Our journey into eternity-let us profit by the time that is given us

Walk, says our Divine Lord, while you have the light, for, the night cometh when no man can work. Oh, what a torment for the poor repentant sinner at the end of a careless life when there is no time left him to do all he has left undone!

I. Oh, what a torment for the poor repentant sinner at the end of a careless life when there is no time left him to do all he left undone! St. Laurence Justinian says that worldlings, in death, would willingly give all their riches to obtain but one more hour of life. But it will be said to them: Time shall be no more (Apoc. x. 6). It will be intimated to them to depart without delay: Go forth, Christian soul, out of this world!

St. Gregory relates that a certain Crisorius, being at the point of death, cried out to the demons: "Give me time until tomorrow." But they replied, "Fool! thou hast had time, and why didst thou waste it? Now there is no more time for thee."

Ah, my God, how many years have I not wasted! The remainder of my time shall be entirely devoted to Thee. Grant that Thy holy love may abound in me, in whom sin has so long abounded.

St. Bernardine of Sienna said that every moment of time in this life is as precious as God; because at any moment, by an act of love or contrition, we may acquire new degrees of grace.

St. Bernard says that time is a treasure to be found only in this life. In hell, the lamentation of the damned is: "Oh, if one hour were given us!" Oh, if we had but one hour in which to escape from eternal ruin! In Heaven there is no weeping; but if the Blessed could weep, it would be at the thought of having lost so much time in which they might have acquired higher degrees of glory.

My beloved Redeemer, I do not deserve Thy pity; but Thy Passion is my hope. Help me, therefore, and stretch out Thy hand to a miserable sinner, who now desires to become wholly Thine.

And who knows but that a sudden death may surprise us, and deprive us of the time for making up our accounts? The many who have died suddenly did not expect so to die; and if they were in sin, what has become of them for all eternity?

II. The Saints thought that they did but little, in preparing themselves during their whole lives to secure a good end. Blessed John of Avila, when it was announced to him that he was about to die, said: "Oh, that I had but a little more time to prepare myself!"

And we, why do we delay? Is it that we may make a wicked and most miserable end and leave to others an example of the Divine justice?

No, my Jesus, I will not oblige Thee to abandon me. Tell me what Thou requirest of me, and in all things I will do Thy will. Grant that I may love Thee, and I ask for nothing more.

He hath called against me the time (Lam. i. 15). Let us tremble, and let us not so live that God may hereafter, as judge of our ingratitude, call against us the time which, in His mercy, He now bestows upon us. Walk, says our Lord, whilst you have the light (Jo. xii. 35). The night cometh when no man can work (Jo. ix. 4).

St. Andrew Avellino trembled, saying: "Who knows whether I shall be saved or lost?" But speaking thus, he ever united himself the more closely to God. But what are we doing? How is it possible that he who believes he must die and go into Eternity should not give himself wholly to God?

My beloved Redeemer, my crucified Love, I will not wait till my death-hour to embrace Thee; from this moment I embrace Thee, I bind Thee to my heart, and leave all to love Thee alone, my only Good. O Mary, my Mother, bind me to Jesus, and obtain for me that I may never more separate myself from His love.