Let us not
lose our time in vain. The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who force
themselves. Bear in mind the departure of our souls, the final hour and moment
of that difficult separation. Keep in mind how the demons seek to snatch the
poor soul at this final hour and lead it to Hades. Oh, what grief! What pain of
soul! How the soul sighs then! Alas, what a sorrowful situation it is in at
that moment! How many promises a person will make to God that he will change
his life, that he will walk the path of repentance and hardship, as long as he
does not die!
All of us
shall reach this hour and encounter the above and much more, and we shall then
promise much more earnestly that we shall take the path of repentance and
spiritual warfare. Let us imagine that this has already happened and that God
has heard our request. Now what is left for us to do? To fulfill our promises
by showing true repentance and to struggle to correct our soul. Behold the
appropriate time for repentance and spiritual warfare! Little by little the
time of our life is cut short, and without even realizing it, we are led to the
end and to the grave!
A tribunal
and a Judge await us, as well as entire books in which the deeds of each one of
us are written. Who is able to escape these things? No one. We shall all stand
before the judgment seat of Christ “naked and open” for each of us to give an
account of his deeds, words, and thoughts. Let us bear in mind these and many
more such things night and day, so that we may bring our souls to mourning and
tears!
Elder Ephraim
of Arizona
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