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Courses Reconquest > The Secret to Dying Well > Module 3

Module presentation 3 - What will I do?

Man is not like a closed island. He needs others on whom to depend and with whom to have contact. But when it comes to the soul, his instinct for sociability turns toward God, his Creator, who alone can provide true joy, peace, and consolation. One must enter into conversation with God—and this is prayer. Only by asking God do we receive what is most necessary: the grace to love Him above all things and the salvation of our soul.

Prepared from the works of the Saints, Doctors, Patriarchs, and Fathers of the Church, this course seeks to transform your life, elevate your existence, and, above all, prepare you for eternity. For the secret of dying well lies in living well—knowing how to care for one’s soul.

In this third module, you will discover that living in conformity with the will of God and keeping His Commandments is more attainable than you might think. You will learn to distinguish between vocal prayer and mental prayer, and how to pray in a way that is pleasing to God. You will also come to understand the importance of spiritual reading and meditation, and the necessity of remaining in the state of grace—especially by avoiding unworthy confessions and sacrilegious Communions.

We will all die one day, and preparation for death cannot be left to the last moment, especially since we do not know when that moment will come. Therefore, ask yourself: If I were to die today, what would my eternal destiny be?

Conteúdo

Module presentation

Module lessons

Bibliographic references

Comments

Module lessons 3

1. Mental prayer and spiritual reading

What differentiates vocal prayer from mental prayer? Is there an established form of mental prayer? Are mental prayer and meditation the same thing? What does the “composition of place” consist of? Does spiritual reading contribute to mental prayer? Can the devil influence our minds? What can we do to break possible connections with him?  

2. Impurity, and sacrilegious Confessions and Communions

When it comes to confessing sins against purity, the devil often incites the sinner to lie to the priest, out of shame. Failure to accurately reveal a grave sin in Confession is, in itself, a sacrilege. That amounts to two grave sins. To make matters worse, people often go to Communion in this state, thereby adding a second sacrilege — a third grave offence against God. How to resolve this situation?  

3. Conclusion: What will I do?

We have reached the end of our course and, in the light of all that you learned—everything you meditated upon throughout the series—there is one question you ought to ask yourself: “What will I do?” In this final lesson, you will be presented with a bridge that can take you from sin to Redemption, from death to life, from earth to Heaven. This bridge is Mary Most Holy, the treasury of all virtue, the sacred mountain containing all the divine riches. Today, as in first class, you are invited to answer the question: “If you were to die today, what would your eternal destiny be?” Without a doubt, your answer will be very different now from the one you gave at the outset of the course...  

Bibliographic References

BRANDÃO, Ascanio. O breviário da confiança. [The Breviary of Confidence] Lorena: Cléofas, 2013.

CHAUTARD, Jean-Baptiste. The Soul of the Apostolate. Charlotte: TAN Books, 2012.

LEHODEY, Vital. Holy Abandonment. Charlotte: TAN Books, 2004.

MICHEL, Jean, S.J. A Treatise on Despondency in the Pursuit of Piety. London: Wentworth Press, 2016.

RODRIGUES, Afonso. Practice of Perfection and Christian Virtues. Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1929.

ROYO MARÍN, Antonio, O.P. The Theology of Christian Perfection. Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 2012.

BIBLE. Revised Standard Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006.

SAINT-LAURENT, Thomas de. O livro da confiança. [The Book of Confidence] São Paulo: Petrus, 2019.

TERESA OF AVILA (Santa Teresa de Jesus). Way of Perfection. London: Sheed & Ward, 1999.

______. The Autobiography. Charlotte: TAN Books, 2011.

THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX (Santa Teresinha). Story of a Soul. Charlotte: TAN Books, 2010.

ALPHONSUS LIGUORI (São Afonso de Ligório). Treatise on Prayer. West Monroe: St. Athanasius Press, 2009.

______. The Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. San Francisco: Blurb, 2021.

______. Selected Writings. New York: Paulist Press, 1999.

______. The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ. Amherst: Aeterna Press, 2010.

JOHN OF THE CROSS (São João da Cruz). Ascent of Mount Carmel. Brewster: Paraclete Press, 2010.

TANQUEREY, Adolphe. The Spiritual Life: A Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology. Rockford: TAN Books, 2000.

TISSOT, Joseph. How to Profit from Your Faults. Strongsville: Scepter Publishers, 2004.

See also

Spirituality

A Spiritual Retreat
Spirituality

Why must we suffer?
Mariology

The Universal Mediation of Mary
History

Understanding Old Testament History
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