There was once a young lady who was very beautiful and clever. Naturally, she received a lot of flattery and praise by those around her - and naturally, it did not bring out the best in her. She became proud and haughty. And sadly, she spent most of the precious hours of her life trying to make herself even more attractive, because receiving praise had now become her primary goal in life.

As would be expected by this shift in priorities, her duties to God faded into the background until she found herself - like many of those around her - living in this world as if there was no God at all.

In the midst of these enjoyments she suddenly became sick. It wasn’t very serious, and everyone said it would soon pass away. Yet not only did it linger, but the doctor soon saw her illness had become very dangerous, and warned her parents to prepare for the worst. They were heartbroken, but they did not tell their daughter of the danger she was in, for fear that this terrible news might make her worse.

So time went on, and she felt herself becoming weaker every day. She saw how sad her parents were, and grew afraid that perhaps she was really going to die.

God is good to His children - for even when He sends them trials, it is only to help them find their way again. Pain and fear have brought back to God many souls which had strayed away from Him.

So when the poor girl began to think on her past life and realized it might soon be over, tears came into her eyes. She remembered how God had been part of her life when she was younger, and regretted putting Him so far in the background that she had forgotten Him altogether.

She was resolved to start again - to be good - and if she recovered, to live differently.

Then and there she asked her mother to send for the priest. The priest confirmed that she was dangerously sick, and that it was time to think of receiving the Sacraments of the Dying.

This news made the girl tremble more and more, but the words of the priest encouraged her. Before he left her bedside he had reconciled her to God, and tears of happiness and contrition streamed down her cheeks.

"O my God," she said, "if I cannot live for You, let me die for You. I offer up my death to make some reparation for my past sinful, vain life."

After this she sent for her friends to come and see her, those especially who had encouraged her in her vanity. When they came to her bedside they began to weep.

"You may weep," she said, "and weep bitterly, too, as I have done, for the folly of your past lives. I sent for you to say good-bye to you before I die, and that you may see the vanity of the things of this world. A few days ago I was admired by you, and the world smiled upon me. Tomorrow, perhaps, or at least in a few days, I will be in the cold, cold grave, forsaken by you all, and forgotten.

"Oh, my friends, if you could only see the things of the world as I see them now, how clearly you would see how vain and empty they all are! Ah yes! You would see then that there is nothing in this world of any real value except to love God and serve Him alone. My hour has now come; yours will soon come also.

"Oh, then, remember my dying words - the dying words of one whom you used to call your friend: Do not delay a moment longer. Begin at once a new life, and live for God alone. These are the last words you will ever hear from me. Pray for me; and if God in His mercy, as I now hope, will admit me into Heaven, I will not forget to pray for you."

She did not live long after this. But she was well remembered. Those who had lived with her in following the vanities of life before witnessed her touching death, now began to take their own lives much more seriously. They became pious and lived as Catholics should. The deceased girl’s last words were the most powerful words of her entire life. They were never forgotten.