The Soul That Departs the Earth in the State of Grace
In this reflection, taken from The Road to Calvary: Daily Meditations for Lent and Easter, Saint Alphonsus Liguori meditates upon the consolation that a soul will experience when passing from this life in a state of grace. Although the soul may pass through purgatory, they will joyfully anticipate their entrance into eternal paradise.
Let us imagine to ourselves a soul that, on departing out of this world, enters eternity in the grace of God. All full of humility and of confidence, it presents itself before Jesus, its judge and Savior. Jesus embraces it, gives it His benediction, and causes it to hear those words of sweetness: Come, My spouse, come, you shall be crowned. If the soul has need of being purified, He sends it to purgatory, and all resigned, it embraces the chastisement because it itself wishes not to enter into heaven, that land of purity, if it is not wholly purified. The guardian angel comes to conduct it to purgatory; it first returns him thanks for the assistance he has rendered it in its lifetime and then obediently follows him.
Ah, my God, when will that day arrive on which I shall see myself out of this world of perils, secure of never being able to lose You anymore? Yes, willingly will I go to the purgatory which shall be mine; joyfully will I embrace all its pains; sufficient will it be for me in that fire to love You with all my heart, since there I shall love no one else but You.
The purgation over, the angel will return and say to it, “Come along, beautiful soul, the punishment is at an end; come, and enjoy the presence of your God, who is awaiting you in paradise.” Behold, the soul now passes beyond the clouds, passes beyond the spheres and the stars, and enters into heaven. O God, what will it say on entering into that beautiful country, and casting its first glance on that city of delights? The angels and saints, and especially its own holy advocates, will go to meet it, and with jubilation will they welcome it, saying, “Welcome, O companion of our own; welcome!” Ah, my Jesus, make me worthy of it.
What consolation will it not feel in meeting there with relatives and friends of its own who have previously entered into heaven! But greater by far will be its joy in beholding Mary its Queen, and in kissing her feet, while it will thank her for the many kindnesses she has done it. The Queen will embrace it, and will herself present it unto Jesus, who will receive it as a spouse. And Jesus will then present it to His divine Father, who will embrace and bless it, saying, Enter into the joy of your Lord. And thus will He beatify it with the same beatitude that He Himself enjoys. Ah, my God, make me love You exceedingly in this life, that I may love You exceedingly in eternity. You are the object most worthy of being loved; You deserve all my love; I will love none but You. Do You help me by Your grace. And Mary, my Mother, be my protectress.
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This article is taken from a chapter in The Road to Calvary: Daily Meditations for Lent and Easter by Saint Alphonsus Liguori which is available from TAN Books.
