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Meditations on Death: Preparing for Eternity
Thinking on death is the most profitable meditation we can make.
Indeed, Our Lord’s most holy passion and death offers us the greatest meditation, but pondering our own imminent death can bring us great fruit as it prepares us for the most important thing we will enter into eternity.
“Remember man that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
By meditating on their deaths, many have renounced this fleeting world for the monastery and cloister. By meditating on their deaths, many have conquered the flesh, the world, and the devil. By meditating on their deaths, many have climbed the ladder of holiness in a brief time.
To keep death daily before your eyes is one of the greatest secrets to sanctity, for death is the only certainty in this life. And those who ponder the hour of their death daily will not be surprised when that moment comes; rather, they will have prepared for it their entire lives and will be ready to meet their Creator.
In this soul-jarring work, Thomas à Kempis guides the reader to consider the last four death, judgment, heaven, and hell. One of the devil’s favorite words is tomorrow . But God’s is today . Meditations on Death is like a mini-retreat that will redirect your heart to eternal things rather than passing things. For to contemplate the hour of your death is to already have one foot in heaven.
Indeed, Our Lord’s most holy passion and death offers us the greatest meditation, but pondering our own imminent death can bring us great fruit as it prepares us for the most important thing we will enter into eternity.
“Remember man that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
By meditating on their deaths, many have renounced this fleeting world for the monastery and cloister. By meditating on their deaths, many have conquered the flesh, the world, and the devil. By meditating on their deaths, many have climbed the ladder of holiness in a brief time.
To keep death daily before your eyes is one of the greatest secrets to sanctity, for death is the only certainty in this life. And those who ponder the hour of their death daily will not be surprised when that moment comes; rather, they will have prepared for it their entire lives and will be ready to meet their Creator.
In this soul-jarring work, Thomas à Kempis guides the reader to consider the last four death, judgment, heaven, and hell. One of the devil’s favorite words is tomorrow . But God’s is today . Meditations on Death is like a mini-retreat that will redirect your heart to eternal things rather than passing things. For to contemplate the hour of your death is to already have one foot in heaven.
88 pages, Hardcover
Published January 10, 2023
48 people are currently reading
345 people want to read
About the author
Thomas à Kempis
727 books394 followersThomas Hammerken (or Hammerlein -- both mean "little hammer") / Thomas de Kempis / Thomas Hamerken von Kempen was born at Kempen (hence the "A Kempis") in the duchy of Cleves in Germany around 1380. He was educated by a religious order called the Brethren of the Common Life, and in due course joined the order, was ordained a priest, became sub-prior of his house (in the low Countries), and died 25 July 1471 (his feast is observed a day early to avoid conflict with that of James bar-Zebedee the Apostle).
Thomas is known almost entirely for composing or compiling a manual of spiritual advice known as The Imitation of Christ, in which he urges the reader to seek to follow the example of Jesus Christ and to be conformed in all things to His will.
Thomas is known almost entirely for composing or compiling a manual of spiritual advice known as The Imitation of Christ, in which he urges the reader to seek to follow the example of Jesus Christ and to be conformed in all things to His will.
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March 14, 2023
This is one of a trio of books highlighted for Lent by TAN Books. They were marketed as a collection. The three volumes are:
Meditations on Death: Preparing for Eternity - Thomas à Kempis
The Seven Last Words of Christ- St. Bonaventure & Arnold of Bonneval
The Passion of Christ Through the Eyes of Mary - Anselm of Canterbury
It is the first I have finished. It is an excellent volume. The description of this volume is:
“Thinking on death is the most profitable meditation we can make.
Indeed, Our Lord's most holy passion and death offers us the greatest meditation, but pondering our own imminent death can bring us great fruit as it prepares us for the most important thing we will do: enter into eternity.
"Remember man that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
By meditating on their deaths, many have renounced this fleeting world for the monastery and cloister. By meditating on their deaths, many have conquered the flesh, the world, and the devil. By meditating on their deaths, many have climbed the ladder of holiness in a brief time.
To keep death daily before your eyes is one of the greatest secrets to sanctity, for death is the only certainty in this life. And those who ponder the hour of their death daily will not be surprised when that moment comes; rather, they will have prepared for it their entire lives and will be ready to meet their Creator.
In this soul-jarring work, Thomas à Kempis guides the reader to consider the last four things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. One of the devil's favorite words is tomorrow. But God's is today. Meditations on Death is like a mini-retreat that will redirect your heart to eternal things rather than passing things. For to contemplate the hour of your death is to already have one foot in heaven.”
The chapters and sections in this volume are:
Part I: Reflections on the Last Things
1 Consideration of One’s Own Death
2 The Torments of Hell
3 The Final Judgment
4 The Joys of Heaven
Part II: A Discourse in the Person of a Sinner about to Die
5 Mindfulness of Death: A Sure Remedy to the Vices
6 A Lament over Time Wasted
7 Regrets Concerning the Deferral of Repentance and Reformation
8 The Uncertainty of the Last-Minute Repentance and Conversion
9 The Unreliability of Human Assistance in the Hour of Death
10 A Final Exhortation to Those Who Still Live
Part III: Canticles to Heaven
11 A Canticle on the Joys of Heaven and the Choirs of Angels
12 A Canticle to the Angels and Saints in Heaven
I highlighted numerous passages my first time through this book. Some of them are:
“The practice of meditation of death assumed particular prominence in late-medieval spirituality (that is to say, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries). The reasons for this were many— including the multitude of calamities (such as war, plague, and famine) which afflicted Europe at the time, the rapid rate of social change and the prevailing political instability. Also included is the rediscovery and popular circulation of the writings of the ancient philosophers, especially Plato, Cicero, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius.”
“his volume contains a short but extremely powerful work attributed to Thomas à Kempis, offering a moving, profound, and vivid meditation upon death and the “Four Last Things” (i.e., the event of death itself, the Final Judgment, the torments of hell, and the happiness of heaven). The present English rendering is a translation from the Latin text of the 1523 Paris edition, published by Jocodus Badius Ascensius of the Opera Thomae a Campis (Works of Thomas à Kempis).”
“May the courageous and humble contemplation of death help us to shun sin and to cultivate virtue; may it help us overcome the temptations and allurements of that which is passing and ephemeral and help to strive instead for that which is eternal; and may it empower us to “seize the day”— both by making the most of our earthly lives and by yearning constantly for the beatitude of heaven, the glory and splendor which “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived.” 5 May the Blessed Virgin Mary, her most chaste spouse Saint Joseph (the patron saint of the dying), and all the holy angels and saints assist us in this endeavor through their unfailing intercession, guidance, and example.”
“My friend, it is most useful for you to call to mind frequently and assiduously the reality of your own death. This, indeed, is the one universal reality of our human condition— for in this life, some are rich while others are poor, some are masters while others are servants, some learned while others are simple, and some are blessed by happiness and good fortune while others are struck down by misfortune and calamity. Yet all face death with equal certainty. And though death itself is a certainty, its time and manner of arrival are profoundly uncertain.”
“My advice, therefore, is to live as if you could die at any moment and to live each day as if it could be your last. And be mindful that this is no idle or hypothetical speculation or a mere morally edifying imagining but a frighteningly real and imminent possibility at all times! In fact, it is not a possibility only, but it is a certainty. For while everything else in the future course of your life— your success or failure, your prosperity or poverty, your happiness or wretchedness— are unknown, hidden, and indeterminate, death is the one thing of which you may be absolutely sure.”
“Summon up before the eye of your mind, therefore, a horrible and swirling chaos, or a lightless and sinister subterranean cavern, fuming with every kind of unspeakable foulness and swarming with hideous phantasms, or a burning and bottomless pit, completely suffused with scorching, acrid, and inextinguishable fires.”
“Yet one can gain a sense of the horrid extremity of this condition by the sounds which fill the air in the accursed city of hell. For there resounds an unremitting cacophony of the grinding of teeth and gnashing of jaws, and wailing and weeping, and groaning and grunting, and crying and cursing. For in the delirium of their despair, the tormented souls continually utter the most disgusting blasphemies and imprecations against God Himself— the same God from whom their own wickedness has separated them forevermore. And, in the same breath, they curse with the most galling vitriol the entire universe, their wretched state, and their very own selves as well.”
“In this realm of dire punishment and exactly measured retributions, each one will suffer in the particular limbs or members whereby they committed their sins whilst on earth. Thus those who committed sins with their hands shall feel pains in their hands, and those who committed sins with their tongues— such as gossip, or slander, or perjury— will be afflicted with torments of the tongue. And thus it shall be with each of the members of the body, from the greatest to the least. Alas, then for those whose sins are against chastity! The pains and torments which they will experience can hardly decently be described in this treatise and are therefore left to the imagination of the reader.”
“My friend, reflect next upon how much terror and anxiety there will be at the great scene of the Final Judgment! The miraculous trumpets of angels shall then sound a deafening fanfare. Great bolts of blazing lightening will illuminate the earth and the sky with a blinding luminosity. Tumultuous thunder will roar, penetrating into the very depths of each human heart. The earth, the sea, and heavens themselves will all tremble!”
“And none will know with certainty in advance to which side they will be sent— neither pope nor bishop, nor king, nor beggar, nor even convicted criminal. For God alone perceives into the depths of the heart and knows all secret thoughts and actions, and He shows mercy to whom He wills. Thus there will be two standing together [apparently similar in their conduct, beliefs and morals], and one will be taken away and the other left behind.”
“But now that He is throned at the right hand of the Father and crowned with ineffable glory, His holy humanity remains, but it is now exalted and made divine. And this humanity which the glorified Christ possesses and has made immortal, glorious, and pure is one and the same as the humanity which is your very own nature too, O Reader! And by Christ’s mysterious union with human nature, your own nature shall be united with that of God.”
“My friend, whenever you are plagued by some difficulty or adversity, or tested by some temptation, or find that your enthusiasm for good works is fading or waning, or divine worship begins to seem tedious and irksome to you, there is a sure and effective remedy for you! And I shall now tell you what this secret remedy to all spiritual tepidity is.”
“First, sit yourself in your private room, close the door, and recollect your mind and your senses to yourself, putting aside all distraction. Then think of the day of your own death. Imagine yourself lying there on your bed, in the throes of death, perhaps laboring with some fatal illness, and knowing that your earthly life is now very quickly drawing its last moment.”
“And then, as I lay there in the throes of death and fully aware that I had but a few moments left, I reflected upon the time I had wasted during my life. How greatly was this wasted time to be lamented and regretted, these days which I permitted to slip away in vain! How foolishly and profitless did I let my life pass by, wasting it neglectfully and carefully as it were a thing of no value whatsoever, or as if it were endless in scope and would never run out. I squandered my time like an irresponsible spendthrift squanders money, not considering for a moment that it was both precious and limited!”
“Truly, I am so very sorrowful and so utterly miserable that words cannot suffice to express it! Is it any wonder if my eyes now overflow with tears and sighs of regret issue from the depths of my heart? For I look back upon the moments, days, and years I have let slip by foolishly and realize that these can never ever be called back or reclaimed.”
“Why ever did I expend so much energy on accumulating vain and useless learning when I did not bother to study that which was truly necessary for me to complete this perilous journey of life and death, and so to arrive safely at my eternal dwelling place? I have learned much about nature, about science, about history, and about literature, but how to live well and how to die well— that which is most essential— I never even troubled myself to study!”
“Oh, I should have learned, before anything else, how to die well!”
“O my God, I shall stand before You and before all the saints confused and embarrassed, anxiously awaiting my eternal sentence. For all of the secrets of my heart and all the wicked machinations of my mind will be exposed to the sight of all. And I shall be called upon to give an account or explanation of each one of my sins and failings, in both what I have done and what I have failed to do. And there will be no place for specious excuses, nor any opportunity to deny my manifest and self-evident guilt. O Lord, what will I say then, and what will I do? From where shall come my help if not from Your unmerited mercy alone?”
“As for yourselves, I urge you with the utmost fervor to learn both to live and to die well in the Lord, while you still have the time and opportunity. For in God alone is our hope, our salvation, and our eternal life. Let us earnestly pray for each other so that we may all find peace, pardon, and everlasting happiness, with Him who lives and reigns forever and ever! Amen.”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume, especially the final prayer over readers of the work. This was an excellent volume to read at the beginning of lean, and it is one that would benefit a reader at any time of the year. It is a book full or wisdom, guidance, and sound advice; advice on how to live well, and live preparing for death and the other four last things. This is a short volume. But one pack full of guidance.
This was an excellent read. It is a book any Catholic would benefit from reading. It is a fantastic resource for spiritual growth, for learning to live well, and live with ultimate purpose, to live knowing we will die and be judged. Another great resource from TAN Books.
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan!
Meditations on Death: Preparing for Eternity - Thomas à Kempis
The Seven Last Words of Christ- St. Bonaventure & Arnold of Bonneval
The Passion of Christ Through the Eyes of Mary - Anselm of Canterbury
It is the first I have finished. It is an excellent volume. The description of this volume is:
“Thinking on death is the most profitable meditation we can make.
Indeed, Our Lord's most holy passion and death offers us the greatest meditation, but pondering our own imminent death can bring us great fruit as it prepares us for the most important thing we will do: enter into eternity.
"Remember man that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
By meditating on their deaths, many have renounced this fleeting world for the monastery and cloister. By meditating on their deaths, many have conquered the flesh, the world, and the devil. By meditating on their deaths, many have climbed the ladder of holiness in a brief time.
To keep death daily before your eyes is one of the greatest secrets to sanctity, for death is the only certainty in this life. And those who ponder the hour of their death daily will not be surprised when that moment comes; rather, they will have prepared for it their entire lives and will be ready to meet their Creator.
In this soul-jarring work, Thomas à Kempis guides the reader to consider the last four things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. One of the devil's favorite words is tomorrow. But God's is today. Meditations on Death is like a mini-retreat that will redirect your heart to eternal things rather than passing things. For to contemplate the hour of your death is to already have one foot in heaven.”
The chapters and sections in this volume are:
Part I: Reflections on the Last Things
1 Consideration of One’s Own Death
2 The Torments of Hell
3 The Final Judgment
4 The Joys of Heaven
Part II: A Discourse in the Person of a Sinner about to Die
5 Mindfulness of Death: A Sure Remedy to the Vices
6 A Lament over Time Wasted
7 Regrets Concerning the Deferral of Repentance and Reformation
8 The Uncertainty of the Last-Minute Repentance and Conversion
9 The Unreliability of Human Assistance in the Hour of Death
10 A Final Exhortation to Those Who Still Live
Part III: Canticles to Heaven
11 A Canticle on the Joys of Heaven and the Choirs of Angels
12 A Canticle to the Angels and Saints in Heaven
I highlighted numerous passages my first time through this book. Some of them are:
“The practice of meditation of death assumed particular prominence in late-medieval spirituality (that is to say, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries). The reasons for this were many— including the multitude of calamities (such as war, plague, and famine) which afflicted Europe at the time, the rapid rate of social change and the prevailing political instability. Also included is the rediscovery and popular circulation of the writings of the ancient philosophers, especially Plato, Cicero, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius.”
“his volume contains a short but extremely powerful work attributed to Thomas à Kempis, offering a moving, profound, and vivid meditation upon death and the “Four Last Things” (i.e., the event of death itself, the Final Judgment, the torments of hell, and the happiness of heaven). The present English rendering is a translation from the Latin text of the 1523 Paris edition, published by Jocodus Badius Ascensius of the Opera Thomae a Campis (Works of Thomas à Kempis).”
“May the courageous and humble contemplation of death help us to shun sin and to cultivate virtue; may it help us overcome the temptations and allurements of that which is passing and ephemeral and help to strive instead for that which is eternal; and may it empower us to “seize the day”— both by making the most of our earthly lives and by yearning constantly for the beatitude of heaven, the glory and splendor which “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived.” 5 May the Blessed Virgin Mary, her most chaste spouse Saint Joseph (the patron saint of the dying), and all the holy angels and saints assist us in this endeavor through their unfailing intercession, guidance, and example.”
“My friend, it is most useful for you to call to mind frequently and assiduously the reality of your own death. This, indeed, is the one universal reality of our human condition— for in this life, some are rich while others are poor, some are masters while others are servants, some learned while others are simple, and some are blessed by happiness and good fortune while others are struck down by misfortune and calamity. Yet all face death with equal certainty. And though death itself is a certainty, its time and manner of arrival are profoundly uncertain.”
“My advice, therefore, is to live as if you could die at any moment and to live each day as if it could be your last. And be mindful that this is no idle or hypothetical speculation or a mere morally edifying imagining but a frighteningly real and imminent possibility at all times! In fact, it is not a possibility only, but it is a certainty. For while everything else in the future course of your life— your success or failure, your prosperity or poverty, your happiness or wretchedness— are unknown, hidden, and indeterminate, death is the one thing of which you may be absolutely sure.”
“Summon up before the eye of your mind, therefore, a horrible and swirling chaos, or a lightless and sinister subterranean cavern, fuming with every kind of unspeakable foulness and swarming with hideous phantasms, or a burning and bottomless pit, completely suffused with scorching, acrid, and inextinguishable fires.”
“Yet one can gain a sense of the horrid extremity of this condition by the sounds which fill the air in the accursed city of hell. For there resounds an unremitting cacophony of the grinding of teeth and gnashing of jaws, and wailing and weeping, and groaning and grunting, and crying and cursing. For in the delirium of their despair, the tormented souls continually utter the most disgusting blasphemies and imprecations against God Himself— the same God from whom their own wickedness has separated them forevermore. And, in the same breath, they curse with the most galling vitriol the entire universe, their wretched state, and their very own selves as well.”
“In this realm of dire punishment and exactly measured retributions, each one will suffer in the particular limbs or members whereby they committed their sins whilst on earth. Thus those who committed sins with their hands shall feel pains in their hands, and those who committed sins with their tongues— such as gossip, or slander, or perjury— will be afflicted with torments of the tongue. And thus it shall be with each of the members of the body, from the greatest to the least. Alas, then for those whose sins are against chastity! The pains and torments which they will experience can hardly decently be described in this treatise and are therefore left to the imagination of the reader.”
“My friend, reflect next upon how much terror and anxiety there will be at the great scene of the Final Judgment! The miraculous trumpets of angels shall then sound a deafening fanfare. Great bolts of blazing lightening will illuminate the earth and the sky with a blinding luminosity. Tumultuous thunder will roar, penetrating into the very depths of each human heart. The earth, the sea, and heavens themselves will all tremble!”
“And none will know with certainty in advance to which side they will be sent— neither pope nor bishop, nor king, nor beggar, nor even convicted criminal. For God alone perceives into the depths of the heart and knows all secret thoughts and actions, and He shows mercy to whom He wills. Thus there will be two standing together [apparently similar in their conduct, beliefs and morals], and one will be taken away and the other left behind.”
“But now that He is throned at the right hand of the Father and crowned with ineffable glory, His holy humanity remains, but it is now exalted and made divine. And this humanity which the glorified Christ possesses and has made immortal, glorious, and pure is one and the same as the humanity which is your very own nature too, O Reader! And by Christ’s mysterious union with human nature, your own nature shall be united with that of God.”
“My friend, whenever you are plagued by some difficulty or adversity, or tested by some temptation, or find that your enthusiasm for good works is fading or waning, or divine worship begins to seem tedious and irksome to you, there is a sure and effective remedy for you! And I shall now tell you what this secret remedy to all spiritual tepidity is.”
“First, sit yourself in your private room, close the door, and recollect your mind and your senses to yourself, putting aside all distraction. Then think of the day of your own death. Imagine yourself lying there on your bed, in the throes of death, perhaps laboring with some fatal illness, and knowing that your earthly life is now very quickly drawing its last moment.”
“And then, as I lay there in the throes of death and fully aware that I had but a few moments left, I reflected upon the time I had wasted during my life. How greatly was this wasted time to be lamented and regretted, these days which I permitted to slip away in vain! How foolishly and profitless did I let my life pass by, wasting it neglectfully and carefully as it were a thing of no value whatsoever, or as if it were endless in scope and would never run out. I squandered my time like an irresponsible spendthrift squanders money, not considering for a moment that it was both precious and limited!”
“Truly, I am so very sorrowful and so utterly miserable that words cannot suffice to express it! Is it any wonder if my eyes now overflow with tears and sighs of regret issue from the depths of my heart? For I look back upon the moments, days, and years I have let slip by foolishly and realize that these can never ever be called back or reclaimed.”
“Why ever did I expend so much energy on accumulating vain and useless learning when I did not bother to study that which was truly necessary for me to complete this perilous journey of life and death, and so to arrive safely at my eternal dwelling place? I have learned much about nature, about science, about history, and about literature, but how to live well and how to die well— that which is most essential— I never even troubled myself to study!”
“Oh, I should have learned, before anything else, how to die well!”
“O my God, I shall stand before You and before all the saints confused and embarrassed, anxiously awaiting my eternal sentence. For all of the secrets of my heart and all the wicked machinations of my mind will be exposed to the sight of all. And I shall be called upon to give an account or explanation of each one of my sins and failings, in both what I have done and what I have failed to do. And there will be no place for specious excuses, nor any opportunity to deny my manifest and self-evident guilt. O Lord, what will I say then, and what will I do? From where shall come my help if not from Your unmerited mercy alone?”
“As for yourselves, I urge you with the utmost fervor to learn both to live and to die well in the Lord, while you still have the time and opportunity. For in God alone is our hope, our salvation, and our eternal life. Let us earnestly pray for each other so that we may all find peace, pardon, and everlasting happiness, with Him who lives and reigns forever and ever! Amen.”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume, especially the final prayer over readers of the work. This was an excellent volume to read at the beginning of lean, and it is one that would benefit a reader at any time of the year. It is a book full or wisdom, guidance, and sound advice; advice on how to live well, and live preparing for death and the other four last things. This is a short volume. But one pack full of guidance.
This was an excellent read. It is a book any Catholic would benefit from reading. It is a fantastic resource for spiritual growth, for learning to live well, and live with ultimate purpose, to live knowing we will die and be judged. Another great resource from TAN Books.
This book is part of a series of reviews: 2023 Catholic Reading Plan!
January 25, 2023
At one point or another we all contemplate death, and what it will be like. I know after my father died, death itself has become even more real. This volume, Meditations on Death, is one of the most thought provoking reads I have ever read. Do not let its small size fool you. It packs a hefty punch in the best of ways.
After a short discussion on death and judgement, which shook me to my core, making me want to seriously reevaluate my own life and things I need to do better, we get to journey with someone who is dying and all the things they wish they could do differently.
None of us know the exact moment our time will come. We do that it will come. We must live each day as if it were our last, striving to live the way the Lord wants us to. We will all fall short and will have to account for that at the Final Judgement. However, hope is not lost because each day we are given is a chance to do better.
As we journey close to Lent, I highly recommend this book as an option for spiritual reading. As we prepare to enter a season where we focus on the sacrifice of Jesus for all of us, this book helps illuminate the power of that sacrifice for each and every one of us. We will never be worthy, but that should never deter us from striving for
After a short discussion on death and judgement, which shook me to my core, making me want to seriously reevaluate my own life and things I need to do better, we get to journey with someone who is dying and all the things they wish they could do differently.
None of us know the exact moment our time will come. We do that it will come. We must live each day as if it were our last, striving to live the way the Lord wants us to. We will all fall short and will have to account for that at the Final Judgement. However, hope is not lost because each day we are given is a chance to do better.
As we journey close to Lent, I highly recommend this book as an option for spiritual reading. As we prepare to enter a season where we focus on the sacrifice of Jesus for all of us, this book helps illuminate the power of that sacrifice for each and every one of us. We will never be worthy, but that should never deter us from striving for
April 7, 2024
Great read for lent! Very insightful and puts into perspective life on Earth, and how it is not the goal - but Heaven is!
March 4, 2023
There is a stage of Contemplation that involves reflection on one's own mortality. This isn't it.
Or maybe it is. I found it over-the-top, both too maudlin and too quaint. It's difficult to believe these meditations are from the same soul who penned "Imitation of Christ" (which was the selling point in me reading it).
In fairness, Thomas WAS a product of the early 15th Century, when everybody knew the flat earth was the center of the universe and being serf on a fertile piece of land was the pinnacle of most people's aspirations ... in a very small portion of the populated globe teeming with cultures and civilizations Thomas could not imagine.
Most of the volume was a series of essays from the point of view of a sinner on his deathbed. His descriptions, poetic as they may be, show a familiarity with death we have largely lost in 21st Century America. It was interesting for a lot of reasons but I can't see reading it again.
Or maybe it is. I found it over-the-top, both too maudlin and too quaint. It's difficult to believe these meditations are from the same soul who penned "Imitation of Christ" (which was the selling point in me reading it).
In fairness, Thomas WAS a product of the early 15th Century, when everybody knew the flat earth was the center of the universe and being serf on a fertile piece of land was the pinnacle of most people's aspirations ... in a very small portion of the populated globe teeming with cultures and civilizations Thomas could not imagine.
Most of the volume was a series of essays from the point of view of a sinner on his deathbed. His descriptions, poetic as they may be, show a familiarity with death we have largely lost in 21st Century America. It was interesting for a lot of reasons but I can't see reading it again.
November 28, 2025
"Meditations on Death" is a short, worthwhile book. Although there was not much I had not read or heard before in the First Part, "Reflections on the Last Things", I thought Part 2, " A Discourse in the Person of a Sinner about to Die" was really compelling. The third part is two beautiful poem prayers, "Canticles to Heaven" that I read several times and tried setting to different hymns. This is definitely one that could be read in November yearly.
May 11, 2023
This is a must read and a definite must re-read. It’s best to read it and meditate on it.
December 6, 2025
It's odd that they published this under the name of a priest even though the actual author is anonymous.
February 21, 2025
Short but powerful. If you love "My Imitation of Christ" you'll find value in this short devotional as well. You can never be too prepared to quit this world for the next.
December 11, 2024
SUMMARY: Meditations on Death: Preparing for Eternity by Thomas à Kempis offers readers reflections on the inevitability of death and the importance of living a life oriented toward eternity. à Kempis delves into the central Christian theme of mortality and encourages the faithful to reflect on the transient nature of earthly life, with the goal of fostering spiritual preparedness for the eternal life to come.
From the beginning, à Kempis establishes a profound truth: “For nothing else is more efficacious in moderating our earthly desires, in promoting awareness of the eternal destiny of the immortal soul, and in imparting courage and consolation in the face of adversity and tribulation.” Death, far from being a morbid obsession, is the mirror that reveals life’s true form. He advocates for mindfulness of death not as despair, but as liberation: when we acknowledge the finite nature of life, we see its eternal purpose with stunning clarity.
As he eloquently states, “For death is an essential part of life, and the contemplation of death is, in fact, simply an honest recognition of the finitude of our own mortal condition.” This paradox—that awareness of death leads to fuller living—forms the cornerstone of the book’s argument. Without such mindfulness, we risk losing ourselves in the trivial and the transient.
The first part of the work, Reflections on the Last Things, reads like a spiritual roadmap of humanity’s ultimate destiny. In Chapter 1: Consideration of One’s Own Death, à Kempis forces us to face the one certainty of life: “While everything else…is unknown…death is the one thing which you may be absolutely sure.” With unwavering focus, he invites us to imagine our own deathbeds, not to terrify, but to encourage reflection. It is an exercise in honesty, stripping away illusions about the permanence of success, wealth, or happiness.
Where à Kempis truly startles is Chapter 2: The Torments of Hell. Here, his language becomes visceral, almost unbearable in its intensity: “There resounds an unremitting cacophony of the grind of teeth and gnashing of jaws…The foulest miasmas fill the nostrils…and move the innards to nausea.” He uses every sensory assault to depict hell—not as metaphor, but as harrowing reality. His purpose, however, is not cruelty but conversion; this grotesque depiction serves as a warning against complacency.
The following chapters temper this with contrasting hope. The Final Judgment (Chapter 3) reminds readers to act as though every deed is performed “in full sight of Christ and His angels,” while The Joys of Heaven paints a luminous vision of eternal reward. The juxtaposition is deliberate: only by understanding the consequences of sin can we fully appreciate the splendor of salvation.
The second part of the book takes a more intimate and confessional tone, offering readers a dramatic dialogue in the voice of a sinner confronting death. This section—at once sorrowful and instructive—brims with regret, resolve, and prayer.
In Chapter 6: A Lament Over Wasted Time and Chapter 7: Regrets Concerning the Deferral of Repentance and Reformation, à Kempis exposes the self-deception that often accompanies sin. He gives voice to our deepest fears—that we have squandered time, misused freedom, and ignored wisdom. With heartbreaking honesty, the sinner confesses: “Deluded, I imagined my servitude to sin and my slavery to the flesh to be liberty.” These chapters are both rebuke and remedy, urging the reader to repent while there is still time.
The final exhortation in Chapter 10 is the book’s climactic call to action: “Learn both to live and to die well in the Lord, while you still have the time and opportunity.” It is a plea to embrace humility, repentance, and reliance on God alone as our salvation.
In an era that often glorifies youth, success, and earthly pleasures, Meditations on Death is profoundly countercultural. It demands that we face truths we would rather ignore—that we are mortal, accountable, and desperately in need of grace. Yet for all its severity, the book is ultimately hopeful. Its message, distilled, is this: only by confronting death can we understand life’s eternal significance.
à Kempis echoes the wisdom of the Rule of Saint Benedict 4:47: “Day by day remind yourself that you are going to die.” To do so is not to court despair, but to live with purpose, perspective, and peace. His words are not for the faint of heart, but they are for all who seek to live—and die—well.
KEY QUOTE: "My friend, it is wise to call to mind this Final Judgement very frequently! Whenever you have to decide upon a course of action, reflect for a moment upon how you will account for it on the last day. Will it cause you to be ashamed or to feel regret, or to fear the retributions due to it? Or will it be counted joyfully to your credit before that omniscient tribunal? Always remember that each one of your deeds is done in full sight of Christ and His angels, and shape your actions accordingly.."
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate content for the church.
From the beginning, à Kempis establishes a profound truth: “For nothing else is more efficacious in moderating our earthly desires, in promoting awareness of the eternal destiny of the immortal soul, and in imparting courage and consolation in the face of adversity and tribulation.” Death, far from being a morbid obsession, is the mirror that reveals life’s true form. He advocates for mindfulness of death not as despair, but as liberation: when we acknowledge the finite nature of life, we see its eternal purpose with stunning clarity.
As he eloquently states, “For death is an essential part of life, and the contemplation of death is, in fact, simply an honest recognition of the finitude of our own mortal condition.” This paradox—that awareness of death leads to fuller living—forms the cornerstone of the book’s argument. Without such mindfulness, we risk losing ourselves in the trivial and the transient.
The first part of the work, Reflections on the Last Things, reads like a spiritual roadmap of humanity’s ultimate destiny. In Chapter 1: Consideration of One’s Own Death, à Kempis forces us to face the one certainty of life: “While everything else…is unknown…death is the one thing which you may be absolutely sure.” With unwavering focus, he invites us to imagine our own deathbeds, not to terrify, but to encourage reflection. It is an exercise in honesty, stripping away illusions about the permanence of success, wealth, or happiness.
Where à Kempis truly startles is Chapter 2: The Torments of Hell. Here, his language becomes visceral, almost unbearable in its intensity: “There resounds an unremitting cacophony of the grind of teeth and gnashing of jaws…The foulest miasmas fill the nostrils…and move the innards to nausea.” He uses every sensory assault to depict hell—not as metaphor, but as harrowing reality. His purpose, however, is not cruelty but conversion; this grotesque depiction serves as a warning against complacency.
The following chapters temper this with contrasting hope. The Final Judgment (Chapter 3) reminds readers to act as though every deed is performed “in full sight of Christ and His angels,” while The Joys of Heaven paints a luminous vision of eternal reward. The juxtaposition is deliberate: only by understanding the consequences of sin can we fully appreciate the splendor of salvation.
The second part of the book takes a more intimate and confessional tone, offering readers a dramatic dialogue in the voice of a sinner confronting death. This section—at once sorrowful and instructive—brims with regret, resolve, and prayer.
In Chapter 6: A Lament Over Wasted Time and Chapter 7: Regrets Concerning the Deferral of Repentance and Reformation, à Kempis exposes the self-deception that often accompanies sin. He gives voice to our deepest fears—that we have squandered time, misused freedom, and ignored wisdom. With heartbreaking honesty, the sinner confesses: “Deluded, I imagined my servitude to sin and my slavery to the flesh to be liberty.” These chapters are both rebuke and remedy, urging the reader to repent while there is still time.
The final exhortation in Chapter 10 is the book’s climactic call to action: “Learn both to live and to die well in the Lord, while you still have the time and opportunity.” It is a plea to embrace humility, repentance, and reliance on God alone as our salvation.
In an era that often glorifies youth, success, and earthly pleasures, Meditations on Death is profoundly countercultural. It demands that we face truths we would rather ignore—that we are mortal, accountable, and desperately in need of grace. Yet for all its severity, the book is ultimately hopeful. Its message, distilled, is this: only by confronting death can we understand life’s eternal significance.
à Kempis echoes the wisdom of the Rule of Saint Benedict 4:47: “Day by day remind yourself that you are going to die.” To do so is not to court despair, but to live with purpose, perspective, and peace. His words are not for the faint of heart, but they are for all who seek to live—and die—well.
KEY QUOTE: "My friend, it is wise to call to mind this Final Judgement very frequently! Whenever you have to decide upon a course of action, reflect for a moment upon how you will account for it on the last day. Will it cause you to be ashamed or to feel regret, or to fear the retributions due to it? Or will it be counted joyfully to your credit before that omniscient tribunal? Always remember that each one of your deeds is done in full sight of Christ and His angels, and shape your actions accordingly.."
MORE: Visit SundaytoSaturday.com where we curate content for the church.
May 21, 2024
Love me some imitations by TAK, but this wasnt my favorite. Scratch notes below, take with a grain of salt and grace.
I think there are some great mediations on the reality of death and facing it in the opening chapter, that it is a certainty and hardly anyone is really prepared for it, but by preparing for it it may in fact lead to a more fruitful life and life to come. The chapters on hell and heaven I felt tapped more into the common imagination shaped through art and literature and not so much Scripture (ie. hell as a sub terrestrial torture chamber). Biblical texts were seldomly, if at all, used in these sections, so I found myself saying…idk about that a lot. This might not be a fair thing to say, but I think Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus is a far better and fruitful meditation on the afterlife then these chapters, and I think TAK would agree too.
I also can’t stand utilizing death as a sort of fear tactic for some sort of decision. I get it…it’s important. Hence…me even engaging a work like this and wanting to be realistic about it. But it’s difficult to separate some of these meditations from the lame and insensitive cultural examples of “do you know where you’d be if you died tonight?”
I know this was written for Christians, but I want there to be a work that engages these topics differently and with sensitivity, but it is an uncomfortable thing, and so approaching it with so much sensitivity would probably rob from some of it.
Time is precious and limited, it’s true, but everything we do is in the sight of God. I understand this wasn’t the tone in this particular chapter, but the things in Chapter 7 lifted off as a waste of time, even those things, can be deeply formational and good, and I’d say, can prepare the soul for eternity with God and sewing seeds for the harvest of new creation, as well as evidence of being in tune with the Spirit right where God has you on the journey.
A few quotes I liked…
“I should’ve learned before anything else-to die well.”
“Learn how to live and die well in the Lord.”
I think there are some great mediations on the reality of death and facing it in the opening chapter, that it is a certainty and hardly anyone is really prepared for it, but by preparing for it it may in fact lead to a more fruitful life and life to come. The chapters on hell and heaven I felt tapped more into the common imagination shaped through art and literature and not so much Scripture (ie. hell as a sub terrestrial torture chamber). Biblical texts were seldomly, if at all, used in these sections, so I found myself saying…idk about that a lot. This might not be a fair thing to say, but I think Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus is a far better and fruitful meditation on the afterlife then these chapters, and I think TAK would agree too.
I also can’t stand utilizing death as a sort of fear tactic for some sort of decision. I get it…it’s important. Hence…me even engaging a work like this and wanting to be realistic about it. But it’s difficult to separate some of these meditations from the lame and insensitive cultural examples of “do you know where you’d be if you died tonight?”
I know this was written for Christians, but I want there to be a work that engages these topics differently and with sensitivity, but it is an uncomfortable thing, and so approaching it with so much sensitivity would probably rob from some of it.
Time is precious and limited, it’s true, but everything we do is in the sight of God. I understand this wasn’t the tone in this particular chapter, but the things in Chapter 7 lifted off as a waste of time, even those things, can be deeply formational and good, and I’d say, can prepare the soul for eternity with God and sewing seeds for the harvest of new creation, as well as evidence of being in tune with the Spirit right where God has you on the journey.
A few quotes I liked…
“I should’ve learned before anything else-to die well.”
“Learn how to live and die well in the Lord.”
February 11, 2023
“And thus I expended the precious time granted to me by God - and all for what? I came to know many, many things, it is true, by my own self I did not know.”
Thomas A Kempis’ Meditations on Death was recently translated for the first time by Fr. Robert Nixon, OSB. A concise little book, Meditations on Death is a small retreat that forces us to ponder the last four things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. This book invites us to reflect on our actions - what we’ve done and failed to do - and consider the implications this could have on our eternity. It’s a sobering book that will remind you that we are here for a short time, and our sins have grave consequences. It is also a book that invites us to repent, make amends with our Lord, and believe in the Gospel. I think this would be a great book for Lent, if anyone is thinking about what they should do this season. Also, I highly recommend it to everyone, because our immortality isn’t something we usually think of or are reminded of.
“Remember man that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
If you would like a copy, type this link in your browser. It will direct you to TAN Books —> https://bit.ly/3y1Ktqa
Thomas A Kempis’ Meditations on Death was recently translated for the first time by Fr. Robert Nixon, OSB. A concise little book, Meditations on Death is a small retreat that forces us to ponder the last four things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell. This book invites us to reflect on our actions - what we’ve done and failed to do - and consider the implications this could have on our eternity. It’s a sobering book that will remind you that we are here for a short time, and our sins have grave consequences. It is also a book that invites us to repent, make amends with our Lord, and believe in the Gospel. I think this would be a great book for Lent, if anyone is thinking about what they should do this season. Also, I highly recommend it to everyone, because our immortality isn’t something we usually think of or are reminded of.
“Remember man that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
If you would like a copy, type this link in your browser. It will direct you to TAN Books —> https://bit.ly/3y1Ktqa
June 18, 2023
I bought it off Kindle so the $6.99 was fine. I can see why $20 would bother people though my experience with Catholic books is that’s kinda normal. The book is essentially three parts. 1. Heaven is great! 2. Hell is impossibly horrible and 3. Please make things right with God NOW! you don’t have much time and you don’t know when and you’ll likely give a bad confession then regardless. So if you’ll wrap 16th? Century language over those theme’s you have it. And I just saved you 45 minutes to an hour.
March 9, 2023
Excellent alacritous read. Society no longer fears death, and this book is a testament to that. Thomas a Kempis describes the Last Things with clarity and simplicity. He urges us to keep our souls and lives directed toward the Light while keeping the meditation of our own death in the forefront of our minds. His depictions of Hell absolutely set my teeth on edge. Everyone should read this tidy little book at least 2-3 times per year. Great reading for Lent.
March 10, 2023
This book is only 68 pages, but took me a while to read because it was intense and frightening. I read the first chapter and then put it down for about a week and then the same with the second chapter. I don’t think its a bad thing to ponder death - we will one day all die, but reading about hell is rather hard and scary to think about. Definitely made me think about changes I should make in my own life when it comes to my soul. I think this is a good one for Catholics or anyone truly.
May 27, 2023
Very Good Book! The reality of death is true for every single person in this world. The reality of Heaven and Hell are also a very real truths whether you believe or not. The descriptions of Hell scare the hell out of me. Waiting till the last minute of our life to repent of our sins and beg forgiveness from our Almighty God may be to late. It warns to start now! Don’t wait! Heaven is the only desirable answer!
November 15, 2023
An excellent and very much needed read for our generation. There were of course things that I think were lacking in relation to his Catholic beliefs related to his understanding of atonement, the saint and Mary. He also makes some assumptions that are not based on Scripture especially related to Hell. However on the whole a very very good book every Christian should read.
December 23, 2024
I read this as a Protestant, so there were some theological differences. However, I really enjoyed and appreciated this book. He does a great job pointing to the beauties of death and the afterlife. It is a short, thought provoking book. One thing I appreciated was him discussing not holding off on confession & repentance and relying on doing that right before death as you lay on your death bed.
June 22, 2025
Wonderful food for thought and prayer
The Imitation of Christ is my favorite spiritual reading. I have read it several times over the years and it is always fresh.
I had not read A Kempis’ Meditations on Death. Wow. This is also excellent food for thought and prayer and for being ready to “meet our Maker.”
The Imitation of Christ is my favorite spiritual reading. I have read it several times over the years and it is always fresh.
I had not read A Kempis’ Meditations on Death. Wow. This is also excellent food for thought and prayer and for being ready to “meet our Maker.”
November 6, 2025
I am glad I read this during Memento Mori season. Honestly, not to sound creepy or weird but I have been thinking about my own death a lot for the past six months after going to a funeral of a dear family friend. This book really puts into perspective how short our life is on earth and to not waste our lives pursuing some worldly achievement or satisfaction.
August 24, 2025
Very good and a quick read. Told from the perspective of a soul who wasted their time indulging in their sins and how their last moments are. Also focuses on the 4 last things before telling the perspective of a person facing death.
April 21, 2023
Prepare
If only sinners would read and remember his words. I shall not wait, I prepare now! Death is something we must all face!
If only sinners would read and remember his words. I shall not wait, I prepare now! Death is something we must all face!
September 13, 2023
Realistic concerning days before impending death. A short read and to the point.
November 6, 2023
Some really bad theology here. Almost gave it one star. Maybe I should have.
February 4, 2024
I read this to prepare for a talk at Edge.
I found this book an interesting summary of meditations on death but did not get much new out of it.
I found this book an interesting summary of meditations on death but did not get much new out of it.
March 13, 2024
Great Lenten Book. Very Sobering and One to Come Back To
March 17, 2024
Short, easy to read and comprehend mediations. Plan on revisiting this yearly. Helpful with momento mori.
November 14, 2025
With good meditations on the Four Last Things, this short little book would be good to revisit every November.
September 12, 2024
An alright meditation on death, but nothing new if you've read the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius or the essays of Epictetus, some of the sentiments are so similar to the classic Stoic texts they are almost word for word... Read Meditations and replace the word 'nature' with 'God' and you have essentially the same ideas.
May 25, 2023
Remember To Live A Good Life
The ancient wisdom of this holy man reminds us to live with joy and generosity- preparing ourselves for the eternal life which has been promised from Our Father through the redemptive suffering of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Well worth reading and contemplating our true purpose here.
The ancient wisdom of this holy man reminds us to live with joy and generosity- preparing ourselves for the eternal life which has been promised from Our Father through the redemptive suffering of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Well worth reading and contemplating our true purpose here.
August 27, 2024
Cradle catholic fam rec
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