Just before her birthday and the beginning of her transformative and salvific mission in the world, the Mother Church today compassionately calls us to earnest prayer for the repose of our departed fathers, brothers, sisters, relatives, parents, and ancestors. In doing so, she reminds us that within her, all of us—the living and the departed—are one, a single world, a single family, and that within her, in truth, everyone is alive.
In this spirit, the Holy Bigorski Monastery, gathered around its Elder, Bishop Parthenij of Antania, dedicated the past night vigil to offering heartfelt prayers for the blessed repose of those who have departed from us, seeking forgiveness for every transgression, voluntary and involuntary, for “all devout and Orthodox Christians, kings, patriarchs, hierarchs, priests, hieromonks, hierodeacons, monks, nuns, and all our fathers and forefathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers, parents and ancestors, brothers and sisters, and relatives, all from the ends of the earth who have passed away on land, at sea, in deserts, in mountains and caves, and in every place from the beginning until the end”.
Inspiredly, our beloved Elder once said, “Prayer for the departed is a profound expression of our radiant faith, which celebrates life, love, and eternal communion with God and our neighbors. The prayer for the departed is deeply rooted in Orthodox tradition and spirituality, and it maintains the living and unbroken connection between the living and the deceased. It affirms our belief and experience in eternal life and that death does not break the community between us and our loved ones. It is also an expression of ultimate love and forgiveness, helping us to transcend our human limitations and feel God’s mercy and love. Praying for our departed loved ones helps us better understand time and eternity. It reminds us that life does not end with bodily death but that there is eternity, a spiritual world, where our true abode lies. This prayer emphasizes the communion of all the faithful, living and departed, in Christ the Savior”.
