“In the days of their life, men command as if (they were) God. But at the time of their end they all die like beasts. Yesterday they were proud kings exalted with power. Today, they are dead, fallen, cast down and wretched” She’himo, Saturday Vespers.
“Do not place me, my brothers, in a decorated grave, for I am a grave which is full of sins and offenses. Bury me among strangers where the poor are laid to rest that when the Son of God comes He May call and raise me up and have mercy on me” She’himo, Saturday 9th hour
Those of us who come from fairly well-to-do backgrounds and are citizens of a very rich and powerful country can get it into our heads that we will live this life forever in uninterrupted ease, with our reality complying to the last demand. Lives of relative ease and routine can lull us into living inauthentically, away from or even in spite of our true selves, convinced that this is “as good as it gets”. Remembering our vulnerability, our regrets and our mortality can throw our real priorities into sharp relief, not only to ourselves but to others, too. It is in these not-so-comfortable parts of our lives that God can speak the loudest, up and over any excuses or justifications we’ve concocted. Ask now before it’s too late: “what is my life for?” “Where have I fooled myself into thinking I ‘run the show’?”
No comments:
Post a Comment