Preparation for Death

A Popular Abridgment

St. Alphonsus Liguori

• Publisher: TAN Books
• Year: 2010
• eBook ISBN: 9781618902696
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

A popular abridgement of the much larger original that loses none of its punch. Shows that life is short and Hell is real. Discusses the certainty of death, the uncertainty of the time, the death of the sinner, of the negligent Christian and of the just and how different they are. Also the habit of sin, delusions of the Devil, Particular and General Judgments, the pains of Hell and its eternity, the remorse of the damned, etc. Powerful incentives to aim for Heaven! Impr. 165 pgs, .

Return of the Prodigal Son.

Nihil Obstat:		William J. Blacet, J.C.L. Censor Librorum
Imprimatur:		John P. Cody, S.T.D. Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph May 29, 1957

Copyright © 2000 by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.

Originally published by the Benedictine Convent of Perpetual Adoration, Clyde, Missouri.

Revised, expanded and republished in 2000 by TAN Books and Publishers, Inc.

ISBN 978-0-89555-675-2

Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 00-134503

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

TAN Books
Charlotte, North Carolina
2000

“He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.”

—John 20:21-23

CONTENTS

1. The Blessings of Confession

2. The Five Things Necessary for a Good Confession

Examination of Conscience

False Consciences and Their Remedies—The Lax Conscience—The Scrupulous Conscience—The Doubtful Conscience—How to Make a Good Examination of Conscience.

Contrition

The Qualities of Contrition—Interior Contrition—Supernatural Contrition—Perfect and Imperfect Contrition—Universal Contrition—Sovereign Contrition—Relapses into Former Sins.

Purpose of Amendment

Occasions of Sin—Purpose of Amendment Must Be Specific.

Confession and Absolution

The Confession of Sins—Qualities of a Good Confession—Confession of Venial Sins—Sacrilegious Confessions—General Confession—Frequent Confession—The Absolution of the Priest.

Satisfaction

The Sacramental Penance—Voluntary Penances—Indulgences.

3. How to Make a Good Confession

The Examination of Conscience

Beginning Prayer—Points for the Examination of Conscience—The Ten Commandments of God—The Six Precepts of the Church—The Seven Capital Sins—Duties of Particular States of Life—Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Considerations to Excite Contrition

The Enormity of Sin—God’s Benefits to Me—The Love of Jesus Christ.

Prayers Before Confession

Act of Contrition and Purpose of Amendment—Prayer before a Crucifix—Prayer of St. Gertrude—A Short and Efficacious Act of Contrition.

An Easy Method of Going to Confession

Prayers After Confession

Psalm 102—Prayer of Thanksgiving—Prayer before Performing the Sacramental Penance.

Chapter 1

The Blessings of Confession

“BLESSED are they that wash their robes in the Blood of the Lamb.” (Apoc. 22:14). Catholics truly may be called “blessed” in the means they have of washing the sin-stained robes of their souls in the Precious Blood of the Lamb of God in the Sacrament of Penance! There is no question that Confession—especially frequent Confession—is an inestimable blessing to mankind.

Man can hope for no greater blessing on this earth than true peace of soul. The Sacrament of Penance is a perennial fountain of peace. It is a source of untold consolation to human hearts.

This Sacrament gives any and every member of the Catholic Church who has transgressed the holy laws of God an easy and simple means to obtain full pardon and to be restored to His friendship. This is its first and principal effect. Its second effect is to wipe out the punishment due to sin: eternal punishment entirely, and temporal punishment in whole or in part, according to the penitent’s dispositions.

It closes the gates of Hell, which open to swallow up in the infernal abyss souls who deliberately turn away from God by mortal sin and who sunder the ties binding them to Him by preferring their own wills to His. A good Confession opens anew the portals of Heaven, which are barred to souls so long as they remain in the state of mortal sin.

It clothes souls with the beautiful nuptial garment of Sanctifying Grace, or renders that garment still more beautiful if the soul already possesses it.

It restores past merits, which are lost by even a single mortal sin.

It renders the soul capable again of performing acts meritorious of an eternal reward, which is impossible while it is in the state of mortal sin.

It confers sacramental graces, that is, powerful supernatural helps to avoid sin in the future, and to persevere in the service of God.

It gives a claim to the special graces the soul needs in order to lead a God-pleasing life.

Finally, it checks sinful passions and inclinations to evil.

To partake in fullest measure of these blessings of the Sacrament of Penance, it is necessary for the penitent to know how to make a good Confession. The present booklet is an attempt to help souls in this all-important matter by explaining the five requisites of a good Confession, plus various points which are of vital importance for the fruitful reception of this Sacrament.

Chapter 2

The Five Things Necessary for a Good Confession

AS every well-instructed Catholic knows, the five things necessary for a good Confession are: 1) An Examination of Conscience, 2) Contrition (or sorrow) for sin, 3) A Firm Purpose of Amendment, 4) The Confession of one’s sins to a priest, 5) Acceptance of one’s penance (making satisfaction for sin).

I. EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE

“GO, show yourselves to the priests.” (Luke 17:14). This was the command given by Our Lord to the ten lepers He had healed. This is also the command God gives to souls who have contracted the far more loathsome disease of spiritual leprosy—namely, sin. The priest has been appointed by Our Lord as a spiritual physician to heal the diseases of the soul. But to do so, the priest, like any other physician, must know the nature of the disease. In other words, he must know the sins that have been committed. The penitent, therefore, must make known to him the exact state of his soul. To gain this self-knowledge, it is undoubtedly necessary for the penitent to search seriously into his life since the time of his last Confession, reflecting upon his thoughts, words, deeds and omissions. This inward scrutiny of oneself is called the Examination of Conscience. It should be performed with earnestness and care, mindful of the warning of St. Paul: “But if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” (1 Cor. 11:31).

A. FALSE CONSCIENCES AND THEIR REMEDIES

A diligent examination of conscience should bring clearly to the penitent’s mind his sins of thought, word, deed, desire and omission, according to their kind, their number and their relevant circumstances.

In this examination, two faults are to be avoided: 1) Laxity (or remissness) and 2) Scrupulosity.

1. The Lax Conscience

A lax c...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Author
• Contents
• Dedication
• Preparatory Prayer
• PREPARATION FOR DEATH
• I. Portrait of a Man Who Has Recently Passed into the Other World
• II. With Death All Ends
• III. The Shortness of Life
• IV. Certainty of Death
• V. Uncertainty of the Hour of Death
• VI. Death of a Sinner
• VII. Sentiments of a Dying Negligent Christian, Who Has Thought Little of Death
• VIII. The Death of the Just
• IX. Peace of the Just at the Hour of Death
• X. Means of Preparing for Death
• XI. On the Unhappy Life of the Sinner, and The Happy Life of Him Who Loves God
• XII. On the Habit of Sin
• XIII. The Delusions Which the Devil Suggests to the Minds of Sinners
• XIV. On the Particular Judgement
• XV. On the General Judgement
• XVI. On the Pains of Hell
• XVII. On the Eternity of Hell
• XVIII. The Remorse of the Damned
• XIX. On Perseverance
• Back Cover
• A COLLECTION OF CLASSIC ARTWORK
• CONFESSION ITS FRUITFUL PRACTICE
• Tan Classics
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