«Cognoscetur Dominus iudicia faciens» — "The Lord is known when He executes judgment" (Ps. 9:17).
Point I
At present, if we consider it well, there is no person in the world more despised than Jesus Christ. More account is taken of a peasant than is taken of God; for it is feared that the peasant, finding himself too much offended and moved to indignation, may take revenge: but injuries are done to God, and He is answered back freely, as though God could not avenge Himself whenever He wills. «Et quasi nihil possit facere Omnipotens, aestimabant eum» — "And they esteemed Him as though the Almighty could do nothing" (Job 22:17). But for this reason the Redeemer has appointed a day, which will be the day of the general judgment (called by the Scriptures precisely «Dies Domini» — "the day of the Lord"), on which Jesus Christ will make Himself known as the great Lord that He is. «Cognoscetur Dominus iudicia faciens» — "The Lord is known when He executes judgment" (Ps. 9:17). Hence such a day is called no longer a day of mercy and of pardon, but «Dies irae, dies tribulationis, et angustiae, dies calamitatis, et miseriae» — "a day of wrath, a day of tribulation and anguish, a day of calamity and misery" (Zeph. 1:15). Yes, for then the Lord will justly wish to recover for Himself the honor that sinners have tried to take from Him on this earth. Let us see how the judgment of this great day will take place.
Before the judge comes, «Ignis ante Ipsum praecedet» — "A fire shall go before Him" (Ps. 96:3). Fire will come from heaven, which will burn the earth and all the things of this earth. «Terra, et quae in ipsa sunt opera, exurentur» — "The earth and the works that are in it shall be burned up" (2 Pet. 3:10). So that palaces, churches, villas, cities, kingdoms — all must become a heap of ashes. This house, infected with sins, must be purged by fire. Behold the end that all the riches, the pomp, and the delights of this earth must come to. When men are dead, the trumpet will sound and all will rise again. «Canet enim tuba, et mortui resurgent» — "For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise" (1 Cor. 15:52). St. Jerome says (on Matt., ch. 5): «Quoties diem iudicii considero, contremisco; semper videtur illa tuba insonare auribus meis: Surgite, mortui, venite ad iudicium» — "As often as I consider the day of judgment, I tremble; that trumpet always seems to resound in my ears: Arise, you dead, come to judgment." At the sound of this trumpet, the beautiful souls of the blessed will descend to be united with their bodies, with which they served God in this life; and the unhappy souls of the damned will ascend from hell to be united with those accursed bodies with which they offended God.
Oh, what a difference there will then be between the bodies of the blessed and those of the damned! The blessed will appear beautiful, radiant, shining more than the sun. «Tunc iusti fulgebunt sicut sol» — "Then shall the just shine as the sun" (Matt. 13:43). Oh, happy is he who in this life knows how to mortify his flesh by denying it the forbidden pleasures; and who, to keep it more under the rein, denies it even the lawful pleasures of the senses and treats it harshly, as the saints did! Oh, how content he will then find himself for having done so, like a St. Peter of Alcantara, who after death said to St. Teresa: «O felix poenitentia, quae tantam mihi promeruit gloriam!» — "O happy penance, which has merited for me so great a glory!" On the contrary, the bodies of the reprobate will appear deformed, black, and stinking.
Oh, what anguish the damned soul will then have in being reunited with its body! "Accursed body," the soul will say, "for the sake of pleasing you, I am lost." And the body will say: "Accursed soul, you who held reason in your hand, why did you grant me those pleasures that have made both you and me lost for all eternity?"
Affections and Prayers
Ah, my Jesus and my Redeemer, who one day must be my judge, forgive me before that day arrives. «Non avertas faciem tuam a me» — "Do not turn Your face away from me." Now You are a father to me, and as a father You receive into Your grace a son who returns repentant to Your feet. My Father, I ask Your pardon; I have offended You unjustly, I have abandoned You unjustly; You did not deserve to be treated by me as I have treated You; I repent of it, I grieve for it with all my heart; forgive me. «Non avertas faciem tuam a me»: do not turn Your face from me, do not cast me away, as I would deserve. Remember the blood that You shed for me, and have pity on me. My Jesus, I want no other judge than You. St. Thomas of Villanova used to say: «Libenter illius iudicium subeo, qui pro me mortuus est, et ne me damnaret, ad crucem se damnari permisit» — "Gladly do I submit to the judgment of Him who died for me, and who, that He might not condemn me, allowed Himself to be condemned to the cross." And this St. Paul had said first: «Quis est, qui condemnet? Christus Iesus, qui mortuus est» — "Who is he that shall condemn? Christ Jesus, who died" (Rom. 8).
My Father, I love You, and for the future I never want to depart from Your feet again. Forget the injuries I have done You, and give me a great love for Your goodness. I desire to love You more than I have offended You; but if You do not help me, I cannot love You.
Help me, my Jesus; make me live grateful to Your love, so that on that day I may find myself in the valley among the number of Your lovers.
O Mary, my Queen and my advocate, help me now, for if I am lost, on that day You will be able to help me no more. You pray for all; pray also for me, who glory in being Your devoted servant and place such great confidence in You.
Point II
When men have risen from the dead, the angels will command them all to go to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, to be judged there: «Populi, populi in valle concisionis, quia iuxta est dies Domini» — "Nations, nations in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near" (Joel 3:14). And when they have been gathered there, the angels will come and separate the reprobate from the elect. «»Exibunt angeli, et separabunt malos de medio iustorum» — "The angels shall go forth and separate the wicked from the midst of the just" (Matt. 13:49). The just will remain on the right, and the damned will be driven to the left. What grief it would cause someone to see himself banished from a social gathering or from the church! But how much greater a grief will it then be to see oneself banished from the company of the saints: «Quomodo putas impios confundendos, quando, segregatis iustis, fuerint derelicti!» — "How do you think the wicked will be confounded when, the just having been set apart, they are left forsaken!" (Auct. op. imperf., Hom. 54). St. John Chrysostom says that if the damned had no other punishment, this shame alone would suffice to make their hell: «Et si nihil ulterius paterentur, ista sola verecundia sufficeret eis ad poenam» — "And even if they suffered nothing further, this shame alone would suffice them for punishment" (On Matthew, ch. 54). The son will be separated from the father, the husband from the wife, the master from the servant: «Unus assumetur, et alter relinquetur» — "One shall be taken, and the other shall be left" (Matt. 24:40). Tell me, my brother, what place do you think will then fall to you? Would you wish to find yourself on the right? Then abandon the road that leads you to the left.
Now on this earth princes and the rich are held to be fortunate, while the saints, who live poor and humble, are despised. O you faithful who love God, do not lose heart at seeing yourselves so scorned and afflicted on this earth: «Tristitia vertetur in gaudium» — "Your sorrow shall be turned into joy" (John 16:20). Then you will be called the truly fortunate, and you will have the honor of being declared members of the court of Jesus Christ. Oh, what a splendid figure will then be made by a St. Peter of Alcantara, who was scorned almost as an apostate! By a St. John of God, who was treated as a madman! By a St. Peter Celestine, who, having renounced the papacy, died inside a prison! Oh, what honors will then be bestowed on so many martyrs mangled by their executioners! «Tunc laus erit unicuique a Deo» — "Then shall every man have praise from God" (1 Cor. 4:5). And oh, what a horrible figure, by contrast, will be made by a Herod, a Pilate, a Nero! And by so many other great ones of the earth — yet damned! O lovers of the world, to the valley, to the valley I await you. There, without doubt, you will change your mind. There you will bewail your folly. Wretched ones, who for the sake of making a brief appearance on the stage of this earth will then have to play the part of the damned in the tragedy of the judgment. The elect, then, will be placed on the right; indeed, for their greater glory (as St. Paul says), they will be lifted up into the air above the clouds, to go with the angels to meet Jesus Christ, who is to come from heaven: «Rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aëra» — "We shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess. 4:6). And the damned, like so many kids destined for the slaughter, will be confined to the left, to await their judge, who must pronounce the public condemnation of all His enemies.
But behold, the heavens are already opening; the angels come to assist at the judgment, and they bear the signs of the passion of Jesus Christ: «Veniente Domino ad iudicium (says St. Thomas Aquinas), signum crucis, et alia passionis indicia demonstrabuntur» — "When the Lord comes to judgment, the sign of the cross and the other marks of the passion will be shown" (Opusc. 2, ch. 244). Above all, the cross will appear: «Et tunc parebit signum Filii hominis in coelo, et tunc plangent omnes tribus terrae» — "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn" (Matt. 24:30). Cornelius a Lapide says: Oh, how the sinners will weep then at the sight of the cross — they who in life took no account of their eternal salvation, which cost the Son of God so dearly! «Plangent qui salutem suam, quae Christo tam cara stetit, neglexerint» — "They shall mourn who neglected their salvation, which stood so dear to Christ." Then, says St. John Chrysostom: «Clavi de te conquerentur, cicatrices contra te loquentur, crux Christi contra te perorabit» — "The nails will utter their complaint against you, the wounds will speak against you, the cross of Christ will plead against you" (Hom. 20 on Matthew). The holy Apostles and all their imitators will also assist as assessors at this judgment, and together with Jesus Christ they will judge the nations: «Fulgebunt iusti, iudicabunt nationes» — "The just shall shine and shall judge the nations" (Wis. 3:7). The Queen of saints and of angels, Mary Most Holy, will also come to assist. Finally, the eternal Judge will come upon a throne of majesty and light: «Et videbunt Filium hominis venientem in nubibus coeli, cum virtute multa et maiestate» — "And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with great power and majesty" (Matt. 24:31). «A facie eius cruciabuntur populi» — "Before His face the people shall be in anguish" (Joel 2:6). The sight of Jesus Christ will console the elect, but to the reprobate it will bring more pain than hell itself: «Damnatis (says St. Jerome) melius esset inferni poenas, quam Domini praesentiam ferre» — "For the damned it would be better to endure the pains of hell than the presence of the Lord." St. Teresa used to say: My Jesus, give me every pain, but do not let me see Your face angered against me on that day. And St. Basil: «Superat omnem poenam confusio ista» — "This confusion surpasses every punishment." Then will come to pass what St. John foretold — that the damned will beg the mountains to fall upon them and hide them from the sight of their angered judge: «Dicent autem montibus: Cadite super nos, et abscondite nos a facie sedentis super thronum, et ab ira Agni» — "And they shall say to the mountains: Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of Him who sits upon the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb" (Rev. 6:6).
Affections and Prayers
O my dear Redeemer, O Lamb of God, who came into the world not to punish but to forgive sins, ah, forgive me quickly, before that day comes on which You are to be my Judge. Then the sight of You, O Lamb — You who had such patience with me in bearing with me — would be, should I be lost, the hell of my hell. Ah, I say again, forgive me quickly; draw me out with Your merciful hand from the precipice into which I have fallen through my sins. I repent, O Supreme Good, of having offended You, and of having offended You so greatly. I love You, my Judge, who have loved me so much. Ah, by the merits of Your death, grant me a great grace that will change me from a sinner into a saint. You have promised to hear whoever prays to You: «Clama ad me et exaudiam te» — "Cry out to me, and I will hear you" (Job 33:3). I do not ask You for the goods of this earth; I ask for Your grace, Your love, and nothing else. Hear me, my Jesus, for the sake of that love You bore me in dying for me on the cross. My beloved Judge, I am the guilty one, but a guilty one who loves You more than himself. Have pity on me.
Mary, my Mother, quickly, help me quickly; now is the time when You can help me. You did not abandon me when I lived forgetful of You and of God; come to my aid now, when I am resolved to serve You always and to offend my Lord no more. O Mary, You are my hope.
Point III
But behold, the judgment is already beginning. The proceedings are opened — and these will be the consciences of each one: «Iudicium sedit et libri aperti sunt» — "The judgment sat, and the books were opened" (Dan. 7:10). The witnesses against the reprobate will be, first, the devils, who will say (according to St. Augustine): «Aequissime Deus, iudica esse meum qui tuus esse noluit» — "O most just God, judge him to be mine who refused to be Yours." Second will be their own consciences: «Testimonium reddente illis conscientia ipsorum» — "Their own conscience bearing witness against them" (Rom. 2:15). Moreover, the very walls of the house where sinners have offended God will be witnesses crying out for vengeance: «Lapis de pariete clamabit» — "The stone shall cry out from the wall" (Hab. 2:11). Finally, the Judge Himself will be a witness, He who was present at all the offenses committed against Him: «Ego sum iudex, et testis, dicit Dominus» — "I am the judge and the witness, says the Lord" (Jer. 29:23). St. Paul says that then the Lord «illuminabit abscondita tenebrarum» — "will bring to light the hidden things of darkness" (1 Cor. 4:5). He will reveal to all men the most secret and shameful sins of the reprobate, which in life were hidden even from confessors: «Revelabo pudenda tua in facie tua» — "I will reveal your shame upon your face" (Nah. 3:5). As for the sins of the elect, the Master of the Sentences holds, with others, that they will not then be made manifest but will be found covered, according to what David said: «Beati quorum remissae sunt iniquitates, et quorum tecta sunt peccata» — "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered" (Ps. 31:1). By contrast, St. Basil says that the sins of the reprobate will be seen by all at a single glance, as in a picture: «Unico intuitu singula peccata velut in pictura noscentur» — "Each sin will be recognized in a single glance, as in a painting" (Bk. 1, On True Virginity). St. Thomas Aquinas says (Opusc. 60): If in the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus Christ said «Ego sum» — "I am He" — all the soldiers who had come to seize Him fell to the ground, what will it be when, seated as Judge, He says to the damned: Behold, I am the one whom you have so despised? «Quid faciet iudicaturus, qui hoc fecit iudicandus?» — "What will He do when about to judge, He who did this when about to be judged?"
But come now — we are already at the sentence. Jesus Christ will first turn to the elect and say to them those sweet words: «Venite, benedicti Patris mei, possidete paratum vobis regnum a constitutione mundi» — "Come, you blessed of My Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:34). St. Francis of Assisi, when it was revealed to him that he was predestined, could not contain himself for consolation; what joy will it be, then, to hear the Judge say: Come, blessed children, come to the kingdom; there are no more pains for you, there is no more fear; you are already saved, and you shall be saved for all eternity. I bless the blood I shed for you, and I bless the tears you have shed for your sins: let us go up to paradise, where we shall remain together forever, for all eternity. Mary Most Holy will also bless her devotees and invite them to come with her into heaven; and so, singing «Alleluia, alleluia», the elect will enter paradise in triumph, to possess, to praise, and to love God for all eternity.
The damned, on the other hand, turning to Jesus Christ, will say to Him: And we wretches — what is to become of us? And you — the eternal Judge will answer — since you have renounced and despised my grace: «Discedite a me, maledicti, in ignem aeternum» — "Depart from me, you cursed, into eternal fire" (Matt. ibid.). «Discedite» — "Depart": be separated from me, for I no longer wish to see you or to hear you. «Maledicti» — "Cursed": go, and go accursed, since you have despised my blessing. And where, Lord, are these wretches to go? «In ignem» — "Into the fire": into hell, to burn in soul and body. And for how many years, or for how many centuries? What years, what centuries! «In ignem aeternum» — "Into eternal fire": for all eternity, for as long as God shall be God. After this sentence, St. Ephrem says, the reprobate will take their leave of the angels, the saints, their kinsfolk, and Mary Most Holy: «Valete iusti, vale crux, vale paradise. Valete patres ac filii, nullum siquidem vestrum visuri sumus ultra. Vale tu quoque Dei Genitrix Maria» — "Farewell, O you just; farewell, O cross; farewell, O paradise. Farewell, fathers and children, for we shall never see any of you again. Farewell to you also, O Mary, Mother of God" (St. Ephrem, On the Various Torments of Hell). And then in the midst of the valley a great pit will open, into which devils and the damned will fall together; and — O God! — they will hear those gates close behind them, never, never, never to be opened again for all eternity. O accursed sin, to what a wretched end will you one day lead so many poor souls! O unhappy souls, for whom so tearful an end is reserved!
Affections and Prayers
Ah, my Savior and my God, what will be the sentence that awaits me on that day? If now, my Jesus, You were to demand of me an account of my life, what else could I answer You but that I deserve a thousand hells? Yes, it is true, my dear Redeemer, I deserve a thousand hells; but know that I love You, and I love You more than myself; and for the offenses I have committed against You I feel such sorrow that I would have been content to suffer every evil rather than to have displeased You. You condemn, O my Jesus, obstinate sinners, but not those who repent and wish to love You. Here I am at Your feet, repentant; make me feel that You forgive me. But You already make me hear it through the prophet: «Convertimini ad me, et convertar ad vos» — "Return to me, and I will return to you" (Zech. 1:3). I leave all, I renounce all the pleasures and goods of the world, and I turn to You and cling to You, my beloved Redeemer. Ah, receive me into Your holy love; but inflame me so greatly that I may never again think of separating myself from You. My Jesus, save me, and let my eternal salvation be to love You always and always to praise Your mercies. «Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo» — "I will sing the mercies of the Lord forever."
Mary, my hope, refuge, and Mother, help me and obtain for me holy perseverance. No one who has had recourse to You has ever been lost. To You I commend myself; have pity on me.