Sermon for the 40th day of death of Raisa Hrehirchuk.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Dear brothers and sisters!

HREHIRCHUK, Rita (December 16, 1926 – May 13, 2014)

Today we all gathered in the church to reverently and sincerely say “Eternal memory!” (Вечная память!) to a real Orthodox Christian, a singer of our Church choir and an active member of the sisterhood of our Cathedral – Rita-Raisa Hrehirchuk.
Standing at the tomb of the beloved ones that just have passed away, we willingly or unwillingly enter in contact with the mystery of death… While looking at the lifeless body, which was abandoned by the soul, we, as real Christians, believe that it was abandoned only temporarily, and that at the time of the Universal Resurrection from the death it will again be reunited with its soul…

Our earthly life is like a candle. It starts to burn at a certain period of time and at a particular point it is destined to be blown out or extinguished… One of the philosophers of the past noticed that “life – is a long line of people, all waiting for death and not knowing who will be the next one in that line…” We learn from The Holy Scripture that life does not end with death, and that death is only a transition of a soul into a different state. The Bible tells us that there exists an eternal life with God – in the Paradise, but there also exists an eternal life without God – in the Hell.
We believe that Raisa moved from death to the eternal life with God.
Why we can safely say this about her? The answer is: because she always sincerely believed in Jesus Christ and devoted all her life to Him. She sang in the Church choir, she brought up her children to be true Christians and always prayed for them and for her grandchildren. She actively participated in the life of the Cathedral, went on a pilgrimage to her native land – Belarus, Russia and Ukraine – to venerate the Relics of the Great Orthodox Saints, and during her life had done many good deeds… She died as a faithful Christian – after Confession, Communion and the Sacrament of Holy Unction. Of the aforementioned of us were witnesses…
Our Holy Church teaches us through the words of Saint Basil the Great, in the following way: “Whoever here, on earth, gives all his or her time to God, to that person God will later give His blessed eternity.” Our beloved Rita-Raisa had given to God herself entirely right, to the last gasp…
Farewell, our long-standing and faithful parishioner! It was about you when the Lord said: “Where I am, there will also be my servant”. And that is why, while parting with you, we believe that the Merciful God, Our Lord, will grant peaceful rest to your immortal soul in the abodes of the righteous… We pray this now! Eternal memory to you! May God repose her soul among the Saints and Angels!
I express my sincere condolences and sympathy to you, dear Connie and David Hargreaves, as well as to the children, grandchildren, to all relatives and friends of the departed Rita…

+ Iov, Bishop of Kashira, Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes in Canada

HREHIRCHUK, Rita (December 16, 1926 – May 13, 2014) 
On the afternoon of May 13, 2014 Rita gently flew away with the angels to be with the Lord. She is at peace now with the loved ones who went before her.
Rita is survived by her five children, Terry (Betty) Kowalchuk, Claudia Kowalchuk, Christina (Mark) Whitman, Andrew (Alison) Kowalchuk and Connie (David) Hargreaves; seven grandchildren, Andrew, Matthew, Georgina, Suzanne (Josh), Gillian, Rebecca and Graham. Predeceased by her first husband, Andrew Kowalchuk; second husband, Kost Hrehirchuk; parents, Anton and Christina Ulchik; baby brother, Volodymyr, and Uncle Simeon Ulchik.Those who loved her will forever remember her wonderful smile and beautiful legacy.
Prayers Friday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Barbara Russian Orthodox Cathedral, 10105 – 96 Street, Edmonton, AB.Funeral Service Saturday, May 17 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Barbara Russian Orthodox Cathedral. His Grace Iov, Bishop of Kashira, Archpriest Sergey Kipriyanovich and Archpriest Igor Kisil officiating with interment in St. Mary Russo Orthodox Church Cemetery, Shandro, AB.