| Offer Him Your Heart in Penitence |
This article is an excerpt taken from a chapter in Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales which is available from TAN Books.To prepare for our chat on Sunday, please read the article, which is reproduced below, and review the questions at the end.Click for Living Jesus Chatroom  Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on UnsplashPreparation1. Place yourself in the presence of God.2. Entreat Him to inspire you. Reflections1. At the end of the time appointed by God for the world to last, and after many signs and terrible wonders which shall fill all men with fear and terror, a deluge of fire will come and consume the whole earth, sparing nothing of all that we behold .2. After this fiery deluge and scorching heat, all men, except those already risen, shall rise up from their graves, and at the Archangel’s summons appear in the valley of Josaphat. But there will be a great difference amongst them, for the bodies of some will be glorious and shining, those of others horrible and vile. 3. Consider the majesty in which the Sovereign Judge will appear surrounded by all the Saints and Angels, and with His Cross shining brighter than the sun, symbol of grace to the good and of condemnation to the wicked. 4. This Sovereign Judge by His omnipotent decree will in an instant separate the good from the bad—placing the former on His right hand, the latter on His left—an eternal separation, after which the two companies will never meet again. 5. After this separation, all consciences shall be laid bare, and the wickedness of the bad will be clearly seen, and how they have despised God; as will the penitence of the good, and the results of God’s grace working in them; for then nothing shall be hid. O my God, how great will be the confusion of the one, and the bliss of the others!6. Consider the final sentence of the bad, “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Weigh well these most weighty words. “Depart,” it is a sentence of final abandonment which God speaks—banishing them forever from His presence. He calls them “cursed.” O my soul, what a malediction!A malediction comprising all woes! Irrevocable! For all time and eternity—and “into everlasting fire.” Contemplate, my soul, this eternity. O eternal eternity of woe, how fearful art thou! 7. Consider the opposite sentence of the good, “Come,” saith the Judge (O blessed word of salvation! By which God draws us to Himself and receives us within the circle of His grace), “Come, ye blessed of My Father” (O benediction above all benedictions!), “possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” My God, what a favor, for that kingdom has no end! Affections And Resolutions1. Tremble, O my soul, at this thought. My God, who shall support me in that day when the very heavens shall pass away?2. Abhor your sins which alone can destroy you at that fearful day. Let me judge myself now, that I be not judged then; let me examine my conscience, and condemn myself; let me accuse and correct myself, that the Judge may not condemn me in that dreadful day—let me then hasten to Confession, and adopt the needful remedies. Conclusion1. Thank God, who has given you the means of being secure on that day, and who has granted you time for repentance.2. Offer Him your heart in penitence, and beseech Him to give you grace to repent worthily. Pater. Ave. Reflections: How can we be best prepared for judgment (either at our death, or the final judgment at the end)?Do you think the fire that will consume the earth at the end of time is figurative or literal, or both?At the time of the resurrection of the body, we are told we will have “glorified bodies.” What does this mean?Is it unloving of God to command some people to “depart” from him and call them “cursed” and cast them into eternal damnation?Why do you think God would end the world with such terrible fury?St. Francis mentions hastening to Confession. How can we do a better job of reflecting upon ourselves and making better Confessions?How can we help more people awaken their consciences and be concerned for how they stand before God, the Divine Judge?How do mercy, justice, and peace co-exist? Sign up for our Living Jesus Chat Room:Come to our Living Jesus Chat Room, 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM Eastern Time U.S. |