Première partie, chapitre XIII. Méditation V. De la mort
Preparation for the Final Hour
The soul is invited to enter into the presence of God and contemplate the reality of its own mortality.
Preparation 1. Place yourself in the presence of God. Put yourself in the presence of God. Ask Him for His grace. Imagine yourself being gravely ill, lying in the bed of death, with no hope of escaping it. Imagine yourself being gravely ill, lying in the bed of death, with no hope of escaping it.
The Uncertainty and Vanity of Life
A series of considerations on the unpredictability of death and the fleeting nature of worldly attachments.
Considerations. 1. Consider how uncertain the day of your death is. O my soul, one day you will leave this body. When will that be? Will it be in winter or summer? In the city or in the village? By day or by night? Will it happen unexpectedly or with warning? Will it be from illness or an accident? Will you have the chance to go to confession, or not? Will you be assisted by your confessor and spiritual father? Alas, we know nothing at all about any of this; the only certainty is that we will die, and always sooner than we think. 2. Consider that then the world will end for you; there will be no more for you; it will be turned upside down before your eyes. Yes, for then pleasures, vanities, worldly joys, and vain affections will appear to us like phantoms and clouds. Ah, wretched one, for what trifles and illusions have I offended my God? You will see that we have forsaken God for nothing. On the contrary, devotion and good works will then seem so desirable and sweet to you: why didn’t I follow this beautiful and gracious path? Then the sins that seemed so small will appear as great as mountains, and your devotion will seem very small. Consider the great and lingering farewells your soul will say to this lowly world: it will bid farewell to wealth, to vanity and empty company, to pleasures, to pastimes, to friends and neighbors, to parents, to children, to husband and wife, in short, to every creature; and finally, to its body, which it will leave pale, emaciated, defeated, hideous, and foul. Consider the great and lingering farewells your soul will say to this lowly world: it will bid farewell to wealth, to vanity and empty company, to pleasures, to pastimes, to friends and neighbors, to parents, to children, to husband and wife, in short, to every creature; and finally, to its body, which it will leave pale, emaciated, defeated, hideous, and foul. Think of how eager people will be to lift your body and bury it in the ground; once that's done, the world won't think much of you anymore, and you won't be remembered, just as you haven't thought much about others. 'May God grant him peace,' they'll say, and that's the end of it. O death, how significant you are, and how merciless! O death, how significant you are, and how merciless!
The Final Path and Holy Resolutions
Reflecting on the soul's eternal destination and resolving to live with detachment from the world.
Consider this: when the soul leaves the body, it heads either to the right or to the left. Alas, where will yours go? What path will it take? It will take no other path than the one it started on in this world. So, reflect on the life you've led and the choices you've made. Affections and resolutions 1. Pray to God, and you'll be thrown into His arms. Alas! Lord, receive me into Your protection for this dreadful day; make this hour happy and favorable, and let all the others of my life be sad and full of affliction instead. 2. Disregard the world. Since I don't know when I must leave you, world, I won't attach myself to you. O my dear friends, my cherished bonds, allow me to love you only with a holy friendship that may last forever; for why should I unite with you in such a way that I must leave and break the bond? I want to prepare myself for this hour and take the necessary care to make this transition smoothly. I want to ensure the state of my conscience with all my power and put in order my various shortcomings.
Conclusion and Prayer
The meditation concludes with thanksgiving, intercession, and a final act of devotion.
Conclusion Thank God for the resolutions He has given you; offer them to His Majesty; and implore Him once again to grant you a happy death through the merit of His Son's death. Ask for the help of the Virgin and the saints. Our Father, Hail Mary. Put together a bouquet of myrrh.
Read the original Latin
Préparation
1. Mettez-vous en la présence de Dieu.
2. Demandez-lui sa grâce.
3. Imaginez-vous d’être malade en extrémité dans le lit de la mort, sans espérance aucune d’en échapper.
Considérations
1. Considérez l’incertitude du jour de votre mort. O mon âme, vous sortirez un jour de ce corps. Quand sera-ce ? sera-ce en hiver ou en été ? en la ville ou au village ? de jour ou de nuit ? sera-ce à l’impourvu ou avec avertissement ?
sera-ce de maladie ou d’accident ? aurez-vous le loisir de vous confesser, ou non ? serez-vous assistée de votre confesseur et père spirituel ! Hélas, de tout cela nous n’en savons rien du tout ; seulement cela est assuré que nous mourrons, et toujours plus tôt que nous ne pensons.
2. Considérez qu’alors le monde finira pour ce qui vous regarde, il n’y en aura plus pour vous ; il renversera sans dessus dessous devant vos yeux. Oui, car alors les plaisirs, les vanités, les joies mondaines, les affections vaines nous apparaîtront comme des fantômes et nuages. Ah chétive, pour quelles bagatelles et chimères ai-je offensé mon Dieu ? Vous verrez que nous avons quitté Dieu pour néant. Au contraire, la dévotion et les bonnes œuvres vous sembleront alors si désirables et douces : et pourquoi n’ai-je suivi ce beau et gracieux chemin ? Alors les péchés qui semblaient bien petits paraîtront gros comme des montagnes, et votre dévotion bien petite.
3. Considérez les grands et langoureux adieux que votre âme dira à ce bas monde : elle dira adieu aux richesses, aux vanités et vaines compagnies, aux plaisirs, aux passetemps, aux amis et voisins, aux parents, aux enfants, au mari, à la femme, bref, à toute créature ; et, en fin finale, à son corps, qu’elle délaissera pâle, hâve, défait, hideux et puant.
4. Considérez les empressements qu’on aura pour lever ce corps-là et le cacher en terre, et que, cela fait, le monde ne pensera plus guère en vous, ni n’en sera plus mémoire, non plus que vous n’avez guère pensé aux autres : Dieu lui fasse paix, dira-t-on, et puis, c’est tout. O mort, que tu es considérable, que tu es impiteuse !
5. Considérez qu’au sortir du corps, l’âme prend son chemin ou à droite ou à gauche. Hélas, où ira la vôtre ? quelle voie tiendra-t-elle ? non autre que celle qu’elle aura commencée en ce monde.
Affections et résolutions
1. Priez Dieu et vous jetez entre ses bras. Las ! Seigneur, recevez-moi en votre protection pour ce jour effroyable ; rendez-moi cette heure heureuse et favorable, et que plutôt toutes autres de ma vie me soient tristes et d’affliction.
2. Méprisez le monde. Puisque je ne sais l’heure en laquelle il te faut quitter, o monde, je ne me veux point attacher à toi. O mes chers amis, mes chères alliances, permettez-moi que je ne vous affectionne plus que par une amitié sainte, laquelle puisse durer éternellement ; car, pourquoi m’unir à vous en sorte qu’il faille quitter et rompre la liaison ?
3. Je me veux préparer à cette heure, et prendre le soin requis pour faire ce passage heureusement ; je veux assurer l’état de ma conscience de tout mon pouvoir, et veux mettre ordre à tels et tels manquements.
Conclusion
Remerciez Dieu de ces résolutions qu’il vous a données ; offrez-les à sa Majesté ; suppliez-la derechef qu’elle vous rende votre mort heureuse par le mérite de celle de son Fils. Implorez l’aide de la Vierge et des saints.
Pater, Ave Maria.
Faites un bouquet de myrrhe.
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