Meditations on death by Thomas Kempis

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remember that you, too, must go the same way. In the morning consider that you

may not live till evening, and when evening comes do not dare to promise

yourself the dawn. Be always ready, therefore, and so live that death will

never take you unprepared. Many die suddenly and unexpectedly, for in the

unexpected hour the Son of God will come. When that last moment arrives you

will begin to have a quite different opinion of the life that is now entirely

past and you will regret very much that you were so careless and remiss. How

happy and prudent is he who tries now in life to be what he wants to be found

in death. Perfect contempt of the world, a lively desire to advance in virtue,

a love for discipline, the works of penance, readiness to obey, self-denial,

and the endurance of every hardship for the love of Christ, these will give a

man great expectations of a happy death. You can do many good works when in

good health; what can you do when

you are ill? Few are made better by sickness. Likewise they who undertake many

pilgrimages seldom become holy. Do not put your trust in friends and relatives,

and do not put off the care of your soul till later, for men will forget you

more quickly than you think. It is better to provide now, in time, and send

some good account ahead of you than to rely on the help of others. If you do

not care for your own welfare now, who will care when you are gone? The present

is very precious; these are the days of salvation; now is the acceptable time.

How sad that you do not spend the time in which you might purchase everlasting

life in a better way. The time will come when you will want just one day, just

one hour in which to make amends, and do you know whether you will obtain it?

See, then, dearly beloved, the great danger from which you can free yourself

and the great fear from which you can be saved, if only you will always be

wary and mindful of death. Try to live now in such a manner that at the moment

of death you may be glad rather than fearful. Learn to die to the world now,

that then you may begin to live with Christ. Learn to spurn all things now,

that then you may freely go to Him. Chastise your body in penance now, that

then you may have the confidence born of certainty. Ah, foolish man, why do you

plan to live long when you are not sure of living even a day? How many have been

deceived and suddenly snatched away! How often have you heard of persons being

killed by drownings, by fatal falls from high places, of persons dying at

meals, at play, in fires, by the sword, in pestilence, or at the hands of

robbers! Death is the end of everyone and the life of man quickly passes away

like a shadow. Who will remember you when you are dead? Who will pray for you?

Do now, beloved, what you can, because you do not know when you will die, nor

what your fate will be

after death. Gather for yourself the riches of immortality while you have time.

Think of nothing but your salvation. Care only for the things of God. Make

friends for yourself now by honoring the saints of God, by imitating their

actions, so that when you depart this life they may receive you into

everlasting dwellings. Keep yourself as a stranger here on earth, a pilgrim

whom its affairs do not concern at all. Keep your heart free and raise it up to

God, for you have not here a lasting home. To Him direct your daily prayers,

your sighs and tears, that your soul may merit after death to pass in happiness

to the Lord.

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