+Patrick's funeral and Mercy Meal

I told Mr Husband that +Patrick timed things perfectly:

Funeral Liturgy for Soul Saturday

(a day we pray esp for the departed world wide in

all Orthodox Churches)...

Psalter Reading, then the 6th and 9th hour,

then Liturgy, then the Funeral service,

then the Burial, then the Mercy Meal.

***

The Roses at the funeral were incredibly beautiful...

the icons of St. Patrick (one given by dear friends of Patrick

a few Christmases ago) and St. George from Patrick's icon corner,

were so wonderful to see throughout the service...

***

I am not going into detail about it here, but the Orthodox

Funeral Services, to me, are the most healing,

the most freeing, the most natural way to deal with what

is most unnatural - that a person with an immortal soul dies and 

is put back into the earth he/she came from.

***

I have personally been deeply healed from unresolved grief of 

20 years by having a memorial service done, years ago,

for my dear childhood friend Timothy Mark.

Hard to believe that this summer will be his 30th year since

we lost him on this side of Heaven.

***

It was so wonderful to be at +Patrick's funeral today.

I am deeply grateful to the Lord that He gave me

the strength and health to bake for the

Mercy Meal.

I was able to give the 8 mini-loaves of

Cranberry Orange Cake away in memory of +Patrick

and had good amount leftover that DV will be used 

for the church coffee hour after liturgy tomorrow,

Sunday... 

***

Mr Husband printed the icons of St George and St Patrick for 

dear friends of Patrick and myself...

and let me buy (and pointed out to me!) tins of tea as a 

comfort to them and to me as we grieve...

***

We took a cab to the funeral and from the mercy meal -

they were at different places... 

My Husband is still on the weak side of recovering 

and it was over an hour drive each way.

We had really nice cab drivers....

We ate simple food for dinner,

including Pascha bread from last Pascha,

which somehow seemed deeply fitting,

as the true resolution and healing of all pain and loss is found

in the Lord's Holy Pascha.