Remembering Death

Ἡ ὑπακοὴ τῆς θείας προστάξεως ζωὴν και ἀφθαρσίαν χαρίζεσθαι πέφυκεν, ἡ δέ γε παρακοὴ νεκρότητα καὶ φθοράν. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν ὁ Ἀδὰμ παρακούσας τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ φαγεῖν τὸ κεκωλυμένον, θάνατον ἐπεσπάσατο, διὰ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς ἐνδιδύσκει αὐτὸν χιτῶνα δερμάτινον, ὅπως ἂν μνημονεύῃ, καὶ μὴ ἐπιλανθάνηται τοῦ οἰκείου σφάλματος, καὶ ἧσπερ αὐθαιρέτως ἐπεσπάσατο θνητότητος καὶ φθορᾶς. Τὰ γὰρ νεκρὰ δέρματα δηλοῦσι νεκρότητα καὶ φθοράν.  Ἅγιος Νειλος,Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΣΜΑ', Σωσανδρῳ Πριμισκρινιῳ

Obedience to the Divine precepts graced with life and immortality but disobedience brought death and corruption. When, then, Adam, disobeying God in the eating of that which was prohibited, had called upon himself death, God put on him a garment of skin, 1 that he might remember and not forget that it was his own error and own will that brought mortality and corruption upon him. For the dead skins clearly indicate death and corruption. Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 241, To Sosandros, 1 Gen 3.21