This is one of the desert fathers' most important teachings. Remembering death rather than life might sound strange. In Christianity, death is not the end but the prerequisite for resurrection, the gateway to another life (eternal life). In this sense, Christian death can be described as a death that holds life within it. If everything ended with death, life would not have the same meaning. What would life be like without death?
Life and death are like two sides of the same coin. Life is death, and death is life. Plato said true philosophy is preparation for death. Life is also preparation for death. Ultimately, living well means dying well.
Holy people are always prepared to meet death well. The 4th-century Egyptian desert monks constantly meditated on death, living with it ever before their eyes. The idea that a monk must remember death daily is frequently found in early monastic literature. It was an excellent means of avoiding discouragement and self-abandonment. The memory of death, on the one hand, guards the monk against falling into error, and on the other, urges him to cultivate and practice virtue.
The following sayings show us how the monks put this rule into practice. “If you live as if you were to die every day, you will not sin. This means that when we wake each morning, we should think we may not live until evening, and when we lie down at night, we should think we may not wake again.” “A monk should always be prepared as if he were to die the next day.”
The Desert Fathers did not greet death as a dreaded uninvited guest but rather prepared themselves to welcome death as a guest, always remaining vigilant. They regarded death as a grateful friend that liberates one from the toil of this world.
“Remember that you do not know when the thief will come, and remember the impending death of your brother.” Another elder said, “I await death every morning and evening.” Yet another elder advised: “Ask yourself when you sleep: ‘Will I wake tomorrow morning, or will I not?’
There are many more examples. Ultimately, to constantly remember death is to live as if today were your last day. The Fathers paid particular attention to maintaining fervor by thinking each day was a new beginning.
Happy Thanksgiving!