Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/284

 too late  and  without  avail,  because  you  will  do  it  then only from  the  fear  of  punishment,  and  not  from  love of God ! Ah! Lord, behold — now,  at  this  very moment, I turn  to  thee; I will  not  wait  for  death; now, and  always  I will  love  thee; I embrace  thee, and in  thy  embrace  will  I die ! My Mother,  Mary, let me  die  under  thy  protecting  mantle; help  me  in my  death ! Amen. [ Awaken your  contrition, and make  a firm  resolution.]

I. Consider  how  the  soul,  as  soon  as  it  has  left  the body, will  be  immediately  taken  before  the  tribunal of God  to  be  judged. Your judge  is  Almighty  God, offended and  enraged  with  you. Your accusers  are the devils,  your  enemies. You are  to  be  judged  for your sins. The judgment  is  one  which  cannot  be recalled; the  punishment  is  hell. There you  have no companions,  no  parents,  no  friends; you  will  be alone  there,  you  and  your  God. Then will  you  feel all the  enormity  of  your  sins,  and  you  will  no  longer be able  to  excuse  them  as  you  have  before. All the sins you  have  committed,  in  thought,  word,  or  deed, will be  examined;  all  the  sins  of  indulgence,  of omission,  and  of  commission. [Here examine  into  the vast numbter  of  your  sins]  Everything  will  be  weigher! in the  great  balance  of  divine  justice,  and  if  in  anyone point  you  are  found  guilty,  you  will  be  eternally lost. My Jesus,  thou  who  wilt  be  my  judge,  pardon me before  thou  judgest  me. [Excite a tender  sorrow for  your  sins, and  make  a firm  resolution.]

II. Consider how  the  divine  justice  will  judge  all people in  the  valley  of  Jehosaphat,  when,  at  the  end of the  world,  their  bodies  will  arise,  that,  together