Is death a harsh thought? No. A just decree for all mortals, it is a grievous worry for those who do not believe and are full of sins. In vain man says, to explain the troubled anxiety of a man who is dy-ing and who was not good during his lifetime: "It's because he would not like to die as yet, because he has not done any good or only very little, and he would like to live to make amends". In vain he says: "If he had lived longer, he could have had a greater reward, because he would have done more good". A soul knows, at least vaguely, how much time it has been given. No time, as com-pared to eternity. And the soul spurs the whole ego to act. But, poor soul! How often it is overwhelmed,. trodden upon, gagged, in order not to hear its words! That happens to those who lack good will. Whilst just men, from their very childhood, listen to their souls, obey their advice, and are continuously active; and saints die young in age but rich in merits, at times at the dawn of life; and not even by the addition of one hundred or one thousand years, would they become holier than they are, because the love for God and their neighbour, practised in every form and with utter generosity, makes them perfect. What matters in Heaven is not how long, but how one has lived.

People mourn for corpses and weep over them. But corpses do not weep. People tremble at the thought that they must die. But they do not worry about living in such a way as not to tremble at the hour of their death. Why do people not mourn for and weep over living corpses, the real corpses, those who have in their bodies, as in graves, dead souls? And those who weep thinking that their bodies must die, why do they not weep over the corpses they have within themselves? How many corpses I see, and they laugh and joke, but they do not weep over themselves! How many fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, brothers, sons, friends, priests, teachers, I see who foolishly weep for a son, a wife, a husband, a brother, a parent, a friend, a believer, a disciple who died in clear friendship with God, after a life that was a crown of perfection and who do not weep over the corpses of the souls of a son, a husband, a wife, a brother, a father, a friend, a believer, a disciple, who is dead through vices and sins, and is dead and lost for ever, unless he repents! Why not try to revive them? That is love, you know? It is the greatest love. Oh! foolish tears for dust, which has become dust! Idolatry of affections! Hypocrisy of affection! Weep, but over the dead souls of your dearest relatives. Try to bring them to Life. And I speak in particular to you, women, who can influence so much those whom you love.

Cause of death

Let us now consider together what Wisdom indicates as the cause of death and shame.

Do not insult God by misusing the life He gave you, soiling it with evil deeds which dishonour man. Do not insult your parents through behaviour that flings mud at their white hair and causes violent sorrow to their last days. Do not abuse those who assist you, so that you will not be cursed for the love you tread upon. Do not abuse those who govern you, because it is not by rebelling against rulers that countries become great and free, but it is through the holy life of citizens that you obtain the assistance of the Lord, Who can touch the hearts of rulers or remove them from their places or even from life, as our history of Israel has shown several times, when they pass all bounds and especially when the people, sanctifying themselves, deserve the forgiveness of God, Who thus removes the oppressive yoke from the necks of the punished citizens. Do not abuse your wives by putting an affront of adulterous love upon them, and do not abuse the innocence of your children with the knowledge of unlawful love. Live holily in the eyes of those who, both because of their love and of their duty, consider you the person who is to be the example of their lives. You cannot sever your holiness in respect of your closest neighbour from your holiness towards God, because one germinates the other, as the two loves: of God and neighbour germinate each other.

Be just with your friends. Friendship is a kinship of the soul. It is written: "How delightful it is for friends to proceed all together". But it is delightful if they proceed on the path of virtue. Woe to those who pollute and betray friendship by turning it into selfishness, treason, vice or injustice. Too many are those who say: "I love you" to find out their friends' business and exploit the in-formation to their own benefit'! Too many are those who usurp the rights of their friends!

Be honest with judges. With all judges. From the most high judge, Who is God and cannot be defrauded or deceived through hypocritical practices, to the intimate judge, that is, your con-science, to the loving, suffering judges, watchful of their love, which are the eyes of your relatives, to the severe judges of the people. Do not lie invoking God to corroborate your lies.

Be honest in selling and buying. When you are selling, and your greed says to you: "Steal to have a bigger profit", whilst your con-science says to you: "Be honest because you would be sorry if you were robbed", listen to the latter voice, remembering that we must not do to others what we would not like done to ourselves. The money given to you in exchange for goods is often wet with the perspiration and tears of the poor. It costs hard work. You do not know how much grief it costs, how much sorr6w and pain there is behind that money, which you vendors think that it is always too little for what you give. Sick people, fatherless children, old people short of money... Oh! holy grief and holy dignity of the poor, which the rich do not understand, why are you not taken into con-sideration? Why are people honest when selling to the powerful and mighty ones, for fear of retaliation, whereas they take advan-tage of defenceless unknown brothers? That is rather a crime against love than against honesty itself. And God curses it, because the tears squeezed out of poor people, who have but tears as a reaction against abuse of power, cry to the Lord with the same voice as the blood drained from the veins of a man by a murderer, by a Cain of his fellow creature.

Be honest in your looks, as you are in your words and deeds. A look, given to those who do not deserve it, or denied to those who do deserve it, is like a noose and a dagger. The look that meets the impudent eyes of a prostitute, and says to her: "You are beautiful!", and replies to her inviting look with assent, is worse than the slip knot for a hanged man. The look denied to a poor relative or to a friend fallen into poverty, is like a dagger that pierces the hearts of those unhappy people. And likewise the glance of hatred or of contempt cast at one's enemy or at a beggar. Enemies are to be forgiven and loved at least with your souls, if your bodies refuse to love them. Forgiveness is love of the spirit. Not to take revenge is love of the spirit. A beggar is to be loved because nobody comforts him. It is not sufficient to throw a mite and pass by scornfully. The offering serves for the starving, naked, homeless body. But the pity that smiles in offering, that takes an interest in the tears of the unhappy fellow, is bread for his heart. Love, love, love.

Be honest in tithes and customary practices, be honest in your homes, without exploiting servants beyond measure and without tempting the maidservant sleeping under your roof. Even if the world is unaware of the theft committed in the secrecy of your house against your unaware wife and against the maidservant you debauch, God is aware of your sin. Be honest in speaking. Be honest in bringing up your sons and daughters. It is written: "Keep a sharp look-out, that your daughter does not make you the laughing stock of the town". I say: "Keep a sharp look-out that the soul of your daughter may not die".

May the Lord be with those who strive to love Him.