The 40th day after the death of a person is important according to Orthodox teaching. On this day, the soul stands in judgement before God. Therefore, it’s especially important that we remember Metropolitan Laurus in our prayers today. Note well that Vladyki died on the Feast of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, and his day of judgement is on Good Friday, the day of Our Lord’s Passion. This isn’t coincidental. Do recall that in 1991 Easter was special because it was Kyriopascha, it fell on the same day as the Annunciation*. The communists fell later that year. I may remind you that the last time Kyriopascha occurred, it was 1916. Therefore, the fact that Vladyki’s last day of remembrance immediately following his death was Good Friday is no small matter. Let the modernists scoff and laugh. We who follow normal and ordinary Orthodoxy know better. God gives us signs of sanctity, and this is one such, I say.
*Unfortunately, Kyriopascha can only occur if one uses the normal Orthodox calendar. If one uses the papist calendar, as so many mistakenly do, this occurrence can never happen.
Vara Drezhlo
Orthodox Good Friday
25 April 2008
