Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Thank you for your prayers for my Grandmother. Her suffering has ended. Friday, very unexpectantly, she fell asleep in the Lord. She has gone on to be with the One whom she taught me to love. I trust He has done what is best for her, even if I'll miss her so much. A Prayer from our Memorial Service:
O Christ, Son of God, forebearing and compassionate, have compassion, in your love as our creator, upon the souls of your servancts who are at rest, especially upon the soul of your servant Florence Valentine, for whom we are offering these prayers. Be mindful of them in the great day of the coming of your kingdom. Make them worthy of mercy, of expiation and forgiveness of sins. Glorify them and reckon them with the company of your saints at your right hand.
For you are Lord and creator of all, judge of the living and of the dead. And to you is befitting glory, dominion and honor, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Providentially, her body is being laid to rest on the precise day of the Great Fast (the 3rd Day of the 5th Week) her husband, my grandfather, passed away two years ago. Providentially the prayer of St. Gregory of Nareg assigned for this day is the following:
Prayer 42
Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart
A
Lord God of compassion, salvation and mercy,
redemption and restoration, healing and health,
enlightenment and life, resurrection and immortality,
remember me, when you go to your kingdom,
O awesome, mighty, doer of good and creator of all,
living, praised, perfecter of all,
accessible to the sighs of all beings.
With the man who was crucified with you,
who was not captured for your sake and was not bound,
was not hanged and was not nailed,
was not beaten in your great name and
was not disgraced,
was not tortured and was not treated with contempt,
was not crushed and was not killed,
I beg to be worthy of the Kingdom and
the most desired light that is the reward of the just.
May you, by the authority of saying the oath, “Amen,”
affirm that your gifts are unchanging and
are glorified for giving the hope of salvation to
those of us that consider ourselves totally abandoned.
B
Blessed, blessed, and blessed again!
Having accepted me by that same faith,
raise me up from my fallen state, doer of good,
cure me of disease, merciful,
return me from the edge of death to life, lifegiver,
for I am yours, same as man’s faith, my refuge.
Grant the breath of life to the body of the dead,
O resurrection,
life, immortality, and inexhaustible joy,
boundless grace, unwavering forgiveness,
omnipotent right hand, all-governing hand,
all-reaching finger,
you have only to wish it, Lord, and I shall be saved,
only to think it, and by your mercy shall I be justified.
Say the word, and I will be found spotless.
Forget my wrongs, and I shall venture to emerge.
Cultivate me and I shall cleave to you,
you who are glorified in all things forever.
Amen.
from:
http://www.stgregoryofnarek.am/book.php?id=43&parent_id=43
