Reflections of Caritas

“The night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.’” – Romans 13:12

“Begin with the end in mind.” This is a classic self-help maxim that was made popular most recently by Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It is a principle that has helped many aspiring business students and entrepreneurs.

But, it is an idea that applies to our spiritual lives as well. As we begin a new liturgical year in the Church, our readings for this first Sunday of Advent point us immediately toward the end of time. Jesus cautions us to be prepared for the Day of Judgment, because the Lord, the “master of the house,” will come “like a thief in the night” (Matthew 24:42-43).

We need to remain mindful of the fact that someday “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). How would you live differently if you began each day with this end in mind?

Nearly 400 years before Stephen Covey put pen to paper, Saint Francis de Sales wrote An Introduction to the Devout Life. It is a spiritual masterpiece, wherein he dedicates several chapters to the four Last Things – death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell. I’ve found that meditating upon his words has helped me remain mindful of my own mortality and ultimate destination.

In his reflection upon death, St. Francis de Sales calls us to consider the uncertainty of our dying day. We know neither the time nor the season nor the means, but we do know for sure that sooner or later it will happen. And when we die, all the empty pleasures of this world will be revealed as true vanity, while all our good deeds and sacrifices will shine with the great beauty they deserve.

In his chapter about judgment, de Sales invites us to imagine the majesty of the “Sovereign Judge,” the glorious purity of those on His right, and the vile wretchedness of those on His left. In that moment, “all consciences shall be laid bare, and the wickedness of the bad will be clearly seen.” Those on His left will receive their wish; to be apart from God forever, while those on the right will be welcomed into His bosom of grace and mercy.

In his passage about Hell, Francis presses us to envision the unutterable torment and despair suffered by those who are deprived of God and His glory. They have received precisely what they asked for throughout their lives, and they shall regret it for eternity. He asks us to consider how the temporary difficulties of our lives on earth pale in comparison to the eternal suffering of Hell.

Lastly, the great saint and doctor of the Church paints a picture of Heaven. He imagines the simultaneous brilliance of a sky full of stars and the midday sun, with neither drowning out the other’s brightness. Then, he reminds us that such beauty falls far short of that in Paradise. Consider the multitudes of the heavenly hosts – angels, apostles, martyrs and all the saints singing in endless jubilation. Imagine being caught up forever in that glorious joy and magnificent love of God.

In the end, St. Frances de Sales tells us to set our hearts upon “following the road which leads to this blessed land.” That is the goal we must keep in mind as we begin this new liturgical year.

Come, Lord Jesus, and place within our hearts a greater longing for Heaven. Make us worthy to inherit the kingdom You have prepared for us. Amen.