By Miltiades Tsesmetzis, teacher
Great was the importance that the Holy Father John Kalaides (1925-2009) gave to the struggle we must wage on behalf of the reposed.
He told us that we must give their names to the priests to be read by them, and by doing this we help their souls.
He would say that offering kolyva on their behalf was the best thing we could do and that souls find rest by these, especially on the Saturday of Souls.
He would say that even Saint Raphael asked certain people to make kolyva on his behalf for his feast.
Furthermore he mentioned offerings we give to churches with the names of the reposed, very much helps their souls!
As for alms, he told us that we must do it in the name of a dead person. That is, we should say to those who ask for our help, "I am giving this to you in the name of my father ___, or in the name of my mother ___," and the one who is being helped should reply: "May God forgive them."
But I will never forget what he once said to us: "My children, God will ask us on the day of Judgement if we submitted the names of our reposed parents for forty consecutive days of liturgies."
May his holy prayers always cover us. Amen.
He told us that we must give their names to the priests to be read by them, and by doing this we help their souls.
He would say that offering kolyva on their behalf was the best thing we could do and that souls find rest by these, especially on the Saturday of Souls.
He would say that even Saint Raphael asked certain people to make kolyva on his behalf for his feast.
Furthermore he mentioned offerings we give to churches with the names of the reposed, very much helps their souls!
As for alms, he told us that we must do it in the name of a dead person. That is, we should say to those who ask for our help, "I am giving this to you in the name of my father ___, or in the name of my mother ___," and the one who is being helped should reply: "May God forgive them."
But I will never forget what he once said to us: "My children, God will ask us on the day of Judgement if we submitted the names of our reposed parents for forty consecutive days of liturgies."
May his holy prayers always cover us. Amen.