Painless, Blameless & Peaceful: Orthodox Christian Reflections on Death, Dying, and Eternal Life

by Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis

In the services of the Orthodox Church, we pray for a good death—a “Christian end.” Yet many people approach the end of life unprepared and fearful. In Painless, Blameless & Peaceful: Orthodox Christian Reflections on Death, Dying & Eternal Life, author and longtime parish priest Fr. Stavros Akrotirianakis shares some of his pastoral experiences, both good and bad, with families of the dying and with those who are facing death. He discusses ways we can understand and accept death, help prepare our loved ones, and find hope when that final day arrives for each of us. Through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hope of eternity with Him, the end of a life—ours and our loved ones’—can bring peace and even joy.

This book by Fr Stavros Akrotirianakis covers the topics, The Orthodox Christian Understanding of Death, Dealing with Tragedy, Getting Ready, Tough End of Life Decisions, The Role of the Family in Death, At the Moment of Death and Afterwards and the Funeral Service. We all will face death of loved ones and this book will endeavour to “help us understand that the end of a life actually can be beautiful, meaningful and powerful, and we can walk away with images of beauty and not just feelings of sadness” (Fr Akrotirianakis).