Mourning And Hope

Τὸ ἀπαρηγορήτως λυπεῖσθαι, καὶ θρηνεῖν, καὶ νηστεύειν ἐπὶ τῷ τελευτήσαντι συγγενεῖ, ἔλεγχός ἐστι τῆς ἀπιστίας καὶ τῆς ἀνελπιστίας. Ὁ πιστεύων ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστήσεσθαι τὸν ἄρτι τεθαμμένον, ἐλπίοι ῥωσθήσεται, Θεῷ εὐχαριστήσει, εἰς εὐθυμίαν μετασκευάσεται τοὺς θρήνους, εὔξεται ἐλέους αἰωνίου τυχεῖν τὸν κοιμηθέντα, πρὸς διόρθωσιν ῥεψει τῶν οἰκείων πταισμάτων. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΤΙΑ´ Θεωνᾳ Πολιτευομενῳ Source: Migne PG 79.196b

To grieve and to lament without consolation, and to refuse food because of the death of a relation, is an indication of a lack of belief and hopelessness. He who believes that the one who is now buried shall be raised from the dead, he shall be strengthened by hope, he shall give thanks to God, he shall change his sighs to joy, he shall pray that the one who sleeps shall partake of the eternal mercy, and he shall turn to the correction of his own errors. Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 311, to Theona The Statesman