Homily 52 #

On the Monday of the Sixth Week of Lent. A teaching of our holy father Ephraim the Syrian on the Second Coming of Christ.

When the appointed years of human life come to an end, God will descend from heaven with great and countless power and glory, to judge everyone and to repay each person according to their deeds.

First, the sign will appear in the sky—the Precious Cross—accompanied by many angelic hosts. It will strike fear and sorrow into the hearts of the ungodly, but will bring joy and light to the faithful, clearly revealing the arrival of the Great King.

Then will come events so terrifying and dreadful that no human mind or understanding can fully comprehend them. How can the ear bear what even the heavens themselves cannot endure? These awesome and indescribable wonders have never taken place since the beginning of the world—they will be without precedent.

Even now, brothers and sisters, are we not filled with fear when there is lightning and thunder? Then how will we endure when we hear the trumpet call from heaven? At that time, all generations of the human race will rise, each soul reentering its own body, and by God’s command they will be gathered from every corner of the earth. The earth will give up the bodies it had received. And even if someone was torn apart by beasts, or carried off by birds or fish, all will be restored in the blink of an eye, and “there shall not an hair of your head perish.”

At that moment, a river of fire will flow from the east with great fury, consuming mountains and stones. The springs will cease, and the great sea will dry up from the heat of that fire. The air will be shaken, and the stars will fall from the sky; “the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light;” the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll.

Then a new heaven and a new earth will come into being. The angels, moving quickly, will gather the elect from all the ends of the earth, and a wondrous throne will be prepared for the Lord.

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky—the Life-Giving Cross—shining over all the ends of the earth. All who see this royal sign will understand that the King of Heaven is approaching, and each will reflect on how to meet Christ.

Sinners will be filled with grief, expecting condemnation and eternal torment. But the righteous—the meek and the merciful—will rejoice, awaiting the revelation of the Son of God with gladness. For He comes to gladden those who labored for His sake and endured sorrows and afflictions. He comes to crown the merciful and the generous. He comes to exalt those who became poor for His sake. He comes “as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west.” And “the LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem.”

Then there will be a great cry and a terrifying voice saying: “Behold, the Judge cometh; behold, the King of kings is revealed, and the Judge of judges draweth nigh. Behold, God, the Creator of all, cometh to judge the whole world, and to render to every man according to his deeds.”

Then, brothers and sisters, heaven and earth, and all the depths of creation will tremble at the sound of that voice and the mighty blast of the trumpet. There will be upon all people great fear and trembling, distress and terror.

Then the powers of heaven will be shaken, and ahead of their ranks will rush forth fiery lightning and a mighty whirlwind. Angels and archangels will descend, the fearful orders of heaven, and all the heavenly hosts will come down to the earth. Then every living creature will cry out: “Blessed is he that cometh, the King and Creator of all!”

Then the heavens will be opened, and the King of kings and Lord of lords will appear like terrifying lightning, with countless angelic powers. Every human eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. Then the words of John the Theologian will be fulfilled, who said: “I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away.”

Then, brothers and sisters, God the King of Glory will sit upon His throne, and all nations will be gathered before Him. How shall we, beloved, endure that fearful moment, when the thrones are set in place and the books are opened? Then the deeds of every person will be revealed before angels and men.

Then will be fulfilled the prophecy of Daniel, who said: “I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.”

Then there will be great fear, beloved, when those wondrous books are unsealed—books in which are written all our secret deeds, our words, and even our thoughts, which we committed in this life. Nothing, brothers and sisters, is hidden from God.

Let us hurry, beloved, while we are still alive, to blot out the sins recorded in those books through tears, repentance, and acts of mercy, that we might be saved.

Love compels me, beloved, to continue speaking to you. They once asked a devout and God-fearing elder, saying, “Servant of God, tell us more, that we might hear and learn.” The blessed elder, sighing deeply and weeping, said:

“At that time, beloved, every generation of the human race shall stand before God, with their faces bowed to the ground. Then the Scripture will be fulfilled that says: ‘As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’

Everyone will be examined concerning their whole life. And especially sorrowful and ashamed will be those who lived in idleness, as they see their evil deeds laid bare before them. They will begin to weep and cry out, saying, ‘Oh, how foolish and sinful we are, for we did not repent, and we wasted our time on earth in vanity, in games and drink! Why did we not fast? Why did we not give alms? Why did we not love? Why did we not repent when there was still time for repentance? Instead, we spent all the years of our lives without understanding!’ What can we do now? The time for repentance has passed, and the fearful and dreadful Day has come—the very Day we often heard of in the Scriptures, but did not believe. What shall we do now? Behold, the books are opened, and judgment is upon all.”

As they think on this, they will hear the voice of the fearful Judge, crying out: “Bring forth your deeds, and receive your reward.”

At the sound of that terrifying voice, all people will be shaken: patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, archimandrites and abbots, kings and princes, judges and governors, rich and poor, men and women, widows and virgins, monks and nuns—each one will give an account for themselves, and “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Then the lovers of Christ said, “Tell us, servant of God, what Christians will be questioned about first, and what each will receive?”

And the elder answered them gently: “O beloved brothers, I would speak more of what comes after this, but I am overcome with fear. My voice fails, and tears flow, for it is an awesome thing to speak of.”

But the lovers of God urged him: “Holy Father, tell us, that hearing it, we may repent!”

Then the elder replied to them and said:

“First, brothers, we will be questioned about our holy baptism, by which we were baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And about the vows we made in the holy Church, in the presence of many witnesses, saying: ‘I renounce Satan and all his works.’ Not just one or two, or five or ten works, but all the works of Satan.

This will be the first matter for which we must give an answer. Blessed is the one who has kept his vow.

With one word we renounced every evil in front of the witnesses in the Church: pride, fornication, idle tales, foolish talk, lies, theft, wrath, anger, vanity, greed, sorcery, enchantments, mockery, revelry, demonic songs, dancing, slander, envy, drunkenness, holding grudges, malice, violence, murder, gluttony, coarse laughter, obscene speech, hatred of one’s brother—every Christian renounces these things when they stand before the holy font.

We were enslaved to such evils when we were under the dominion of the devil. But the Lord, in His mercy, delivered us from the deceit of the devil. He gave Himself for us and redeemed us with His blood from the delusion of idols, and made us His children through holy baptism.

With a few words we renounced all the works of Satan. If anyone has kept that promise, he will be blessed. For concerning this renunciation, every believer will first give account before God on the Day of Judgment.”

Then the lovers of God asked: “Holy Father, tell us what happens after this, and what sort of questioning will there be?”

And the elder said to them: “Bishops will be questioned about their flock and about the life they lived…”

After the bishops, priests will be questioned about their spiritual children. Likewise, abbots will be questioned about their monks. After them, deacons will be examined, and then all the faithful—each one, according to how they lived their life.

Each will also give an account for the souls of their own household—for their wives and children, their male and female servants—if they did not instruct them in the Law. Then kings and princes, judges and nobles, the rich and the poor, the small and the great, men and women, monks and nuns—everyone will give an account for their own deeds and receive what corresponds to how they lived in this life. And there will be no one to deliver them.

For it is written: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done.”

The lovers of God said: “Venerable father, tell us of the things to come after these, that we may understand more clearly.”

The elder replied: “I speak to you with anguish of heart. You may not be able to bear what is yet to come, so perhaps I should remain silent.”

But they said: “Are the things still to come more dreadful than what you’ve already told us?”

The elder answered: “They are indeed more fearful, and worthy of many tears. If I begin to describe them, a trembling will seize you.”

The lovers of God said: “Holy father, tell us if it is possible. Hearing such things, we may turn from our evil ways and repent.”

Then the elder, weeping, said: “I speak these things to you with tears, for it is not possible to speak of what is to come without weeping. Yet the apostles and the holy fathers have commanded that these things be told to the faithful. And you, having heard them, go and teach others.”

Then, after this examination, the deeds of all will be revealed before angels and men. Then shall there be a great separation, as sheep are divided from the goats: the righteous from the sinners.

The righteous will be called sheep—those who lived in meekness and humility, who were merciful and hospitable, defenders of widows, benefactors of orphans, helpers of the oppressed, visitors of the sick, those who clothed the naked, and peacemakers. These shall shine like the sun. The Lord will place them at His right hand, but the goats on His left.

The goats are the sinners—those who were proud, who would not listen to teaching, who spent all their lives in excess and drunkenness, who were unmerciful like the rich man, who were thieves and slanderers, evildoers, haters of their brothers, unrepentant of their wickedness, robbers, oppressors, bribers, abusers of orphans, misers, hard-hearted, wrathful, envious, greedy, violent, adulterers and fornicators. For this reason, they will be condemned to stand at the left hand.

Then the King shall say to those on His right: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Forasmuch as ye have shown mercy to me, so also will I show mercy unto you. Ye who hungered and thirsted and labored for my sake, come, and receive everlasting joy and gladness.”

But to those on the left the King will say: *“Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Forasmuch as ye showed no mercy unto me, so also will I not show mercy unto you. As ye hearkened not unto my teaching, so will I not hearken unto your cries and weeping. Ye did not do my will. When I was hungry, ye gave me no food; when I was thirsty, ye gave me no drink; when I was a stranger, ye did not receive me; when I was sick, ye did not visit me; when I was naked, ye did not clothe me—for ye are the servants of the devil, and ye have done his will. Ye did not listen to my righteous Gospel, nor to the teachings of my holy disciples and apostles—therefore, I will not listen to your lamentations. Ye were filled on earth and received your good things in this life. I called to you daily through the Scriptures, but ye did not listen. Therefore I say unto you: ‘I know you not. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.’”

Then the sinners will go into everlasting torment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Again the lovers of Christ asked the elder, saying: “Will all sinners go into the same punishment, or are there different kinds of torments?”

And the elder replied: “O children, there are many kinds of places for torment, just as you have heard in the Gospel. There is the torment of outer darkness; there is the fiery furnace; there is the worm that dieth not; there is another place of gnashing of teeth; another is the lake of fire; another is an unbearable cold; another is the lower pit of forgotten darkness.

In such torments will sinners be divided, each one according to their deeds—for just as sins are of many kinds, so are the punishments. If someone dies holding anger against another, he shall receive a merciless judgment and be cast into outer darkness. And if someone sinned and did not repent, then a harsh judgment and the wrath of God shall fall upon him, as Manasseh said: ‘O Lord, not in the multitude of thy mercies is thine anger ever turned away from the sinners, but thy wrath abideth upon the unrepentant.’

Woe to the adulterers and drunkards, to the slanderers, the thieves, the sorcerers and enchanters. Woe to all who do not keep the law of God, which was spoken by the Lord. Woe to those who drink with harps and pipes and dancing. Woe to adulterers who destroy their own children.”

Woe to those who rejoice at the misfortunes of others and desire what belongs to someone else. Woe to those who withhold wages from laborers and keep what is not theirs—for such are as though they had shed blood.

Woe to those who judge for bribes, for they are as apostates from the faith and will be condemned with the unbelievers. Woe to all who stand on the left hand—for they shall be darkened and shall wail bitterly and weep when they hear that dreadful sentence from the King: “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire.” And they will be shaken when they hear: “I know you not.”

To others the King will say: “Depart from me, all ye that work iniquity”; and again: “Let the wicked be turned into hell.”

A dreadful sentence it is: “Depart from me into everlasting fire.”

Others shall hear: “Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness.” And still others, like weeds, shall be cast into the fire.

For just as there are many paths to salvation, so also there are many dwelling places in the Kingdom of Heaven. And just as sins are diverse, so too are the places and kinds of torment.

The lovers of Christ asked: “Holy father, tell us, how are the torments distinguished?”

The elder, weeping and striking his breast, replied: “O brothers, what sorrow you ask to hear of! And who is able to describe it? But if you have tears, come and weep with me. Come, beloved, and hear what judgment awaits sinners, that we may not be lazy concerning our salvation. Let each of you, repenting of your sins, weep with tears.

As for me, beloved, when I recall that fearful separation, I weep greatly. Who is so hard-hearted that he would not weep at the thought of that hour?

For then kings and princes, bishops and abbots, priests, monks and nuns will be separated. Parents will be parted from their children, friends from friends, family from family. Husbands will be separated from wives if they did not keep their marriage bed undefiled.

The rich and unmerciful will weep bitterly, but they will have no help; for “he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy.”

Let me speak briefly: at that time, the angels will drive them from the judgment seat, striking and chasing them without mercy. And they will go away weeping and wailing bitterly, constantly looking back.

And when they draw near and see the places prepared for them, they will begin to cry out with bitter tears, saying:

“Oh, how long we lived in laziness, caring nothing for the salvation of our souls! How often we saw others fasting and giving their possessions to the poor for God’s sake, and we regarded it as nothing! And though we heard the holy Scriptures, we acted as though they were lies. Woe to us, brothers, woe to us!

There, God taught us through the Scriptures, and we did not listen. Now we cry out to God, but He will not hear the voice of our weeping and lamentation. It is terrible for us—terrible indeed! The time for repentance is past. We have no help from our riches, nor from our servants, nor from our rulers. Where now is father and mother who bore us? Where are our children, our kin and our friends? Where are the kings and princes, the strong and the wise? They cannot even help themselves.”

“Oh, woe to us sinners and miserable ones! There is no longer help from prayer, no more time for repentance, no benefit from our tears. There is no longer any deliverance or mercy. We shall never again behold the ranks of the saints, nor the brightness of Paradise, nor the joy of the righteous.”

And they will begin to cry out: “Be saved, all you righteous! Apostles, prophets, and martyrs, be saved! Peace be unto thee, O Lady God-bearer, Mother of the God who loveth mankind! Thou didst labor greatly that we might be saved, but we have destroyed ourselves. Be saved, O monastics, hierarchs, ascetics, and holy women! Peace be to thee, most precious Cross; peace to thee, Paradise of life; peace to thee, heavenly Jerusalem; peace to thee, O Kingdom of Heaven!

Peace be to you, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters! Peace be to you, kin and friends—we shall see you no more. We go now into the torment which we have prepared for ourselves by our evil deeds.”

And so they shall be separated into torments, each according to their deeds.

If only, while still alive, they had repented, they would have escaped the punishment that shall fall upon sinners. But now they shall suffer torment in accordance with the word of the Lord: “Their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched,” for those who lived in idleness.

Do you hear, O you who love Christ, what I have spoken to you? I have fulfilled your request and completed your petition.

So then, brothers, having heard what condemnation awaits sinners—those who transgressed the law, who lived unjustly, who ignored the teachings of the holy Scriptures—let none of you follow after the desires of the flesh or the glory of this world.

Beloved, if anyone gives themselves over to this life alone, that one is an enemy of God and the destroyer of their own soul, as the Theologian John has said.

Forsake, beloved, all injustice and carnal desires, and let each of you take care concerning the coming of the fearful judgment of God.

This, brothers and sisters, is truly fearful—when all the deeds of our life shall be revealed. Concerning this day, the apostles and prophets warned us, and the divine Scriptures proclaim it to the whole world: “Watch, and be attentive,” for “ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

From one end of the world to the other, the holy fathers have foretold the sorrow and terror of that day. Of that day, the prophet Isaiah said: “The Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity.” And again he said: “Behold, the Lord cometh, and his reward is with him.”

Another prophet cried out, saying: “O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones.”

Another prophet said: “The earth shall be moved at the presence of the Lord, and in that day he shall take vengeance on his adversaries.”

King David said of that day: “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.”

Of this day the Apostle Paul cried aloud, saying: “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men.” And again: “See then that ye walk circumspectly… for it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

And the chief apostle Peter said: “The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.”

And the Lord Himself said: “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”
“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things.”
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: for ye know not the hour in which the judgment shall be.”

Always be prepared and strive to enter by the narrow gate into the Kingdom of Heaven—that is, by abstaining from evil, through fasting and almsgiving. Let us walk this blessed path, the path that all who love God have followed. The journey is sorrowful, but the rest is blessed.

The broad gate and wide path lead to destruction—that is, to eternal torment. The broad path is the life of carnal pleasures: fornication, drunkenness, robbery, gluttony, envy, and all other evils—these lead us to ruin.

Let us abandon all this. Repent, and remember the hour of death and the day of judgment.

It was this day that the holy martyrs kept always in mind, and therefore they did not spare their bodies, but endured many sufferings for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Others lived harsh lives in deserts and mountains—not only men, but many women also walked the narrow and sorrowful path and entered into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Be watchful, beloved, and do not say, “I have done much evil; I cannot be saved.” Whoever says such things is deceived by the devil. Who can boast that they have a pure heart? “For there is no man that sinneth not,” and “there is none that is clean from defilement, no, not one.” Even if someone lived but a single day, none is without sin—“Only God is without sin,” He who took flesh from the Virgin for our salvation.

God is rich in mercy, not desiring the death of a sinner, but that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. For He said: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” And again He said: “There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth”; and also: “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

Take heart, beloved—He is the Lover of mankind, for He calls all to repentance, receives those who repent, and waits patiently for those who delay. Let us all run to Him and not despair of our salvation. Even if we have done evil, yet while we are still alive, let us repent.

For the Lord says: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”—in the heavenly city, where My saints dwell in great joy.

“Come unto me through repentance, and I will give you rest, where the faces and ranks of the righteous are, where there is no sorrow, nor grief, nor tumult, nor sighing, where there is unsetting and unfading light, where there is no death nor weeping, but everlasting joy, gladness, and peace. Return to Me, and I will give you rest, where is the living vineyard and the sun that never sets, peaceful waters, a place of delight and quietness, and joy without end. Come, and I will give you rest, where the voice of those who feast resounds, and the unceasing song of angels, the eternal Kingdom that shall never pass away, the abyss of mercy and lovingkindness—where multitudes of angels gather, and the firstborn assemble, where the apostles and prophets sit in honor, where the patriarchs and martyrs shine, and the righteous are glorified.”

The Lord says: “These things have I prepared for those who love Me—who are merciful, who make peace, who endure suffering for My sake, who live in purity and righteousness and watchfulness. Come unto Me through repentance, casting off the burden of your sins—for no one who comes to Me with repentance remains in his sins.”

Cast off your evil habits, and learn the good law. The magi, having come, forsook their enchantments and learned divine wisdom. The tax collectors left their dishonest gain and became teachers. Persecutors came and willingly bore reproach and suffering. Harlots came to love chastity, and murderers ceased their violence and repented sincerely—therefore they became inheritors of Paradise.

“Come unto Me, all ye that repent, and I will receive you.”

Have you heard, brethren, of the mercy and lovingkindness of our Creator? Have you heard how the Lover of mankind promises the Kingdom to all who repent? Have you heard what glory God has prepared for the righteous and merciful?

Who has seen such a merciful and good Father?

Let us then come and fall before Him, confessing from the depths of our heart all our deeds and thoughts. Let us confess to Him in true repentance, that we may be saved.

To our God be glory, now and always, and unto the ages of ages.