March 05, 2025

[Lenten Mission] How to Have a Holy Death

59 minutes

To prepare well for death, meditate on it daily, as Scripture and the Saints advise. The thought of death restrains sin while ignoring it leads to presumption and spiritual ruin. Always remain in a state of Grace because death is certain but its timing is unknown. Avoid the illusion that you can repent later: many die suddenly, without warning. Detach now from worldly possessions and pleasures, as death separates you from all earthly things. Live as if today were your last day, focusing on prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and devotion to God. The road to heaven is found in the Church, the Sacraments, and obedience to God’s will. Do not delay repentance: God’s Mercy is great, but His Justice is both great and real as well.

Citations mentioned in this Mission Sermon:

St. Alphonsus Liguori – On meditating on death to avoid sin

St. Gregory – God conceals the hour of death so we remain vigilant

St. Bernard – Always live in expectation of death to avoid sin

St. Robert Bellarmine – The art of dying well requires living well

St. Augustine – God hides the day of death to keep us prepared

St. Vincent Ferrer – Few habitual sinners receive the grace of a good death

St. Jerome – Most who persist in sin until death are lost

Book of Tobias, Ch. 12 – Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving deliver the soul from death

Gospel of Matthew, Ch. 24 – Be ready, for you do not know the hour

Isaiah 29:13 – True prayer comes from the heart, not just the lips

James 4:3 – Prayers must be rightly ordered to be effective

Books recommended in this Mission Sermon:

St. Alphonsus Liguori – Preparation for Death

St. Alphonsus Liguori – Counsels for Confessors

St. Robert Bellarmine – The Art of Dying Well

St. Leonard of Port Maurice – The Little Number of Those Who Are Saved

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By Fr. Isaac Mary Relyea

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