Let us therefore endeavour, brethren, to be healed; for here He has mercy, and is generous with His grace; And there is no more. On the contrary, there is righteous judgment, punishment, and retribution for deeds. There the merciful Abraham proved to be unmerciful and unmerciful to the rich man; and he who prayed for the Sodomites does not pray there for one sinner, that mercy be shown to him.

Thus, let our mind not be bound by earthly things, but let us try to become imitators of the Holy Fathers; let us not lose their lives, lest we lose their glory. But let us take care to receive crowns together with the perfect, and if not crowns with the perfect, then praise with the last. Blessed is he who strives to be crowned with the perfect; but pitiful is he who has not received praise even with the latter. Blessed is he who has been vouchsafed the crown and inheritance of the saints, and who has heard these words: "Come in the blessing of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:34).

What justification shall we have, brethren, if we neglect? The worldly man still has it, perhaps as one who dwells in the world; But what shall we say? I am afraid that those who praise us here will not laugh at us there. Let not slothfulness and worldly cares be sweet to us, so that eternal fire and the worm that never sleeps become bitter for us. Let us sober up a little, and let us weep in order to be delivered from the eternal fire.

Do you not believe the word of the Saviour, that His coming will be as sudden as lightning (Matthew 24:27)? Let us be afraid that it will overtake us suddenly, unprepared; and then, without any benefit, we will begin to reproach ourselves for our negligence. Believe me, beloved, that the last hour is already there. See to it that the word of the Prophet is not fulfilled in us: "Alas for him who desires the day of the Lord" (Amos 5:18)! Be attentive to yourselves, lest we be like that servant whom the master came to find feasting, and having laid down a part of him with the unbelievers, he cut his half (Matt. 24:51). On the contrary, without shame, let us glorify the Lord, that He may deliver us from darkness and gnashing of teeth, and vouchsafe us His kingdom.

I beseech Thee, O Christ, Saviour of the world, to look upon me and deliver me from the multitude of my iniquities. I have rejected all the good deeds which Thou hast done to me since my youth; for thou hast made me, ignorant and foolish, a vessel full of knowledge and wisdom; Thy grace hath abounded upon me, quenched my hunger, quenched my thirst, enlightened my darkened mind, and gathered together my wandering thoughts. Now I bow down, and beseech Thy ineffable love for mankind, confessing my weakness; Weaken its waves, and keep it for me in that day, and do not be angry with me, O All-Good One, because I have dared to act boldly, not tolerating its streams. Thou art the Image of the Father and the radiance of ineffable glory, weaken it for me, for it burns my womb and my heart like fire; but there grant it to me, and save me in Thy kingdom, at Thy coming, having made with me with the blessed Father the abode of Thy goodness. O Christ, the only Giver of life, grant me what I ask, hide my iniquities from my acquaintances, remembering my tears, which I shed before Thy holy martyrs, that I might draw mercy to myself in that terrible hour, and take refuge under the wings of Thy grace. O Lord, show Thy ineffable love for mankind in me, a sinner, and make me a partaker of that thief who became the heir of paradise in one word. Bring me there, and I will see where Adam hid, and I will give glory to Thy love for mankind, that Thou hast hearkened to my tears, and hast consumed all my iniquities. Lay my tears before Thee, O Lord, according to Thy promise, that my enemy may be ashamed when he sees me in the place of life which Thy mercies have prepared for me, and that he may be covered with darkness, not seeing me in the place which Thou hast prepared for my sins. O Lord, the only sinless and humane one, pour out upon me Thy ineffable goodness, grant me and all those who love Thee to worship Thy glory in Thy kingdom, and in joy to say to Thy babbling: Glory to the Father, Who created us, and glory to the Son, Who saved us, and glory to the All-Holy Spirit, Who renewed us, unto all ages of ages! Amen.