Praise be Jesus and Mary.
The first reading today, which comes from the prophet Ezekiel,
we read about this change in the heart of man,
the wicked man turning from his sins and becoming virtuous,
leaving his life of sin and becoming virtuous,
and the just man leaving the virtuous path and turning to evil.
So the first thing we need to recognize is that this is possible,
and that it is possible for the conversion
of the sinner to become just.
And it is also possible for the just man to fall away.
And really, what makes all the difference in the world, again,
which is stated more or less in this reading,
is how we die.
It all comes down to that moment of our death.
He who dies in the state of grace is saved.
He will live eternally.
He who dies in the state of mortal sin is damned.
He will die eternally.
And now the rule, the general rule is this.
As a man lives, so he dies.
As a man lives, so he dies.
We should not expect the rare,
extraordinary grace of a deathbed conversion.
That is rare, and that is extraordinary.
For a person who lives far away from the Lord,
it requires an extraordinary grace that he be converted.
And this is what St. Alphonsus Liguori says.
Everyone desires to die the death of the saints,
but it is scarcely possible for the Christian to make a holy end
who has led a disorderly life until the time of his death,
to die united with God after having always lived at a distance from him.
It is not to be denied that such a man may be converted at his death
and obtain salvation,
but the mind obscured,
the heart hardened,
the bad habits formed,
the passions predominant,
render it morally impossible for him to die happily.
An extraordinary grace will be necessary for him.
But does God reserve such a grace to bestow it upon one
who has continued ungrateful to him even until the moment of death?
You see, that extraordinary grace must be given to one who has died,
who has continued ungrateful to him even until the moment of death.
You see, that extraordinary grace must be given to one who has died,
who has continued ungrateful to him even until the moment of death.
One will be won for that soul
by the prayers and sacrifices of the just,
by victim souls,
those who offer their lives
for the conversion of some sinner.
Remember Our Lady's words
that many souls go to hell
because they have no one to pray
and make sacrifices for them.
So by prayer and sacrifice,
we can win these additional graces
and even an extraordinary grace
for the conversion of some sinner.
Now, as I was saying,
it is also possible to turn away from God.
But again, as I said,
as a man lives,
so he dies as the general principle.
If our Lord is the captain of the ship
throughout our lives,
then we can have full confidence
that he will bring it to port.
And this also comes into play,
the daily conversion
that I was talking about the other day.
If we are working on converting ourselves
on a daily basis,
then we can have confidence
and experience
that up until the moment of death,
we will still be converting ourselves.
It is being always directed toward the Lord
and striving to love him
with all of our strength.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.