The talk by St Ephrem (4th century desert hermit)
...St. Gregory of
Nyssa asserts that it was impossible to read his sermon on the Last Judgment,
and still more so to hear it, without tears. My dear brethren; he said, you are
listening to the words which I am going to speak concerning the fearful coming
of the Lord. But who can relate such terrible things ? If I think of that
dreadful moment I am entranced with fear. The King of kings will descend from
heaven, from the throne of glory, to take His seat as Judge, and will call all the inhabitants of
earth before His judgment-seat. Alas ! a clap of thunder makes us tremble now;
how then shall we bear the clang of those trumpets which shall wake the dead ? As
soon as the sleeping bodies in the bosom of the grave shall hear this sound,
life will animate them once more.
All will rise
again in one and the same moment, without a single hair being wanting to them ;
they will collect together and stream towards the place of judgment ; for the
heavenly King issues His commands, and the stricken earth and the agitated
depths of ocean give back their dead; Then he described the fire which
enkindles the whole world ; the angels who separate the sheep from the
goats ; the sign of the Cross shining with light, which is carried before the
King ; man kind in fear and confusion ; the just overflowing with joy, and the
wicked a prey to despair ; the heavenly hosts glorifying the thrice holy God
with their songs of praise ; heaven opened, and the Lord surrounded by such
glory that neither heaven nor earth can support it. Ephrem was so affected that
his voice melted into tears, and he was unable to proceed.
But the
congregation cried aloud to him, Continue to instruct us in these fearful things,
say further, thou servant of God, what will happen after that/ Ephrem then
unfolded before their eyes the Book of Life in which all our thoughts, words,
and works are written. Then each man will be called up to undergo a severe examination,
and will not dare to lift up his eyes to the Eternal Judge, whose divinely just
decree awards to each one life or death, heaven or hell. my dearest brethren !
how many tears ought we not to shed day and night in expectation of this fearful
judgment. At the mere thought of such things my limbs stiffen.
We conjure thee,
exclaimed his hearers, continue to speak
to us for our welfare and the salvation of our souls; my dearest brethren
!continued Ephrem, then will each Christian be examined whether he has the seal
of holy baptism and the treasure of the faith ; each Christian will be asked
whether he has lived according to his renunciation of Satan and his works, not
only one or two of his works, but all in general. Oh, blessed is he who has
faithfully kept his promise ! Then is announced that woeful sentence which
parts men for ever from one another : bishops from bishops, priests from
priests, deacons and lectors from their companions in orders; children from
their parents, brothers from their sisters, friends from their friends. After
the separation has taken place, the reprobate will call upon the elect with
unspeakable lamentation, and will say :
Farewell ye
saints and servants of God ! farewell ye prophets, apostles, and martyrs !
farewell ye parents, children, and friends ! farewell for ever thou most
Blessed Virgin, Mother of God ! All ye have prayed for the salvation of our
souls but we would not be saved. Farewell saving Cross ! farewell Paradise,
thou field of delights, thou ever lasting kingdom, thou heavenly Jerusalem !
Fare well ye blessed ! Farewell to bliss ! We shall see you no more ! We are
sinking into an abyss of pain and torments, we have no more hope of salvation
for ever Ephrem continued to speak in this way for a long time to the
breathlessly attentive congregation, and wept and sobbed, and struck his breast
in penitence. He did not do this with the motive of affecting his hearers, but
the sinfulness of men, and the justice of God, represented themselves so
forcibly to his mind, that his interior agitation made him lose his
self-command.
