Page:Thecompleteascet02liguuoft.djvu/27

 of loving  the  goods  of  this  world,  and  for  the  sake  of them  renouncing  Thee,  my  sovereign  and  infinite  good. What folly  have  I  not  been  guilty  of;  and  how  much  it grieves  me! I give  Thee  thanks  for  having  made  me sensible  of  it.

3. A  hundred  years  hence,  at  most,  and  neither  you nor I  will  be  any  longer  in  this  world;  both  will  have gone into  the  house  of  eternity. A day,  an  hour,  a  moment,  is  approaching  which  will  be  the  last  both  for  you and me;  and  this  hour,  this  moment,  is  already  fixed  by Almighty  God;  how  then  can  we  think  of  anything  else but of  loving  God,  who  will  then  be  our  judge?

Alas! what will  my  death  be? O my  Jesus  and  my judge! what will  become  of  me  when  I  shall  have  to  appear  before  Thee  to  give  an  account  of  my  whole  life? Pardon me,  I  beseech  Thee,  before  that  moment  arrives which will  decide  my  happiness  or  misery  for  eternity. I am sorry  for  having  offended  Thee,  my  sovereign  good. Hitherto I  have  not  loved  Thee;  but  now  I  will  love  Thee with my  whole  soul. Grant me  the  grace  of  perseverance. O Mary,  refuge  of  sinners,  have  pity  on  me!

i. The  day  of  destruction  is  at  hand.1  The  day  of  death is called  the  day  of  destruction,  because  then  is  destroyed all that  man  has  acquired;  honors,  friends,  riches,  possessions,  kingdoms — all  are  then  no  more. What then doth it  profit  us  to  gain  the  whole  world  if  in  death  we must  leave  all? All is  at  an  end  at  the  bedside  of  the dying man. Is there  any  king,  think  you, — said  St. Ignatius  to  Xavier  when  he  sought  to  bring  him  to  God, — who has  taken  with  him  into  the  other  world  even  a thread  of  purple  to  mark  his  sovereignty? Has any  rich