Page:AceticLibraryV2PreparationForDeath.djvu/108

 were reproved by the master of the vineyard. "Why stand ye here all the day idle? " (S. Matt. xx. 6.) At the day of judgment Jesus Christ will ask us for an account of every idle word spoken. Any time that is not employed for God is time that is wasted. Therefore does the Lord exhort us, saying, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest." (Eccles. ix. 10.) A Teresian nun once observed that in the life of the saints there is no tomorrow; tomorrow is for sinners alone, who are ever saying, some day some day until death comes to overtake them. " Behold, now is the accepted time." (2 Cor. vi. 2.) " today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." (Ps. xcv. 8.) God now calls upon thee to do good; do it at once; because, when tomorrow comes, either there may be no more time, or God may never call thee again.

And if during the time that is past you have unfortunately spent it in offending God, try to mourn over the sin during the life that remains to you. As King Hezekiah proposed to do, " I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul." (Isa. xxxviii. 15.) God gives you your life so that you may now in some measure redeem the time that is lost. " Redeeming the time because the days are evil." (iEphes. v. 16.) S. Austin comments upon this, and says, "Thou redeemest the time, if the things thou hast neglected to do, thou doest." S. Jerome observes of S. Paul, that although he was the last of the Apostles, yet he was the first in merits, because of all he did after he was called. Let us consider, that if there were nothing else, at each moment we could increase our store of eternal goods. If it were granted to you to gain as much land as you could walk round or as much money as you could count in one day, would you not make haste to walk round or to count it? And you can gain eternal treasures in one moment, and yet are you willing to waste the time? What you can do today, do not say you can do it tomorrow, because this day will be lost to you, and it will never return. S. Francis Borgia turned to God with such holy affection, when others spoke of the world, so that when his opinion was asked, he knew not what to answer. Being rebuked