Preparing for the End

Εἶπεν ὁ ἀββᾶς Διόσκορος, ὅτι Ἐὰν φορέσωμεν ἡμῶν τὸ οὐράνιον ἔνδυμα, οὐκ ἄν εὐρεθῶμεν γυμνοί· ἐὰν  δὲ μὴ εὐρεθῶμεν φορεῦντες τὸ ἐνδυμα ἐκεῖνο, τί ποιήσομεν, ἀδελφοί; ἔχομεν γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀκοῦσαι τὴν φωνὴν ἐκείνην τὴν λέγουσαν· Ἔκβαλλε τοῦτον εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς, καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. Νυνὶ δὲ, ἀδελφοὶ, μεγάλη αἰσχύνη ἡμῖν, μετὰ τοσοῦτον χρόνον φοροῦντας ἡμᾶς τὸ σχῆμα, εὐρεθῆναι ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ τῆς ἀνάγκης, μὴ ἔχοντας τὸ ἔνδυμα τοῦ γάμου. Ὤ τῆς μετανοίας τῆς μελλούσης ἡμῖν προσγίνεσθαι. Ὤ τοῦ σκότους τοῦ μέλλοντος ἡμῖν ἐπιπίπτειν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν Πατέρων καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν, βλεπόντων ἡμᾶς τιμωρουμένους ὑπὸ τῶν ἀγγέλων τῆς τιμωρίας. Ἀποφθεγματα Τῶν Ἁγίων Γερόντων, Παλλαδιος

Father Dioscorus said, 'If we wear our celestial garment we shall not be found naked, but if we are found not to be wearing it, brothers, what shall we do,? For indeed we have heard the voice saying, ' Cast this one out into the outer darkness where there is weeping and a grinding of teeth.'1 Now, brothers, great is our shame if after this time bearing our habit we are found in the hours of necessity lacking the garment of the bridegroom. O how much penitence shall come upon us. O how much darkness shall fall upon us in the presence of the fathers and the brothers who see us punished by the angels of punishment. Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia  1 Mat 22.13