience at present? If an angel came down from Heaven at this moment and told you, "Prepare yourself; for you will die within an hour." What would your heart tell you? Would you feel peaceful about dying in the state you are in at present? Have your confessions been such that you can have good grounds for relying on them and you can confidently trust that your sins will prove to have been pardoned? Would you be content to die at this hour and in the state you are now in? Make an answer, but let your answer be before Jesus Crucified Who knows your heart. Realize, my soul, that the first step in going to God, the first rung for mounting to holiness, the first means for gaining interior peace, is that one's heart, by means of sincere repentance, become in such condition that it is ready to die at any moment, even by sudden death, and appear before the Divine Judge. In order for the soul to enter into this very happy condition, the two following resolves are necessary:

(1) Resolution — During the time of the retreat make a general confession of your whole life, or for the period since the last general confession, with an exact examination, with such earnestness, such repeated acts of contrition, such sincerity in the admission of your sins, as to enable your conscience to always tell you: I have done as much as God requires in order for Him to pardon my sins; now I can appear before His tribunal without fear. O my soul, what sweet consolation, what well-founded interior peace, what sure hope of eternal life one gains by this kind of confession!

(2) Resolution — After you have reasonably satisfied yourself in this way (as far as possible in this life) of your present state of grace and future glory, make your confessions in the future with such a correct examination of conscience, with such deep contrition, with such sincerity, as you would if you knew with certainty that it was the last confession of your life.


**Second Point**

The second fruit the soul should gain from the preceding meditations, is to give God all the satisfaction possible for the sins you have committed . . .

Return, my soul, to the reflection on the prison of hell and ponder the following thoughts: Suppose that at this moment a ray of Divine Mercy penetrated that dark dwelling and a Divine Voice echoed there, which said, "Cain, come forth! Thou hast been here now six thousand years burning in these flames. I choose to make use of My Mercy with thee, but on condition that you are to suffer in silence all pains, all ailments, all contempt, all insults, all crosses and reverses, for love of Me, and in this way I will pardon thee thy sins and will save thee."

Oh, what a joyful voice that would be for the heart of Cain!

"Oh, Immense Mercy! I am glad to suffer cheerfully for a thousand years as much as a man could ever suffer, if I can in this way finally gain mercy and escape the eternal pains of hell and can come to behold Thee in Thy glory . . ."

Ah! Tell me, my soul, have you not deserved to be cast into hell as much as Cain? Now this grace which God has given you, of granting you a period for repentance — is it not equal to what God would have given you if He had drawn you out of hell?

Then why do you not apply yourself to doing genuine penance and making up to God for the wrongs done Him through your sins? Why do you not practise forbearance in your troubles?

The two following rules are for achieving this purpose:

First rule — Practise with extraordinary care and earnestness the means which God has ordained to satisfy for sin. The principal ones are: 1) the holy Sacrament of Penance, 2) the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, 3) holy Indulgences, 4) frequent acts of true contrition, made as earnestly as one can, 5) works of penance and mortification.

Second rule — Bear in silence for love of God all the harassments which your state of life carries with it, and all the troubles coming to you from Divine Providence. In all the sufferings you meet, let this be the sigh of your heart: "O my good God, Who art so merciful, what I have deserved is the everlasting horrible pain of hell, and what I suffer here is a cross rather light and short-lived."


**Third Point**

The third fruit which the soul should adopt from these meditations is to avoid all venial sins, especially those which pave the way for grave sin. It is not enough, my soul, to have a firm resolve to suffer death rather than consent to any grave sin. It is necessary to have a like resolution to venial sin. He who does not find in himself this will, cannot have security. There is nothing which can give us such a certain security of eternal salvation as an uninterrupted cautiousness to avoid even the lightest venial sin, and a notable, all-extensive earnestness reaching to all practices of the spiritual life — earnestness in prayer, and in dealing with God; earnestness in mortification and self-denial; earnestness in being humble and in accepting contempt; earnestness in obeying and renouncing one's own self-will; earnest love of God and neighbor. He who wants to gain this earnestness and keep it, must necessarily have the resolve to always avoid especially the following venial sins:

(1) The sin of giving entrance into your heart to any unreasonable suspicion or unfair judgment against your neighbor.

(2) The sin of introducing talk about another's defects or offending charity in any other way, even lightly.

(3) The sin of omitting out of laziness our spiritual practices or of performing them with voluntary neglect.

(4) The sin of having a disordered affection for somebody.

(5) The sin of having a vain esteem for oneself, or of taking vain satisfaction in things pertaining to us.

(6) The sin of receiving the holy Sacraments in a careless way, with distractions and other irreverences, and without a serious preparation.

(7) Impatience, resentment, any failure to accept disappointments as coming from God's Hand; for this puts obstacles in the way of the decrees and dispositions of Divine Providence concerning us.

(8) The sin of giving ourselves an occasion that can even remotely blemish a spotless condition of holy purity.

(9) The fault of advertently hiding from those who ought to learn them, one's bad inclinations, weaknesses, and mortifications, seeking to pursue the road of virtue not under the direction of obedience, but under the guidance of one's own whims.¹

My soul, if you do not resolve to quit these venial sins, you will not draw the least fruit from these spiritual exercises, you will never set foot on even the lowest rung of perfection, you will never come to have any communing with God nor interior peace and quiet of heart, nor a condition wherein one can look forward to death without fear. But if you do resolve to avoid these sins, then present your resolves in the following form, while on your knees with crucifix in hand:

O my God, O my crucified Love, my Jesus! Thou hast enlightened me enough by Thy Infinite Mercy. Now I know what it is to possess Thee forever and what it means to lose Thee eternally . . . How blessed I am if I come to possess Thee! But woe to me if I come to lose Thee! I know quite well that I cannot expect to ever possess Thee and must always fear the prospect of losing Thee, as long as I do not entrust myself entirely into Thy Hands, avoiding all sins, even the smallest, and begin to serve Thee with care and earnestness . . .

Indeed I do resolve upon this, and with the deepest affection of my heart I love Thee and embrace Thee, O my Jesus! Thou art my Sovereign Good, worthy to be loved above all things, more than all angels and men, more than my soul and my life. Oh, blessed be Jesus Christ!


Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.


Footnote

¹ This speaks of times when we might have worthy direction if we seek it, but we prefer to follow our own dim lights.

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Meditation 10. Our Duty to Separate from Occasions and Dangers of Sinning


Commentary — Up to this point our meditations have been of the first section, the goal of which is genuine repentance of all sins committed and a good confession of them with the firm resolve not to commit them again. This resolve of not sinning again is precisely the goal of the meditations in the second section. The first of these meditations is about separating from the occasions and dangers of falling. These are the traps of which satan makes use to catch people who are not cautious. God tells us that he who separates from the snares will be secure.

Preparatory Prayer as on page x


First Prelude

Composition of Place — Imagine you see yourself in this world as in the midst of a great field with traps laid everywhere in it, like the vision seen by Saint Anthony; or, as Saint Bernard says, with robbers lying in ambush who wish to rob us of our rich treasures of grace and virtue.


Second Prelude

Prayer of Petition — My Lord Jesus Christ, give me the wings of a dove so that I may fly and quickly escape the dangers of sin and take refuge in Thy Most Holy Wounds.


First Point

My soul, you must consider how important it is to shun the occasions of sin and to know this for the following reasons: One maxim agreed among philosophers is this: Remove the cause and you remove its effect. Thus, with fire put out, the heat is gone. If the spring dries up, the stream stops flowing. If the cause is not removed, in vain are efforts to stop the effect. When a wise and experienced physician wants to cure a sickness, he endeavors to find the cause that produced it and remove the cause; otherwise he would be wasting his time. So too, a man who is trying to correct himself would spend his time in vain, if he does not remove the occasions and dangers of sin. Moreover, in the spiritual warfare against vice, and in particular against impurity, he who is the most careful to flee, conquers more gloriously. God Himself declares that ". . . He that loveth danger shall perish in it . . ." (Ecclus. 3:27); "He that toucheth pitch, shall be defiled with it." (Ecclus. 13:1); and he who touches fire will feel its burning. Thus one who voluntarily puts himself in a proximate occasion, sins already, and he remains defiled and stained; for he loves the danger, and by that fact perishes in it. The occasion makes the thief, according to the proverb, and it is so true, as experience has shown concerning many people who, not having any intention of sinning, the occasion in which they found themselves hurled them down, as they did not know how to flee, like chaste Joseph (Gen. 39:12), nor cry out, like chaste Susanna (Dan. 13:24).¹


Affective Acts

(1) Repentance — O my God, now I know that if I have sinned, it has been because I did not flee, as Joseph did, nor cry out, as did chaste Susanna. Alas! I have been not only neglectful, but I have been rash, like Sampson, David, and Solomon, who fell because they put themselves in the occasion of sin.

(2) Resolution — O Lord, I resolve to sin no more, and to achieve this I will separate myself from the dangers and occasions of falling into sin. I will be mindful of that maxim of Saint Philip Neri, which says, "In the warfare of sensuality, the cowards who flee are the winners."


Second Point

Consider, my soul, that our chief enemy, satan, never stops laying traps, as he seeks every chance that presents itself to carry out his aim. He makes people incautious when they frequently go about with persons of the other sex. At the outset he sees to it that their association is upright. Then he proceeds to mix in some silly behavior, then he keeps going further until finally they fall miserably into sin. The same happens to them as happens to the moth which hovers about the flame, singes its wings, and falls to its doom. Ah, how many souls were once chaste, but because they proceeded like the moth to the flame of that danger, the flame of that occasion, they were singed, were burned, and perished forever! Oh, how many of both sexes have miserably fallen because repeatedly they frequented dances, theaters, and engaged in love-affairs and the like! The same thing happens to many as happens to a pitcher of cold water which, when placed next to a fire, proceeds imperceptibly to receive heat until finally it comes to a boil and boils over. Many begin friendships and courtships, go out to certain entertainments without the least precaution, and little by little, almost without knowing how, they find themselves caught by passion, in which they simmer and boil over. Just as there is no more effective remedy for stopping the pitcher from overflowing and cooling it down, than to move it away from the fire, likewise the most effective remedy is keeping away from dangers and occasions of sin.


Affective Acts

(1) Fear — Alas! I am alarmed about myself. I am astonished that I have not sinned more, considering the danger in which I have been. I find myself like one who has been asleep, and upon awaking discovers he is on the edge of a cliff, or notices that he has at his side a poisonous snake. Oh, what fear seizes him! How promptly he moves away!

(2) Resolution — I will move away from sin and the occasions of sin as from the sight of a serpent. "Flee from sins as from the face of a serpent," says Ecclus. (21:2-4), "for if thou comest near them, they will take hold of thee. The teeth thereof are the teeth of a lion, killing the souls of men. All iniquity is like a two-edged sword . . ."

I do not wish to do as Eve did, who, being idle and engaging in conversation with the serpent, fell miserably into sin. I will strive to be always worthily occupied and stay away from all occasions of offending my Lord and God.


Third Point

Consider the means you must resort to in order to not put yourself in danger of sinning. The first will be to reflect that you have at your side your guardian angel who, like a protector and guide, counsels you with the words of the psalm: "Turn away from evil and do good: seek after peace and pursue it." (Psalm 33:15).

The second will be that if anything in the course of time becomes an occasion of sin, leave it, or uproot it and cast it far from you, as your Master and Redeemer teaches you and commands you. Even if it be something as necessary as the eyes of your face, uproot it; though it be a person as useful to you as your hands or feet, cut it away and put it far from you (cf. Mt. 5:29, 30).

The third means will be the holy fear of God. God truly sees you. God hears you. God perceives all your thoughts and inclinations. This God Who watches you, Who hears you and Who knows all things, has power not only to take the life from your body, but He also has power to cast body and soul into hell. Thus He is One you must fear, as He teaches you in the holy Gospel (Mt. 10:28).

Get away from dangers and occasions of sin not only because of the holy fear of God, but also understand that you are being wise; as the Holy Ghost declares that the fool is over-daring and over-confident and therefore falls; while the wise man walks with fear and thus escapes evil. ("A wise man feareth and declineth from evil: the fool leapeth over and is confident." Prov. 14:16). Indeed, one who puts himself in danger shows his foolishness. He lets you see that he does not even know himself; for if he knew himself and that he is so fragile, and more so than glassware, that he is more flammable than gunpowder, he would not proceed as he does to put himself in danger of offending God. Gunpowder is not ignited by itself. All the harm comes from without; so that if glass or gunpowder is well protected, even if quite fragile or flammable, it lasts for ages. But a man, in addition to facing external hazards, has internal ones which he cannot so easily avoid, but which makes him all the more obliged to avoid external danger. Ah, Christian soul! Is it true that you do not know that you live in a body which breeds a destructive element and that in that body is the root of your ruin! Oh, if you were wise, how surely you would save your soul! Oh, if you knew yourself, how surely you would move away from danger! Fear God, and you will be wise; fear God, and you will be saved.


Affective Acts

(1) Prayer of Petition — Lord, grant that I may know what I am and what Thou art . . . Ah, if I knew myself I surely would not be so overconfident in myself, nor would I put myself in occasions of sin. The soldier who knows that gunpowder easily ignites, does not proceed to turn over hot coals with a cartridge; for he knows and understands well that the powder would explode and injure him. If I knew well how easily I am excited with the fire of passion, I would not be so foolish or rash about putting myself in the occasion of sin. Oh, if I knew Thee better, my God, I would respect Thee, I would love Thee, and I would fear Thee with a filial fear, and thus I would never sin again.

(2) Resolution — I am resolved to separate always and promptly from the persons, places and things which I know can be an occasion of sin. If any occasions present themselves to me which would catch me by surprise and would make me fall, I will say to Thee, my God, the prayer of the Prophet, "O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me" (Ps. 69:2). And I will address Thee, my Jesus, as the Apostles did, ". . . Save us! We perish!" (Mt. 8:25). And Thee, O Most Holy Virgin, I beg and will beg, that You pray to God for me now and always and at the hour of my death. And you, O ye angels and saints, I remind you of the charges that you have from my Heavenly Father, to guard me in all my ways so that I may not fall into sin and may happily arrive at my fatherland in Heaven.


Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.


Footnote

¹ Joseph, "leaving the garment in her hand, fled" from his master's wife. Susanna, approached by the wicked elders, "cried out with a loud voice."

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Meditation 11. Venial Sin


Preparatory Prayer as on page x


First Prelude

Composition of Place — Imagine you see a soul living the life of grace, but because of venial sin it resembles Job on the dunghill amid crawling worms and filth, in a dying condition, now almost at the point of falling into mortal sin and undergoing a death of grave guilt. For God Himself says that one who makes light of small faults, little by little comes to fall into grave sins. ("... He that despises small things, shall fall by little and little." Ecclus. 19:1).


Second Prelude

Prayer of Petition — Grant me, my Lord, a horror for light faults so that I may never fall into them, and a great sorrow for those I have committed up to now, so that I will not have to pay for them in purgatory.



First Point

Consider, my soul, what venial sin is, and why it is called venial. It is an offense, though a light one, which a creature does to the Creator. It is called a light fault not in itself absolutely, but by reference to mortal sin, in comparison to which a venial sin, though enormous in its mischief, is called a small evil; just as the earth, vast in itself, is called small in comparison with the whole universe. Or it is like the Mediterranean Sea, which is itself immense, but compared to the ocean is small.

Venial sin is an offense done to God, and this offense contains in itself so much malice that one should not commit it, not even if thereby he could save a man's life, not even if he could save all the inhabitants of the world. If, for example, by a small lie one could draw all the damned out of hell and convert them into saints and save everyone, one could not tell that lie, because it is an offense against God. Saint Camillus de Lellis used to say that he would let himself be cut into a thousand tiny pieces rather than commit a single venial sin advertently... Venial sin is more terrible than the pains of hell. Convinced of this truth, Saint Anselm said that if on one hand he saw hell opened up and he saw that on the other hand he would be obliged to commit a deliberate venial sin advertently, then rather than commit it, he would choose to fall into hell. I ought to do the same in such circumstances; for hell is an evil of suffering, and venial sin is an evil of guilt.¹

Suffering — as suffering, is not an offense against God; so no matter how horrible a suffering may be, it is a lesser evil than sin, even if it were the destruction of the whole world, the exile of all angels and saints from Heaven, and the condemnation of all souls to the fires of hell. The reason is that all these evils, great as they are, touch limited creatures, whereas sin, even light sin, touches and offends God, Who is Infinite and most deserving of all honor and glory, Who ought to be loved above all things and yet is disregarded for a trifle. God is a lovable God, a loving God. He has created us for Heaven. He preserves us. He gives us every kind of natural, supernatural, visible and invisible benefit. And we fail to love Him! We offend Him! Oh, what ingratitude!

If the malice of venial sin is frightening, its frequency is more horrifying. Alas! Scarcely a day passes that you do not commit many venial sins, either out of malice or from frailty, or by not paying due attention to what you do. These sins may be vain, useless thoughts, a dislike for neighbors, disordered affections, or words that are idle, proud, loose, sarcastic, untruthful, or actions or omissions. They may occur in our eating, our drinking, in our retiring or our rising, by acts of laziness. They may happen in public streets, at home, in church, in the way we walk or look about, or otherwise behave. And even in undertakings which are good, how many faults do you not commit, by being too hurried, or by carelessness or laziness, by voluntary distractions, by unfaithfulness to God's inspirations! So many are the faults you commit that one may say they outnumber the hairs of your head.

Affective Acts

(1) Admiration — O my God, I am full of wonder and alarm! Yes, my Jesus, I am frightened as I consider the malice of venial sin and the great number I have committed. I can say that from the soles of my feet to the crown of my head I have nothing but the bruises of sin. I am also alarmed, my Jesus, at Thy patience in bearing the many faults by which I have offended Thee. I cannot bear a fly that harasses me, but am quick to chase it away. I cannot endure it if a dog snaps at me, and for a long time Thou hast borne it when by my venial sins I have harassed Thee and snapped at Thee!

(2) Repentance — O my Jesus, pardon me. My will is to sin no more. I know now the malice and numerousness of the venial sins I have committed.² I repent, and I declare with the Prophet: "Cleanse me, Lord, of all my sins, grave and light, known and unknown, and I ask pardon for the sins that I did not commit myself, but caused others to commit." ("Who can understand sins? From my secret ones cleanse me... and from those of others spare Thy servant." Ps. 18:13-14.)



Second Point

Consider, my soul, the effects which a venial sin causes. It does in a soul what sickness does in a body. There are two ill effects which sickness causes in a body: a present one, which is weakness, fatigue, pallor, and the like; and as for the future, it hastens death. Likewise venial sin, which is a sickness of the soul, at the present time does not eliminate the life and beauty of grace, but does remove that special bright splendor which would be enough to move the Divine Eyes to tender, devoted satisfaction. It is true that it does not deprive the soul of God's friendship, but it does deprive us of many special favors. Alas! Venial sin makes a soul unworthy of God's generous gifts, it prevents many particular, extraordinary graces. It deprives it of a large part of the fruit of the holy Sacraments, especially Holy Communion, as it hinders that very intimate union which the Lord would want. As heavy fluids in the body hinder movement and perception, venial sins do the same thing and worse in the soul. They weaken the will; they make devout exercises distasteful and boring; they make a soul dislike to do works of charity; they cool down its fervor, and leave it miserable.

The soul in venial sin is like a sick person with a stomach obstruction, who eats without relish, sleeps without resting, laughs without joy, is so wearied in everything and so fully bored that he drags himself rather than walks. Such is the soul with venial sins. They make a soul captive of bad habits and inclinations, which leaves it with a kind of obstruction to all good works, so that many are omitted, and the few that are performed are done without devotion and with distaste and reluctance. Prayers and penances are omitted, or if they are done they are without fervor, few in number and small in merit.

Because of venial sins the soul proceeds to grow weaker, graces continue to withdraw, and finally it comes to the point where it falls into mortal sin. A seriously wicked act of grumbling into which one lapses, a secret hatred which rages in the heart, an impulse for revenge which is not yet put down, a depraved desire to which one consents — these succeed in extinguishing and putting out that dying flicker of God's grace. The Holy Scriptures are full of examples of this truth. There is the example of David: From a curious look came desire; from desire came acts of adultery and murder. With Judas it was from a disordered love of wealth. In the beginning this was a light fault; but in time it grew so much that he even sold Jesus Christ, his Divine Master. The Jews began with a light sin of jealousy and envy at the miracles and wonders which Jesus Christ performed. But on seeing everyone follow Him, the envy in their hearts grew to such size that they did not stop until they did away with Him by crucifixion. Who should not be horrified at the effects of venial sin!

Affective Acts

(1) Admiration — Ah, my God, how much the tubercular patient arouses our sympathies when he is too helpless to do anything! Now if one sickness puts a body in such bad condition, in what condition is my soul, with as many sicknesses as there are venial sins that I have committed? For every venial sin is a cancer which gnaws into the soul; it is a leprosy which loads it with filth; it is a palsy which weakens it from doing good; it is a dropsy which gives it a thirst for the goods of the world; it is a gout which will not let it march promptly ahead; it is an asthma which hinders it from sighing for Heaven; it is a deafness which will not let it hear God's voice; it is a blindness which will not let it see the way of perfection.

(2) Supplication — O my Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me as Thou pitied the blind man on the road to Jericho. Grant that I may see! Cleanse me, O Lord, as Thou cleansed the leper! O my Jesus and my Redeemer, O true Samaritan! Pour the oil of Thy Mercy and the wine of Divine Grace upon my wounds and bruises caused by the thieves which are venial sins, into whose hands I have fallen. See, Lord, how they have robbed me of virtues and merit and have left me half dead along the way.



Third Point

To perceive the malice of venial sin, a suitable way is to observe the sufferings with which God has punished it, taking into account that He Who punishes is a wise God, Who does nothing from ignorance; that He is a just God Who does not let Himself be carried away by passion; that He is a merciful God Who is on His part more inclined to forgive than to punish; that He is a kind God Who does not punish except when constrained to do so; and yet He punishes venial sin in a soul which is in grace, which is His friend and an heir to Heaven. Yes, He punishes it nevertheless.

Oh, how great must be the evil of venial sin!

Numberless examples are in the Holy Scriptures. Because Mary, sister of Moses, had murmured venially against her brother, the Lord suddenly punished her with the unclean disease of leprosy (Num. 12). God punished Lot's wife and turned her into a pillar of salt because she had venially sinned by turning her eyes out of curiosity toward the city, against the Lord's command (Gen. 19). For a small mistrustfulness into which Moses and Aaron lapsed, they did not enter the Promised Land (Num. 20). The deaths of Nadab and Abiu (Lev. 10:2), sons of Aaron, the deaths of Oza (2 Kings 6:7), of Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5:5), and of many others, resulted from venial sins. Who will not fear? Who will not walk with care to avoid such faults? Not only does God punish those faults with these penalties, but He also punishes them with other greater sufferings in purgatory. For a light lie, for an indecent smile, for an improper word, for grumbling, etc., etc., souls there suffer a pain of loss from being denied the sight of God, and a pain of sense in very dreadful fires for a longer time than people think, and their suffering is more than all the pains that can be witnessed or experienced in this world. What conception would you have, my soul, of those light sins which you easily commit, if you were now in Purgatory amid the sufferings you deserve for them? Would you call them slight faults which keep you from an Infinite Good, which is the sight of God and the possession of glory in Heaven? Would you count as trifles, and dismiss as scruples, the faults that earn a most dreadful confinement with the most painful afflictions? Suppose you saw some distinguished person dragged from his home or palace and carried off to prison, and that there, in the middle of the courtyard, they set a fire and thrust that person into its great blaze. Suppose then, when you asked what crime he had committed, the person in charge answers that he was punished this way for having told a lie, for a little grumbling, or another venial fault. Would you then say that a venial sin is nothing? Realize, then, my soul, that in Purgatory venial sins are punished by very painful confinement and torment.

Affective Acts

(1) Repentance — O my God, now I know something of how great is the evil of venial sin! Ah, if I had understood it before, I would not have sinned as I did! Up to now I have treated it as a joke. But I give Thee my word, my God, that from now on, with the help of Thy grace, I will avoid sinning again. Forgive me, my Father, because Thou art Who Thou art, Infinite Goodness, and I promise Thee I will yield worthy fruits of repentance.

(2) Resolution — My Father, I give Thee my word that from now on I will make use of the means I know to be best suited to keep me from ever falling again into venial sins. Therefore I promise, my God, that every morning I will make a firm resolve not to sin venially that day, and at night I will examine myself and make an act of repentance if at any time I have sinned. I will avoid the occasions of falling down; I will proceed with more caution in my conversations, and I will keep my passions and senses mortified. I will in particular keep my eyes modest and recollected, and will take greater care to guard my tongue. I will keep silent, and when I have to speak, I will proceed with great caution so that my words will not be lacking in the truth, in charity, in humility, or in chastity. I will reflect that I am in Thy Divine Presence, and that on Judgment Day Thou must pass judgment on everything, even an idle word (Matt. 12:36) and even things that are just ("... I will judge justices." [Ps. 74:3], says the Lord.)

Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.




Footnotes

¹Note — While this is true doctrine, it is not the wise approach for the priest while hearing confessions, according to Saint Alphonsus de Liguori, who teaches that to receive forgiveness, our sorrow indeed must be supreme — supreme in our rational appreciation of things (*summus appreciative*) — so that we detest nothing more than sin and would rather undergo all the evils of this world than mortally sin against God; yet there is no need, and in fact it is not expedient (for the confessor) to make particular comparisons — for example, 'I prefer to undergo this or that evil rather than sin mortally'; for this is dangerous... It is even less expedient to imagine our choice of hell. Since hell in God's present Providence is destined for those who have become fixed in sin (at death) with an eternal hatred for God, a man acts incongruously who, to avoid sin, would choose hell, in which he could not remain without sin. (*Theol. Mor.*, vi, 433).

The same saint says: "Something that often discourages many on their way to God, is worrying about the painfulness of having to proceed until death with much strictness, always resisting selfish impulses. The best means to conquer this temptation is to imagine that you only need live for that day. If one knew he had but one day to live, would he not take care to do everything well and perfectly?... But souls that are strong and fervent in Divine Love do not need to shun thoughts of the hardships ahead; for they are glad to and thirsty to suffer in order to please God." (*Vera Sposa*, vii, sec. 4, n. 16) And he adds: "Holy souls... live always with a firm resolve to suffer death rather than sin with eyes open, even venially." (Ibid., v, 3.)

²Note: Saint Alphonsus de Liguori writes: "Because our nature is infected by sin, we carry within us such an inclination to evil as to make it impossible, without a very special grace (such as was granted [for example] to the Mother of God), to avoid all venial faults throughout life, even those committed without full awareness... As for deliberate, fully voluntary venial sins, with Divine help these can all be avoided, just as holy souls indeed avoid them who always live with the firm resolution to rather suffer death than commit a venial sin with eyes opened." (*Vera Sposa*, V, nn. 1-3). And the saint adds: "in confession one's purpose of amendment must be universal... This is meant to refer to all thoughts, words, deeds that could take away God's friendship... More spiritual persons, furthermore, ought to be resolved to avoid all deliberate venial sins. As for unintentional ones, since it is impossible to avoid them all, it is enough to resolve to guard against them as much as one can." (Ibid., XVIII, sac. 1, n.7).

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Meditation 12. Death


Commentary — There is nothing that restrains man from sinning so much as the thought of death. It was the thought of death that God appealed to in order that our first parents, Adam and Eve, might observe the command that He had given them. In fact, they did not break the command, nor did they sin, until satan led them to make light of the thought of holy fear of death. "You will not die the death. Do not be foolish; do not be silly," he said to Eve; "you will not die."

Alas! When that restraint was removed, she fell miserably into sin. Let us then think continually on death; and thus we will never sin.


Preparatory Prayer as on page x


Composition of Place — Imagine that you see yourself sick in bed, and that you have been advised to confess your sins to the priest and receive Holy Viaticum and Extreme Unction. Then imagine that you are dying, that the prayers for the recommendation of your soul are being said, and that you are losing your senses, and finally die.

Prayer of Petition — O my Jesus! By Thy most holy death I beg Thee to grant me the grace never to lose sight of my death and that I may always be well prepared to die. May I firmly and constantly withdraw myself from evil and keep myself aloof from sin, and always practise virtue; for virtue will be the only thing that will render my death happy.


First Point

What is it to die? It is to suffer the separation of the soul from the body. Death is also an eternal separation from all the things of earth. It is a separation from your money, from all your worldly interests and all your possessions. It is a loss of all titles of nobility and of all earthly pleasures and diversions. To die is to take leave of one's father, mother, children, husband, wife, brothers, sisters, friends and acquaintances without the hope of ever seeing them again on earth until the day of the Last Judgment.

Death means taking out of your home that body of yours and taking it to the cemetery, where it will remain alone day and night, surrounded by skulls and bones of the other dead. To die is to leave your body alone, a lifeless corpse, to be eaten by worms. This is what cadaver means; namely, *caro data vermibus* — flesh given as food to the worms. Cadaver also refers to something as having fallen (Lat. *cadere* = to fall). Yes, that man, that woman, has fallen like a tree that fell and is abandoned so that it will serve as firewood for whoever wants it. Just look at what happens to that body, once so beautiful and so pampered, now dead. It is now buried; it has fallen. Presently insects will come. Toads, nasty bugs and vermin will taste it and take pleasure in the bad odor that it will yield and in the rottenness that develops. Rats also will come and perforate its clothes or shroud. They will entangle themselves in the hair, enter the mouth and begin to eat the tongue. Then they will come out and they will explore the whole body between the flesh and the clothes.

In the meantime the rotting process has built up. We can see a great number of worms multiplying to eat the flesh of the stomach, the face and the whole body. Then their feast is over. The worms die of hunger, leaving bones that are dark and bare, which in due time will calcinate and convert into dust. Remember, O man, that as far as your body is concerned, thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return; for you are a man of slime or earth.

Affective Acts

(1) Act of Candor — Are you not disillusioned, my soul, at the sight of a dead body? Its fate will come to your body, too, which you pamper and idolize so much. Yes, you will die, and experience what others have experienced.

(2) Resolution — In order to pamper the cravings of my body I have many times offended God. But from now on I will mortify my flesh and crucify it with all its vices and concupiscence, as the Apostle Saint Paul admonishes me: "They that are Christ's have crucified their flesh, with its vices and concupiscences." (Gal. 5:24).



Second Point

The death of the just: Death will reach everyone, the good and the bad; but the destiny of each one is quite different. The just man sees himself in this valley of tears as a prisoner, serving a very hard term. He considers himself a slave in this world, suffering an extremely distressing servitude. He regards himself a sailor caught in a horrible storm. And as death means an end of his confinement, an end of his slavery, and is the port of his salvation, he ceases not to cry with David, "Woe is me that my sojourning is prolonged!..." (Ps. 119:5). He ceases not to ask with the Apostle, "... Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom. 7:24)

Thus it is that a just man is not frightened by the sight of death. It is certain that he must leave the things of this world, the goods, the riches, the dignities. But what is all this in the estimate of one who knows his heart is perfectly right with God? A flower which appears fresh at dawn and at night fades; a vapor which vanishes in an instant; a shadow which flees with rapidity without leaving a trace of itself. And will the soul which has this appreciation of this world, feel very pained at leaving these counterfeit goods? The just man knows that he is not made for this world nor this world for him. He knows that its pleasures are misleading and deceitful. He knows that worldly rank and dignitaries are vanity and nothing more. With these lights, what value will he give to those things? And if he does not value them, how can their loss afflict him? If he abhors and detests them, how can it grieve him to have to separate himself from them? Is it not insanity to grieve over goods which must perish? Or for honors which must lose all value? Or for pleasures which carry such bitterness and disgust? No, the just man is not troubled like the wicked Baltasar (Dan. 5:6) on hearing the sentence of his death. Nor does he rave like the proud Nabuchodonosor (Dan. 4:27-30). Nor does he become spiteful like the impious Antiochus (2 Mach. 9:4). On the contrary, it is then that he says what the angelic Saint Aloysius Gonzaga said to a fellow religious, "Do you not know the good news that they have brought me, that I must die within eight days? Be so kind as to join me in saying the Te Deum in thanksgiving for this favor that God is granting me." It is then that the just man says with the psalmist, "As the heart panteth after the fountains of water, so my soul panteth after Thee, O God!" (Ps. 41:2). Then it is that the just man takes leave of his companions with joy — of his father and mother, like the little Marquis of Castellon: "O mother," he said, "do not cry for one who is to live with God, as if he were dead. This absence will not be long. We will see each other again and be happy without ever separating again."

Thus they take leave, thus they sigh — the Davids, the Pauls, the Aloysiuses, and all the just, at the moment of death. It is true that the just, also, at that hour feel the pains and afflictions of their illness; but in what sweet peace are their souls! God places them under His Sacred Mantle, and under His Shadow they remain calm and tranquil. How precious is the death of the just! And what renders it so precious? What, other than a holy life?

Yes, a holy life is what leads a man to a happy death. This is as natural as it is for a good tree to produce good fruit. Death is the echo of life. What exquisite pleasure, then, is caused by the memory of the virtues one has practised, of the Sacraments well received, and the works of mercy one has done! What great consolation there is for the soul that loved God with devotedness and served Him faithfully! What sweet joy for the just man at death to have withdrawn from dangers of sin, not to have taken part in sinful amusement, and of having deprived himself of unlawful pleasures! Can you compare this joy with anything else in this world? A man engaged in litigation rejoices at the news of having won a lawsuit of importance. One in exile is happy when his painful banishment ends. A prince is greatly cheered at a victory which assures him of the crown. But what is all this in comparison with the triumph which is declared in favor of a holy soul at the hour of death? He wins a victory of infinite importance over his enemy. An exile that is sad, painful and full of dangers ends for him. He obtains a victory which brings to him a pure, perfect and eternal blessedness, a victory which assures him of an unfading, incorruptible crown and of an immense reward. Oh, blessed mortifications! Oh, happy tears! Oh, happy fasting, that give so much joy to the upright soul at the moment of his death! Then he blesses his birth and his parents who gave him existence. Then he blesses the day he received the grace of Baptism and the ministers whom God used to bring all this about. He praises his days spent in the service of God and glorifies His mercies. The past consoles him beyond measure. The present gratifies him because he approaches the end of his labors. The future fills him with content because of his well-founded expectation of eternal happiness. Thus the death of the just is like a foretaste of final bliss.

Affective Acts

(1) Joy — Ah, Lord, "I rejoiced at the things that were said to me," that I would go to the holy house of Thy heavenly glory! (Ps. 121:1). O death, how sweet you are to the soul which desires to go with fervor to see Jesus!

(2) Resolution — I resolve to abstain from every fault, to practise virtue, particularly the love of God, and to awaken the desire to die like Holy Mary, Saint Paul, and the other saints.


Third Point


It is certain that the sight of his sins can cause the servant of God who had the misfortune of offending Him some fear. But the prayers of the Church encourage him, the protection of the angels and saints comforts him, the favor of the Blessed Virgin inspires him with great confidence, and the consideration that a God was crucified for him gives to a pure and penitent soul an unspeakable security which no temptation nor tribulation that he might experience can take away; no, not even the natural horror of death. It is also true that the devil attacks the dying with greater fury than ever. But he who has prepared himself for death, he who already has wept over his sins, can insult satan with the words of Saint Martin — "What are you doing here, you fiendish beast? I have already confessed all my sins. I have put my affairs in order. You will not find in me anything that you can accuse me of."

No doubt the thought of the judgment which follows upon death, will terrify the sinner; but the just man solves his fears by being ready for death. You will not find anyone who feared more the judgments of God than Saint Jerome. However, with what eagerness finally he desired death! With what fond expressions did he invoke her! "Come," he said; "come my friend, my sister, my spouse. Let me see the God that my soul loves! O death! You are wrapped in darkness, but that darkness unveils for me the inaccessible light in which my God is found. You terrify earthly kings because you take away their splendor and majesty. You are frightful to all who place their hopes in the goods of this world. But for me you are most agreeable, because you deprive me of what I abhor and you lead me to the possession of what I love."

What do you say, my soul, upon hearing this? "Friend, sister, spouse," Saint Jerome calls death. Why? Because it opens to him the door to infinite glory; because it is the end of all his labors and the beginning of his happiness; because it brings him to the eternal possession of the Heavenly Spouse of his soul. Yes, this happy hope consoles the man of upright will at the last moment. Angels and saints surround his bedside. The Gates of Heaven are open wide to him. The Blessed Virgin Mary invites him with mercy. Jesus Christ beckons him with open arms. The Blessed Trinity offers him the mansion of Its glory. Thus the upright person sweetly closes his eyes, surrendering his last breath with the greatest peace. The angels and saints receive his blessed soul. They, together with their loving Queen, present him to Jesus. Jesus gives him the kiss of peace, embraces him fondly, and in the midst of joyful hymns leads him into the region of the blessed. Indeed, the death of the just is precious in the eyes of the Lord.

O my soul, do you want to gain this happiness? You are not asked to fast all your life on bread and water, nor to take continuous bloody disciplines. You are not asked to lock yourself up in a cave forever. All that is asked of you is a fruitful confession and a reform of your life. All that is commanded is that you constantly observe God's sweet plan and law for you and the laws of the Church. With this alone you will die without anguish or distress. The privation of your goods, your relatives and friends, will not torment you. The fear of judgment and eternity will not distress you. Just the contrary. You will be greatly consoled at leaving behind a few worldly goods in exchange for other solid ones, a few earthly friends for Heavenly ones, a life full of labor and fatigue for one full of happiness. Courage, my soul! Take courage! A little labor and fatigue brings you a tranquil life, a happy death, and eternal glory.

Affective Acts

(1) Resolution — I am resolved to employ the necessary means to attain the death of the just. I will make a good general confession of all the sins I have committed until now, and I hope that God in His Goodness and Infinite Mercy will forgive them. Thus I will not need to fear about the past. For the future my will is to observe God's law and that of the Church and accomplish with exactness the obligations of my state, avoiding all sin, not only mortal, but also venial. I will receive frequently and fervently the holy Sacraments of Penance and Communion, and I will practise works of charity, and do all that I know is pleasing to God and for the good of my neighbor.

(2) Prayer of Petition — O Most Holy Virgin and Mother of God, pray for me now so that I may live uprightly and pray for me at the hour of my death. O glorious Saint Joseph, pray for me, assist me and defend me from satan at the hour of my death. Amen.

Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.

[Stone]

Meditation 13. The Death of the Sinner


Preparatory Prayer as on page x

Composition of Place — Imagine you see a man who is over-fond of this world, over-anxious for money, whose ambition is to receive high honors, a title before his name, and public distinctions, who gives himself over to gluttony and all kinds of amusement and pleasures of the flesh, who is unmindful of God and His law and of the holy Sacraments. At an hour least expected he is a victim of a mishap, and he hears a voice saying, "Prepare yourself, for tomorrow you will die."

Alas! What panic! He sees himself surrounded by devils. Some are showing him the money he must leave behind. Others show him a picture of the woman he loves, whom he must leave. Others are waiting for him to breathe his last so that they can see him off to his grave and to hell, like the glutton in the Gospel.

As soon as he breathes his last, Jesus appears before him to judge him according to his works. Finally Jesus issues the sentence of condemnation.

Prayer of Petition— O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Holy Mother of God, pray for me now and at the hour of my death. Obtain for me the grace to learn from the bad example of reprobates, so that I will not live like a sinner and so that my death will not be like theirs. Amen.


First Point

To die in sin — to die an enemy of God! What a dreadful disaster! What a terrible calamity! To be at the point of death with a conscience burdened with sin! What terror, O my soul! Oh, the unspeakable distress! The past, the present, and the future will torment the sinner in that moment which decides his eternal fate.

Before him is a very vivid display of all his evil ways in all their ugliness. What a horror to see oneself burdened down with bad habits! What a nightmare to perceive oneself plunged down in a fathomless water hole of sin! His past sacrileges distress him; the hatreds he has entertained now torment him; and the unclean pleasures of his life bring on great despondency as he sees that they have wrecked his soul. The anguish reaches even the marrow of his bones. Then the sinner remembers with unspeakable bitterness the times he has violated Holy Days, the bad confessions he has made, and his unworthy Communions. If he has cheated people by usury, theft, or robbery, these things he remembers. He recalls the times when his sins of grumbling, detraction, lying, have taken away the good reputation of his fellow man. He remembers his blasphemies, his acts of revenge, his impure talk, and all the evil and scandal with which he has ruined many souls. Before his mind is a woman whom he scandalized, the girl that was corrupted, the little boy whom he lured into sins he would not have committed had he not taught him. Before his eyes are the duties he should have fulfilled and did not, the donations he should have made to charitable causes but did not, and the other good works he ought to have done and did not. In a word, at the hour of his death the sinner very plainly sees all the good he should have done and did not do, and all the evil things he did which he was bound to avoid.

What grief! What distress he will experience! What a painful torment the recollection of his past will inflict! "O ye days I have wasted! Ye graces I have forfeited! And the calls, the lights and inspirations from God, which I have disregarded! What great distress you cause me! My life has ended. My fun is over. My pleasures are finished. Other people will enjoy my belongings. Others will live in my house. The grave alone remains for me. Of what use now are the lands I bought, the homes I built, the offices I held, if I am going to give them all up with one stroke as I surrender my life? Therefore I have lost everything — meaning everything on earth. It is cut off with a bitter death." This is the result that the sinner will achieve at the hour of death. In this way his past will torment him.

Affective Acts

(1) Act of Candor — What does it profit a man to possess everything in the world, to have every dignity and honor, and to give his body over to every pleasure, if in the end he loses his soul? (Mt. 16:26) Alas! For a passing delight one undergoes an eternal punishment! While such a person has life and health, he does not think of death nor does he want to think about it. But the door is not closed by this unmindfulness. That hour, when least expected, arrives. It puts an end to the days of the sinner and confronts him with an eternity of torments.

(2) Exhortation — In all your works be mindful of your death, of the judgment, of hell and of glory; and in this way you will never sin; ("In all thy works, remember thy last end, and thou shalt never sin." Ecclus. 7:40) for then you will live an upright life and will be saved. Otherwise, your death will be an unhappy one; it will be disastrous; and you will be damned. Perhaps you will say that you do not believe these things. Well then, that admission is a telling argument for your eternal damnation; for Jesus Christ says that he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mk. 16:16).


Second Point

And now, alas! the pains are increasing. The dying man's energies are playing out; his afflictions are great and he is suffering a mortal anguish. His friends make their departure. The household servants withdraw. His relatives are taking their leave. His children are weeping and his wife breaks into tears. The physician can offer no remedy. Nor can all the dying man's influence in the world alleviate him; even less can his money help him. Death is at the threshold and cannot be turned back. He is horrified, terrified, that he must undergo it. What will the sinner do in this state? He will gaze over to one side, and the multitude of his sins appear, declaring: "You have made us; you have not wept over us. Therefore we must accompany you into eternity in order to provide your everlasting wages." He will turn his eyes to the other side, and his frantic gaze will find nothing but frightening specters and horrible demons ready to bury him in the depths of hell. He will raise his eyes above, and the wrath of the Supreme Judge will appear, Who will declare the terrible sentence of condemnation against him. He will look downward, and confront a dreadful grave full of filth, corruption and worms, in which he will remain until the end of the world. O my soul! What will the sinner do in a moment so critical? Can the rich man not escape by paying several thousand gold pieces? No. Can the powerful, influential man not escape by means of some of his resourceful schemes? Can the prince not summon all his army? The army will be of no use. Can the valiant man not engage his valor and outmatch the stroke of death? No, no, no.

Affective Acts

(1) Resolution — From now on I choose to put no stock in things that will be of no use at the hour of death, such as riches, honors, pleasures. I will only strive for things which, in that hour, will console me and offer me good company. And these will be good works, alms giving, mortification, partaking in the Sacraments, Mass, and devotions.

(2) Amendment — I know that it has been decreed that a man die only once. (Heb. 9:27). If one could die twice, in preparation for his second death he could amend what was wrong at his first death. But since we cannot do this, what, then, is the remedy? What indeed? It is to correct now what you wish you had corrected before, at the hour of your death, and do now what you would then wish you had done. Reflect well on this. Meditate seriously on it, and carry out the task, saying to yourself: I must die, and I must be judged then and there. Do I believe that this is so? I cannot doubt it. Faith declares it; reason confirms it; and experience makes it obvious. God has given me the being I have and the life which I live. God gives me time in this life minute by minute, in such wise that I cannot rely on having more than the present minute. Thus I no longer have the time that has passed, and the time that is to come I do not have either, nor do I know if the Lord will give it to me. And if He does not, no time will be left for me and I will die, just as all those who have died up to now. I am convinced that I am to die. This is quite certain — that I am to die and be judged.

But when will I die? I do not know. I do not know what year it will be, nor the month, nor day, nor hour. I only know that I am to die, and I have no idea at what hour. I know that in that hour the Lord will come to judge me, as He tells me in His holy Gospel.

Where will I die? I do not know that either. I know where I was born, but not where I will die. I do not know if it will be indoors or out of doors, nor do I know if it will be at sea or on land. I know nothing about this. I only know that God has jurisdiction and power everywhere and that the life which I enjoy is His property. I know that He can take it from me anywhere, and that He will ask of me a reckoning of how I have spent it.

How will I die? I am likewise ignorant of this. I do not know if it will be a sudden death or a foreseen, well-prepared ebbing away — a natural death, or a violent death. I do not know if I will die from a thunderbolt, or at the hands of a murderer; whether it will be from poison, from a fall, from apoplexy or from some lung disease. I just do not know. I only know with certainty that I am to die, that I am to be judged, that I will be either saved or damned for all eternity. Oh, what an alarming reality! How undeniable this truth is! How impossible for us to withstand it!


Third Point

What is the sinner to do? Suppose he seeks refuge in some thoughts of the future. The future indeed? He only approaches a future full of pains. Oh, the thought of eternity! It is a frightening thought for a dying sinner. To forsake property, office, amusements, is very painful to a sinner fond of these. To forsake friends, relatives and children is even more painful for one who put all his hope and reliance in flesh and blood. To give up extravagant clothes, a soft bed, pleasures and delights of the body, in order to surrender that body to a horrible burial, to become food for unclean animals, is a very painful thing for a man who had been treating his belly as his god and thought about nothing but pleasing himself. To enter eternity with a conscience burdened with sins is an affliction that has no equal. "Ah! I am dying, and I am dying without having done penance, without having made a good confession. My sins are countless. My conscience is greatly entangled in confusion and difficulties. I have wicked habits and my passions have chained me down to the service of the devil. This infernal dragon, who during my life assured me that salvation would be an easy matter by telling me that God is Infinite Mercy, now tells me that God is Infinitely Just and therefore can do nothing but pass the sentence of my damnation. I want to turn to the protection of the angels and saints, and the devil tells me that there are no angels or saints for one who has despised them, cursed them and blasphemed them by word and deed. I endeavor to turn to the protection of the Blessed Virgin, and the infernal spirit whispers into my ear that Mary is Mother of repentant sinners who turn to Her kindness at a suitable time, but that She is not a Mother to wicked persons like myself, who have wickedly put things off until there is no remedy. To bring some relief to my afflicted heart I want to find refuge in the Blood of Jesus. But Lucifer closes the door to me, persuading me that I will find no mercy from a Lord Whom I have so much offended and Whose Wounds I have renewed with great impiety. Alas for me!

"I believed the devil and not God's ministers, and now I am receiving my due. The priests used to tell me not to wait until death to reform my life, for I would put my salvation in obvious peril. The devil used to persuade me otherwise, saying that by an act of sorrow at the time of death, everything would be set right. I heeded the devil and not the priests. Now, as just punishment, I find myself in the hands of the wicked dragon, who crushes my spirit with sentiments of despair, anguish and remorse.

"Oh, cursed be the time that I lent my ear to my worst enemy! Oh, cursed be the hour I made light of the warnings from the pulpit! Oh, cursed be the day I rejected God's inspirations and calls! What a comfort it would be to me now if I had cooperated with the graces that were offered me for a genuine conversion! But I did not choose to do so. And now — for me there is no God, no Blessed Virgin, no angels, nor saints, but only room for devils, for panic and despair. Farewell children, property, homeland! Farewell to Heaven, to glory, to that blessed Mount Sion! I am damned and I am damned forever beyond all remedy. Come, O devils, and snatch me from this world. Come, Lucifer, and take possession of my wretched soul. Come, cruel dragon, take this obstinate sinner away as your captive. Quickly torment me, tear me asunder with your claws. Quickly break my bones and bury me in hell, to burn continuously forever!"

In this way, with anguish, agony and frenzy, the sinner ends his miserable days. As soon as his body has been taken to the grave, even his best friends soon forget him, while his heirs enjoy his property. In the meantime he has not a single drop of water with which to relieve his tongue in those burning flames. So ends all the glory of this world, O my soul. So perishes all its vanity and pride. So vanishes all its glitter. So it comes to pass that the sinner's end is a wretched one and his death in every way a disaster.

Affective Acts

(1) Repentance — I know, O Lord, that it is sin that makes one's death a bad one. I now hate my sins and I am sorry for having offended Thee. I appeal to Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, my Creator, Father and Redeemer. Because Thou art what Thou art, Infinite Goodness, I am sorry for having sinned and I resolve, with the help of Thy Divine Grace, to avoid sin in the future; and I promise to go to confession and fulfill the penance which is imposed upon me. I offer Thee my life, my toils and my hardships in satisfaction for all my sins. Even as I make this appeal to you, I trust that Thou will forgive me and grant me grace to amend my ways and to persevere in Thy Grace until the end of my life. Amen.

(2) Prayer of Petition — O Mary, Mother of sinners who choose to reform, pray for me that I will do penance and sin no more.

Now pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary and the Concluding Prayers as on page xi.