memento mori

Our old pal Aphrahat is back today in A Year with the Church Fathers. He reminds us to keep it in mind that we will die one day. So live life accordingly, he says.

The stoics had a saying in Latin, "Memento Mori", which means "Remember that you are going to die." The idea in the stoic philosophy is to keep things in perspective by keeping the fact of our death, and the shortness of life, in mind. Seneca wrote an entire book on the shortness of life. And Marcus Aurelius taught those who listened to live their lives with the fact of their ultimate demise in mind at all times.

Aphrahat reminds us of something similar. We will face God one day. What we do today will either please Him or it won't. One day we will look back on our entire lives, and there will be so much that we are proud of, and so much that we regret. What did you do today that will make you proud? What will make you ashamed? Maybe tomorrow, do more of the former and less of the latter.

Both the stoics and Aphrahat would endorse that idea.

God, thanks for teaching us to keep our deaths in mind, so we live soberly, and remember what's important.

PS if you like that coin, you can buy one here