The following is the English translation of
the recommendation of this book by the Archbishop Emeritus of Cochabamba:
Mons. René Fernández
A. Tel:
4-4533926 Fax; 4- 523928
C. P. 129 Avenida
Ballivián 737 E-mail: Monrefe@hotmail.com
Cochabamba, Bolivia
We have read the contents of this booklet, where
Catalina describes a spiritual experience in the face of her sorrow for the
deaths of her brother and her mother, and found a collection of salutary
teachings about the Infinite Mercy of God during the supreme moment of
life. This booklet leads us in part to
meditate on the meaning of death, which according to Divine Revelation, is
human life’s definitive passage towards the other, the supernatural life
established by God Himself. Death is
the end and the fate of all because all of us, without exception, are subject
to dying and to having a new life. This
writing emphasizes above all, the forgiveness that God grants to those who
[approach Him] with a contrite heart, even at the moment of one’s final breath;
in the same manner as when the wrongdoer, hanging beside the Cross, where Jesus
is dying, receives the reward of Paradise, solely for having acknowledged his
sins and implored His Divine Mercy.
The reality of the death of our dear ones fills us
with great suffering, but our own faith and the certitude of the resurrection
bring comfort to our sorrow, turning it into spiritual joy and profound peace
in our spirit. Catalina’s present
account leads us to the consideration of these issues, which without any doubt
will significantly influence our walk towards the ultimate point of our
lives. God awaits us all, but not all
become worthy of the Divine benefits.
The scene of the agony of Catalina’s mother, although it constitutes a
moment of deep sorrow, it is nonetheless a wondrous moment, glorified by the
presence of the Lord, Who is ready to receive her in His Holy Kingdom along
with the choir of angels that surrounds her at that supreme moment. If the transitory, human victory fills those
who attain it with intense satisfaction and delight, how much more would our
soul be filled with infinite delight by the knowledge that right at the point
of death is the victory over death itself.
This is the scene that we live through Catalina’s account, who, facing
sorrow and anguish for her beloved mother’s death, feels profound pleasure
knowing that the woman, who brought her to the world, is crossing from this
earth into eternity accompanied by Christ, by the Virgin Mary, our Mother, by
God’s angels, going to receive the crown of victory.
May God in His Infinite Mercy grant us repentance from
our sins and accord us His forgiveness so that we may obtain a holy death. What Catalina has expressed [in this
booklet] will instil into the persons who read it with attention and without
prejudice, reassurance and complete confidence in the Mercy of God. At the same time, it will serve to place
utmost importance in the need to establish a covenant with God through the
Sacrament of Forgiveness.
These considerations move me to recommend the reading
of this small booklet, which will produce a valuable spiritual fruit.
- Signed -
+ René Fernández A.
Archbishop Emeritus of Cochabamba