CHAPTER IV

MEDITATION ON DEATH

An excellent book on this subject is: Preparation For Death” by St. Alphonsus Liguori. Many of the quotes in this Chapter came from this source.

Death can come when we least expect it. Death comes because of the Sin of Adam and Eve.

On September 19, 1985 at 7:15 A.M. in Mexico City there was a strong earthquake. The children were in bed. The Mother was fixing breakfast. The Father was shaving. The earthquake started. They can’t get out of the house. It is hard to hang on. The plaster ceiling falls. Panic and death are here. There are wide cracks in the wall. The earthquake lasted for thirty seconds. It seemed like 10 minutes. It finally stops. The family can’t open the door to go outside. They are trapped. Across the street, a nine-story building is flattened. There are lots of people in the street. Many other buildings fell. In a boarding school, 120 boys died. The official death toll was 20,000 died. It took three days for relief to finally start coming in. From one location they could hear voices coming from the rubble: “Please help us! We were 100 and now there are only four of us left.” They were with ninety-six bodies in corruption, with no food or water and in total darkness. Volunteers started to remove the huge stones from the building. The rubble collapsed, killing the last four.

What is Death? Death is the separation of the soul from the body. The body remains on Earth. The Soul is Judged….A L O N E … with God. Just God and myself! The Particular Judgment.

Death and Hell are the consequences of Sin.

Death is not the end; it’s the beginning!

We can choose to have an Eternal Death. The existence in Hell is a continual death.

We can choose Eternal Life in Heaven.

Preparation for death is a GOOD thing. Not preparing for death is a VERY BAD thing! If a man truly considered his end (death) he wouldn’t sin.

Modern man doesn’t want to think of death. They con themselves that they will be forever young. Even the most decrepit old men, and the most sickly persons, flatter themselves that they may still have three or four years more to live. Even on their deathbed they think they will recover and do not see the urgency of Contrition. Even those close to us encourage this false hope, by telling us we look better, when they know death is near. If they truly loved us they will warn us of our approaching death and thereby encourage us to seek out a Priest!

“ Hey man you look terrible! You will surely die soon. You will be lucky to make it through the night! A Catholic Priest is here to hear your Confession and to give you the Last Sacraments so that you may die in peace.”

It is a very evil thing to give the dying false hope of recovery. Far better to tell them the truth, as soon as possible, so that they will have time to prepare for a Holy Death.

Death however is a certainty. All of us will die. Some will die sooner. Some will die later. All will however die and then………The Judgment and then…….. Heaven (with a likely stopover in Purgatory) or Hell!

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What will your own death be like?

Place yourself in the presence of God and humbly adore Him.

Oh my God please grant me the Grace that all of my actions and all of my intentions and all of my works may be directed purely to the service and praise of Your Divine Majesty.

Visualize the place. See everything around you. See yourself on your deathbed.

Perhaps you’ll be in the hospital after a terrible accident. Or perhaps you are still under a car bleeding unable to move with the certain knowledge that death will come within minutes. No Priest is available for a last minute Confession or for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. Are you ready ……right now…..to be Judged?!

Perhaps you’ll be at home slowly wasting away having received the last Sacraments and offering up your death pains in reparation for past sins. Some are praying a Rosary by your bedside.

Or perhaps there is a Catholic Priest outside your door but those close to you will not let him in, wrongly thinking that you do not want him because you have not taught them to be Catholic. You know that death is imminent and that Hell is certain unless you can go to Confession ………and they will not let the Priest in! After all most people die the way they lived – why should you be any different? ……Think about it.

Visualize the place of your death.

Ask for Grace:

Ask for the Grace of A good and Holy Death.

Ask for the Grace of a horror of Sin and the Grace to avoid those sins that you don’t want to face on your deathbed.

Ask Our Lord for the Grace to regret these sins now, rather than on your deathbed!

1^st Point: The Certainty of Death.

“Strive now so to live that in the hour of thy death thou mayst rather rejoice than fear. Ah fool! Why dost thou think to live long when thou art not sure of one day?” Luke 12,20

Our Century has had much knowledge of death: Many wars, natural disasters, violence in movies and TV, etc. However we never relate it to ourselves. No one teaches young people about The Judgment to come.

“Few are the deaths which do not come unexpectedly.”

Perhaps I will go to Confession tomorrow or next week. How do I know that this may not be the last day of my life?

Thou fool, this night thy soul will be required of thee, then where will all your money go?

We must be ready at the hour of death.

Death is certain, the hour and the circumstances are uncertain. Death is the most certain thing in the world. Even some of the healthy will die suddenly. How many live to be even a hundred? - Very few. The founders of our Nation are all gone. The Great Popes of the Catholic Church are all gone. Most who were rich and famous as late as the 1^st half of the 20^th Century, in the theater and sports are gone.

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Some years ago a young man (in his late 20s or early 30s) was playing golf at the country club in Centralia, Missouri. All of a sudden he said “Oh!” and then he was dead of a stroke! At the prime of life, unexpectedly with no warning, in an instant he had to face the Particular Judgment, there on the golf course. How many of us would be ready if that happened to us? ! Would you be ready…right now…this very instant? Think about it.

St. Alphonsus:

“In every age, houses, streets, and cities, are filled with new people, and the former ones are carried out to be enclosed in the tomb. The time will come when neither I, nor you, nor any one now living, will exist any longer on this earth.”

Every minute we get closer to death. Therefore be prepared for death. Make use of any time you have left.

For those who live a good life, death is a consolation.

For those who live a bad life, death is full of fear. This is why the world won’t mention death.

Sometimes our Priests go to the hospital to give the Last Sacraments and the family keeps them out! You see, they don’t want to scare the patient!

The modern world flees death. Hence there is no silence in the world. They fear death. They fear quiet. In silence we have to think. They fear thinking. It does not take much thought to realize the falsehood in the idea that most people go to Heaven. Modern men console themselves with the often false idea that: “Well , now this loved one is with God in Heaven.” This is likely very far from the truth. While it is not hard to save our souls with frequent use of The Mass and Sacraments, most wont use them (even Catholics). Most die the way they lived. All who refused these offers of Mercy during life must face Judgment without Mercy. Hence, Almighty God warned us in many places in Holy Scripture and our Blessed Mother warned us at Fatima, that few make it to Heaven (through their own neglect and fault).

Life is short. Eternity is long. What is life compared to eternity?

See yourself dead – the food for worms. During life you cared so much for the care of your body. Much effort was put into looking good and feeling good. Ah to keep the body beautiful all the workouts, grooming, eating and drinking, trips to the doctor for check-ups and fix-ups. But now you are dead and what will become of your body, which you cared so much for? The worms will be well fed.

St. Alphonsus Liguori:

“Picture to yourself a person who has recently expired. Behold that corpse lying on the bed, the head fallen on the chest, the hair disordered and bathed in the sweat of death, the eyes sunken, the cheeks hollow, the face of an ashy hue, the tongue and the lips the color of lead, the body cold and heavy. The beholders grow pale and tremble. How many at the sight of a deceased parent or friend have changed their life and left the world! But still more horrible is it when the body begins to decay. Twenty-four hours have not elapsed since that death of that youth, and an offensive odor is already perceptible. The windows must be opened, and incense must be burnt, and haste be made to transfer the body to the church and to bury it, that the whole house may not be infected. Behold to what that proud, that voluptuous man is come!”

St. Alphonsus goes on to describe how after a short grieving process, the dead are soon forgotten. Life will go on for the living:

“They will console themselves with that share of property which falls to them, so that in a short time they will rejoice at your death, and in that very room where you have breathed forth your soul, and have been judged by Jesus Christ, they will dance, eat, play and laugh, as before. And your soul, where will it then be?”

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You will soon be forgotten but what about your soul?! “If when you die your soul is lost, all is lost for you.”

What about your soul? Your soul will live forever. How much effort went into the care and feeding of your soul?….. Think about it.

“Of what use are honors, when nothing remains of them but a funeral procession, and pompous obsequies, which will not avail the soul if it be lost? Of what use is beauty, if nothing remains of it but worms, stench, and horror, even before death, and after it a little fetid dust?”

St. Bernard says: “Look on the sins of youth, and blush; look on the sins of manhood, and weep; look on the present disorders of thy life, and tremble and amend. Our Lord does not only seek good desires and good resolutions, but also good works.”

Pity the waste of time during life. Make use of the days you have left now. Do not wait until it is too late.

St. Alphonsus:

“Since our souls are immortal, we must strive, not for a temporal, but for an eternal gain. What would it avail you to be happy here, if afterwards you were to be unhappy for all eternity?”

Your body is in the grave. Your soul has entered into Eternity ….forever and ever.

Life is so short compared with Eternity. “What is your life? It is a vapor, which appeareth for a little while.” James iv.15.

At death we are separated from everything: our family, our cars, houses, riches, hobbies, friends. All = zero. Separated from everything except Grace and Sins. Now face JUDGMENT!

Death takes us by surprise. We don’t know when. We don’t know where or how. We could be sleeping, working or playing. We could be happy or sad. What if you died right now, what would be the condition of your soul? Think about it.

We must live right in order to die right. Death is a terrible thing if in Mortal Sin!

“Remember man that thou art dust and into dust thou shalt return.”

Will you die in the State of Grace or of Sin? People usually die the way they lived. The last moment is what counts.

Deathbed conversions happen but are rare and must happen while still alive – NOW.

Now is the time to convert, to amend your life. Do not wait till on your deathbed, then it is likely to be too late. Then you may be in too much pain or too doped up or too unconscious to think about it.

2^nd Point: The Death of a Just Soul – A Holy Death.

“How happy and prudent is he who strives to be such now in this life as he desires to be found at his death.” My Imitation of Christ; Book 1, Chapter 23.

The Just man sees life as an opportunity to get to know, love and serve God. He knows that he is not made for this world and that his true home is Heaven. He offers up all his joys, works and sufferings. He wants to be with God. While on earth he strives to please God and lead others to Him with whatever talents he has.

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At the hour of death, the Just man often has a final struggle with the Devil. The Devil may save his best attack at the moment of death. The Just man however has spent a lifetime overcoming such conflicts. He can easily route these final temptations and have peace of Soul at death. God ceases not to assist them. There is greater aid where there is greater danger. God does not permit us to be tempted beyond our strength.

St. Alphonsus:

“Death appears terrible to sinners but lovely and precious to the saints. Yes death is the end of labor and toil. The saints are not afflicted at leaving the goods of this world, since they have kept their hearts detached from them.”

He who dies loving God is not disturbed by the pains that accompany death but on the contrary, he rather feels complacence in them and consoles himself by uniting the sacrifice of his death with the sacrifice that Jesus Christ offered for him on the Cross to His eternal Father. And thus he happily expires. Oh what peace to die reposing in the arms of Jesus Christ.

The greatest consolation to a soul that has loved God, when death is announced to her, will be the thought that she will soon be delivered from the many dangers there are in this life of offending God, the many troubles of conscience, and the many temptations of the devil. The present life is a continual war with hell, in which we are in constant danger of losing our Lord and God. Hence the Saints are full of consolation when death is announced to them, reflecting that their battles and perils are at an end, and that they will soon be secure of that happy state when they can never more lose God.”

Death is not the end, it’s the beginning. Most people die the way they lived.

3^rd Point: The Death of a Sinner, lukewarm or careless Soul.

“When that last hour shalt come thou wilt begin to have quite other thoughts to thy whole past life; and thou wilt be exceedingly grieved that thou has been so negligent and remiss.” My Imitation of Christ ; Book 1, Chapter 23.

St. Alphonsus:

“The dying man who during his life has been careless as to the welfare of his soul, will find thorns in every thing; thorns in remembrance of past amusements, of rivalries overcome, and of pomp displayed; thorns in the friends who come to visit him.

‘Oh fool that I have been!’ the poor sufferer will then say. ‘I might have become a saint, with all the lights and opportunities which God has given me; I might have led a life of happiness in the grace of God; and now what remains of the many years I have passed, but torments, distrusts, fears, remorse of conscience, and accounts to render to God!….when he is near that last gasp, upon which depends his being in bliss or in despair for ever , as long as God is God. How much would he then give to have another year, or month, or at least another week of time, with the use of his senses.

Oh what a terror will it then be to him to think and say: ‘This morning I am alive; this evening most likely I shall be dead! Today I am in this room; to-morrow I shall be in the grave! And my soul, where will it be?’ “

He preferred creatures instead of God: cars, money, girlfriends, clothes, etc.

At death he takes with him a life of sin, seeking pleasures instead of God.

All sins not confessed will haunt him.

The sinner is totally unprepared. “Death comes as a thief in the night.”

The sinner is not watching. How many souls died in the act of sin: The thief that was killed, the murderer that was killed.

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At the moment of death, the sinner is racked with despair. How am I to prepare now? I’m weak, sick and can’t think straight.

St. Alphonsus:

“But how can worldlings, living in sin, amidst earthly pleasures and dangerous occasions (of sin), how can they hope for a happy death? God forewarns sinners that in death they shall seek Him, and shall not find Him: ‘You shall seek Me, and shall not find Me’ (John vii.34). …and how will he be able to resist (the last temptations of Satan) at the hour of death, who during life was so often and so easily conquered?”

“God wishes to save all but He punishes the obstinate.”

A few years ago in Mexico, a candidate for President was shot. All the leaders were High Degree Masons. He was in very grave condition in the hospital. His wife was a Catholic and called the Bishop and drove him to the hospital. At the hospital, the Masons would not allow them to see him till after he died.

Death is not the end, it’s the beginning! Most people die the way they lived.

Consider your own death and how well you are prepared for it.

NOW is the time to turn to Our Lord.

St. Alphonsus:

“The Lord does not say, that we must prepare ourselves when death arrives, but that death must find us prepared. When death comes, it will be almost impossible to settle a troubled conscience in that tempest and confusion.

We must be persuaded that the time of death is not the time for settling our accounts. What would you say of a man who, having undertaken an academical contest, deferred preparing himself for it till the time was come? Would not that general be thought mad who deferred laying in stores of provisions and arms till he were besieged? Such precisely is the Christian who waits to settle the affairs of his conscience till death is actually at his door. ”

It is the height of folly to risk being surprised by death!

“Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for what things a man shall sow those also shall he reap.” Gal.vi.7

Speak to Our Lord on the Cross crucified for our sins. Thank Him for preserving you so far. Ask for the Grace to live now, as you would like at the moment of death. Ask for the Grace to make a good General Confession.

Pray an Our Father and a Hail Mary. Think of the words at the end of the Hail Mary.

Our Lady will help us at the hour of our death if we are faithful to them.

Death is not the end it’s the beginning! You will very likely die the way you lived.

The two Judgments: The Particular Judgment and the General Judgment

“It is no small matter to lose or gain the Kingdom of God” Imitation Of Christ” Book III, Chapter 47.

The Particular Judgment is at the moment of death. The soul is separated from the body. The soul is Judged and goes either to Heaven, Purgatory or Hell. The body goes into the grave and into the belly of worms.

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The General Judgment is at the end of the world (the end of time). The body will be reunited with the soul destined for either Heaven or Hell forever and ever.

Let us place ourselves in the presence of God.

Visualize the Judgment Seat of Our Lord, perhaps a vast field where all are gathered, where the Sheep will be separated from the Goats.

Ask for Grace.

Ask for the Grace of sorrow for our Sins.

Ask for the Grace to put our Life in order.

Ask for a Holy Fear of the Judgment of God.

The Particular Judgement:

The Particular Judgment will happen instantly. The Judgment will be fair and complete! We will agree with It. For the just Christ will come in love and for the wicked in terror.

“Verily, When the day of Judgment comes, we shalt not be asked what we have read, but what we have done; nor how learnedly we have spoken, but how religiously we have lived!” My Imitation of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 3.

Consider your soul being Judged by our Lord, face to face. Consider that you will be Judged not only by what you have done, but also by what God expected of you!! A very sobering thought! How often have we fallen short of what we could have done but didn’t do?! Will our actions be weighed and found wanting?! Even our good actions will be Judged for intention. Were they done in pride or humility?

As long as we have breath, we still have time to accomplish it. I can always do worldly things but I can only pray today’s Rosary today, I can only make today’s visit to the Blessed Sacrament today

But when we are dead, it’s too late for conversion. Christ sees the debt of our soul.

At death the veil will be lifted and we will see the condition of our soul as God sees it! At death you will know exactly what you are. We will see the Merciful Face of Jesus and the Evil Face of Satan.

How will we explain our actions to Our Lord? Why did we prefer creatures to Him? Now what was the reason we went fishing or stayed in bed instead of going to Mass on Sunday? Everybody else did it! Eve made me do it. That didn’t work for Adam either.

Our Days are numbered, weighed and balanced. Will we be found wanting? Will we hear those terrible words: “Depart from Me ye Cursed into everlasting fire!”?

Consider the horror of being cut off from God! Consider being cut off from the Object of our existence! Oh, the sense of loss!

The Devils and the Angels will be at our trial.

All the Graces we received and how we used them or ignored them, will be noted.

We will appear with all our actions: good and bad. We will have to give an account of our stewardship.

Our Judge Who has given us so much, has a right to expect a return.

He knows all, even the hidden things.

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Our Judge was always ready before death to grant Mercy if we only asked.

Those who during life refused these many offers of Mercy (The Catholic Church, The Mass, The Sacraments, The Prayers of others for us, etc), must now be Judged without Mercy. Oh the fear and trembling of sinners at this time! Listen to those terrible words: “Depart from Me ye cursed, into everlasting fire!” Time is at an end, replaced with an eternal NOW.

On the other hand, man cannot even dream or imagine the Joy that awaits those who at the moment of death are in the State of Grace.

We must always be ready for Judgement Day. It will come when we least expect it.

The General Judgment:

A trumpet will sound out calling all from the tomb before the Throne of God.

St. Alphonsus:

“Oh, what a difference will there then be between the bodies of the just and those of the damned! The just will appear beautiful, fair, more resplendent that the sun: ‘Then shall the just shine as the sun’ Matt. Xiii.43.

On the other hand, the bodies of the reprobate will appear deformed, black, and stinking. Oh what torment will it then be to the damned to be united to their bodies! Accursed body, the soul will say, to gratify thee I am lost. And the body will say: Accursed soul; and thou, who hadst the use of reason, why didst thou allow me those pleasures which have damned both thyself and me for all eternity?”

Why have a General Judgment?

Man is a social animal – not just an individual.

As an individual we must render an account to God – The Particular Judgment.

As a social animal, we must render an account to God – The General Judgment.

Our sins effect others, even our secret sins. Sin effects parents, children, friends, and spouse. Sin calls upon all mankind a chastisement. For example, Our Lady told us at Fatima that “war was punishment for sin.”. Therefore our secret sins can cause the chastisement of war.

It is also necessary to show the Wisdom of God. All will be present. We will understand the Mystery of Iniquity in the Church today.

Many go unpunished in this life. We will all see their final retribution at the General Judgment. Many who died despised by the world will be glorified in Heaven.

We will understand all at the General Judgment. The Kingship of Our Lord will be manifested.

There will be a public show of the consequences of our actions and scandals:

We will see Luther’s influence on the world.

We will see how Henry VIII effected the English and Dutch Protestants.

We will see how Catholic Spain, Portugal, and France effected the Americas.

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We will see offspring of fallen away or tepid Catholics, all that ended up in Hell, because their parents did not teach them and show them how to save their souls, through the use of The Sacraments, given by Christ to the Catholic Church for this purpose. Their children and their children’s children all lost due to their neglect!

St. Alphonsus:

“Now comes the sentence. Jesus Christ will first turn to the elect, and address to them those consoling words: ‘Come, ye blessed of My Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’ Matt. Xxv.34.

On the other hand, the reprobate, turning to Jesus Christ, will say to Him: And we wretches, what will become of us? The eternal Judge will say: As for you, since you have renounced and despised My grace, ‘depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire.’ Matt. xxv.41. Depart from Me, for I will neither see nor hear you any more. Go; and go with MY curse upon you, since you have despised my blessing. And where, O Lord, are these miserable wretches to go? ‘Into the fire.’ To hell, to burn both body and soul. And for how many years, or for how many ages? Years! Ages! ‘Into everlasting fire.’ For all eternity, as long as God shall be God.”

Good souls will shine. Bad souls will be in shame and confusion.

The Sheep will be separated from the Goats. The Sheep will be given everlasting life. The goats will be given eternal punishment in the fires of Hell. The eternal farewell, the Good vs. The Damned.

To ask for forgiveness is a Great Act.

Ask for the Grace for sorrow for our sins and the means to put things in order.

On which side will we be, with the Sheep or the Goats?

Fear of Hell is a good and sensible thing. Fear of Judgment is a good and sensible thing.

Pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary for help to amend our lives, put our life in order and to grow in fear and love.

The Mercy of God:

Never be discouraged. It’s easy to save our souls. God is Merciful.

Consider Our Lord’s Passion. He came to save us. We should have full confidence in the Mercy of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Throw yourself at the foot of the cross and beg for Mercy. “Oh Lord have pity on me, a sinner!”

Think about it…… There must be a reason He has watched over you so far!?

Don’t be Protestant, it’s ugly, false, twisted and unreal. We have to atone for our own sins. He got us the Grace and Hope but we must ask to receive by using The Mass and Sacraments.

“Come to Me.” But COME! He waits for us in the Confessional.

Consider the parable of the Prodigal Son. The son leaves the Father as we do when we commit sin. Yet Our Father waits for him (and us) to come home.

Persevere to win the crown. Ask for the Grace of Contrition.

Christ The King, save me oh Font of Mercy! Have Mercy on me!

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Some of the greatest sinners ended up being Great Saints (St. Mary Magdalen, St. Augustine, the good thief, etc.)

Live like you would like to have lived on the day of your death. The only alternative to Sainthood is damnation! Therefore live like a Saint. Take an interest in your Salvation.

Do you want to be a saint? Then live like one, act like one, pray like one, work like one, be Catholic. We are worth fighting for.

“No, my God, I will no longer abuse Thy mercy. I thank Thee for the light Thou now givest me, and promise Thee to change my life.”

Pray an “Our Father” to Our Lord in thanksgiving for the grace to complete this meditation. Pray a “Hail Mary” to Our Lady (the Mediatrix of All Graces) in thanksgiving for her help.

Did you take any notes during this meditation? If you did you may want to review them now. If not, you may want to record any thoughts you had. You may want to go through this meditation and take additional notes. They will be helpful to review sometime in the future.

Now lets make a good Examination of Conscience, prepare for a General Confession and make a sincere Act of Contrition.

Make it a point to fervently attend the five day Ignatian Retreats offered by The Society of St. Pius X every year if possible. At least every few years.

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