CONVERSATION 9

"But there is no need to write to you about times and seasons, brethren, for you yourselves know for certain that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night" (1 Thess. 5:1-2).

The end of the world is unknown for the benefit of the living. — Any sin is spiritual intoxication. "Effeminacy leads to destruction.

1. In no nature, it seems, is there so much inquisitiveness and greed for knowledge of the invisible and hidden as in human nature. This is usually revealed in it when the mind is still imperfect and uneducated. Thus, inexperienced children relentlessly bother educators, mentors, and parents with a multitude of questions, in which there is nothing but when this happens and when this happens. The same thing happens (with older people) from bliss, or from the fact that they have nothing to do. Thus, our mind strongly desires to know and comprehend many things, and especially the time of the end (of the World). And what wonder if this occupies us, when the holy apostles themselves were most interested in it? Thus, before the suffering (of Christ), they approached Christ with the words: "Tell us, when will this be? and what is the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world" (Matt. 24:3)?

And after His suffering and resurrection from the dead, they also said to Him: "Is it not at this time, O Lord, that Thou dost restore the kingdom of Israel" (Acts 1:6)? — and they did not ask Him about anything else before. But it was not so after. When they have been vouchsafed the Holy Spirit, they not only do not ask or grieve over such ignorance, but they also restrain others from doing so, who suffer from such misplaced curiosity. Listen to what Blessed Paul says now: "There is no need to write to you about times and seasons, brethren." Why didn't he say that no one knows? Why did he not say that this was not open, but that "there is no need to write to you, brethren"? Because with those words he would have grieved them more; on the contrary, he calmed me down. With the words, "There is no need," he forbade them to ask about it, as if it were something superfluous and useless. Indeed, what would be the use (of knowing this), tell me? Let us suppose that death follows in twenty years, in thirty, in a hundred years: what does this have to do with us? Does not the end of the age mean the end of life for everyone? Why do you inquire so much about the universal end, and why do you cause yourself grief by this? But what happens to us in other (cases) is the same in the present. Just as in other cases, without paying attention to our own affairs, we worry about the affairs of others, saying, "Such and such a fornicator, such and such an adulterer, this one stole, that one offended," but we do not say a word about our own, on the contrary, we care more about the actions of all other people than about our own, so here each of us, abandoning concern for his own end, desires to know about the common end. What do you have to do with her? If you prepare well for your end, you will not suffer any evil from the universal. Whether it will be far away, whether it will be close, this does not apply to us at all. That is why Christ did not speak of it, that is, because it was useless. Why, it will be said, is it useless? The One Who hid it knows himself why it is useless. Listen to what He says to the Apostles: "It is not your business to know the times or the seasons which the Father has set in His own power" (Acts 1:7). Why should you be curious? This is what those who were with Peter the chief (apostle) heard, desiring to know more than they needed to know. Yes, they will say, but then it would be possible to stop the mouths of the Hellenes. How, tell me? Since, you will say, they teach that this world is God, then, knowing the time of its destruction, we would thereby stop their mouths. Of course; But in order to shut the mouths of the Greeks, is it necessary to prove that the world will be destroyed someday, or when exactly it will be destroyed? If you want to stop their mouths, then tell them that the world will have an end. If they are not convinced of this, they will not be convinced by it. Listen to what Paul says: "For you yourselves know for a certainty that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night," not only a universal day, but also each one's own. The latter is likened to the former, because it has a resemblance and affinity with it. As much as the former is important for all in the aggregate, the latter is the same for each in particular. The time of universal death began with Adam, and the end of the life of each of us is an image of this end, and he would not even sin if he called it a universal end.

If even now, when the fear of the unknown shakes the souls of all, all who have led their former lives viciously allow themselves to be baptized only with their last breath, then if people definitely knew their last day, who would ever take care of virtue? If, in the midst of this constant fear, many departed without being baptized, even if even such fear did not teach them to take care during their lives to please God, then when this fear was taken away, who would then be chaste, who would be meek? No one. On the other hand, it is not only the great fear of death that keeps others from evil, but also the love of life. And if everyone knew that he would surely die tomorrow, then before that day he would not restrain himself from anything, on the contrary, he would begin to kill whomever he wanted, and would commit a thousand atrocities, taking revenge on his enemies.

2. A depraved person, having lost hope for the continuation of this life, does not value even those who are clothed in purple. He who was sure that he must surely die, would try to take revenge on the enemy, and then, having satiated his soul beforehand, he would accept death. I will say, thirdly, and something else: people who are attached to life and too partial to the goods of this world would be exhausted by despondency and sorrow. For example, if one of the young men knew that he would die before he reached old age, he would suffer as the most timid animals are tormented by the expectation of death when they are caught. Besides, even the most intrepid men would not deserve a reward. In fact, if they knew that it was after three years that they must die, and before that they could not, then what right would they have to a reward for having decided on dangerous feats? Then everyone could say to them: you hope to live three years, and therefore you are exposed to dangers, knowing that it is impossible for you to die first. Only he clearly shows courage and contempt for this life who sees death for himself in every danger and knows that he will remain alive if he does not dare to face the danger, but will lose his life if he dares to do it. I will explain this to you with an example. Tell me, would the patriarch Abraham have any right to a reward if he had laid his son on (the altar), knowing beforehand that he would not kill him? What's more? Would Paul have aroused wonder in us if he had despised danger, knowing beforehand that he would not die? For even the most timid would go into the fire if he found in someone a reliable guarantor that he would escape danger. But the three youths were not like that. What exactly? Listen to what they say: "Our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace, and out of your hand, O king, he will deliver us. And if it be not, let it be known to thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, neither will we worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Dan. 3:17-18). Do you see what great benefit does not know the time of death bring us? There is another, larger than this one, but for now it is enough to know this. In order that the thief will come in the night, so that we do not give ourselves over to vices, so that we are not negligent, and through this we do not lose our reward. "Yourselves," he said, "you know." Why should you investigate this, when you yourselves know for sure? And that the future is unknown, know from what Christ said. And that He really said this for this reason, listen to what He says: "Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come" (Matt. 24:42). For this reason Paul also said: "For when they say, 'Peace and security,' then destruction will suddenly come upon them, like the pangs of childbirth (overtakes) a woman with child, and they will not escape" (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Here (the apostle) pointed out what he said in the second epistle. Since (the Thessalonians) were in sorrow, and their enemies were in peace and pleasure, he consoled them in their present sufferings with the word of the resurrection, and the enemies insulted them, spread the opinions of their ancestors, and said, "When will these things be?" Therefore, just as the prophets said, "Woe to those who say, 'Let him hasten and hasten his work, that we may see, and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come to pass, that we may know!'" (Isaiah 5:19) or again: "Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord!" — meaning not only those who desire, but those who desire it through unbelief, — and also: "the day of the Lord," says (the prophet), — "it is darkness, and not light" (Amos 5:18) — so (the Apostle) said it here. And see how he comforts them. It is as if he were saying: from the fact that they are in happiness, let them not conclude that there will be no judgment: it will overtake them. However, it is worth paying attention to the following circumstance: if the Antichrist comes, if Elijah comes, then how, when they say: "peace and security," will the all-destruction suddenly attack them? These events, as signs of the coming (of Christ), will not allow you to be unaware of this day. But (the Apostle) does not indicate or say that the day of his coming will be a sign of the coming of Christ; but (affirms) that (Christ) will not give signs about Himself, but will come suddenly and unexpectedly. In the same way, she says, the time does not come unexpectedly (to give birth) to a pregnant woman, she knows that in nine months there will be childbirth. Yet (this time) is very unknown to her, because some gave birth in seven months, and others in nine, and the day and hour of childbirth in any case are unknown. Now, that's what Paul is talking about. And a true comparison! Indeed, there are few signs of the time of birth; because of this, many, without foreseeing it, gave birth on the roads and outside the home. But (the Apostle) wanted to point out in this comparison not only the uncertainty (of time), but also the cruelty of suffering. As a woman who gives birth, playing, laughing, not foreseeing anything at all, is suddenly seized with unspeakable sufferings and tormented by the pangs of childbirth, so so (will the souls be smitten) at the coming of that day. "And they shall not escape." Further showing that he does not say this about them (the Thessalonian Christians), "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that the day should find you like a thief." (v. 4).

3. Here he speaks of a dark and unclean life, since depraved and evil people do everything at night, hiding from everyone and surrounding themselves with darkness. Tell me, indeed, does not the adulterer wait for the evening, and is it not the thief who waits for the night? And he who robs graves, does not he carry out his enterprise at night? So, what then? Will not the last day come upon them like a thief? Will it not come unexpectedly for them? Will they know about him in advance? In what way does (the Apostle) say: "There is no need for you to write"? Here he hints not at the uncertainty of time, but at the misfortune associated with it, that is, the last day will not come to their misfortune: for them it will come suddenly, but it will not bring them any sorrow. "The day of the Lord will come," he says, "like a thief in the night." As a thief cannot do any harm to those who are awake and in the light, even though he has time to enter into them, so also that day is worthy of those who live; on the contrary, he departs, completely depriving all those who again hope for the blessings of this world. Then (the apostle) applies another expression to them, namely, he continues: "You are all sons of light and sons of the day" (v. 5). But how is it possible, you say, to become sons of the day? Just as the sons of perdition, as the sons of hell. That is why Christ said to the Pharisees: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you go about the sea and the land, that you may convert even one; and when this happens, make him a son of hell, twice as bad as you" (Matt. 23:15), and likewise Paul: "for whom the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience" (Col. 3:6), i.e., on those who do things worthy of hell, on those who do works of disobedience. Just as the sons of God are those who do what is pleasing to God, so the sons of the day and the sons of light are those who do the works of light. "Let us therefore not sleep, as others do, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But we, being (sons of) the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation" (vv. 6-8). Here (the Apostle) shows that it depends on us to remain in the light of day. And here, I am speaking of ordinary day and night, it does not depend on us, but the night comes against our will, and sleep appears against our will; on the contrary, it is not so with that night and that sleep, but one can be constantly awake, one can constantly remain in the middle of the day. To close one's spiritual eyes and give oneself over to sinful slumber is not a matter of nature, but of will. "But let us watch," he says, "and be sober." And he who is awake, if he does not do good, can sleep; wherefore he added, "And let us be sober." Truly, even in the daytime, if anyone is awake but not sober, he can be exposed to innumerable dangers. Thus, sobriety is an intensification of wakefulness.

"For those who sleep," he says, "sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night." (The Apostle) speaks of intoxication not only from wine, but also from all sin; The intoxication of the soul consists of covetousness, and addiction to money, and carnal love, and everything that you mention in this way is the intoxication of the soul. But why did he call sin a dream? Firstly, because (the sinner) has no power for virtue, and secondly, because he is constantly carried away by the imagination and sees nothing in the true light, on the contrary, he is full of dreams and often foolish dreams, and even if he saw something good, he did not derive anything firm and unchangeable from it. Such is real life! It is filled only with dreams and dreams. Wealth, fame, and all the like are dreams. The dreamer does not see what is and really exists, and dreams of what does not exist at all. Such is sin, and such is a sinful life! It does not see the essential, that is, the spiritual, the heavenly, the unchanging, but only that which flows, flies away, and soon leaves us. However, it is not enough to be awake and sober; it is necessary to be armed. If someone does not have weapons, then even if he is cheerful and sober, he can be immediately killed by robbers. If, therefore, it is necessary to be awake, and to be sober, and to be armed, and we remain unarmed, naked, and also to sleep, who will prevent the sword from thrusting into us? Therefore, showing that we need weapons, (the apostle) added: "But we, being (sons of) the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and the helmet of the hope of salvation" (v. 8). See how he explained what it means to be awake and sober, namely (it means) to have the armor of faith and love. Not some kind of faith, but a fiery and sincere one, which makes invincible those who are protected by it. Just as nothing can quickly cut through the armor, and it forms a bulwark for the breast, so protect the soul with faith and love, and not one of the devil's flaming arrows will be able to pierce it. Truly, where the power of the soul is protected by the weapon of love, there are all the attempts of the evil-minded in vain and vain. Neither anger, nor enmity, nor envy, nor flattery, nor hypocrisy, nor anything else will be able to touch such a soul. He did not say simply: in love; but he said that it was necessary to put on it as in strong armor. Having said this, he further adds: "and into the helmet of the hope of salvation." As the helmet guards the most important thing in us, that is, the head, surrounding and covering it on all sides, so hope does not allow our mind to fall, but keeps it upright, like the head, not allowing anything extraneous to fall on it. And as long as nothing falls on it, and we don't lean down. In fact, it is impossible for one who is protected by this weapon to ever fall: "abide," it is said, "these three: faith, hope, love" (1 Cor. 13:13). Then, having said, "Put on and arm yourselves," (the apostle) prepares weapons and shows whence faith, hope, and love are born, and how they are made the strongest weapons, when he adds: "For God has not ordained us to wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that we, whether awake or asleep, may live with him" (v. 9, 10).

4. So God did not call us to destroy us, but to save us. How do you see that this is what He wants? "He gave His Son," it is said, "His only begotten" (John 3:16). He desires our salvation so much that He gave His Son, and not just did, but to die. From such reflections hope is born. Do not despair, man, when you come to God, who did not spare even His Son for your sake. Do not be afraid of real disasters. Who betrayed the Only-begotten to save you and snatch you out of hell, will He spare anything more for your salvation? Therefore, we must expect all the best. For we would not be afraid if we were to stand before a judge who would judge us, who would show such love for us that he would sacrifice his son for us. And so, let us wait for all that is good and great, because we have received the main thing if we believe. But we see an example; therefore let us also love (Him). For it would be utter folly not to love Him Who loved us so much. And he also says: "Whether we are awake or asleep, we have lived with Him. Wherefore exhort one another, and edify one another, as ye do" (vv. 10-11). He says the same thing in another place: "Whether we are awake or asleep" (v. 6). But by sleep he means something different there, and something else here. Here he means bodily death, and there negligence about life. What is said here has this meaning: do not be afraid of dangers; even if we die, we will live. Do not despair because you are in need: you have a sure pledge. He would not have betrayed His Son if He had not had an extraordinary love for us. Therefore, although you die, you will live, because He Himself died. So, whether we die or live, we will live with Him. I do not find the slightest difference in this; I don't care if I'm alive or dead, because we're going to live with Him. Therefore, let us do everything for the next life; let us do everything, directing our gaze to it. Beloved! Vice is darkness, there is death, there is night; (because of it) we do not see what is necessary, do not do what we should. As the dead are ugly and stinking, so the souls of those who are mired in evil are filled with great impurity. Their eyes are closed, their lips are clenched; they lie motionless on a bed of iniquity and are much more deplorable than those with whom (death) has befallen (death). These latter are dead to everything; but they are insensible to virtue, but alive to evil. Even if someone strikes the dead, he does not feel, he does not take revenge, but (lies) like a withered tree; Just as insensible is the soul that has lost its life. Every day she receives innumerable wounds, and she does not feel a single one, she remains insensitive to everything. It would not be a mistake for anyone to compare such people to madmen, intoxicated, or madmen. Meanwhile, vice has all this in it and is worse than all this.

Where does drunkenness come from? Is it not from spiritual intemperance? Isn't madness from the excess of heat? And is this heat not due to the multiplication of the vital principles in us (στοιχείων)? Is not the multiplication of these principles due to inattention? In fact, when we, either through impoverishment or through the multiplication of something in us, bring into disproportion (parts of our composition), then we kindle this fire. Again, if we remain inattentive after this flame has already been kindled, then we produce a fire within ourselves, which we can no longer extinguish. So it happens with evil. When in the beginning we do not put obstacles in the way of it and do not cut it off, then later we can no longer suspend it, but on the contrary, it becomes beyond our strength. Therefore, I beseech you, let us always act in such a way that we will never fall asleep. Have you not seen that often a long standing on guard remained useless, because those who guarded for a short time gave themselves up to sleep? Through this short (sleep) they ruined everything, giving the attempter of theft great courage. Just as we do not so much pay attention to thieves as they spy on us, so the devil watches us most of all, lies in wait and gnashes his teeth. Let us therefore not fall asleep; Let us not say: there is nothing from this side (we are not threatened), nor from this side. Often we are robbed from where we did not think. So it is with evil: we can perish from where we did not expect. Let us examine everything carefully, let us not get drunk, and we will not fall asleep; let us not be satiated, and we shall not slumber; let us not rush madly at external goods, and let us remain sober. Let us protect ourselves from all sides. Just as those who walk on a tightrope cannot be careless, even a little, because great evil comes from this little one, and if they stumble, they immediately fall down and perish, so we must not remain careless. We walk a narrow path, surrounded on one side by rapids, on which both feet cannot stand together. Do you see how much caution we need? Do you not see that those who walk the path surrounded by rapids not only tread cautiously with their feet, but also look attentively with their eyes? Even if the one who walks in a certain place visibly and cautiously, and even if his foot stands firmly, the eye, clouded by looking into the abyss, can cast him down: he needs to think about himself and about how to tread — which is why it is said: "neither to the right nor to the left" (Proverbs 4:27). Deep is the abyss of evil, great are the rapids, thick is the darkness below, narrow is the path. Let us listen to ourselves with fear, let us go with trembling. Following this path, no one indulges in laughter and does not burden himself with drunkenness, but follows this path soberly and with attention. Going this way, no one carries anything superfluous. And happy is he who, being well girded, can pass through safely, and no one in such a case binds his feet, but leaves them free.

5. But we, who bind ourselves with innumerable cares and take upon ourselves innumerable worldly burdens, being inattentive and distracted, how can we hope to walk such a narrow path? He did not simply say, "Narrow is the way," but expressing amazement, "Narrow is the way!" that is, very narrow, as we do when we speak of very marvellous things. And again: "strait is the gate, and narrow," he says, "the way that leadeth unto life" (Matt. 7:14). And he rightly said: narrow. When we must give an account of our words, thoughts, deeds, and everything, then verily (such a path) is narrow. And we make it even narrower, fattening and expanding ourselves, and stepping with careless foot. The narrow path is difficult for everyone, but especially for the fat one; whereas, on the contrary, he who exhausts himself will not even feel cramped, — he who has learned to constrain himself will not complain of embarrassment.

And so, let no one expect to see the sky in bliss—that is impossible! With luxury, let no one hope to walk the narrow path—this is impossible! Let no one who walks the broad path hope to attain life. Therefore, if you see that someone delights himself with baths, an expensive table, or (numerous) servants, do not consider yourself unhappy because you do not have them, but pity him, because he is walking the path of destruction. Indeed, what is the use of this path when it ends in sorrow? On the contrary, what harm is there from that crowding when it leads to rest? Tell me, if someone, being summoned to the king's palaces, walked through narrow, slippery passages, and another someone, doomed to death, was dragged along the middle of the square, then whom would we consider happy and whom would we regret? Is it not about those who would walk the broad path? So in the present case, let us consider happy not those who live in luxury, but those who do not live in luxury. These latter hasten to heaven, and they to hell. Perhaps many of them will laugh at our words; but that is why I weep especially, that is why I weep, because they do not know what is to be laughed at, and what is most necessary to weep about, but they confuse, pervert, and distort everything. That is why I weep for them. What sayest thou, O man? Having to be resurrected, to give an account of your deeds and to suffer the severest punishment, you do not pay the slightest attention to this, but take care of gluttony and drunkenness, and in addition you laugh? But I weep for you, knowing what misfortunes await you, and what punishment must befall you, and therefore I weep especially because you laugh. Weep with me, weep with me for your misfortunes. Tell me, if any of your household were to perish, would you not turn away from those who laugh at his death, and consider them enemies? on the contrary, would you not love those who would weep and lament with you? Therefore, when your wife lay dead, you would turn away from him who would laugh; And when the soul in you dies, do you turn away from him who weeps for it, and laugh yourself? Do you see how the devil has disposed us to be our own enemies and enemies? Let us wake up someday, open our eyes, wake up, take care of eternal life, interrupt our long-term sleep! There is judgment, there is punishment, there is resurrection and testing of works. The Lord is coming in the clouds, "before Him is a consuming fire, and around Him is a mighty storm," says (the Psalmist) (Psalm 49:3). A river of fire flows before Him, a worm that does not die, a fire that does not quench, pitch darkness, gnashing of teeth. Even if you are annoyed a thousand times over about this, I will not cease to talk about it. If the prophets, being stoned, did not be silent, how much more should we endure displeasure and not speak of conversation to please you, lest we ourselves be cut in pieces for deceiving you. There is eternal torment, joyless – there will be no defender. "Who will regret a spellcaster bitten by a snake?" [9] (Sirach 12:13)? When we do not have mercy on ourselves, who will have mercy on us, tell me? If you saw someone piercing himself with a sword, could you ever spare him? No! Especially when we have the opportunity to improve, and we do not improve, who will have pity on us? No one! Let us have mercy on ourselves. When we pray to God, saying: have mercy on me, O Lord, let us say this to ourselves, and let us have mercy on ourselves. It is in our power that God has mercy on us. He Himself granted it to us. If we do something worthy of mercy, worthy of His love for mankind, then God will have mercy on us. If we do not have mercy on ourselves, then who will have pity on us? Have mercy on your neighbor, and you will be pardoned by God Himself. How many people come up to you every day, saying: "Have mercy on me," and you do not turn around! How many are naked, how many are crippled, and we do not bow down to their entreaties, but turn away! How then do you want to be pardoned without doing anything worthy of pardon yourself? Let us be compassionate, let us be merciful, so that in this way we may please God and be vouchsafed the blessings promised to those who love Him, through the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.