+ Christ is Risen!

Memory Eternal!

Kyprianos +  28/02/2023

Kyprianos Papaioannou was one of the 57 victims, mostly young people, of an appalling train crash in Greece

A Chanter and a Poet

A Priest’s Son, one of Fr. Christodoulos’ 6 children from Cyprus, and a Priest’s Grandson

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His Pilgrimage and the Wedding

He was on his way back from a monastery retreat in Andros, after he kept there a three days’ complete fast («Τριήμερο» ie. He abstained completely from any food and water for three days) for the beginning of Great Lent, received Holy Communion, blessed his wedding wreath at the icon of Saint Marina since he was planning to get married soon and left …

Kyprianos wed our Bridegroom, Christ.

Our brother in Christ and now our “ambassador”, interceding for us to Christ, Our Lord

Words cannot communicate our gladdening sorrow! The Mystery of Death! We now better understand our Gerondas’ words to always be ready …

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His Priest-Grandfather’s Dream about his Wedding

Kyprianos’ grandfather, a priest too, knew his fiancée Christina since a very young child, since she was going to Confession to him. Upon learning the news of the engagement, he was filled with joy in the beginning, but later confessed to his grandson that he saw a strange dream where the sacrament of the marriage was taking place between Christina and Kyprianos, but when the time came to exchange the wedding wreaths between these two, only Christina was there but Kyprianos was gone! A pillar of Light was at his side! The whole family was perplexed by this strange dream! What were they to make out of it? Kyprianos’ grandfather told him that the meaning of the dream in his opinion was that there would be no marriage! He was right! They had been warned by God!

His Recent Diary Notes

A Butterfly

Man should be like a butterfly,

Picking only the necessary

From this world’s goods.

Food – for example –

One ought to eat

Only what is necessary

Love –

As is proper,

As offered by God

If any abuse occurs,

Our little life,

Given by our Lord,

Shrivels…

Withering jasmines…

Our garden’s sweetness’

Roses and lilies

Delight we miss…

Chanting to the Theotokos

O Most Holy Theotokos

How much do I love Thee!

Grant my wish to chant thy hymns

Until my hour of death

And stand by Thee then!

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His Priest-Father’s Words

“It is very difficult for a parent to lose a child that he has helped grow hour by hour, day by day. This has always been the worst nightmare of my life since I have 6 children. And now I am called to experience this. I cannot, though, hold any grudge against anyone. … We are all human and we may all make errors. Let us forgive them. This is my consolation. This is how I am helping myself and Kyprianos’ soul. Nobody, nothing can comfort you, no drugs, no psychologist. So, I will forgive all those who are responsible for this so that my soul and my son’s soul are comforted. When I for a moment got upset with the shortcomings and errors, I felt inside my heart that I am betraying Kyprianos. If I held any grudge against my son and he left like this, suddenly, I could never find peace. “A blessed Ressurection. Christ is Risen!” This is what I would say to him. Kyprianos was always very careful with his conscience. He never held any grudges. He has always been like this. Since a baby. A very good child.”

Here, you can watch his father and family in Cyprus: https://www.megatv.com/2023/03/05/tempi-to-megaleio-psyxis-enos-patera-thymatos-tha-sygxoro-tous-aitious-gia-na-parigorithei-i-psyxi-mou/

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His Funeral

“On Sunday night at 20:00, a vigil will take place where the Psalter will be read. Then, a PresSanctified Holy Liturgy will take place, and those of the faithful who are ready, let them commune the Holy Sacraments on behalf of Kyprianos and all those who died that sudden, violent death. On Monday, 10 am,the Funeral Service will take place at the Holy Churc of the Apostles Peter and Paul, in Avgorou. The request of the family of the departed one is that all who will accompany the funeral procession should be dressed in white. All dressed in white, in the Heavenly Liturgy, revealing Christ’s Light of Truth. Please offer memorials, instead of funeral wreaths, for the completion of the church restoration, In Memory of the soul of Kyprianos”

His Music Classmates’ Goodbye

https://www.offsite.com.cy/eidiseis/topika/gia-poy-bales-kardia-moy-sygkinitiko-antio-ston-kypriano?amp

Thus, reflecting on the righteous ones’ heavy crosses, may we never complain about our little ones. This is what St. Paisios always told us to do! Because we suffer so little compared to the righteous ones’ martyrdom in spite of our many shortcomings… May we repeat the penitent thief’s words: “⁴⁰ But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving ^[c]what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” (Luke 23:39-43)

PS. Christ is Risen! So many families here have ‘lost’ loved ones! So young most of them! May our Lord grant them a rich entrance into His Kingdom and may our Theotokos comfort the hearts of their close ones so they do not blaspheme His most Holy Name! Only yesterday another friend of mine texted me that they are to attend the funeral of their beloved cousin and they only have his leg to bury… 🙏