If we reflect upon the time he devoted to preparing for death, we see that he lived for a total of 180 years. He fathered Esau and Jacob at the age of sixty. Esau married when he was forty, making Isaac a hundred at that point. Jacob, as documented by Kedrin, remained pure in his parents' care until he was sixty-three, at which time he received his father’s blessing and went to Mesopotamia to wed. When Isaac conferred his blessing upon Jacob in place of Esau, he was 125 years old, with only 55 years remaining in his life. Therefore, for 55 years, he lived with the awareness of death, blessing his sons at the end of his life while existing each day in the awareness of his mortality.
How many of us today genuinely emulate such preparedness? How many would be ready for death, even within a single year or month? We often defer our spiritual preparation, pushing it back year after year, from our youthful days to old age. Even the elderly postpone it, despite the onset of serious illness, seeking to prepare only when time is short and strength fails, often to the point of losing the ability to confess their sins and express sorrow for transgressions. As a result, death may ambush the unprepared unexpectedly before their time, or encounter the aged, finding them unready, dragging them down into despair.
If every Christian were to hold Isaac's words in constant remembrance—"We shall not see the days of my end"!—how drastically our lives would change. If the uninformed feared the approach of death and genuinely repented, would death not then be less terrifying for sinners, and would Christian souls not be spared from desolation? But alas, our negligence casts a shadow over our lives. We go about as if we are destined to dwell here forever, immersed in the pleasures of this world, failing to realize that "the end is at the door, the axe is at the root, the scythe of death looms overhead, the day of the Lord approaches stealthily, and judgment is not idle" (Matt. 24:33; 3:10; 1 Pet. 4:7; 2 Pet. 3:10; 2:3). Thus, we fall into traps and suffer spiritual maladies, as Scripture warns: "Man does not know the end of his time; just like fish caught in a net and birds trapped in a snare, so are the sons of men caught in the evil season that comes suddenly upon them" (Ecclesiastes 9:12).
O mortal beings! Why is it that we fail to remember death, which is inevitable? Why do we not dread that bitter moment when no one can assist us? Why do we not ready ourselves for death, of which we know neither the day nor the hour? The joyous news from Christ resounds: "Watch! You do not know when the Lord will demand the debt of death from us—be it in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning; lest He come suddenly and find you sleeping" (Matthew 13:35-36). Yet, we disregard this call, deafening ourselves with inattention as though it were not directed at us (Psalm 57:5-6).
The Gospel states: "As for the wicked servant who indulges in revelry and mistreats others, his master will come at a time he does not expect and at an hour he is unaware of, and will allocate his fate with the unbelievers; there, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 24:48-51). But we remain undeterred, acting as if we are righteous and chosen servants, despite being mired in sins and transgressions. If the saints and righteous lived in fear of death, preparing themselves diligently (like the righteous Isaac), how much more should we sinners cultivate that fear, cleansing ourselves of sinful stains through genuine repentance so that the end does not catch us unprepared in the mire of iniquity?
This veil of secrecy over the timing of death, both day and night, serves a purpose: that we may remain vigilant and ready for our departure at any moment. St. Chrysostom, reflecting on the Gospel's call to readiness, remarks: "The Lord speaks to them so they may remain watchful and in a state of constant preparedness. He instructs them that it will come unexpectedly and desires them to live without fear and in virtue. If one were to know the exact moment of death, they would only then take care of their readiness."
Moreover, in explaining the Apostles' words, "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night" (1 Thess. 5:2), he observes: "If the hour of death were known, no one would remain dilligent in virtue, allowing themselves to commit grave sins under the assumption of having time to repent. Yet, just as we do not know the hour, we should live each day as if prepared for departure, always reflecting on whether today could be our last."
When you prepare for sleep each evening, consider: Will I awaken to see the daylight again, or will my bed become my grave? And when you arise, ponder: Will I reach the twilight, or could this day bring my end? Engaging in such thoughts cultivates a mindset of readiness, envisioning each night as a potential farewell to this life.
It is perilous for anyone who rests in mortal sin, surrounded by forces of darkness ready to seize their soul at a moment's notice. It is disastrous for one who goes to sleep in unrepentance. If we are cautioned against letting the sun set on our anger toward our neighbor (Eph. 4:26), how much more should we fear allowing the sun to set on God's anger against us? We must not risk falling asleep when we have not made amends with God. Since we do not know the hour of our last breath, let us not allow death to surprise us unprepared.
Do not speak of reconciling with God tomorrow; do not postpone your repentance or turn back to Him later, for you do not know what tomorrow or even tonight will hold. The teachings of the righteous Anthony the Great echo wisdom: he reminds us, as he reflects upon the Apostle's words about being "always dying" (1 Cor. 15:31), to rise with each new day without expecting to see the dusk. Let us live with a constant awareness of life's uncertainty and the approaching end, that we may resist temptations, foster peace among ourselves, and let go of earthly desires, always remembering the reality of our mortality. The fear of death and judgment, with its accompanying torments and the dread of eternal consequences, serves to subdue earthly passions and elevate our souls from despair.
THEOSIS