Remember, O man, that thou art dust. And unto dust shalt thou return. Riches do not remain. Glory does not accompany one to the other world. Beauty changes, youth passes and old age comes, health fades, illness follows, and the grave disintegrates everything into nothing.
Elder Ephraim of Arizona and Philotheou Mt. Athos
Everything in this vain world will pass. The world and life are a fair, a carnival show, and each person can buy eternal life with the "money" of his life. How wise is the person who spends his money - his life - buying whatever he will need for the hour of death and the tribunal of God! Let us buy precious things that are pleasing to the great King: confession, humility, purity of soul and body from carnal sins, godly love, and keeping ourselves far from criticizing others, idle talk, lying etc. When we master all this, we shall be wealthy in God's blessed land.
"Vanity of vanities". All is vanity in this world, my child.
This is what the wise Solomon cried out after he had tasted beyond satiety all the pleasures of the senses. He did not deprive his heart of any of the pleasures, and the end of all this was decay and destruction. On the contrary, he who works for God not only is not deprived of the necessities of life here, but also feels the true joy and peace of God already in this life.
Riches do not remain. Glory does not accompany one to the other world. Beauty changes, youth passes and old age comes, health fades, illness follows, and the grave disintegrates everything into nothing. When we visit our final dwelling, our grave, we shall see with our own eyes all the vanity of man, as Abba Sisoes when he saw the tomb of Alexander the Great and cried out,
"Alas, alas, O death! The entire world was not big enough for you, Alexander. How then have you fit into two meters of earth now?"
There in the tomb the dreams of vain pleasures are sealed. Whatever preoccupied many people with love and sacrifices is trampled underfoot there. In the tomb, the souls that realized the world's deceit triumphantly ridicule it.
My child, be careful with this world which is like a theater. For poor and ignoble people on stage in the theater wear the clothes of kings, tycoons, etc. and appear to be different from what they really are and fool the audience. But when the show is over and they take off their masks, then their true faces are revealed.
Glory to Thee Our God.
+ Glory to Thee for All Things! +
