Consideration XIV - THE PRESENT LIFE IS A JOURNEY TO ETERNITY

"Ibit homo in domum aeternitatis suae" (Eccl. 12:5).

Point I

From seeing that in this world so many evildoers live amid prosperity, while so many just men live in tribulation, even the pagans by the light of reason alone recognized this truth: that since there is a God, and since this God is just, there must be another life in which the wicked are punished and the good rewarded. Now what the pagans said by the light of reason alone, we Christians confess by faith. "Non habemus hic manentem civitatem, sed futuram inquirimus" (Heb. 13:14). This earth is not our homeland; it is for us a place of passage, through which we must shortly pass to the house of eternity. "Ibit homo in domum aeternitatis suae." Therefore, my reader, the house where you live is not your house; it is an inn, from which, shortly and when you least imagine it, you must move out. Know that when the time of your death arrives, your dearest ones will be the first to drive you out. And what will your true house be? A grave will be the house of your body until the day of judgment, and your soul must go to the house of eternity — either to paradise or to hell. Therefore St. Augustine warns you: "Hospes es, transis et vides." That pilgrim would be mad who, passing through a town, wished to spend his entire fortune to buy a villa or a house there, which in a few days he would have to leave. Think therefore, says the Saint, that in this world you are passing through; do not set your affection on what you see; see and pass on; and procure a good house for yourself, where you will have to stay forever.

If you save yourself, blessed are you — oh, what a beautiful house paradise is! All the richest palaces of monarchs are stables compared to the city of paradise, which alone can be called "Civitas perfecti decoris" (Lam. 2:15). There you will have nothing more to desire, being in the company of the Saints, of the divine Mother, and of Jesus Christ, without fear of any evil; in short, you will live in a sea of happiness and in a continual joy that will last forever. "Laetitia sempiterna super capita eorum" (Is. 35:10). And this joy will be so great that for all eternity, at every moment, it will always seem new. On the other hand, if you are damned, poor you! You will be confined in a sea of fire and torments, in despair, abandoned by all, and without God. And for how long? When perhaps a hundred or a thousand years have passed, will your punishment be over? Over! A hundred and a thousand millions of years and centuries will pass, and your hell will always be just beginning. What are a thousand years compared to eternity? Less than a passing day. "Mille anni ante oculos tuos, tanquam dies hesterna quae praeteriit" (Ps. 89:4). Would you like to know which will be your house, the one that will fall to you in eternity? It will be the one you merit and choose for yourself by your own works.

Affections and Prayers

So then, Lord, behold the house I have merited by my life: hell — alas — where from the first sin I committed I should be, abandoned by You without hope of being able to love You any more. May Your mercy be blessed forever, for having waited for me and giving me time to remedy the evil done. Blessed be the blood of Jesus Christ, which obtained this mercy for me. No, my God, I will no longer abuse Your patience. I repent above every evil of having offended You, not so much for the hell I deserved, as because I have outraged Your infinite goodness. Never more, my God, never more; death first, rather than offend You again. If I were now in hell, O my supreme Good, I could no longer love You, nor could You love me any longer. I love You, and I wish to be loved by You. I do not deserve it, but Jesus Christ deserves it, who sacrificed Himself to You on the cross, so that You might pardon me and love me. Eternal Father, for the love then of Your Son, give me the grace to love You always and to love You greatly. I love You, O my Father, who have given me Your Son. I love You, O Son of God, who have died for me.

I love you, O Mother of Jesus, who by your intercession have obtained for me time for penance. Obtain for me now, my Lady, sorrow for my sins, love for God, and holy perseverance.

Point II

"Si lignum ceciderit ad austrum, aut ad aquilonem, in quocunque loco ceciderit, ibi erit" (Eccl. 11:3). Where the tree of your soul falls at death, there it must remain for eternity. And there is no middle way: either forever a king in heaven, or forever a slave in hell; either forever blessed in a sea of delights, or forever in despair in a pit of torments. St. John Chrysostom, considering the rich man who was thought happy but was then confined to hell, and Lazarus on the contrary, who was thought miserable because he was poor but was then happy in paradise, exclaims: "O infelix felicitas, quae divitem ad aeternam infelicitatem traxit! O felix infelicitas, quae pauperem ad aeternitatis felicitatem perduxit!"

What good does it do to distress yourself, as some do, saying: Who knows whether I am foreknown or predestined? When a tree is cut, where does it fall? It falls where it leans. Where do you lean, my brother? What kind of life do you lead? Strive always to lean toward the south; keep yourself in the grace of God; flee from sin; and so you will save yourself and will be predestined. And to flee from sin, keep always before your eyes the great thought of eternity, called by St. Augustine "Magna cogitatio." This thought has led so many young men to leave the world and to live in the deserts, to attend only to the soul; and they secured it. Now that they are saved, they are certainly content, and will be content for all eternity.

A certain lady who was living far from God was converted by Father John of Avila simply by his saying to her: "Madam, think about these two words: Always and Never." Father Paul Segneri, after a thought he had of eternity one day, could not sleep for several nights, and from then on he gave himself to a more rigorous life. Drexelius relates that a certain bishop, with this thought of eternity, led a holy life, always repeating to himself: "Omni momento ad ostium aeternitatis sto." A certain monk shut himself in a cell and did nothing but cry out: "O eternity, O eternity!" He who believes in eternity and does not make himself a saint, said the same Father Avila, ought to be locked in a madhouse.

Affections and Prayers

Ah, my God, have pity on me. I already knew that by sinning I was condemning myself to an eternity of pains, and I was content to contradict Your will despite all this punishment — and why? For a miserable satisfaction! Ah, my Lord, pardon me, for I repent of it with all my heart. I will no longer oppose Your holy will. Wretched me, if You had let me die in the time of my wicked life, I would now have to be in hell forever, hating Your will. But now I love it, and I wish to love it always. "Doce me facere voluntatem tuam." Teach me and give me strength to carry out Your good pleasure from this day forward. I will contradict You no more, O infinite Goodness, and I beg You for this grace alone: "Fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo et in terra." Grant me to do Your will perfectly, and I ask nothing more. And what else do You wish, my God, but my good and my salvation? Ah, Eternal Father, hear me for the love of Jesus Christ, who taught me to pray always to You, and in His name I ask You: "Fiat voluntas tua, fiat voluntas tua, fiat voluntas tua." O blessed me, if I live the remaining life, and if I end my life, doing Your will!

O Mary, blessed are you, who always did the will of God perfectly; obtain for me by your merits that I may do it at least for the days that remain to me of life.

Point III

"Ibit homo in domum aeternitatis suae." The prophet says "ibit" — "he will go" — to signify that each one will go to the house where he wants to go; he will not be carried there, but will go there of his own will. It is certain that God wills all to be saved, but He does not wish to save us by force. "Ante hominem vita, et mors." He has placed before each of us life and death; whichever we choose will be given to us: "Quod placuerit ei, dabitur illi" (Sirach 15:18). Finally, Jeremiah says that the Lord has given us two roads to travel — one to paradise and the other to hell: "Ego do coram vobis viam vitae, et mortis" (Jer. 21:8). It is for us to choose. But he who wishes to walk the road to hell — how can he then find himself arrived at paradise? What a thing! All sinners wish to be saved, and meanwhile they condemn themselves to hell, saying: "I hope to be saved." But who, says St. Augustine, is ever so foolish as to take poison with the hope of being cured? "Nemo vult aegrotare sub spe salutis." And yet so many Christians, so many fools, give themselves death by sinning, saying: "Later I will think about the remedy!" O deception that has sent so many to hell!

Let us not be as foolish as these. Let us think that it is a question of eternity. What efforts men make to build themselves a comfortable, airy house in a good climate, thinking that they will live there their whole life! And why then are they so negligent when it concerns the house that will be theirs for eternity? "Negotium pro quo contendimus, aeternitas est," says St. Eucherius. It is not a question of a more or less comfortable house, more or less airy; it is a question of being either in a place of every delight among the friends of God, or in a pit of every torment among the infamous rabble of so many scoundrels, heretics, and idolaters. And for how long? Not for twenty or forty years, but for all eternity. This is a great matter. This is not a business of small moment; it is a business that matters everything. When Thomas More was condemned to death by Henry VIII, his wife Louise went to tempt him to consent to Henry's will. He then said to her: "Tell me, Louise, you see that I am old — how many more years could I live?" His wife answered: "You could live another twenty years." "O foolish merchant," Thomas then replied, "and for twenty more years of life on this earth, you want me to lose a happy eternity and condemn myself to an eternity of pains?"

O God, give us light. If the point of eternity were a doubtful thing, were only a probable opinion, we should still put every effort into living well, so as not to expose ourselves to the danger of being eternally unhappy, in case this opinion should prove true. But no — this point is not doubtful but certain; it is not an opinion but a truth of faith: "Ibit homo in domum aeternitatis suae." Alas, says St. Teresa, it is the lack of faith that is the cause of so many sins and the damnation of so many Christians. Let us therefore always revive our faith, saying: "Credo vitam aeternam." I believe that after this life there is another life that never ends. With this thought always before our eyes, let us take the means to secure our eternal salvation. Let us frequent the Sacraments, let us make meditation every day and think of eternal life; let us flee dangerous occasions. And if we must leave the world, let us leave it, because there is no amount of security that suffices to secure this great matter of eternal salvation. "Nulla nimia securitas, ubi periclitatur aeternitas" (St. Bernard).

Affections and Prayers

So then, my God, there is no middle way: either I must be always happy or always unhappy; either in a sea of joys or in a sea of torments; either always with You in paradise, or always far from and separated from You in hell. And this hell I know for certain I have so many times deserved. But I also know for certain that You pardon those who repent and deliver from hell those who hope in You. You Yourself assure me: "Clamabit ad me... eripiam eum, et glorificabo eum" (Ps. 90). Quickly then, my Lord, quickly pardon me and deliver me from hell. I repent, O supreme Good, above every evil of having offended You. Quickly restore me to Your grace, and give me Your holy love. If I were now in hell, I could no longer love You; I would have to hate You forever. Ah, my God, what evil have You done me, that I should have to hate You? You have loved me unto death. You are worthy of infinite love. O Lord, do not permit me to separate myself from You any longer. I love You, and I wish to love You always. "Quis me separabit a caritate Christi?" Ah, my Jesus, only sin can separate me from You. Ah, do not permit it, for the blood You have shed for me. Let me rather die first. "Ne permittas me separari a te."

My Queen and Mother, help me with your prayers; obtain for me death first, and a thousand deaths, rather than that I should ever again separate myself from the love of your Son.