The Divine Lamp

Since tomorrow is the memorial of St Alphonsus De Ligouri I thought it would be appropriate to post this meditation on eternal salvation which the saint gives in his work THE WAY OF SALVATION AND PERFECTION. 

Our most important affair is that of our eternal salvation: upon it depends our happiness or misery forever.  This affair will come to an end in eternity, and will decide whether we shall be saved or lost forever; whether we shall have acquired an eternity of delights, or an eternity of torments; whether we shall live forever happy, or forever miserable.

O God!  what will my lot be?  Shall I be saved, or shall I be lost?  I may be either.  And if I may be lost, why do I not embrace such a life, as may secure for me life eternal?  O Jesus!  Thou did die to save me; yet have I been lost, as often as I have lost thee, my sovereign good: suffer me not to lose you any more.

Men esteem it a great affair to win a lawsuit, to obtain a post of honor, or to acquire an estate.  Nothing, however, that will end with time deserves to be esteemed great.  Since, therefore, all the goods of this world will one day end in our regard, as we shall either leave them or they will leave us, that affair alone should be esteemed great, upon which depends eternal happiness or eternal  misery.

O Jesus, my Redeemer, cast me not away from your face as I have deserved!  I am indeed a sinner; but I am grieved from the bottom of my heart for having offended your infinite goodness.  Hitherto I have despised you, but now I love you above all things.  Henceforth you alone shall be my only good, my only love.  Have pity on a sinner who penitently casts himself at your feet, and desires to love you.  If I have grievously offended you, I now ardently desire to love you.   What would have become of me, if you had called me out of life when I had lost your grace and favor?  Since you, O Lord! have shown so much mercy to me, grant me the grace to become a saint.

Let us awaken our faith in a heaven and a hell of eternal duration: one or other will be our lot.

O God!  how could I, knowing that by committing sin I was condemning myself to eternal torments- how could I sin so often against you and forfeit your grace?  Knowing that you alone are my God and my Redeemer, how could I, for the sake of a miserable gratification, so often turn my back upon you?  O God, I am sorry above every evil for having thus despised you.  I love you above every good, and henceforth I will suffer the loss of all things rather than lose your friendship.  Give me strength to continue faithful.  And I ask you, O Blessed Virgin Mary, to pray for me and to assist me