Memory Eternal

· Fr. Stephen Freeman

dscf0018A personal note:

I received news this evening (September 14) of the falling asleep of my mother, Nancy Freeman, in her home in South Carolina. Her passing was peaceful and marked with words of love.

My heart is very full. Earlier today I had given thanks for this 5th anniversary of my parents’ reception into the Orthodox faith. It seems significant to me that on this date my mother is now received into the heart’s true home. May her memory be eternal!

I am grateful for the many kind words that readers have shared with me over the past couple of years. I would ask that you remember my mother in your prayers. I would take it as a great kindness, indeed.

127 comments:

  3. Bringing your parents into the fullness of the faith. You should be very proud.

    My prayers go with you during this very sensitive and emotional time.

  5. Our prayers for her and for you and your family. Memory eternal.

    May those of us who continue to witness to our families be given the needed portion of Spirit.

  9. Memory Eternal Father!

    Wow! what a story when parents come back to their child’s Faith, when you see around and sometimes kids drifting away from their parent’s Faith.

  11. May the Lord bless her and keep her, and now that His face shines upon her without shadow, may she be filled with joy and delight.

    May you and all you love be comforted and held in the Father’s loving arms.

  14. Father Stephen,

    May your mother’s memory be eternal. Our prayers are with you and your family. Lord have mercy.

  20. Fr. Stephen,

    That is a wonderful “coincidence” that your mother fell asleep in the Lord on the anniversary of her reception into the church, and on the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross! My prayers are with your mother, and all of your family.

    Vyechnaya Pamyat

    Love from DC,
    Alyssa Sophia

  21. Memory Eternal!
    Thank you for the opportunity to pray for your family, Fr. Stephen!
    May God continue to bless all of you!

  28. May God grant her eternal rest as she sleeps in the Lord. May God bless and comfort all of the Freeman family.

  30. Steve,
    I have many memories of your Mother, Father and Granny & Poppa Freeman. We love you all so very much. You will all be in our prayers!
    Marilyn

  31. May her memory be eternal!

    “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied when Your glory appears.” (Psalm 16:15)

  33. Prayers….. Memory eternal! I am thankful for her guidance and prayers, which has allowed you to bless others with your own life and gentle teaching.

  37. May her memory be eternal! Prayers indeed for your family, and all the more for your dad, God grant you all peace, joy, and comfort. Lord have mercy!

    peace
    mic-

  39. Memory Eternal! My small prayers for her and for your loss.

    Rejoicing in the beauty of God’s timing to bring her home in His Church on earth and in heaven…

    I will light a candle in church for her and for you, dear Father.

  42. May God grant her rest with the saints, and make her memory to be eternal. Prayers for her, and for you and your family, Father Stephen.

  47. Yes mate, I know this loss too myself (last month the 13th, for my mother, RIP). May your mother be at peace & rest, in the “everlasting arms”!
    Fr. Robert (Anglican)

  51. Dear Father Stephen!

    Memory eternal to your mother!

    I want thank her from the bottom of my heart :She helped Lord to bring you to us. The best reward a mother can have in this world – to leave behind to the world wonderful people – her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. She is blessed.

    (Please, forgive my clumsy English)

    Vechnaya pamyat

  57. Father Stephen,

    You and your family will be in my prayers and thoughts. May our Lord make His face to shine upon you and your mother and give her peace as now she sees Jesus face to face.

    In Christ’s Love,

    Darlene

  58. May light perpetual shine upon her, and may she see the face of God. May you and all who loved her find comfort and solace in grief.

  65. Father Stephen,

    Clumsily put, but heartfelt nonetheless: God’s love and grace will light her path, of this I have no doubt. Her love and grace brought you to us, and we owe her a debt for the light you share with us.

    Blessings and love to you and yours, Father.

    Memory Eternal.

  82. So sorry to hear about your loss.

    Father Stephen, I’m sure you have a lot of things to take care of at the moment, but please, take special care of yourself.

  89. When my grandmother died, I was sleeping and I had a dream of a big green valley with immense sunshine all over, which gave me consolation when I woke up and heard the sad news. When righteous, God-loving and selfless people pass away to the eternity, we inexplicably feel the presence of denizens of the higher worlds as palpable peace-revealing-reality in our hearts. It is said that mother gives the child wisdom of heart, while father gives him wisdom of mind. My deepest gratitude to your mother for preparing your heart in your childhood years to be receptive for God’s Grace. Memory еternal!

  90. Dear Fr. Stephen,

    Allow me to add my condolences and prayers to those of everyone else. I lost my beloved mother two years ago and do understand what you must be going through. Without a doubt there is great comfort in the fact of her godly death and no fear for of her eternal destination, but the hole she leaves behind will be aching for a long time. May God’s own mother give you comfort. We have placed her on our monastery commemoration list and will remember her during these 40 days. Memory eternal!

    +Fr. Nicholas and the brothers with me
    St. Theodore House
    Galion OH

  92. “‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!'”

    Peace to you, your mother, and all of your family, as you go through this relational transition from seen to unseen. Memory eternal, truly.

  94. My prayers join with all your seen and unseen flock Fr Stephen, as we ask for our Lord to keep you and yours in His care.

    What a legacy indeed your blessed mother left for all of us.

    What comfort for us weak believers when our Lord gives us such beautiful reassurance as her passing on His special feast.

    May our Lord rest her soul and grant you all peace and comfort.

    May her memory be eternal.

  95. Father Stephen,
    Christ is Risen! May you be comforted with the blessed hope of the Resurrection of all flesh as you mourn in hope.

    Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” ~ St. John 11:25-27

  104. Father, I offer my condolences to you and your family, with my sincere prayers ….may her memory be eternal † Glory to God for All Things

    peace be with you and your family, keith

  107. I am deeply grateful for the many kind words – and most especially the prayers. Services for my mother are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in South Carolina. My “blog” presence will likely be quite limited. May God give me a deeply grateful heart for the kindness of friends.

  108. May her memory be eternal!
    Your mother and all your dear family will be in our prayers.
    Love,
    Anastasia

  109. Memory eternal, and may God’s blessed peace fall upon you and your family as you commend your dear mother to the care of our Saviour and his blessed mother.

  111. Αιωνία της η μνήμη. May her memory be eternal, Father Stephen. We will remember your mother in our prayers, and we also pray that you and your entire family be comforted and blessed during this time, and always.

  113. Memory Eternal!

    We were saddened to hear of the passing of your dear mother, Father. We remember Nancy well when she attended St. John of the Ladder with us together with Jim. We both know how it feels to say goodbye to a loved one but what a comfort to know she passed into eternity as an Orthodox Christian. Our hearts go out to you and your family in your loss.

    We will keep you all in our prayers.

    With much love in Christ.

  114. Memory Eternal…May God be with you and your family at this time of loss….you are all in our prayers

  116. Memory eternal!

    How proud she must be of you. Having given you life, she lived to see you fashion your life into something so lovely, and to see you lead her grandchildren into their lives of Christian faith. And you got to see her and your father enter the Orthodox Church. What extraordinary blessings all around.

  122. Father Stephen,

    I got to know your mother a little in 2005-2006 at St. John of the Ladder. She was often telling me how beautiful the view of the sky was from their house, and how I must come out with my family to see it. We didn’t make it out there before she and your dad moved to Columbia, but whenever her name is mentioned, it is the “beautiful sky” that I think of.

  123. Fr. Stephen,
    Memory eternal! Much love to you and your family at this time.
    Marcia Zenaida Partin
    St. Athanasius Church

  125. Fr. Stephen,

    I had no Internet during the summer, and so I am still catching up on your blog. I just came across this post, and so, belatedly, let me say that I will pray for your mother and for the Lord’s comfort to you and all your family.

  126. Father Stephen,

    It has been nearly 30 years since we have been in touch. I had an irrepressible urge to search for you and Beth tonight. I knew this was your blog immediately upon reading a little of it. I will read more. You seemed to know all along that the Orthodox Church was where you belonged.

    My deepest condolences to you for your earthly loss and greatest joy for your Mother who has passed on to greater things.

    Please give Beth my very best wishes and both of you know that you have always remained very fondly in my thoughts and heart.

    Karen
    Santa Fe

  127. Karen,
    It is a very great joy to hear from you. You have always been in our thoughts and prayers. I’ll send along some contact information. We’d like to catch up with you. Deep blessings!

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