Consider the truth that death will not be postponed. (Sir. 14:12). Some may perceive this not as a joyful statement about celebration but rather as a bleaker reflection on death intruding upon our festive moments. Why should a feast's joy be overshadowed by the somber contemplation of death approaching? My dear brethren, I hold a different view. It may very well be that during our brightest days, tinged with melancholic thoughts, and during joyous feasts spoken of with sorrow, we are evaluated according to our actions, in line with the ancient admonition from God: “The sun shall set at noon, and the light of the day shall fade on the earth, and I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation.” (Am. 8:9-10). Regardless, the divinely enlightened sage, whose teachings have been preserved for our guidance, advises us: “Remember that death will not be delayed.” It is unwise to dismiss the counsel of a sage without consideration. Even if contemplating death seems dismal to you—evoking feelings of fear or sadness—I propose that it is actually most fitting to address it in times when death appears not as daunting or sorrowful, but as joyous and solemn, not a mere end but a passage to eternal life; when its presence brings not the oppressive scent of decay but the sweet aroma of immortality; when just beyond the shadowy threshold of the grave lies the radiant gateway to heaven. In the words echoing through church hymns, “life precedes death.” In fact, death has been reframed as ‘sleep,’ offering a sense of tranquility, and as ‘transubstantiation,’ signifying a gentle transition from the visible to the invisible realm.
What does it signify that death has become a moment of celebration? In our liturgy, we openly declare the death of the Lord as redemptive and life-giving for us all; we likewise commemorate the passing of the Lord's Mother, finding in it profound instruction and consolation. By presenting the empty tomb of Christ—with the stone rolled away and only burial cloths remaining—and proclaiming, “Christ is risen from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:20), the Holy Church ensures that our faith and hope remain steadfast as we await the resurrection's unfolding. She leads us to another tomb, likewise empty on the third day after burial, revealing, “Behold the very embodiment, immediate and evident in the Mother of the Lord, of the resurrection which Christ initiated; by the grace of the Son and our God, she was so thoroughly prepared for heaven that her very body could not be confined by the earth until the time of universal resurrection.” Observe her vacant tomb and rejoice in the expectation of life beyond the grave.
Thus, the grim notion of death, often shadowed by our fears and the sorrow of our imperfections, is illuminated by the joy found in God’s grace and might. Reflecting on death need not be muddled, and indeed it is compulsory. Every individual ought to consider the inevitability of death; prudence dictates that we should plan for our future, especially in significant or challenging situations, preparing methods and means to navigate them for our benefit or at least our safety. Just as the farmer anticipates the harvest by tailoring his sowing, so too, we should contemplate and prepare for the inevitable winter that follows the summer of our lives, ensuring our earthly deeds shall yield a fruitful harvest at the decisive moment of resurrection and judgment, prompting us to “reap the fruit of everlasting life,” as St. John of Damascus articulates.
Yet, too often, we dismiss the urgent reminder to remain vigilant of these truths, lured by fleeting worldly pleasures, believing that a temporary neglect isn’t detrimental. Therefore, it is critical to underscore the necessity of keeping death in our thoughts, and how perilous it is to forget or ignore it. The reminder is crucial—not only for our mortal lives but also for our eternal existence. God crafted humanity in His perfection, placing them in a paradise filled with sweetness, offering the fruit of the tree of life for their incorruption, while warning them against the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But this was not enough: for the safeguarding of paradise, the formidable guardian of the thought of death was mandated. The Lord declared, “On the day you eat of it, you shall surely die” (Gen 2:17) and so long as the contemplation of death remained, paradise was secure. But when the deceiver successfully persuaded humanity to disregard the thought of death, saying, “You shall not surely die” (Gen. 3:4), paradise's life succumbed to sin.
Let us marvel, dear brethren, at the astounding wisdom of God and lament our folly. The adversary, having plunged itself into death by turning away from God, seeks to ensnare humanity in death itself. Yet God foresees this and transforms the thought of death—once intended by the enemy as a destroyer—into a safeguard for man’s salvation. Mankind strives to avoid the divine reminder of death, in pursuit of ephemeral pleasures, often banishing this uncomfortable thought, only to encounter the grim reality of actual death. “This is the book of humanity’s existence.” What was true for Adam is naturally true for us, for we are his descendants unless divine grace and faith lead us to become heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.
Would someone predisposed to sin withstand temptation more effectively than a sinless individual tempted to sin who disregards the necessary help? Certainly not! Thus, if you fortify yourself with a prudent contemplation of death as a vigilant guardian, it will indeed aid in your protection, albeit not entirely from death—which, due to Adam’s transgression, has entered the world—but from all that renders death fearful and sorrowful.
If, however, you neglect this thought and pursue only sensual pleasures and earthly pursuits, you are sure to confront the terrifying reality of death, both physical and the deeper spiritual death, “where their worm does not die and the fire is never quenched” (Mark 9:44). One might ponder whether the thought of death, which God ordained as a barrier against sin and death, could still hold strength and utility once sin and death permeated existence. To this, the same prudent sage I reference provides a conclusive response: “In all thy words, remember thy last, and thou shalt not sin forever” (Sir. 7:39). Should anyone claim this is excessive, they expose their own inexperience rather than refuting the wisdom of the sage.
If indeed, in all your speech and actions, you recall the finality of life, contemplating death, resurrection, judgment, eternal condemnation, and everlasting bliss, should every thought, desire, and action be measured against the eternal light, then will grace and faith not grant greater strength for preservation and salvation than the allure of sin has for temptation and destruction? Would not the attraction of sinful pleasures wane if faced with the reality of their end—the loathsomeness of destruction, the stench of decay, the reality of the grave, and ultimately, hell's insatiable worm?
Will not the arrogance of the proud shatter, and will not those with greedy hands falter as they see their possessions reduced to mere expanses of ground? If mortal thought, armed with dread, can stand against evil, how much more potent will it be, illuminated by the hope of good, bolstering Christian endeavors? The atoning death of the God-Man transforms the meaning of death for believers: it is now suffused with life. From the wounds of the Crucified Christ flows the light of immortality into earthly existence and even into the domain of death, stirring the children of light to undertake the challenging works to which the Gospel beckons.
"You must crucify the flesh and live by the Spirit," the command resounds. “Those who sow to the flesh will harvest corruption; but those who sow to the Spirit shall reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:8). “Let the world pass away, and its desires; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:17). “You shall be crucified with Christ.” If we die with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we share in His sufferings, we shall also be glorified with Him (2 Tim. 2:11).
Let us be able to rejoice amidst trial for righteousness, in reproach, and in suffering for Christ; this is indeed possible, for “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). It is my hope, dear brethren, that through these reflections I have illuminated the necessity, profound benefit, and duty of remembering the end. Yet, since we frequently overlook or delay this vital remembrance, indulging in the transient gifts of this earthly life, it is imperative to highlight how detrimental forgetting the ‘last things’ is, even to the tangible benefits of our current existence.
Consider Jerusalem, which has fallen. We find Jeremiah weeping over its ruins, contemplating the reasons for its demise. What do you suppose the prophet identifies as a key reason for Jerusalem's ruin? Multiple factors might come to mind, but one significant reason stands out: Jerusalem had failed to remember its end. “She did not consider her destiny; therefore she fell astonishingly” (Lamentations 1:9). Thus, when the ordinary cycle of worldly decay fails to inspire mindfulness of the end, and the word of salvation goes unheeded, sin multiplies; then God, not wishing for the eternal death of the sinner, announces their destiny to the hard-hearted with thundering proclamations—through events that are fearsome and destructive.
Beloved brethren, companions in mortality and immortality, let us not hesitate to remember our ultimate end, that we may not sin, and thereby attain salvation, both temporarily and eternally. Amen.
Many individuals feel that the sustenance of communion with Christ in the sacrament is not enough, as they console themselves with the belief that their lack will be rectified at the time of their death, when they will be united with Him eternally. - O Lord, grant each of us this final grace in our earthly existence, this salvific command for what lies ahead, just as Your inaugural Last Supper served as a command before Your redemptive death and glorious resurrection. - Yet, who can say, dear friends, if we will have time to prepare for our passing or whether we will know how to invest it wisely, particularly if we have squandered or overlooked the opportunities during our lifetime? "Death shall not delay," warns the Wise One, "but the covenant of the hells shall not be shown unto thee" (Sir. 14:12). You cannot beseech death to take its time. Hell will not bargain with you, allowing its grip to remain closed until your chosen moment. While you have the gift of life, nourish yourself with the bread of life, and be vigilant against the peril of becoming the very sustenance of death and hell.
