As we enter the New Year, bringing one period of time to its close and stepping into another, it is fitting for us to reflect upon the nature of time and its purpose in our lives.

What, then, is time, and when did it come into being?

Time is the mode of existence of the fallen material world. According to the understanding of certain holy Fathers, time came into being after the fall in the angelic realm. Before this, there existed what the Fathers call created eternity. By their rebellion against God, the fallen spirits shattered this eternal order, and creation became spatial, material, and temporal. Thus, time was given in order to set a limit to evil, lest it become endless.

Time is finite: it had a beginning and shall one day come to an end. Holy Scripture reveals that at the consummation of the ages eternity will be restored, where time shall be no more — eternal glory for those who are with God, and eternal loss for those who are without Him. To deliver us from destruction and lead us into eternal glory, the King and Lord of the coming eternity — Christ — entered our world.

Therefore, as we begin a new year, let us remember that the time of our earthly life is given to us so that we may acquire blessed eternity. There is nothing more precious than time, for through it alone we may prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of God.

This preparation is accomplished through repentance and the correction of our lives according to Christ’s commandments. Blessed is the person who lives in such a way as to be ready to stand before God at any moment.

Let us therefore labour while we still have time, that we may inherit the eternal Kingdom and its unfading glory.