O God of all spirits and all flesh, Who have destroyed death, overcome the Devil, and given life to the world, grant, O Lord, to the soul of your servant Aaron, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of mankind, forgive him every sin he has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin: You alone are without sin, Your righteousness is everlasting, and Your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the Repose of your departed servant, Aaron, O Christ our God, and we render glory to You, together with Your Eternal Father and your All-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
May his memory be eternal.
May his memory be eternal.
May his memory be eternal.
O Christ God, with the Saints, grant rest to the soul of your servant, Aaron, in a place where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing, but everlasting life. Amen.
Eclectic Orthodoxy 
A most beautiful prayer, entirely appropriate for Fathers’ Day.
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I will visit Aaron’s gravesite a little later this morning and will chant the Akathist to Jesus Christ for a Loved One who has Fallen Asleep.”
I miss my son so very much.
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We think of memory as tied down to an implacable past.
In truth, memory is creative and loving, drawn not from the irretrievable past, but the eternal, which, while in this aeon, we experience as future.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
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Amen.
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Memory eternal.
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Dear Father Aidan,
Aaron, you and your whole family are in my thoughts and prayers. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in the peace of The Lord.
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Prayers for you and your family on this difficult day. May your sons memory be eternal.
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Amen.
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Give rest to the soul of Thy servant, O God, and establish him in Paradise, where the choirs of the saints and of the just, O Lord, shine like the stars of heaven. Give rest to Thy servant who has fallen asleep, overlooking all his transgressions.
Memory eternal.
Dana
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Love finds a way to heal.
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Fr. Aidan & family,
Thank you for sharing your beautiful prayer, that expresses the hope amidst your sorrow. I am with you on the mourning bench, having lost my dear father just a few days ago. (Certainly less tragic a loss but still sorrowful.) I prayed your prayer once for Aaron and once for my father.
For Aaron’s anniversary and Father’s Day to fall together this year must be especially difficult and my prayers are with you. Although we have never met in person, I have felt a connection to your family since we “met” on Fr. Stephen’s blog almost 2 years ago. That was my first reading about Orthodoxy and our interaction there touched me deeply. I have not stopped reading and my faith in Christ keeps growing.
I had an experience some time ago that I have wanted to share with you but did not know if I should. (I feel now that I should – but forgive me if I’m wrong and feel free to remove my comment if you think it inappropriate.) Around the time your wife lost her mother, I had read your blog and reflected on your loss of Aaron. The thought passed and I proceeded to do something else. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, I had a very strong sense within, “Aaron is all right. Aaron is completely all right. If only they knew how COMPLETELY all right he is…” I was overcome with joy at how “all right” he is.
I am not a person prone to mystical experiences and, of course, cannot guarantee that this event was anything more than my imagination. But it felt very deep and beautiful – and I had an intense desire to prayerfully share it with you and your family. (My discernment at the time, however, suggested that it was not the time to do so.) It also seemed to be a unique experience in that I have not been able conjure up the same sensation again when I have thought about it.
So I offer this to you and your family now. A humble offering that I know will not make you miss your son any less. But please know that he is all right. Completely all right…
Memory eternal.
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Thank you so very much, Mary. This is an answer to prayer. Thank you.
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Thank you, friends, for your prayers for my son.
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Your beautiful prayer brought tears to my eyes, and I am not a weeper by nature. I pray for your dear son, but more so, I pray for his surviving family, who are the ones who suffer. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child, but I hope with all my heart and soul that you feel comfort knowing .he is at peace with God.
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Dear Father Aidan, May God console you in your fatherly grief, and may Aaron’s memory be eternal. For He is a good God and loves mankind.
Fr. Thomas
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