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Salvation is Here: A Call to Daily Conversion
by Brian
In St. Alphonsus Ligouri’s work, The Great Means of Salvation and Perfection, there is section entitled “Meditations for a Private Retreat of Eight Days.” On the first day of the retreat, meditation number two, St. Alphonsus writes about damnation being an irreparable evil. Within this meditation, specifically the third point, he asks the question, “If I were to die this night, would I be satisfied with my past life?”
After mulling over this question for some time I was led to another question, “Do I live my faith each day as though it would be my last day on earth?” The realization that God has only given me one life to live made me painfully aware that once my soul leaves my body, there is no opportunity for second chances.
Of course another thought came to me, “There is always purgatory.” It is part of Catholic doctrine that every soul destined for purgatory after judgment will eventually enter Heaven. However, Alphonsus Ligouri doesn’t even consider purgatory in this meditation, rather, he gets to the heart of the matter – salvation or damnation.
Continuing with the meditation, St. Alphonsus asks another question, “Why, do I delay?” In other words, why do we put off our conversion and ultimately our salvation when we neither know the day nor the hour when we will be called before God’s throne to give an account of our life?
In the official novena to the Holy Spirit, Day One, it states, “Only one thing is important – eternal salvation. Only one thing is to be feared – sin.” In a society that is wrapped up in busyness and drives itself under the banner “the faster the better,” who has time to think about the state of their soul or even eternal salvation? Alphonsus Ligouri was an extremely busy man himself. He founded a religious order, wrote pamphlets and books in defense of the faith, gave retreats and later had the responsibilities of a bishop. Yet he believed that every Catholic should make the time for daily conversion, so as not to be caught off guard.
On occasion, I have heard fellow Catholics say that the earth is not our true home but, rather, our true home is Heaven. I would agree with this statement, but with one qualification, God cannot bring us to our true home unless we want to go there. God will never force Himself on anyone. Therefore, if we don’t want to go to Heaven, then there is only one other alternative, Hell.
Let us not wait until it is too late to turn our lives around or think that if we play our cards right, at least we can get into Heaven by taking a detour through purgatory. There is no time to waste! I believe one of the saddest things to witness is a person on their death- bed regretting the life they led. We only have the here and now, that is why we should live everyday as though it was our last day on earth. By doing so we will be preparing our hearts and souls for our true home, Heaven.
God bless.