Funeral Oration for Eldress Galaktia (+ May 20, 2021)

by Archimandrite Antonios Fragkakis

Source: Mystagogy Resource Center

May 20, 2023

Early yesterday morning a great and venerable person of Crete, who had loved Orthodoxy very much, shed her spider-veined and earthen skin as well as her perishable body—a body that she had crucified during her worldly struggles—and flew quietly into the arms of the Lord to receive from His omnipotent hands the rewards of her spiritual ascent.

After her 95 years of radiant life on earth, she was now in the arms of the Lord whom she fervently loved since childhood and whom she followed with Apostolic-like love and self denial. Perhaps, this was the first time this tireless lady allowed “her eyes to sleep and her eyelids to slumber” (Ps. 132:4 (131 LXX)—a lady who from the depths of her heart lived and breathed the goal of inheriting the Kingdom of God.

She was holy, she was charismatic, she was a true ascetic. Should we dare call her a martyr we will not be held in error. From her youth she fervently loved Christ, whom she followed like the faithful Myrrh-bearers. She earnestly applied His life-saving teachings and was fully quenched by the life-giving waters of His love. She served Him by living His example so that His most troubled brothers would follow her example of true repentance. She lived the Holy Trinity’s presence intensely and essentially, even though she was openly and violently struck by the raging waves that the low dragon stirred up during her life’s turbulent sea.

Read the rest at Mystagogy Resource Center.

Follow OrthoChristian on Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!

5/22/2023

Subscribe
to our mailing list

* indicates required
×