Mindfulness of Judgement

Λάβε δὲ εἰς ἔννοιαν τὴν ἐσχάτην ἡμέραν ῾οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνη σὺ τὸν αἰῶνα βιώσεις,  καὶ συνοχήν, καὶ πνιγμόν, καὶ θανάτου ὥραν, καὶ ἀπόφασιν Θεοῦ κατεπείγουσαν, καὶ ἀγγέλους ἐπισπεύδοντας, καὶ ψυχὴν ἐν τούτοις δεινῶς θορυβουμένην καὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ συνειδότι πικρῶς μαστιγουμένην, καὶ πρὸς τὰ τῇδε ἐλεεινῶς ἐπιστρέφουσαν, καὶ ἀπαραίτητον τῆς μακρᾶς ἐκείνης ἀποδημίας ἀνάγκην. Διάγραψόν μοι τῇ διανοίᾳ τὴν τελευταίαν τοῦ κοινοῦ βίου καταστροφήν, ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ. Ἥξει γὰρ καὶ οὐ παρασιωπήσεται: ὅταν ἔλθῃ κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, καὶ ἀποδοῦναι ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ: ὅταν ἡ σάλπιγξ ἐκείνη μέγα τι καὶ φοβερὸν ἠχήσασα, τοὺς ἀπ̓ αἰῶνος ἐξυπνίσῃ καθεύδοντας, καὶ ἐκπορεύσονται οἱ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ποιήσαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν ζωῆς, οἱ δὲ τὰ φαῦλα πράξαντες εἰς ἀνάστασιν κρίσεως. Mνήσθητι τῆς τοῦ Δανιὴλ θεοπτίας, ὅπως ἡμῖν ὑπ̓ ὄψιν ἄγει τὴν κρίσιν. Ἐθεώρουν, φησίν, ἕως ὅτου θρόνοι ἐτέθησαν, καὶ παλαιὸς ἡμερῶν ἐκάθητο, καὶ τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ λευκὸν ὡς χιών, καὶ ἡ θρὶξ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ ὡς ἔριον καθαρόν, οἱ τροχοὶ αὐτοῦ, πῦρ φλέγον. ποταμὸς πυρὸς εἷλκεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ: χίλιαι χιλιάδες ἐλειτούργουν αὐτῷ, καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ. κριτήριον ἐκάθισε, καὶ βίβλοι ἀνεῴχθησαν, τὰ καλά, τὰ φαῦλα, τὰ φανερά, τὰ κεκρυμμένα, τὰ πράγματα, τὰ ῥήματα, τὰ ἐνθυμήματα, τὰ πάντα ἀθρόως εἰς ἐξάκουστον τοῖς πᾶσι καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις σαφῶς ἀνακαλύπτουσαι. Πρὸς ταῦτα ποταποὺς εἶναι ἀνάγκη τοὺς κακῶς βεβιωκότας;Ποῦ ἄρα ἡ ψυχὴ ἐκείνη καταδύσεται, ἡ ἐν ὄψεσι τοσούτων θεατῶν ἐξαίφνης ὀφθεῖσα αἰσχύνης ἀνάπλεως; Ποίῳ δὲ σώματι τὰς ἀπεράντους ἐκείνας καὶ ἀνυποίστους ὑποστήσεται μάστιγας, ὅπου πῦρ ἄσβεστον, καὶ σκώληξ ἀθάνατα κολάζων, καὶ πυθμὴν ᾄδου σκοτεινὸς καὶ φρικώδης, καὶ οἰμωγαὶ πικραί, καὶ ὀλολυγμὸς ἐξαίσιος, καὶ κλαυθμὸς καὶ βρυγμὸς ὀδόντων, καὶ πέρας οὐκ ἔχει τὰ δεινά; τούτων οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπαλλαγὴ μετὰ θάνατον, οὐδέ τις ἐπίνοια, οὐδὲ μηχανὴ τοῦ διεκδῦναι τὰ πικρὰ κολαστήρια. Ταῦτα φεύγειν ἔξεστι νῦν. Ἕως ἔξεστιν, ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ πτώματος ἀναλάβωμεν, μηδὲ ἀπελπίσωμεν ἑαυτῶν, ἐὰν ἀναλύσωμεν ἀπὸ τῶν κακῶν. Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἁμαρτωλοὺς σῷσαι. δεῦτε, προσκυνήσωμεν καὶ προσπέσωμεν αὐτῷ, καὶ κλαύσωμεν ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ. ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ μετάνοιαν καλῶν ὁ Λόγος βοᾷ καὶ κέκραγε: Δεῦτε πρός με πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς. Ἔστιν οὖν ὁδὸς σωτηρίας, ἐὰν θέλωμεν. Kατέπιεν ὁ θάνατος ἰσχύσας, ἀλλ̓ εὖ ἴσθι ὅτι πάλιν ἀφεῖλεν ὁ Θεὸς πᾶν δάκρυον ἀπὸ παντὸς προσώπου τῶν μετανοούντων. Πιστὸς Κύριος ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ. Oὐ ψεύδεται εἰπών: Ἐὰν ὦσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ὡς φοινικοῦν, ὡς χιόνα λευκανῶ: ἐὰν δὲ ὦσιν ὡς κόκκινον, ὡσεὶ ἔριον λευκανῶ. Ἔτοιμός ἐστιν ὁ μέγας τῶν ψυχῶν ἰατρὸς ἰάσασθαί σου τὸ πάθος, ὃς οὐδὲ μονωτάτης, ἀλλὰ πάντων τῶν δεδουλωμένων τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἐστὶν ἕτοιμος ἐλευθερωτής. Ἐκείνου ῥήματά ἐστιν, ἐκεῖνο τὸ γλυκὺ καὶ σωτήριον στόμα εἶπεν: Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ, ἀλλὰ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες. οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν. Tίς οὖν ἐστί σοι πρόφασις, ἤ τινι ἄλλῳ, ταῦτα αὐτοῦ βοῶντος ; βούλεται Κύριος καθαρίσαι σε ἀπὸ τοῦ πόνου τῆς πληγῆς, καὶ δεῖξαί σοι φῶς ἀπὸ σκότους. Σὲ ζητεῖ ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός, ὁ καταλιπὼν τὰ μὴ πεπλανημένα. Ἐὰν ἐπιδῷς σεαυτήν, οὐκ ὀκνήσει, οὐδ̓ ἀπαξιώσει σε ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων βαστάσαι τῶν ἰδίων, χαίρων ὅτι εὗρεν αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόβατον τὸ ἀπολωλός. Ἕστηκεν ὁ Πατὴρ καὶ ἀναμένει τὴν σὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πλάνης ἐπάνοδον. Mόνον ἀνάλυσον, καὶ ἔτι σου μακρὰν οὔσης προσδραμὼν ἐπιπεσεῖται ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλόν σου, καὶ φιλικοῖς ἀσπασμοῖς περιπτύξεται τὴν ὑπὸ τῆς μετανοίας ἤδη κεκαθαρμένην. Kαὶ στολὴν ἐνδύσει, τὴν πρώτην, ψυχὴν ἀπεκδυσαμένην τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον σὺν ταῖς αὐτοῦ πράξεσι: καὶ περιθήσει δακτύλιον χερσὶν ἀποπλυναμέναις τοῦ θανάτου τὸ αἷμα, καὶ ὑποδήσει πόδας ἀποστρέψαντας ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς πρὸς τὸν δρόμον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τῆς εἰρήνης. Kαὶ εὐφροσύνης καὶ χαρᾶς ἡμέραν καταγγελεῖ τοῖς ἰδίοις καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις. Kαὶ παντὶ τρόπῳ τὴν σὴν ἑορτάσει σωτηρίαν. Ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω, φησίν, ὑμῖν, ὅτι χαρὰ γίνεται ἐν οὐρανῷ ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι. Kἂν ἐγκαλέσῃ τις τῶν ἑστάναι δοκούντων, ὅτι ταχὺ προσελήφθης, αὐτὸς ὁ ἀγαθὸς Πατὴρ ὑπὲρ σοῦ ἀπολογήσεται λέγων, Εὐφρανθῆναι δεῖ καὶ χαρῆναι, ὅτι αὕτη ἡ θυγάτηρ μου νεκρὰ ἦν καὶ ἀνέζησε, καὶ ἀπολωλυῖα καὶ εὑρέθη. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ἐπιστολή ΚϚ, Πρὸς παρθένον ἐκπεσοῦσαν Source: Migne PG 32.377c-381b

Since you will certainly not be the only woman to live forever, bring to mind your last day, the anguish, the choking, the hour of death, the looming sentence of God, the angels hastening, the soul fearfully aggrieved, and a sinner bitterly lashed by her conscience, pitifully turning to the things here and to the unavoidable necessity of that long departure elsewhere. Picture for me in your mind the overpowering end of the common life, when the Son of God shall come in His glory with His angels. For He will come and He will not be silent, when He comes to judge the living and the dead and to give to every one according to their work, when the great voice of that terrible trumpet shall wake those that have slept through the ages, and those who have done good shall go forth to the resurrection of life and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation. Remember the vision of Daniel and how he brings the judgment before us, 'I looked,' he says, 'until the thrones were set down, and the Ancient of Days sat, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool, and His throne wheels like burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth before Him, thousands of thousands ministered to Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The judgement sat, and the books were opened,' 1 clearly disclosing to the hearing of all, both angels and men, things good and evil, things public and secret, deeds, words, and thoughts all at once. What then must be for those who have lived wickedly? Where shall that soul hide which in the sight of all who see it shall suddenly be exposed in the fullness of its shame? With what body shall it endure those endless and unbearable pains where the fire is unquenchable and where the gnawing worm never dies, and where is the dark and horrid depths of Hades, and bitter wailings and loud lamenting, and the weeping and gnashing of teeth and anguish that has no end? After death there is no release from these woes, there is no way or stratagem to come forth from the chastisement of pain. Yet now we can escape. While it is possible let us lift ourselves up from the fall, let us not despair of ourselves, if we depart from evil. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Come, let us worship and cast ourselves down, let us cry out before Him. The Word who calls us to repentance cries aloud, 'Come to me all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest.' 2 There is, then, a way of salvation, if we wish it. Mighty death has swallowed up, but again the Lord has wiped away tears from off all the faces of those who repent. The Lord is faithful in all His words. He does not lie when He says, 'Though your sins be scarlet they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool.' 3 The great Physician of souls is eager to heal your sickness, and not you alone, but all who are enslaved by sin, He who is the eager liberator. From Him are the words, it was His sweet and saving mouth that said, 'They who are healthy have no need of a physician but they do who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.' 4 When He says these things, what excuse do you have, what excuse does any one have? The Lord wishes to cleanse you from the distress of your sickness and to show you light after darkness. The good shepherd seeks you, and has left those who have not wandered away. If you give yourself to Him He will not hold back. In His love He will not disdain to carry you on His own shoulders, but rejoice to have found His sheep that was lost. 5 The Father stands and waits for your return from your wandering. Only come back, and while you are yet far off He will run and fall upon your neck, and now that you are cleansed by repentance, He will enfold you with loving embraces. He will put the finest robe on the soul that has put off the old man with all his works. He will put a ring on hands that have washed off the blood of death, and He will put shoes on feet that have turned from the evil way to the path of the Gospel of peace. He will proclaim a day of joy and gladness to those who are His own, both angels and men, and He will celebrate your salvation far and wide. 'For truly I say to you,' He says, 'there is joy in heaven before God over one sinner who repents.' 6 If any think they can find fault in your quick reception, the good Father will Himself answer for you, saying, 'It was fitting that we should make merry and be glad for my daughter was dead and is alive again, she was lost and she has been found.' 7 Saint Basil of Caesarea, from Letter 46, To A Fallen Virgin 1 Dan 7.9-10 2 Mt 11.28 3 Isaiah 1.18 4 Mt 9.12-13 5 Lk 15.4-6 6 Lk 15.7 7 Lk 15.20-32