Pursue the Economy of the Future Life

Let us imitate the saints who neither became oppressed by their afflictions nor became filled with conceit by leisure. Many of us suffer this now, and resemble nimble ships’ bilges that are crowded by waves on all sides and capsize. For many times poverty attacked us suddenly, submerged us, and brought us to the ocean bed; and the wealth that came to us puffed us up again, and hurled us into the worst possible conceit. This is why I plead with you to pay no heed to things and for every one of us to direct our souls toward salvation. If our soul is rightly steered, then whatever danger falls upon us—whether famine, or disease, or slander, or plundering of property, or any other such thing—will be bearable and light, by the commandment of the Master and through hope in Him. Likewise, when the soul does not stand well before God, then, even if wealth flows abundantly, and has children, and enjoys immeasurable goods, this person will experience much faintheartedness and many cares. Therefore, let us not seek wealth; let us not avoid poverty. However, above all these, let each one take care of his soul and make it pursue the economy of the future life as well as cause it to depart from the present life to the next.

For, in a little while, the scrutiny of each one of us will take place, when we all stand before the dreadful tribunal of Christ, clothed with our own deeds. And we will see with our own eyes, on the one hand, the tears of the orphans, and on the other, our disgraceful licentiousness with which we contaminated our souls, the wailing of the widows, the ill treatment of the weak, the rape of the poor. We will be examined about not only these matters and others like them, but also whatever indecent thing we committed in thought, because He is “the judge of thoughts and understandings” (Heb. 4:12); and, “the one who examines hearts and the inner man” (Ps. 7:10), and, “He rewards each person according to his deeds” (Mt. 16:27).

*From Homily "On Repentance and Prayer" in On Repentance and Almsgiving translated by Gus George Christo, The Fathers of the Church Vol. 96 (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1998), pp. 48-49. Available for purchase at Eighth Day Books.