“Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tomb, bestowing life.” This changes everything. The eternal and Only-begotten Son of God, in the fullness of His divinity, became fully human when He took on flesh from the Virgin’s womb. Having suffered for our sake, He was crucified, and died, and His body was laid to rest in a tomb – but He was not dead. On the third day, He rose again from the dead, bringing with Him His body, resurrected and perfected, the firstfruits of those born from the dead. With His body, He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again with glory; and we shall see Him as He is; we shall see Him face-to-face.
Our brother, the servant of God, Nikolai, has departed this life; we shall not see him in this world again. But he is not dead. He lives on in the hearts and memories of those who love him, of those who mourn his passing from our midst. And he is not dead. Though we will soon lay his body to rest in the tomb, we know that this is not the end. As Christ has risen, so, too, shall we all; so, too, shall the servant of God, Nikolai. And it is in the hope of the resurrection from the dead that we have hope to see him again.
Until that day, we hope and trust as well in the unfathomable love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the great and wondrous mercy of God. In that hope and trust, we pray for the blessed repose of our departed brother, asking God to grant him a blessed repose, in a place of peace, where there is no sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting. And we know that our prayers are not in vain, because our brother Nikolai is not dead; he is only sleeping, resting in the tomb, awaiting the day of Resurrection.
Our brother, the servant of God, Nikolai, has departed this life; we shall not see him in this world again. But Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tomb, bestowing life. This changes everything; and so, in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection, we pray for the blessed repose of Nikolai Korovin.
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