{"id":5126,"date":"2016-05-23T03:30:47","date_gmt":"2016-05-23T08:30:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbookblogger\/?p=5126"},"modified":"2016-05-15T13:38:32","modified_gmt":"2016-05-15T18:38:32","slug":"now-and-at-the-hour-of-our-death-mary-day-307","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicbookblogger\/2016\/05\/23\/now-and-at-the-hour-of-our-death-mary-day-307\/","title":{"rendered":"Now and at the hour of our death, Mary: Day 307"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"year_with_mary_alphonsus_3\"<\/a>Now and at the hour of our death<\/h4>\n

St. Alphonsus illuminates the last phrase of the Hail Mary.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cA friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity,\u201d says the Book of Proverbs (17:17). We can never know our friends and relations in the time of prosperity; it is only in the time of adversity that we see them in their true colors. People of the world never abandon a friend as long as he is in prosperity; but should misfortunes overtake him, and more particularly should he be at the point of death, they immediately forsake him.<\/p>\n

But Mary doesn\u2019t act that way with those who turn to her. In their afflic- tions, and more particularly in the sorrows of death, the greatest that can be endured in this world, this good Lady and mother doesn\u2019t abandon her faithful servants. Instead, just as during our exile she is our life, so also is she at our last hour our sweetness, by obtaining for us a calm and happy death.<\/p>\n

From the day on which Mary had the privilege and sorrow of being present at the death of Jesus her Son, who was the Head of all those who are predes- tined, it became her privilege to assist at their deaths as well. And for this reason the holy Church teaches us to beg this most Blessed Virgin to assist us, especially at the moment of death: \u201cPray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death!\u201d\u00a0\u2014St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary<\/em><\/p>\n

IN GOD\u2019S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . \u00a0.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What would it mean to have a \u201chappy death\u201d? How can I be preparing myself for such a death?<\/p>\n

CLOSING PRAYER<\/strong><\/p>\n

From a prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas: Mary, receive me as your servant, and as<\/em> your servant protect me always, and especially at the time of my death. You with your powerful<\/em> intercession must save me; this is my hope, thus may it be!<\/em><\/p>\n

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