Reflection #23
Acts to Be Made at Death
It was revealed to St. Lydwina [of Schiedam, 1380-1433] by an angel that the crown of merits and glory which awaited her in Heaven would not be completed without the sufferings which she was to endure in the days immediately preceding her death. The same thing happens to all devout souls when they depart from this world. It is certain that all good acts, and especially those of resignation in accepting death, performed with the view of pleasing God, are of great merit to everyone who dies in the grace of God. Here are the acts of devotion which may be very acceptable to Almighty God at the hour of death.
O my God, I offer Thee my life, and I am prepared to die at any hour which may be pleasing to Thy holy will. "Thy will be done." Always, always, "Thy will be done!"
O Lord, if Thou willest to leave me in life for some time longer, be Thou blessed; but I desire not life, unless I have spent it all in loving Thee and in giving Thee pleasure. If Thou willest that I should die in this sickness, mayest Thou still be blessed. I embrace death that I may do Thy will, and I repeat: "Thy will be done, Thy will be done." I only beg of Thee to help me all through this time. "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy." If, then, Thou willest that I should leave this earth, I protest that I desire to die, because such is Thy will.
And I desire to die, in order that, by the anguish and bitterness of my death, I may satisfy Thy Divine Justice for so many sins by which I have offended Thee and deserved Hell.
I also desire to die that I may never more offend Thee, or cause Thee displeasure in this life.
Moreover, I desire to die in acknowledgment of the gratitude which I owe Thee for so many benefits and kindnesses that Thou hast bestowed on me, contrary to my deserts.
I desire to die that I may prove that I love Thy will more than my life.
I desire, if it pleases Thee, to die now, when I trust I am in Thy grace, in order to be assured that I shall praise and bless Thee forever.
I desire above all to die in order that I may come to love Thee eternally and with all my powers in Heaven, where through Thy Blood, O my Redeemer, I hope to come and to be safe from ever ceasing to love Thee through all eternity. O my Jesus, Thou didst accept the death of the cross through love of me; I accept death and all the pains which await me through love of Thee. Meanwhile, I say with St. Francis: "May I die, O Lord, for the love of Thy love, who didst deign to die for the love of my love."
I pray Thee, O my Savior, my Love, and my only Good, by Thy holy wounds and Thy bitter death, make me die in Thy grace and in Thy love. Thou hast purchased me with Thy Blood; suffer me not to perish. O sweetest Jesus, suffer me not to be separated from Thee; suffer me not to be separated from Thee!
O Lord, cast me not away from Thy face. I confess that by my sins I have deserved Hell, but I grieve for them more than for any other evil; and I hope to come to Heaven to praise forever these great mercies Thou hast shown me. "The mercies of the Lord I will sing forever."
I adore Thee, O my God, who hast created me. I believe in Thee, O Eternal Truth. I hope in Thee, O Infinite Mercy. I love Thee, O Supreme Goodness; I love Thee above everything; I love Thee more than myself, for Thou art worthy of being loved. And because I love Thee, I repent with all my heart for having despised Thy grace. I promise Thee to suffer every kind of death, and a thousand deaths, rather than displease Thee again.
I Jesus, Son of God, who didst die for me, have pity upon me! My Savior, save me; and let it be my salvation to love Thee eternally.
O Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me; now is the time in which thou hast most to help me. Mary, Mother of Grace, Mother of Mercy, defend us from the enemy and receive us in the hour of death. "We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners!"
St. Joseph, my patron and my father, help me at this time. St. Michael the Archangel, deliver me from the devils who lie in wait for my soul. O my holy advocates, and all ye Saints of Paradise, pray to God for me.
And Thou, my Crucified Jesus, at the moment when I must breathe my last, receive my soul into Thy arms; to Thee I recommend it; remember that Thou hast redeemed me with Thy Blood. "We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious Blood." O my Crucified Jesus, my love and my hope, whether I live or die, I protest that I desire Thee alone and nothing more. Thou art my God and my all, and what else can I desire but Thee! "What have I in Heaven? And besides Thee, what do I desire upon earth? . . . Thou art the God of my heart and the God that is my portion forever!" (Psalms 72:25-26). Thou art the love of my heart; Thou art all my riches!
To Thee, then, I recommend my soul--to Thee, who hast redeemed it by Thy death. "Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth." (Psalms 30:6). Trusting in Thy mercy, I therefore say, "In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped; I shall not be confounded forever." (Psalms 30:1). O Mary, thou art my hope; "Hail, our hope!" To thee, therefore, I say again, "In thee, O Lady, have I hoped; I shall not be confounded forever."
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
O my God, I offer Thee my life, and I am prepared to die at any hour which may be pleasing to Thy holy will. "Thy will be done." Always, always, "Thy will be done!"
O Lord, if Thou willest to leave me in life for some time longer, be Thou blessed; but I desire not life, unless I have spent it all in loving Thee and in giving Thee pleasure. If Thou willest that I should die in this sickness, mayest Thou still be blessed. I embrace death that I may do Thy will, and I repeat: "Thy will be done, Thy will be done." I only beg of Thee to help me all through this time. "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy." If, then, Thou willest that I should leave this earth, I protest that I desire to die, because such is Thy will.
And I desire to die, in order that, by the anguish and bitterness of my death, I may satisfy Thy Divine Justice for so many sins by which I have offended Thee and deserved Hell.
I also desire to die that I may never more offend Thee, or cause Thee displeasure in this life.
Moreover, I desire to die in acknowledgment of the gratitude which I owe Thee for so many benefits and kindnesses that Thou hast bestowed on me, contrary to my deserts.
I desire to die that I may prove that I love Thy will more than my life.
I desire, if it pleases Thee, to die now, when I trust I am in Thy grace, in order to be assured that I shall praise and bless Thee forever.
I desire above all to die in order that I may come to love Thee eternally and with all my powers in Heaven, where through Thy Blood, O my Redeemer, I hope to come and to be safe from ever ceasing to love Thee through all eternity. O my Jesus, Thou didst accept the death of the cross through love of me; I accept death and all the pains which await me through love of Thee. Meanwhile, I say with St. Francis: "May I die, O Lord, for the love of Thy love, who didst deign to die for the love of my love."
I pray Thee, O my Savior, my Love, and my only Good, by Thy holy wounds and Thy bitter death, make me die in Thy grace and in Thy love. Thou hast purchased me with Thy Blood; suffer me not to perish. O sweetest Jesus, suffer me not to be separated from Thee; suffer me not to be separated from Thee!
O Lord, cast me not away from Thy face. I confess that by my sins I have deserved Hell, but I grieve for them more than for any other evil; and I hope to come to Heaven to praise forever these great mercies Thou hast shown me. "The mercies of the Lord I will sing forever."
I adore Thee, O my God, who hast created me. I believe in Thee, O Eternal Truth. I hope in Thee, O Infinite Mercy. I love Thee, O Supreme Goodness; I love Thee above everything; I love Thee more than myself, for Thou art worthy of being loved. And because I love Thee, I repent with all my heart for having despised Thy grace. I promise Thee to suffer every kind of death, and a thousand deaths, rather than displease Thee again.
I Jesus, Son of God, who didst die for me, have pity upon me! My Savior, save me; and let it be my salvation to love Thee eternally.
O Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me; now is the time in which thou hast most to help me. Mary, Mother of Grace, Mother of Mercy, defend us from the enemy and receive us in the hour of death. "We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners!"
St. Joseph, my patron and my father, help me at this time. St. Michael the Archangel, deliver me from the devils who lie in wait for my soul. O my holy advocates, and all ye Saints of Paradise, pray to God for me.
And Thou, my Crucified Jesus, at the moment when I must breathe my last, receive my soul into Thy arms; to Thee I recommend it; remember that Thou hast redeemed me with Thy Blood. "We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious Blood." O my Crucified Jesus, my love and my hope, whether I live or die, I protest that I desire Thee alone and nothing more. Thou art my God and my all, and what else can I desire but Thee! "What have I in Heaven? And besides Thee, what do I desire upon earth? . . . Thou art the God of my heart and the God that is my portion forever!" (Psalms 72:25-26). Thou art the love of my heart; Thou art all my riches!
To Thee, then, I recommend my soul--to Thee, who hast redeemed it by Thy death. "Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth." (Psalms 30:6). Trusting in Thy mercy, I therefore say, "In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped; I shall not be confounded forever." (Psalms 30:1). O Mary, thou art my hope; "Hail, our hope!" To thee, therefore, I say again, "In thee, O Lady, have I hoped; I shall not be confounded forever."
[Excepted from 'Devout Reflections and Meditations' by St. Alphonsus Liguori] (Public domain)
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