We will not remain upon this earth. This life is temporary, short, unstable. Every breath you take brings you closer to the grave. You are not guaranteed tomorrow. And if your soul is not prepared, then you will fall into the hands of the living God without defence. You will face your Judge, and all your excuses, comforts, and self-made justifications will be swept away like straw in the fire. A psalm attributed to St. Moses says: “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” (Ps. 90:10*) Do not live as though this world is your home. It is a place of exile. You were cast out of Paradise, and you dwell now in a land of corruption. Why do you pretend otherwise? Look at the cemeteries. Look at the bones of kings and paupers alike. No man escapes death. No one lives here forever. Yet many act as though their future is in this world. They build up their homes, their investments, their comforts, while their souls wither like plants that have not been watered.
Our Lord Himself warns, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36) Some people have worked hard their whole lives to gain comforts, entertainment, the respect of others, and the pleasure of their appetites. However, if your soul is corrupted, if you have lived in sin, if you have forsaken the commandments of God, then all your labours will be worthless on the Day of Judgment. We must speak plainly. There is a heaven. There is a hell. Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “…The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” (John 5:28–29)
You must choose now where you want to spend eternity. Do not say, “I will repent later.” Later may never come. Death does not send a warning. And once you die, your will no longer acts. You will no longer be able to struggle. You will no longer be able to make choices. As you die, so shall you be judged. “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” (Heb. 9:27) You cannot negotiate with the Judge on that Day. You cannot say, “I meant well,” or “I had good intentions,” or “I was busy.” Either your life was according to the commandments of Christ, or it was not.
Now let us speak of the flesh. We must crucify our flesh with its desires, or it will drag us to hell. Writing to the Romans, Saint Paul said, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Rom. 8:6) What is a carnal mind? A mind obsessed with the body, obsessed with lust, with food, with rest, with pleasure, with distraction. Do you wish to know the signs of a man enslaved to the flesh? He refuses fasting. He refuses prayer. He mocks confession or avoids it. He watches filth with his eyes and pretends it does not damage his soul. He cannot endure silence. He cannot speak of Christ without shame. He prefers to speak of sports, films, and fashion. He hides from his conscience. If we are to be a Christian, then we must imitate Christ. And Christ said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matt. 16:24) That is not poetry. It is not a figure of speech. It is a commandment. We must ourselves. That means our opinions, our impulses, our fleshly desires. Take up your cross. That means suffering. That means endurance. That means death to the world!
Look to the lives of the saints. Did they live comfortable lives? Did they seek popularity? Did they care for possessions and entertainments? No. They fled from the world. They wept for their sins. They endured mockery, sickness, persecution, and death—all for the sake of Christ. Why then do we think we can enter the Kingdom without the same struggle? Some say, “But I go to church.” That is not enough. We must repent. Some say, “I give alms.” That is good, but we must also stop sinning. Some say, “I have faith in my heart.” Then we must show it by our works. After all, “faith, by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:17)
Do not flatter yourself. God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap. (Gal. 6:7) If you sow to the flesh, you will reap corruption. If you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life. The Holy Fathers of the ancient faith did not live soft lives. They laboured in prayer, in fasting, in vigils, in poverty, in exile, and even in death. Why? Because they feared God. They believed in the Day of Judgment. They lived every day as if it were their last. You would do well to imitate them.
I ask you—when was the last time you confessed sincerely, without hiding anything? When did you last fast with care? When did you last open the Psalter or the Gospel? When did you last weep for your sins? When did you last pray for your enemies? These are not optional practices. They are necessary.
“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.” (Matthew 7:13) Look at the world around you. Most people are walking that broad way. They follow their desires. They serve themselves. They mock God. They treat sin as entertainment. They shall not escape damnation. Do not follow them. We must walk the narrow path, even if few walk with us. It is difficult. But the Lord gives grace to those who ask. He strengthens the weak. He forgives the penitent. He receives the humble. But He resists the proud. He cuts off the lazy. He casts out the lukewarm.
We will die. Perhaps soon. Prepare your soul. Flee from sin. Flee from worldly attachments. Cling to the Cross. Keep the fasts. Keep the feasts. Keep the commandments. And above all, repent—deeply, daily, sincerely. Let no day pass without examining your conscience. Let no night come without prayer. Let no week go by without seeking confession. Now is the time of salvation. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2). Not tomorrow. Now. Today. If you prepare your soul in this life, you shall be ready to meet Christ in the next. If you do not, you shall perish. That is the truth. That is the warning. And it is out of love that I speak it to you—not with sweet words, but with clarity.
May the Lord give you the fear of God. May He strengthen you to walk in repentance. And may you, by His mercy, be found worthy to stand at His right hand on the Last Day.
To Him be all glory, honour, and dominion, unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Fr. Charles
5 April 2025
* Bible citations are from the Ancient Faith Orthodox Study Bible, Copyright ©2008 by St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology.
