John Chrysostom, To Catechumens

toiling. Did you see, O Christ-lover, how great is the generosity of the Creator towards our race? Why then are you neglectful, O catechumen? Why do you delay? Come to the Master who is calling you. Do you not hear the wise one exhorting and saying: "Do not wait to return to the Lord, and do not put it off from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come"? And he shortens the time, seeing the nature of men easily and in a short time changing. For many, having given themselves to small postponements, wisely thought they had stored up a hope from both sides, neither expecting to be deprived of what was hoped for, and considering it a gain for the time being to make full use of this life, who, before the enjoyment of necessary things, were snatched away, given over to eternal 60.740 torments and punishments; and as they thought to steal a short time, they did not perceive that their whole salvation was being stolen, being suddenly snatched away even before old age. For this reason the Master Christ called death the thief of man; "For as a thief," he says, "in the night, so he comes;" so that we, being disturbed by the uncertainty of the plot, may not hope for the deadline of a longer time. For we do not have authority over the postponement of time, nor are we masters to live as long as we wish. For on account of this we were not entrusted with the knowledge of our own departure, so that we might lessen the immoderation of our sins, being taught to be sober-minded by the fear of death.

Let us count those who each day are sent forth to their tombs, let us observe how among the old a great multitude of the young has been mixed. Why then, O catechumen, do you overlook the security of your own soul, and having set aside the fear of death, do you promise me time as a strong champion? How many men, delighting in the pleasures of life, and boasting in the vigor of the flesh as in an unchangeable power, like dust by a whirlwind, were suddenly snatched away to the grave! Therefore, since we are not able to set for ourselves the time of our life, let us not drag out the fear of its end. How many who were lazy, and expected a long life, did a sudden conflagration reduce to ashes? How many were buried by an earthquake? How many who were sailing did the sea cover? How many did a sudden chasm of the earth receive? How many travelers did suddenly overflowing rivers sweep away? How many, having fallen among wild beasts and robbers, perished? How many did the sword of wars reap? How many did sudden onsets of diseases consume? How many, having been separated from their own country, received the signal of death, and were not even deemed worthy of a common burial? Do you not hear the Master continually crying out, and indicating the nearness of the end: "The axe is laid to the root of the trees"? What is the axe? Death. What is the root? The life of man. Who is the one cutting? The decision of the Master, which in cutting cries out: "You are earth, and to earth you shall return." Therefore, departing from this, let us approach Christ who is calling; let us run, being transported from darkness to light, let us run to the Lord who gives rest, having subjected the flesh to the spirit; let us run, let us hasten faster than death, let us anticipate the angels coming for our appearance. For the present life is as a word, and the span of life runs past like a shadow.

Time is spent, the character is not improved; deeds run ahead, the judge waits, the command urges, the angels are present, the conscience accuses, and what shall we do when called to judgment? Therefore let us love a good way of life, let us hate the habit of sinning, let us take thought for the future defense, let us acquire purity of life; for the pure in heart, they shall see God. Let us love the Master's crowns; with much eagerness let us run the stadium of life, having as our fellow worker in the contest Christ the contest-giver himself. For to those who love, he says, God, all things work together for the

κοπιῶντες. Εἶδες, φιλόχριστε, πόση ἡ τοῦ κτίσαντος περὶ τὸ γένος φιλοτιμία; Τί οὖν ἀμελεῖς, ὦ κατηχούμενε; τί βραδύνεις; Πρόσελθε τῷ ∆εσπότῃ καλοῦντί σε. Οὐκ ἀκούεις τοῦ σοφοῦ παραινοῦντος καὶ λέγοντος· Μὴ ἀνάμενε ἐπιστρέψαι πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ μὴ ὑπερτίθου ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας· ἐξαπίνης γὰρ ἐλεύσεται ἡ ὀργὴ Κυρίου; Συντέμνει δὲ τὸν χρόνον, ἰδὼν τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων φύσιν ῥᾳδίως καὶ ἐν βραχεῖ τρεπομένην. Πολλοὶ γὰρ δόντες ἑαυτοὺς μικροτέραις ὑπερθέσεσι, τὴν ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων ἐλπίδα σοφῶς ἐνόμισαν ταμιευσάμενοι, μήτε τῶν προσδοκωμένων ἀμοίρησιν ἐλπίζοντες, καὶ τὸ καταχρήσασθαι τέως τῷ βίῳ κέρδος ἡγούμενοι, οἳ πρὸ τῆς ἀπολαύσεως τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἡρπάγησαν, ταῖς αἰω 60.740 νίαις ἀποδοθέντες βασάνοις καὶ κολάσεσι· καὶ ὡς ἐνόμισαν χρόνον κλέπτειν βραχὺν, ὅλην οὐκ ἐνόησαν τὴν σωτηρίαν κλεπτόμενοι, ἐξαίφνης ἀνάρπαστοι καὶ πρὸ τοῦ γήρως γενόμενοι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ ∆εσπότης Χριστὸς κλέπτην ὠνόμασε τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸν θάνατον· Ὡς κλέπτης γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν νυκτὶ, οὕτως ἔρχεται· ἵν' ἡμεῖς πρὸς τὸ ἀόριστον τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς ταραττόμενοι, τὴν προθεσμίαν τοῦ πλείονος χρόνου μὴ ἐπελπίζωμεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐξουσιάζομεν τῆς χρονικῆς ὑπερθέσεως, οὐ κυριεύομεν τοῦ ζῆσαι καιρὸν ὅσον ἐθέλομεν. Τούτου γὰρ χάριν τὴν γνῶσιν οὐκ ἐπιστεύθημεν τῆς ἑαυτῶν μεταστάσεως, ἵνα τὴν ἀμετρίαν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἐλαττώσωμεν, τῇ δειλίᾳ τοῦ θανάτου σωφρονεῖν παιδευόμενοι.

Ἀριθμήσωμεν τοὺς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν προπεμπομένους ἐπὶ τὰ μνήματα, σκοπήσωμεν ὡς τοῖς γεγηρακόσι πολὺ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν νεαζόντων ἐνεμέμικτο. ∆ιὰ τί τοίνυν, ὦ κατηχούμενε, παρορᾷς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ψυχῆς τὴν ἀσφάλειαν, καὶ τὸν φόβον τοῦ θανάτου παραπεμψάμενος, τὸν χρόνον ὡς ἰσχυρὸν ἀγωνιστὴν ἐπαγγέλλῃ μοι; πόσοι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπιτερπόμενοι ταῖς τοῦ βίου ἡδοναῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς σαρκὸς γενναιότητι, ὡς ἀμεταβλήτῳ δυναστείᾳ, καυχώμενοι, καθάπερ χοῦς ὑπὸ λαίλαπος, ἀθρόον ἐπὶ τὴν ταφὴν ἀνηρπάσθησαν! Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ τὸν χρόνον ἑαυτοῖς ὁρίσαι τῆς ζωῆς οὐκ ἰσχύομεν, τὸν φόβον τῆς τελευτῆς μὴ ἑλκύσωμεν. Πόσους ῥᾳθυμήσαντας, καὶ μακροχρόνιον ζωὴν προσδοκήσαντας, ἐξαίφνης ἐμπρησμὸς κατετέφρωσε; πόσοι σεισμῷ κατεχώσθησαν; πόσους πλέοντας ἐκάλυψε θάλασσα; πόσους αἰφνίδιον τῆς γῆς ὑπεδέξατο χάσμα; πόσους ὁδοιποροῦντας ἀθρόον παρέσυραν ποταμοὶ πλημμυρίσαντες; πόσοι θηρίοις καὶ λῃσταῖς περιπεσόντες ἀπώλοντο; πόσους ἡ τῶν πολέμων ἐθέρισε μάχαιρα; πόσους ἐδαπάνησαν ἔφοδοι νοσημάτων αἰφνίδιοι; πόσοι τῆς ἑαυτῶν χωρισθέντες πατρίδος τὸ τοῦ θανάτου ἐδέξαντο σύνθημα, καὶ οὐδὲ τῆς κοινῆς ταφῆς ἠξιώθησαν; Οὐκ ἀκούεις συνεχῶς τοῦ ∆εσπότου βοῶντος, καὶ τὴν ἐγγύτητα τοῦ τέλους μηνύοντος· Ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται; Τίς ἡ ἀξίνη; Ὁ θάνατος. Τίς ἡ ῥίζα; Ἡ ζωὴ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Τίς ὁ κόπτων; Ἡ τοῦ ∆εσπότου ἀπόφασις, ἥτις ἐν τῷ κόπτειν βοᾷ· Γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ. Οὐκοῦν ταύτης ἀφιστάμενοι προσέλθωμεν τῷ καλοῦντι Χριστῷ· δράμωμεν ἐκ τοῦ σκότους πρὸς τὸ φῶς μεταγόμενοι, δράμωμεν πρὸς τὸν ἀναπαύοντα Κύριον, ὑποτάξαντες τὴν σάρκα τῷ πνεύματι· δράμωμεν, ἐπειχθῶμεν τοῦ θανάτου ταχύτερον, προλάβωμεν ἀγγέλους ἐπὶ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἐρχομένους παράστασιν. Ὡς λόγος ἐστὶν ὁ παρὼν βίος, καὶ ὡς σκιὰ παρατρέχει τῆς ζωῆς τὸ διάστημα.

Ὁ χρόνος δαπανᾶται, ὁ τρόπος οὐ βελτιοῦται· αἱ πράξεις προτρέχουσιν, ὁ κριτὴς περιμένει, κατεπείγει τὸ πρόσταγμα, παριστῶσιν οἱ ἄγγελοι, κατηγορεῖ ἡ συνείδησις, καὶ τί δράσομεν πρὸς κρίσιν καλούμενοι; Οὐκοῦν πολιτείας ἀγαθῆς ἐρασθῶμεν, μισήσωμεν τὴν τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν συνήθειαν, τῆς μελλούσης ἀπολογίας φροντίσωμεν, κτησώμεθα καθαρότητα βίου· οἱ γὰρ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται. Τῶν ∆εσποτικῶν ἐρασθῶμεν στεφάνων· σὺν προθυμίᾳ πολλῇ τοῦ βίου τὸ στάδιον δράμωμεν, αὐτὸν ἔχοντες συνεργοῦντα πρὸς τὸν ἀγῶνα τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην Χριστόν. Τοῖς γὰρ ἀγαπῶσι, φησὶ, τὸν Θεὸν πάντα συνεργεῖ εἰς τὸ