Reflection #10
He that Loves God Must Love
and Not Abhor Death
How can he ever abhor death who is in the grace of God? "He that abideth in charity abideth in God, and God in him." (I John 4:16). He, therefore, that loves God is secure of His grace, and dying thus, he is sure of going to enjoy Him forever in the kingdom of the Blessed. And shall such a one fear death? David well said: "Enter not into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy sight no man living shall be justified." (Psalms 142:2). This means that no man may presume to be saved by his own merits, for no one but Jesus and Mary can say that he has been without sin throughout his whole life. But he ought not to fear death if, with true repentance for his sins, he trusts in the merits of Jesus Christ, who came on earth to save sinners. "The Son of Man is come to save that which was lost." (Matthew 18:11). And in fact He died and poured forth all His Blood to save sinners. The Blood of Jesus Christ, says the Apostle, speaks more in favor of sinners than the blood of Abel spoke against Cain, who murdered him.
It is true that, without a divine revelation, no man can possess an infallible certainty of his own salvation; but he that has given himself with a sincere heart to God and is ready to lose everything, even life itself, rather than lose the divine grace, has a moral certainty that he will be saved. The certainty is founded on the divine promises. "No one," says the Scripture, "hath hoped in the Lord and hath been confounded." (Ecclesiasticus 2:11). Almighty God declares in so many passages, that He does not desire the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and saved. "It is My Will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways and live?" (Ezechiel 18:23). In another place, He makes the same declaration, and adds an oath: "As I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live." (Ezechiel 33:11). And in the same chapter, God laments over those obstinate sinners who choose to perish because they will not leave their sins, and says: "Why will you die, O House of Israel?" (Ezechiel 33:11). And to those who repent of the evil done, He promises to forget all their transgressions. "If the wicked do penance for all their sins which he hath committed . . . living, he shall live and shall not die. I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done." (Ezechiel 18:21-22).
Moreover, when a sinner hates the sin he has committed, it is a certain sign that he has been already pardoned. A holy Father says that whoever can truly say with David, "I have hated and abhorred iniquity," (Psalms 118:163), may be certain of having been forgiven. Another certain sign of having recovered grace is to have persevered in a good life for a long time after having sinned. It is also a great sign of being in the state of grace to have a firm resolution to lose one's life rather than lose the friendship of God; as also to have an earnest desire to love Him and to see Him loved by others, and to feel distress at seeing Him offended.
How is it, then, that certain great Saints, after having given themselves wholly to God, and after a life of mortification and detachment from all earthly goods, have felt at the hour of death great terrors at the thought of appearing before Christ their Judge? I reply that those Saints who have suffered these fears at the moment of death have been very few and that it was the Will of God that they should thus purge away some remains of their sins before entering into a blessed eternity, but that, ordinarily speaking, all the Saints have died in great peace and with an ardent desire to die in order to go and see God. And for the rest, there is this difference between sinners and Saints at the hour of death; that sinners from fear pass to despair, and Saints from fear pass to confidence, and thus die in peace.
Therefore, everyone who has signs that he is in the grace of god ought to desire death, repeating the prayer which Jesus Christ has taught us, "Thy kingdom come," and he ought to embrace death with joy when it comes, both in order that he may be freed from sin by leaving this world, where no one lives without imperfections, and that he may go to behold God face to face and love Him with all his strength in the Kingdom of Love.
O my beloved Jesus and my Judge, when Thou shalt judge me, for Thy mercy's sake, condemn me not to Hell. In Hell I could not love Thee, but should have to hate Thee forever; and how could I hate Thee who art so worthy of love and who hast so loved me? If Thou wilt send me to Hell, at least grant me grace to be able to love Thee there with all my heart. On account of my sins, I do not deserve this grace, but if I do not deserve it, Thou hast merited it for me with the Blood which Thou didst shed in such agony for me upon the Cross. O my Judge, inflict on me every pain, but deprive me not of the power of loving Thee.
O Mother of God, behold the peril in which I stand of being condemned to be unable to love thy Son, who deserves an infinite love; help me; have pity on me!
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
It is true that, without a divine revelation, no man can possess an infallible certainty of his own salvation; but he that has given himself with a sincere heart to God and is ready to lose everything, even life itself, rather than lose the divine grace, has a moral certainty that he will be saved. The certainty is founded on the divine promises. "No one," says the Scripture, "hath hoped in the Lord and hath been confounded." (Ecclesiasticus 2:11). Almighty God declares in so many passages, that He does not desire the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and saved. "It is My Will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways and live?" (Ezechiel 18:23). In another place, He makes the same declaration, and adds an oath: "As I live, saith the Lord God, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live." (Ezechiel 33:11). And in the same chapter, God laments over those obstinate sinners who choose to perish because they will not leave their sins, and says: "Why will you die, O House of Israel?" (Ezechiel 33:11). And to those who repent of the evil done, He promises to forget all their transgressions. "If the wicked do penance for all their sins which he hath committed . . . living, he shall live and shall not die. I will not remember all his iniquities that he hath done." (Ezechiel 18:21-22).
Moreover, when a sinner hates the sin he has committed, it is a certain sign that he has been already pardoned. A holy Father says that whoever can truly say with David, "I have hated and abhorred iniquity," (Psalms 118:163), may be certain of having been forgiven. Another certain sign of having recovered grace is to have persevered in a good life for a long time after having sinned. It is also a great sign of being in the state of grace to have a firm resolution to lose one's life rather than lose the friendship of God; as also to have an earnest desire to love Him and to see Him loved by others, and to feel distress at seeing Him offended.
How is it, then, that certain great Saints, after having given themselves wholly to God, and after a life of mortification and detachment from all earthly goods, have felt at the hour of death great terrors at the thought of appearing before Christ their Judge? I reply that those Saints who have suffered these fears at the moment of death have been very few and that it was the Will of God that they should thus purge away some remains of their sins before entering into a blessed eternity, but that, ordinarily speaking, all the Saints have died in great peace and with an ardent desire to die in order to go and see God. And for the rest, there is this difference between sinners and Saints at the hour of death; that sinners from fear pass to despair, and Saints from fear pass to confidence, and thus die in peace.
Therefore, everyone who has signs that he is in the grace of god ought to desire death, repeating the prayer which Jesus Christ has taught us, "Thy kingdom come," and he ought to embrace death with joy when it comes, both in order that he may be freed from sin by leaving this world, where no one lives without imperfections, and that he may go to behold God face to face and love Him with all his strength in the Kingdom of Love.
O my beloved Jesus and my Judge, when Thou shalt judge me, for Thy mercy's sake, condemn me not to Hell. In Hell I could not love Thee, but should have to hate Thee forever; and how could I hate Thee who art so worthy of love and who hast so loved me? If Thou wilt send me to Hell, at least grant me grace to be able to love Thee there with all my heart. On account of my sins, I do not deserve this grace, but if I do not deserve it, Thou hast merited it for me with the Blood which Thou didst shed in such agony for me upon the Cross. O my Judge, inflict on me every pain, but deprive me not of the power of loving Thee.
O Mother of God, behold the peril in which I stand of being condemned to be unable to love thy Son, who deserves an infinite love; help me; have pity on me!
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
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