What I Am You Will Be | Memento Mori | Remembrance of Death | Mt Athos Monk Skull | Ascetic Ethos | Orthodox Christian Black MugOur mind is so darkened by the fall that unless we force ourselves to remember death we can completely forget about it. When we forget about death, then we begin to live on earth as if were were immortal, and we sacrifice all our activity to the world without concerning ourselves in the least either about the fearful transition to eternity or about our fate in eternity. Then we boldly and peremptorily override the commandments of Christ; then we

not all together

the icon of the Annunciation was situated in the main church of the town

and other snares of the Devil

archangels—all the heavenly powers

" that is a separate one for each person

the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force

my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness

vigil and all the other Christian practices

with Thyself Thou didst raise up fallen mankind and didst cast down all the power of the enemy

- Stichera for the Dead

For who hopes for what he sees

with all its evil