mors desirabilis, malorum finis, laboris clausula, quietis principium."
12. No one can enter into heaven to see God without passing through the gate of death. ”This is the gate of the Lord the just shall enter into it." (Ps. cxvii. 20.) Hence, addressing death, St. Jerome said: ”Aperi mini soror mea." Death, my sister, if you do not open the gate to me, I cannot enter to enjoy my God. And St. Charles Borromeo, seeing in his house a picture of death with a knife in the hand, sent for a painter to cancel the knife, and substitute for it a key of gold; because, said the saint, it is death that opens Paradise. Were a queen confined in a dark prison, how great would be her joy at hearing that the gates of the prison are open, and that she is to return from the dungeon to her palace! It was to be liberated by death from the prison of this life that David asked, when he said: ”Bring my soul out of prison." (Ps. cxli. 8.) This, too, was the favour which the venerable Simeon asked of the infant Jesus, when he held him in his arms: ”Now thou dost dismiss thy servant." (Luke ii. 29.)”As if detained by force," says St. Ambrose, ”he asked to be dismissed." Simeon sought to be delivered by death, as if he had been compelled by force to live on this earth.
13. St. Cyprian says, that the sinner who shall pass from temporal to eternal death, has just reason to be afraid of death. "Mori timeat, qui ad secundum mortem de hac morte transibit." But he who is in the state of grace and hopes to pass from death to eternal life which is the true life tears not death. It is related that a certain rich man gave to St. John the Almoner a large sum of money to be dispensed in alms, for the purpose of obtaining from God a long life for his only son. The son died in a short time. The father complained of the death of his son; but, to console him, the Lord sent an angel to say to him: "You have sought a long life for your son, and the Lord has heard your prayer; for your son is in heaven, where he enjoys eternal life." This is the grace which, according to the promise of the prophet Osee, the Redeemer obtained for us. ”death, I will be thy death." (xiii. 14.) By
