DAILY CONTEMPLATION

Wishing You a Blessed Nayrouz

Life in the world is like a manuscript of writings that is still in rough draft.
When a man wishes or desires to do so, he can add something or subtract from it,
and make changes in the writings.
But the life in the world to come is like documents written on clean scrolls and sealed with the royal seal,
where no addition or deletion is possible.
Therefore, so long as we are found in the midst of change, let us pay heed to ourselves;
and while we have power over the manuscript of our life,
which we have written by our own hand,
let us strive earnestly to add to it by leading a good manner of life,
and let us erase from it the failings of our former life.
We have power to erase our debts from it as long as we are here.
And God will take into account every change we make in it,
so that we may be deemed worthy of eternal life before we go before the King
and He sets His seal upon it.
For so long as we are in this world, God does not affix His seal
either to what is [a good life] or what is [an evil life],
even up to the moment of our departure
when the service of our fatherland is completed and we set out upon our journey.
St. Isaac the Syrian