From the feast of the holy souls and the saints to that of Christ the King, everything reminds us in this month that we are only people passing through the earth and that we will meet the King of kings face to face! Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart Bernaud reminds us of this reality that our complacency makes us forget all too often!
The thought of God’s judgments
God fills us with his benefits; he lavishes upon us his graces, graces of every moment, and all of infinite value. There is in the memory of so much kindness to conceive an invincible confidence, also to tremble, because of the times we have been unfaithful! No man, even the most just, says the Holy Scripture, knows whether he is worthy of love or hatred.
What we all know is that God loves us. Here on earth, he gives himself in heart, to the joy of loving us; ungrateful, indifferent, criminal if we are, he still loves us. He poured out his blood for us to the last drop, and he is still pouring out the riches of his heart without tiring.
And what are we doing? Insensitive to so many advances, we pursue a pleasure of a moment, a light or guilty satisfaction, an empty smoke of glory, we thus spend the precious time of life chasing after chimeras. Foolish, we rub shoulders with the abyss. That an accident or an illness occur … and here we are in eternity in front of the Living God! In what state will we be? Will not we have a withered consciousness, a lost soul, desperately empty hands?
This thought gives the thrill, which is why one must make one’s salvation with fear and trembling. Trust in Jesus, that is, and absolute trust, but let us challenge ourselves. No presumption because we all risk falling, even the one who is standing and seems firm. No false peace because the demon gives himself neither rest nor truce to put our soul in danger.
The best way to avoid eternal death is to nurture our hearts with frequent thoughts, the very care of our salvation, the horror of sin, and the filial fear of the children of God who fear to offend Him.
St Alphonsus Ligori, at the end of his life, wondered crying if he was in a state of grace, if he would be saved: “I fear that at the time of expiation, the demon will sink me into the despair at the sight of my innumerable betrayals. “
Yet no one had worked more than him for the glory of God, nor loved the Sacred Heart and the Blessed Virgin as much as he! Let us take it as a model, and the soul full of the thought of the judgment of God, the heart penetrated with its kindness, think to always prepare ourselves to appear before Him.