Consideration XXIV — The Particular Judgment

"Omnes enim nos manifestari oportet ante tribunal Christi" (2 Cor. 5:10).

Point I

Let us consider the appearance, the accusation, the examination, and the sentence. Speaking first of the appearance of the soul before the judge, it is the common opinion of theologians that the particular judgment takes place at the very moment a person expires; and that in the very place where the soul separates from the body, it is judged by Jesus Christ, who will not send another but will come Himself to judge its cause. "Qua hora non putatis, Filius hominis veniet" (Luke 12:40). "Veniet nobis in amore," says St. Augustine, "impiis in tremore." He will come to us in love, to the wicked in trembling. Oh, what terror will seize the one who sees the Redeemer for the first time, and sees Him angered! "Ante faciem indignationis eius quis stabit?" (Nahum 1:6). Considering this, Father Louis de la Puente trembled in such a manner that he made even the cell where he was tremble as well. The Venerable Father Juvenal Ancina, upon hearing the "Dies illa" sung, at the thought of the terror the soul will feel at being presented to judgment, resolved to leave the world, and indeed he did leave it. To see the anger of the judge will be the announcement of condemnation: "Indignatio regis, nuntii mortis" (Prov. 16:14). St. Bernard says that the soul will then suffer more from seeing Jesus angered than from being in hell itself: "Mallet esse in inferno."

At times criminals have been seen to break into cold sweat when presented before some earthly judge. Piso, appearing before the senate in the garb of the accused, felt such shame that he killed himself. What pain it is for a son or a vassal to see his father or prince gravely angered! Oh, what far greater pain will that soul feel in seeing Jesus Christ, whom it despised in life! "Videbunt in quem transfixerunt" (Zech. 12:10). That Lamb who in life had such patience — the soul will then see Him angry, without hope of appeasing Him; this will drive it to beg the mountains to fall upon it, and so hide it from the fury of the angered Lamb. "Montes cadite super nos, abscondite nos ab ira Agni" (Rev. 6:16). St. Luke, speaking of the judgment, says: "Tunc videbunt Filium hominis" (21:27). To see the judge in human form — oh, what pain this will cause the sinner! For from the sight of that man who died for his salvation, he will feel his ingratitude all the more sharply reproached. When the Savior ascended to heaven, the angels said to the disciples: "Hic Iesus qui assumptus est a vobis in coelum, sic veniet, quemadmodum vidistis eum euntem in coelum" (Acts 1:11). The judge will therefore come to judge with the same wounds with which He departed from the earth. "Grande gaudium intuentium! grandis timor exspectantium," says Rupert. Those wounds will console the just but will terrify the sinners. When Joseph said to his brothers, "Ego sum Ioseph, quem vendidistis," Scripture says that they fell silent in terror and lost the power of speech: "Non poterant respondere fratres, nimio terrore perterriti" (Gen. 45:3). Now what will the sinner answer to Jesus Christ? Will he perhaps have the courage to ask for mercy, when first he must render an account of the contempt he showed toward the mercy he was given? "Qua fronte misericordiam petes, primum de misericordiae contemtu iudicandus?" says Eusebius of Emesa. What then will he do, says St. Augustine; where will he flee, when he sees above the angry judge, below hell opened wide, on one side his sins accusing him, on the other the demons ready to execute the punishment, and within his conscience burning? "Superius erit iudex iratus, inferius horrendum chaos, a dextris peccata accusantia, a sinistris daemonia ad supplicium trahentia, intus conscientia urens? quo fugiet peccator sic comprehensus?"

Affections and Prayers

O my Jesus, I wish always to call You Jesus; Your name consoles me and gives me courage, reminding me that You are my Savior, who died to save me. Here I am at Your feet; I confess that I deserve as many hells as the times I have offended You with mortal sin. I do not deserve pardon; but You died to pardon me. "Recordare Iesu pie, quod sum causa tuae viae." Quickly, my Jesus, pardon me before You come to judge me. Then I shall no longer be able to ask You for mercy; now I can ask for it, and I hope for it. Then Your wounds will terrify me, but now they give me confidence. My dear Redeemer, I repent more than of any evil for having offended Your infinite goodness. I resolve to accept every pain, every loss, rather than lose Your grace. I love You with all my heart. Have pity on me: "Miserere mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam."

O Mary, Mother of mercy, O advocate of sinners, obtain for me a great sorrow for my sins, pardon, and perseverance in divine love. I love you, my Queen, and in you I trust.

Point II

Consider the accusation and the examination. "Iudicium sedit, et libri aperti sunt" (Dan. 7:10). Two will be these books: the Gospel and the conscience. In the Gospel will be read what the accused was supposed to do; in the conscience, what he actually did: "Videbit unusquisque quod fecit," says St. Jerome. On the scales of divine justice will be weighed neither riches, nor rank, nor nobility of person, but only works. "Appensus es in statera," said Daniel to King Belshazzar, "et inventus es minus habens" (Dan. 5:27). Father Alvarez comments: "Non aurum, non opes in stateram veniunt, solus rex appensus est." Then will come the accusers, and first the devil. "Praesto erit diabolus," says St. Augustine, "ante tribunal Christi, et recitabit verba professionis tuae. Obiiciet nobis in faciem omnia quae fecimus, in qua die, in qua hora peccavimus." "Recitabit verba professionis tuae" — that is, he will present our own promises, which we then failed to keep; and he will bring forward all our faults, marking the day and hour in which we committed them. Then he will say to the judge, as St. Cyprian writes: "Ego pro istis nec alapas, nec flagella sustinui." Lord, I have suffered nothing for this wretch, but he has left You who died to save him, to make himself my slave; therefore he belongs to me. Accusers will also be the guardian angels, as Origen says: "Unusquisque Angelorum testimonium perhibet, quot annis circa eum laboraverit, sed ille monita sprevit." So that then: "Omnes amici eius spreverunt eam" (Jer. 51). The very walls within which the wretch sinned will be accusers: "Lapis de pariete clamabit" (Hab. 2:11). His own conscience will accuse him: "Testimonium reddente illis conscientia ipsorum in die, cum iudicabit Deus" (Rom. 2). His very sins will then speak, says St. Bernard: "Et dicent: Tu nos fecisti, opera tua sumus, non te deseremus." Finally, as St. John Chrysostom says, the wounds of Jesus Christ will be accusers: "Clavi de te conquerentur: cicatrices contra te loquentur: crux Christi contra te perorabit." Then the examination will begin.

The Lord says: "Ego in die illa scrutabor Ierusalem in lucernis" (Zeph. 1:12). The lamp, says Mendoza, penetrates every corner of the house: "Lucerna omnes angulos permeat." And Cornelius a Lapide, explaining the words "in lucernis," says that then God will set before the accused the examples of the saints and all the lights and inspirations He gave him in life; and also all the years He granted him to do good. "Vocavit adversum me tempus" (Lam. 1:15). So then you will have to render an account of every glance. "Exigitur a te usque ad ictum oculi," says St. Anselm. "Purgabit filios Levi, et colabit eos" (Mal. 3:3). Just as gold is refined, separating the dross, so will good works, confessions, communions, and the like have to be examined. "Cum accepero tempus, ego iustitias iudicabo" (Ps. 74:3). In sum, St. Peter says that in the judgment the just man will barely be saved: "Si iustus vix salvabitur, impius et peccator ubi parebunt?" (1 Pet. 4:18). If an account must be rendered for every idle word, what account will be rendered for so many evil thoughts consented to? For so many impure words? St. Gregory says: "Si de verbo otioso ratio poscitur, quid de verbo impuritatis?" Especially the Lord says, speaking of the scandalous who have stolen souls from Him: "Occuram eis quasi ursa raptis catulis" (Hosea 13:8). Speaking then of works, the judge will say: "Date ei de fructu manuum suarum" (Prov. 31). Pay him according to the works he has done.

Affections and Prayers

Ah, my Jesus, if You wished now to pay me according to the works I have done, nothing would be due me but hell. O God, how many times I myself have written my condemnation to that place of torments! I thank You for the patience You have had in enduring me so long. O God, if I now had to appear before Your tribunal, what account would I give You of my life? "Non intres in iudicium cum servo tuo." Ah, Lord, wait for me a little longer; do not judge me yet. If You wished to judge me now, what would become of me? Wait for me; since You have shown me so many mercies until now, show me this one more: give me a great sorrow for my sins. I repent, O supreme Good, of having so many times despised You. I love You above all things. Eternal Father, pardon me for the love of Jesus Christ, and through His merits grant me holy perseverance. My Jesus, I hope everything from Your blood.

Most Holy Mary, in you I trust. "Eia ergo advocata nostra, illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte." Look upon my miseries and have pity on me.

Point III

In sum, the soul, to obtain eternal salvation, must be found at the judgment with a life conformed to the life of Jesus Christ. "Quos praescivit, et praedestinavit conformes fieri imaginis Filii sui" (Rom. 8:29). But this is what made Job tremble: "Quid faciam, cum surrexerit ad iudicandum Deus? et cum quaesierit, quid respondebo illi?" Philip II, when a servant told him a lie, rebuked him saying: "Is this how you deceive me?" That wretch, returning home, died of grief. What will the sinner do, what will he answer to Jesus Christ the judge? He will do what the man in the Gospel did who came without the wedding garment — he was silent, not knowing what to answer. "At ille obmutuit" (Matt. 22:12). His very sin will stop his mouth: "Omnis iniquitas oppilabit os suum" (Ps. 106:42). St. Basil says that the sinner will then be more tormented by shame than by the very fire of hell: "Horridior, quam ignis, erit pudor."

At last the judge will pronounce the sentence. "Discede a me, maledicte, in ignem aeternum." Oh, what a terrible thunderbolt this will be! "Oh quam terribiliter personabit tonitruum illud!" says the Carthusian. St. Anselm says: "Qui non tremit ad tantum tonitruum, non dormit, sed mortuus est." He who does not tremble at such thunder is not sleeping but dead. And Eusebius adds that the terror of sinners upon hearing the sentence of condemnation will be so great that if they could die, they would die again: "Tantus terror invadet malos, cum viderint iudicem sententiam proferentem, ut nisi essent immortales, iterum morerentur." Then, says St. Thomas of Villanova, there is no longer any place for prayers, nor any intercessors to turn to: "Non ibi precandi locus; nullus intercessor assistet, non amicus, non pater." To whom then will they have recourse? Perhaps to God, whom they so despised? "Quis te eripiet, Deusne ille, quem contempsisti?" says St. Basil.

Perhaps to the saints? To Mary? No, for then: "Stellae" — the saints, our advocates — "cadent de coelo; et luna" — which is Mary — "non dabit lumen suum" (Matt. 24). St. Augustine says: "Fugiet a ianua paradisi Maria."

O God, exclaims St. Thomas of Villanova, with what indifference we hear talk of the judgment, as if the sentence of condemnation could not touch us, or as if we were not the ones to be judged! "Heu quam securi haec dicimus, et audimus, quasi nos non tangeret haec sententia, aut quasi dies ille nunquam esset venturus!" And what madness, adds the same saint, to remain secure in a matter of such danger! "Quae est ista stulta securitas in discrimine tanto!" Do not say, my brother — St. Augustine warns you — oh, will God really want to send me to hell? "Nunquid Deus vere damnaturus est?" Do not say it, says the saint, for even the Jews did not believe they would be destroyed; so many of the damned did not believe they would be sent to hell; but then the end of punishment came: "Finis venit, venit finis: nunc immittam furorem meum in te, et iudicabo" (Ezek. 7:6). And thus, says St. Augustine, it will also happen to you: "Veniet iudicii dies, et invenies verum, quod minatus est Deus." At present it is in our power to choose the sentence we want: "In potestate nostra datur, qualiter iudicemur," says St. Eligius. And what must we do? Settle our accounts before the judgment: "Ante iudicium para iustitiam" (Sirach 18:19). St. Bonaventure says that prudent merchants, in order not to fail, frequently review and settle their accounts. "Iudex ante iudicium placari potest, in iudicio non potest," says St. Augustine. Let us then say to the Lord, as St. Bernard said: "Volo iudicatus praesentari, non iudicandus." My judge, I wish that You would judge me and punish me now in this life, while it is the time of mercy and You can pardon me; because after death it will be the time of justice.

Affections and Prayers

My God, if I do not appease You now, then it will no longer be time to appease You. But how shall I appease You — I who have so many times despised Your friendship for miserable, brutish pleasures? I have repaid Your immense love with ingratitude. What satisfaction worthy enough can a creature give for offenses done to its Creator? Ah, my Lord, I thank You that Your mercy has already given me the means to appease and satisfy You. I offer You the blood and the death of Jesus, Your Son, and already I see Your justice appeased and more than sufficiently satisfied. My repentance also is necessary for this. Yes, my God, I repent with all my heart of all the injuries I have done You. Judge me then now, O my Redeemer. I detest all the displeasures I have given You above every evil. I love You above all things with all my heart, and I resolve to love You always, and to die rather than offend You again. You have promised to pardon whoever repents; come now, judge me now and absolve me from my sins. I accept the punishment I deserve, but restore me to Your grace and preserve me in it until death. This I hope.

O Mary, my Mother, I thank you for the many mercies you have obtained for me; continue, I beg, to protect me until the end.