By St. Nikolai Velimirovich
Repent before death closes the door of your life and opens the door of judgement.
Repent before death and since you do not know the hour of death, repent today, even now, and cease to repeat your sin.
Thus, St. Ephraim the Syrian prays:
Before the wheel of time stops in my life, have mercy on me;
Before the wind of death blows and diseases, the heralds of death, appear on my body, have mercy on me;
Before the majestic sun in the heights becomes darkened for me, Have mercy on me; and may Your light shine for me from on high and disperse the dreadful darkness of my mind;
Before the earth returns to earth and becomes decay and before the destruction of all the features of its beauty, have mercy;
Before my sins deceive me at the judgment and shame me before The Judge, have mercy O Lord, filled with gentleness;
Before the hosts come forth, preceding the Son of the King to assemble our miserable race before the throne of the Judge, have mercy,
Before the voice of the trumpet sounds before Your coming, spare Your servants and have mercy, O Lord our Jesus;
Before You lock Your door before me, O Son of God, and before I become food for the unquenchable fires of Gehenna, have mercy on me.
