The folly of living as enemies of God

I. Sinners call the Saints fools, who, in this life, fly from honours, riches, and the pleasures of sense, and embrace poverty, contempt, and mortification. But at the day of final retribution those sinners will confess that they themselves have been fools in judging the lives of the Saints to be folly: We fools esteemed their life madness (Wis. v. 4). And what greater folly can there be than to live without God? — which is to live a miserable life in this world, to be succeeded by a still more miserable life in hell.

No, I will not wait till the Last Day to confess my folly; I now confess it. How great has my folly been in offending Thee, my sovereign Good! Father, I am not worthy to be called thy son (Luke xv. 19). Father, I am not worthy to receive Thy forgiveness, but I hope for it through the Blood which Thou hast shed for my sake. My Jesus, I am sorry for having despised Thee, I love Thee above all things.

Unhappy sinners! Blinded by their sins, they lose all judgment. What would be said of a man who should sell a kingdom for the smallest coin? And what should be said of him who, for a momentary pleasure, a vapour, a caprice, sells Heaven and the grace of God? They think only of this life, which will shortly end; and in the meantime deserve hell for the life which will never end.

O my God, permit me not any more to become so blind as to prefer to Thee my own unlawful gratifications, and for the sake of them to despise Thee, my sovereign Good! I now detest them and love Thee above all things.

II. Miserable worldlings! The time will come when they will bewail their folly. But when? When there shall be no longer anything to prevent their eternal ruin. Then shall they say: What hath pride profited us, or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us? All those things are passed away like a shadow (Wis. v. 8, 9). Behold, they will exclaim, how all our delights have passed away like a shadow, and nothing now remains to us but suffering and eternal lamentation. Dear Jesus, have pity on me! I have forgotten Thee; but Thou hast not forgotten me. I love Thee with my whole soul, and I detest, above all evil whatsoever, the sins I have committed against Thee. Pardon me, O God and remember not my offences against Thee. And since Thou knowest my weakness, do not abandon me. Give me strength to overcome all things to please Thee. O Mary, Mother of God, in you do I place my hopes.