On the Remembrance of Death.

In the eighteenth century, after the death of the hermit Damaskinos, St. Charalambros did his ascetic labours on the north side of St. Anne's in a desolate hut. There he proved himself a brave athlete of Christ and a vigilant student of the remembrance of death. Every day after Vespers and his evening prayers, he would lie down in a coffin, placing his head on a stone. He would cross his hands like a deceaseci person and, talking to himself, would say,

Aged Charalambros is gone. He has died, he won't bother us any longer with his chatter—that is what the other fathers will say God forgive his soul! And you, poor soul, what are you going to do now? How are you going to appear before the judgment seat of Christ? If a just person barely is saved, how can an impious sinner be?

These things and many more he would say every day, weeping ceaselessly and staying awake nearly the entire night, muttering to himself. In this way he drew the attention of his whole being, with all his soul's might, to worship and thanksgiving.

* * *

The Karouliotan ascetic elder Philaretos, when nearing his end, called his co-ascetic neighbour, Gabriel, to come to him and bring a pickaxe and a shovel. "Brother come, my end is near. I must prepare for my trip. By your love, let us go a bit further away from my hut."

He got up with great difficulty. As they arrived at a spot between some rocks where they found some soil, Elder Philaretos lay down. "Here is the place where my grave is going to be. Measure it and dig it, to be ready" Father Gabriel marked the measurements on the ground and started digging.

About a week later Father Philaretos, the friend of the desert and of virtue, departed from this temporary life.

* * *

There was a Russian monk named Timotheos. He died in 1848. His entire life was a ceaseless prayer. Because he had no cell of his own, the church itself became his cell. Daily he did three hundred prostrations kneeling down and twelve hundred standing up. During the entire day he would read the Epistles, the Gospels, the Akathist, and the Philokalia. For fourteen years he remained silent, not saying a word to anyone. He interrupted his silence only for obedience's!

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