About the memory of death

The essay “On the Memory of Death” (980-987) is part of the “Catechetical Words” (Word 21) by St. Simeon the New Theologian. It is dedicated to the blessed death of the young monk Anthony (the saint’s spiritual or sibling brother). St. Simeon touches on the themes of mortal memory, spiritual leadership, his own “hardships” and “loneliness” as an abbot, as well as the possibility of achieving holiness in contemporary times. Anthony's example is presented as the ideal of monastic life. Having spent his life in virginity in body and heart, he achieves such purity that he confesses even the slightest “non-sinful” things as sins. Anthony dies without attachment to the world, without memories of family or perishable things, “in the sweetest sleep in the deep world,” which is evidence of his holiness and readiness to meet God. St. Simeon calls on all believers to imitate his faith, deeds, confession and repentance, so that they too can fearlessly depart from the body and rest in eternal settlements. This publication presents the translation of Hieromonk Vasily (Krivoshein), which was made directly from the Greek original and fills the gap in existing Russian publications, where this Word was absent. See also: Note on the word “On the memory of death” by Rev. Simeon the New Theologian, Hierarch. Vasily (Krivoshein) Word 21. About the memory of death. And what a good death his thrice-happy brother Anthony had. And at the end of the word there is a funeral address to him 1. Brothers and fathers, I pray to God, who has had mercy on me, so that the salvation of all will be arranged, and our souls will be well directed to the life there, where the brothers and parents who preceded us await us, where our thrice happy and blessed brother, Mr. Anthony, also went, who led a good and holy life and truly repented, having atoned through his labors for what only a few of the monks consider sins. Being pure and having acquired a heart pure from passionate thoughts, this saint considered small and, as it seems to me, completely innocent things to be great sins and confessed them. And covered by the grace of God, he spent his life as a virgin, pure in both body and heart. For from the moment he entered the gates of the monastery and united with Christ, he did not defile the clothes of his flesh and his soul, either by the union of thoughts, or by the agreement of thoughts, or by any action, as he himself told me about this, sitting near his bed and crying. “Why are you crying,” he said, “brother? After all, I was not an apostate from faith in God, but I hope I retained it, like Him. And since I came to this holy monastery, I say this without boasting, but trusting in God and in the prayer of our holy father, I have not committed any carnal sin. I spent my days in carelessness in eating and drinking. “I place myself, however, in the love of God, who knows everything, and I surrender to how He will deal with my humility.” How, therefore, are the last words and sayings of the great fathers greater than what our brother said? For he boldly told us about his purity and virginity and at the same time made humility, incapable of falling, the property of his soul, preserving in this the words or, better to say, the commandment of the Master, which says: When you have done everything, then say that we are worthless slaves; what we had to do, we did (Luke 17:10). After this, having met alone with our holy father, he wept and told him similar things that amazed both the holy father himself and ourselves. Yes, not only we were amazed by them, but also everyone without exception who heard about them after his death. For no one among us hoped that such a treasure of purity and virginity was hidden in him. After this, with great willingness he put on the holy and angelic great schema, and on the seventh day, with the outpouring of many tears, in unshakable faith and perfect knowledge, this newly enlightened and newly called warrior, the last, compared to us, to enter real life and the first to leave the vanity of the world, thus departed to his Master in unspeakable joy, leaving us poor incessant weeping. For when I remember what you yourself know, what I, vain, did and said to him, trying for his spiritual salvation, I go completely into a frenzy both in mind and in thought and ignite in my heart, how did all this remain hidden from me, how vain I was, instructing my husband, from whom I should have rather been instructed myself? Because, regarding his virtues as shortcomings, I experienced an acute painful feeling and trembled for the spiritual salvation of my beloved brother. Thus should I speak and not lie, who boasts in Christ! And at the same time, I am overwhelmed with unspeakable joy that I saw my brother out of this life in this way and was honored to see him depart to Christ in such deeds and actions. For God, who tests our thoughts and thoughts, knows that from the very beginning I had great effort and care about this and that I shed many streams of tears precisely for its sake. And the Lover of Mankind did not despise the request of the poor me, but in mutual love and humility and faith towards us, my brother flew to heaven, leaving one body in my pitiful hands. For when I cried and said: “Don’t forget us, brother! Now you are ending and leaving us,” he said quietly and calmly: “No, I hope in God.” And having uttered these last words with his purest lips, he went to God. And not just saying it once, but twice. Namely, after I first asked him: “Don’t forget us, dearly beloved brother.” He twice promised not to forget us in response. And stretching out his legs and folding his hands crosswise, in a serene state of soul, he fell asleep in the sweetest sleep in deep peace and fell asleep in a sleep befitting the righteous, without showing any attachment to anything from the real world. Because he did not remember any relatives, nor called any friend by name in this life, nor made orders about any perishable thing, but having hated both dung and dirt and felt disgust for everything here, thus stripped of all desire for visible things and from connection with them, he passed into the intelligible kingdoms, becoming truly a worthy inhabitant and heir of them. And in fairness. For if God commanded us, naked, to clothe our brothers, how much more will He Himself become the clothing and covering of my sweetest brother, who bared himself for Him from the whole world and from what is in the world, and went naked to Him? All of us, however, having again examined the life of our brother, let us imitate, I ask, his faith, his deeds, confession, repentance, so that we, coming to the exodus from the body, would depart from the body fearlessly and serenely, like him, and having gone to God, would dwell in Him in good hope and rest in the eternal villages, where the dwelling of all those who rejoice and where the face of the blessed and saints resides fathers. But remember the promise, O most beloved and beloved of God, thrice-desired brother, and do not forget your last and sweetest words for me, praying for us, your brothers, and for all your kind. You know what evil circumstances we find ourselves in, having found ourselves in wonderful and many blessings. Because he who is delivered from darkness knows exactly the pitiful state of those who are held in it. So, pray, we urgently ask, and now to God for all your brotherhood in Christ, as you have never disobeyed anyone asking you or deprived those in need of the food you yourself need. Pray for brothers who are attached to your love and cannot endure separation, and who do not have the strength to hold back their tears, so that when you meet us, you would have us with you. And please the good God to settle us with you and prepare for us a place of rest, arranged by doing good here, so that with you and with you, as in this life, we would live together there and rejoice, worthy to lead and see a sad and blissful life. And just as we have prepared for you, who fled from the world to monastic residence, a monastery and home, so now you, who before us entered into the ineffable and divine and immaterial way of life, kindly meet us, or rather accept us and accompany us and work together as a brotherly loving brother. And free us from those who are trying to hinder and interfere with our arrival to you, remembering that we also helped your coming to us and worked together with you in the brotherhood of this life. For we need your cooperation more now than when you undertook to leave the networks of the world. Because I have many burdens, sweetest brother, burdening my humble soul and body. The most terrible of them is loneliness and great concern for the brothers who are with us. You know that I am a furious zealot in this concern! In any case, now you have learned about my disposition towards you and that I never denounced you out of hatred or disgust, but in every possible way sought to strengthen my instructions, loving you greatly and inflamed by unfailing tenderness for you. For, I know, now you, freed from the darkness and heaviness of this body, see my soul and its thoughts naked. For, having become God-like, you see everything that relates to us more God-like. Do not turn out to be a deceiver in relation to your promises and do not forget about the brother who loved you excessively and, if it is not bold to say, laid down his very soul for you. But give a helping hand in your favorable prayers, so that we may be worthy to reach you and dwell with you in our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ Himself, making our dwelling in Him, abiding in inexpressible light, in imperishable life, in unspeakable joy, in indescribable glory and lightness, visible and worshiped forever in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Translation from Greek by Hieromonk Vasily (Krivoshein).