Keep three things in mind…
I pray you for the love of Jesus Christ to keep three things in mind, and they are: the hour of death, from which no one can escape; the pains of Hell; the glory and blessedness of Paradise.
–Saint John of God (1495-1550)
Simplify your heart…
So simplify your heart with all care, diligence and effort so that still and at peace from the products of the imagination you can turn round and remain always in the Lord within yourself, as if your mind were already in the now of eternity, that is of the godhead. In this way you will be able to renounce yourself through love of Jesus Christ, with a pure heart, clean conscience and unfeigned faith, and commit yourself completely and fully to God in all difficulties and eventualities, and be willing to submit yourself patiently to his will and good pleasure at all times.
— Saint Albert the Great (c. 1206-1280)
It is not a bad death…
And yet, my dear brethren, I am going to tell you that none of these are bad deaths. Provided that a person has lived well, if he dies in his prime, his death will not fail to be valuable in God’s eyes. We have many saints who died in the prime of their lives. It is not a bad death, either, to die at the hands of the executioner. All the martyrs died at the hands of executioners.To die a sudden death is not to die a bad death either, provided one is ready. We have many saints who died deaths of that sort.
–Saint John Vianney (1786-1859)
Divine providence arranges…
It is an indubitable truth that the highest Divine Providence arranges all of creation. God considers all things beforehand and takes care for all things. This is the Divine fatherly care of which the blessed apostle Peter speaks: “Cast all of your cares upon Him, because He is concerned for you.” (I Pet. 5:7)
— Saint Elias Minjatios
Cares of the world…
As a man whose head is under water cannot inhale pure air, so a man whose thoughts are plunged into the cares of this world cannot absorb the sensations of that new world.
–Saint Isaac of Syria (Seventh Century)
Entrust yourself entirely…
Entrust yourself entirely to God. He is a father and a most loving father at that, who would rather let Heaven and Earth collapse than abandon anyone who trusted in Him.
–Saint Paul of the Cross (1694-1775)
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