THE SECOND MEDITATION On the Particular Judgment
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Ignatius, of Loyola, Saint and Coppens, Charles
1st Prelude. Imagine that your soul has left your body and is now to be judged by Christ.
2nd Prelude. Ask earnestly that you may understand all things now as you shall then, and that you may act accordingly.
POINT I.Consider when that judgment will take place: “It is appointed unto men once to die, and, after this, the judgment” (Hebr. ix, 27). Human tribunals delay trials to take evidence; not so God. One moment we may be sinning or meriting, the next moment we are judged for it. No warning is given beforehand, as for a college examination. The rich man of whom Christ said that he was going to build new barns, saying to his soul: “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thy rest, eat, drink, make good cheer,” was rebuked by the Lord, saying: “Thou fool, this night they will require thy soul from thee” (St. Luke xii, 16-20).
Be ever ready. Make frequent acts of perfect contrition. Make every confession as if it were to be the last of your life.
POINT II.Consider the persons present: 1. The soul; Father Gaudier, S. J., describes it thus: “It receives a novel manner of knowing, without the body, by which its entire life is represented to it at a glance. It thoroughly understands what is the nature of created things, its own present condition and the new aspect of things; and it sees itself naked, solitary and deserted by all, with nothing but its good and bad works, in the presence of its Judge. Hence arises a very different view of its own concerns and all created and external things from what it had before. Besides, its will is changed; for all love of created goods is vanished, and in its stead there is a most powerful impulse towards God as its last end. This tendency, now that the hindrance of the body is removed, urges it most forcibly to this union” (Introd. ad Solid. Perfect., p. 196).
2. Christ is now manifested to the soul. He is the God who condemned to eternal woe the rebel angels, Judas, and all who are in Hell, and who has rewarded all the Saints with eternal bliss. As man, He is now going to examine what fruit the soul now before Him has produced. No other parties can well be expected to be present, except, perhaps the Guardian Angel and an evil spirit, ready to execute the sentence.
POINT III.Consider the account to be rendered, of every thought, word, action and omission from the first dawn of reason till the last breath. Even good works may contain many imperfections, as St. Paul explains by this comparison. “Other foundation no man can lay but that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man’s work shall be manifest; for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work, of what sort it is” (I Cor. iii, 11-16).
The examination will embrace all the Commandments of God and of the Church, the duties of one’s state of life, the proper use of one’s talents, one’s opportunities, etc.
a. There are two consoling thoughts in this matter.
1. The religious vows probably act as a second Baptism, cancelling all former debts. St. Thomas attributes this effect to the perfect dispositions of the person making them. If this is the reason, then it would seem that the renewal of vows may have the same effect, whenever it is made with equally good dispositions.
2. Whatever has once been forgiven remains forgiven. Merit when lost may return, but forgiven sins do not return.
b. Yet there are two classes of sins that may well cause anxiety.
1. Those of which we have never truly repented, perhaps because we were too proud to admit we were to blame, and laid the blame on others instead.
2. Those sins which we have very often confessed, but which we have made no serious efforts to avoid in future, perhaps because we had no real contrition for them.
POINT IV.The sentence will be just what is deserved; for a judgment is not an act of mercy, but of the intellect seeing the truth of things and pronouncing accordingly: “I will judge thee according to thy ways, and I will lay upon thee all thy crimes. My eye shall not spare, neither will I show mercy” (Ezech. vii, 8, 9). “Then will he (the Son of man) render to every man according to his works” (St. Matth. xvi, 27).
If a mortal sin be there, all is lost: “If a just man shall turn away from his justice and shall commit iniquity—he shall die in his sin, and his justices which he hath done shall not be remembered” (Ezech. iii, 20).
The sentence will be final, because there is no appeal to a higher tribunal, and we can no longer merit a change: “The night cometh when no man can work” (St. John ix, 4).
The sufferings of Purgatory come to an end, but merit neglected to be acquired can never more be gained.
We may well exclaim with St. Magdalene de Pazzi: “It is a terrible thing to have to stand before the judgment seat of God.”
Colloquy. Ask to understand all things now as you shall realize them at the judgment.