St. Alphonsus de Liguori Preparation for Death · Consideration XXIV, Second and Third Points, pp. 293, 296, 299 · selected passages
The Gospel and our conscience will bear witness before Christ. Alphonsus calls us to settle our accounts now through repentance, Confession, and amendment, while God grants us time for pardon. Ask for the grace to face the truth about your life.
Consider the accusation and scrutiny: “The judgment sat and the books were opened”—Dan., vii. 10. There shall be two books, the Gospel and conscience. In the Gospel shall be read what the accused should have done, and in his conscience, what he has done. Each individual, says St. Jerome, shall see what he has done. In the balance of divine justice, neither riches, nor dignities, nor nobility, but works only, shall have weight. “Thou art weighed in the balance,” said Daniel to Balthassar, “and art found wanting”—Dan., v. 27. Neither his gold, says Father Alvarez, nor his wealth, but the king alone, is weighed.
…
In fine, to obtain eternal life, the soul must be found at judgment to have led a life conformable to the life of Jesus Christ. “Whom he foreknew, he predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his Son”—Rom., viii. 29.
…
At present it depends on us to choose whatever sentence we please. It is in our power, says St. Eligius, to determine the character of the sentence which we shall receive. “In potestate nostra datur qualiter judicemur.” What then must we do? We must adjust our accounts before judgment. “Before judgment, prepare thee justice”—Eccl., xviii. 19. St. Bonaventure says that, to escape the danger of failing in business, prudent merchants frequently review and settle their accounts. Let us then say with St. Bernard: “Volo judicatus praesentari, non judicandus.” O my Judge, I wish to be judged and punished during life, which is a time of mercy and pardon; for, after death shall be the time of justice.
Act of Contrition
O my God! I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.
Examine your life before Christ. Be sorry for your sins, resolve to amend, and confess remembered mortal sins honestly by kind and number. Make the restitution and reparation that justice requires. Seek His mercy now, while repentance is possible.
Dublin: James Duffy, 1843. Translated by A Catholic Clergyman (as credited on the title page). Selected historical passages, not a complete chapter. Wording and spelling follow the 1843 printing; line breaks, quotation marks, spacing, and typographic ligatures are normalized. Ellipses mark omitted material. Scripture references and secondary attributions are retained as printed; the latter are Alphonsus’s attributions. The short reading title and introduction are editorial.