HOMILY 9 #

On the First Monday of the First Week of the Fast: A Teaching of Saint John Chrysostom

The course of the good and beneficial fast has arrived—let us not grieve, nor grow lazy, brothers, nor be negligent concerning the commandments handed down to us by the holy apostles and the holy fathers. For it is not the one who begins well but the one who perseveres to the end that is proven and a faithful struggler. In all the good deeds we do, God does not look at the beginning but at the end. Therefore, He said: “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” And again, “If a man repents of his sins and yet continues to commit them again, who will hear his prayer? And what benefit is there in his humility?”

The great Basil says: “A man who advances in good deeds but then returns to his former ways not only loses his labor but will receive an even greater condemnation. For repentance is not judged by the number of years, but by the disposition of the soul.”

Why do you exalt yourself, O wretched man, who are nothing but filth and decay? Why do you puff yourself up and raise yourself above the clouds? Consider your nature—you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Let us hasten, brothers, while we still have time, to care for our souls; let us not be negligent but always remember the hour of death. For what is man? Nothing but a shadow, ashes, stench, filth, and a worm. The rich man, the noble, the powerful, the proud—suddenly, in an instant, he lies down as meek as a lamb and departs as if he had never existed. The one who ruled becomes the one who is ruled, the one who was born as if he had never been born. The one who bound others is bound himself and is led away like a condemned criminal.

Do not say: “I am young, I will enjoy this life, I will indulge myself in this world, I will satisfy my body, and later I will repent for my soul. For God is merciful—will He not grant me forgiveness?” Indeed, we all know that God is merciful, especially toward those who repent. But who can guarantee you will live to complete your years, or even reach old age, or at least see tomorrow? While you are thinking of these things, today or tomorrow the divine reapers may suddenly snatch away your soul, without the slightest help from all the strength of your youth.

And then, as the soul departs, it travels through the air, where the ranks of our enemies stand in opposition—our fierce accusers, the cruel tax-collectors, the record-keepers, the enforcers, gathering and accusing, examining and presenting all our sins and transgressions, those of our youth and old age, both voluntary and involuntary, both in thought and in deed. There is great fear, great trembling, and an unspeakable misery that the soul sees there—especially for the one who lived without repentance. For that soul is surrounded, trampled, and slandered by the countless multitude of our enemies, who prevent it from ascending to heaven and seeing the light of the living.

And yet, at that time, when we bury the lifeless body, we marvel at a strange sight—how the dead man, once taken from his own house, is now carried with all care to his grave.

There we see yet another fearful and great mystery, as we behold both the small and the great among the dead—tyrants and slaves—who have all turned to dust. One and the same dust, one and the same stench, worms and decay alike, whether they were young or old. Often, when we look upon them lying in their graves, decayed and rotting, we point at them with our fingers, saying: “Here is that king, here is that commander, here is that tyrant. This one is the grandson of so-and-so, and this one is his daughter. Here is the one who adorned himself, and here is the proud maiden.”

So many walk past graves, sighing and weeping, truly seeing a great and terrible mystery—seeing how all stature is destroyed there, how all beauty of the face is darkened, how all power, greatness, rulership, and tyranny fall silent, how all worldly vanity and the pursuits of wretched men come to an end. At that hour, we weep and tremble with fear, but once we leave, we return to doing the same things as before—if not worse.

Seeing and hearing these things, and considering them every day, young men and maidens, do not deceive yourselves in your youth, thinking that you will have time to repent in old age. For all those whom we see lying in graves, decayed and consumed, once lived just as we do now—boasting, adorning themselves, indulging in the pleasures of this life, neglecting their salvation. But as we now see, all of that has turned into filth, decay, and stench.

Therefore, my beloved children, do not be deceived. Learn wisdom from those who have departed and now lie in graves. Do not be idle in your youth but make provision for the salvation of your souls. Why waste time waiting for old age? Take care of your soul while you are young, so that death does not reap you before you bear fruit. While you are young and strong, grieve for your soul while sin is still in its beginning. Will you wait until old age to concern yourself with your sins or with the wicked habits that have grown old with you? If someone claims to be chaste in old age, that is not virtue but weakness—no one is crowned after they have died, and no one is justified because of their inability to sin.

Understand even from the trees that grow around you: if a young sapling is crooked, you can easily straighten it. But if you see that it has grown old and remains twisted, it can no longer be corrected. In the same way, if in your youth you strive greatly for the salvation of your soul, you will continue in that way until old age.

Therefore, turn back in your youth, repent, confess, and strive to develop good habits so that you may find peace in old age. Do not neglect the Church of God, but especially in these holy days of fasting, come and partake of the most pure Body and Blood of Christ our God, that we may be made partakers of His Kingdom, glorifying the Holy Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.