“At the extremely difficult and exceedingly grievous hour of death, there is no one to help a person except for his works.  In fact,no one except God. If we serve Him, we shall have an almighty helper and protector at the fearful and deadly separation of our soul and body. What a struggle the soul has as it is separated from the body! Keep this struggle constantly in mind; think and note that we also have to pass the aerial tollhouses which impede souls from ascending… We should ponder these things and other such things so that we can trace out more clearly what kind of goal we have and so that we can run as quickly as possible to obtain it, for we do not know what tomorrow holds. The time of death is unknown. Only good deeds done for God will remain and will follow man beyond death. Only good deeds done for God will remain and will follow man beyond death.”

– ‘Counsels from the Holy Mountain’