Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Brethren, this past week, I was reminded of a quote which dates to the early 4th century, possibly originating with St. Makarios the Great of Egypt: “Brothers and sisters, one day we will die.” This snippet of monastic wisdom has been greatly popularized by and re-interpreted in the Latin phrase Memento Mori: “Remember thy death.” It is true; one day we will die. We will all die. There is none who can escape death, as the Teacher of Ecclesiastes writes,
“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when [death] suddenly falls upon them” (Eccl 9: 11-12).
Whether a man is righteous or not, wealthy or not, kind or not, godly or not, strong or weak, wise or foolish, death comes to him. We cannot prevent death. We can prolong life, but we cannot prevent death. We cannot assuage the divine edict:
“… [but] of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will not eat of it. For in the day you eat thereof, you will surely die” (Gen 2:17).
Man has sinned, so man will die, that his sin should not endure on the earth. Thanks be to God. In the light of death, all of man’s earthly accomplishments, his pleasures, his possessions pale. “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath…” (Prov 11:4).
All of this, brethren, is very quaint wisdom, until it is applied to us. St. Makarios’ proverb looks good as a placard hung above our doorways. Memento Mori makes for a very edgy, anti-progressivist tattoo. But when we are old and on our death beds—too old to change habits or to correct years’ worth of vanity and pride—we will realize: this is more than a “slogan.” This is truth! Immutable, unavoidable; a deeply personal truth! I am dying! I will die!
“This life has been given to you for repentance; do not waste it in vain pursuits” (St. Isaac the Syrian).
It is a fearful thing, that we will die, possibly having never repented, having never come to Christ, having never “turned from [our] evil way[s] and live[d]” (Ezek 33:11). Even more fearful—truly—is what our Lord preaches to his disciples in today’s Gospel Reading:
“Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live” (Jn 5:25; italics mine).
You will pause and say, “Deacon, I do not understand. This is not a terrible thing. This is a very joyful thing: the resurrection of the dead!” Yes, yes, it is. We have just concluded a season of fifty days—Paschaltide—reveling in and singing, joyously, this very thing, “Christ is risen from the dead… and upon those in the tombs bestowing life!” Who in the tombs? Those in the tombs! Who in the tombs? The righteous? The holy ones in the tombs? All those in the tombs.
“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (Jn 5:28-29).
Men, women, old, young, rich, poor, kind, mean, righteous, unrighteous: all will die. Men, women, old, young, rich, poor, kind, mean, righteous, unrighteous: all will resurrect. This is the evangelion, the gospel, the “good news” of the Mystery of our Lord’s incarnation.
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor 15:22).
All means all means all. For those in Christ, this is glorious news! For those unrepentant, unconverted: there is no news more terrible. It is hard to imagine a fate worse than death, but for those who will not worship the Holy and Life-giving Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—for those who do not confess Christ as Lord, who have not been filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit of God, there is: there is a fate worse than death—the resurrection unto death, unto eternal condemnation, “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48). There will be those in their sins, brethren, who “wish to remain dead.” Can you believe it? “Who will wish to remain dead,” on account of their sins, their lack of repentance, their utter animosity, hatred towards their Divine Benefactor.
“This life has been given to [us] for repentance…,” says St. Isaac. Not for glory; not for wealth; not for fame, honor, pleasure, luxury, “quality of life,” peace, relaxation. No, “this life has been given to [us] for repentance.” I fail at that; you fail at that. God has accomplished his task, perfectly and completely. He has trampled down death by death. He has stormed the gates of Hell. He has shattered the gates of Hell! He has broken the iron bonds (cf. Ps 107), and loosened the chains of the dead. He has resurrected from the dead. He has ascended into heaven. He has sat down at the right hand of the Father, fully man, fully God, and has glorified man in himself. He has sent the Holy Spirit. He has given us the Mysteries of the faith for our salvation. God has accomplished his task.
“Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (Jn 5:28-29).
“When the Son of man comes, [brethren, and the dead go to meet him in the resurrection,] will he find [faithful ones] on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
By the grace of Thine All-Holy Spirit, O Lord Jesus Christ, Our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!