Last Sunday after church I went to the cemetery to hold a 40-day memorial service (parastas) at the grave of a parisioner.

Last Sunday after church I went to the cemetery to hold a 40-day memorial service (parastas) at the grave of a parisioner. All his children and grandchildren were present - which was beautiful, but what I really thought was beautiful was how they had planted and decorated the grave! 

I told them that it looked like the Garden of Eden, which was great because it also reflected Paradise - the same paradise their parents reside in.

Fr. John