121 part i: sunday meditations for the entire year tenance, what facial expression, in what state of mind will you — who are full of the most abominable faults — stand before the implacable Judge? So now you have the acceptable time, the time of salvation, in which your good works are able to be accepted by God: prayers, mortifications, humility, patience, toil, and striving after the virtues of perfection. Do not fail to exercise the slightest opportunity to practice them, so that you may safely attain the reward of the heavenly Kingdom and may hear and accept — along with the predestined sheep — this most desirable call: “Come” (Mt 25:34) and enter the everlasting pastures. Amen. 2. “then they will see” (Lk 21:27). Consider that Christ will come to judge together with His apostles and all those who have lovingly embraced His Cross. For He predicted it Himself, saying: “[Y]ou, who have followed me … shall sit on your17 [thrones] judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Mt 19:28). Then the lovers of the Cross will take their place at the right side of the Crucified — and being already full of hope, and even certain of attaining salvation and eternal happiness — they will display an astonishing cheerfulness and joy. On the other hand, those who detested and despised the Cross will take their place on the left, and their conscience will torment them with incredible anguish. For they will see all the evil deeds they have committed, which at the same time will become manifest to all. [f.4v] For at that time both the virtues of the blessed and the evil deeds of the damned will be revealed to all; both to mortals and to the immortal inhabitants of Heaven. Indeed, the Universal Judgment will reveal to all creation the things that men try so much to conceal when they sin. You know, therefore, what should divert you from even the slightest imperfections and move you toward virtue: the sight, manner, dread, and severity of the future Judgment. Indeed, your most gracious Savior refreshed you with His Most Holy Body for 17 St. Stanislaus used the word vestras (i.e., “your”), whereas, the Clementine Vulgate (Latin Bible) uses the word duodecim”(i.e., “twelve”). [Hereafter the Clementine Vulgate will be abbreviated as CV.]
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