Initially, my interest in this book stemmed from my growing desire to explore hospice chaplaincy once I'm out of the "stay-at-home mom" phase of life. The author is a hospice chaplain, and I knew that listening to her words on dying and grief within the context of our tradition would be rich experience. I wasn't disappointed.

As I began listening, though, the memories of departed loved ones filled my mind, along with the realization that my parents are elderly and will one day depart this life. In that context, this book's relevance grew. When Byrne-Martelli connected our experience of the Liturgy with the presence of the holy ones who have gone before us, I realized that learning to attend more fully to the Liturgy now might be helpful preparation for the eventual passing of other loved ones that will happen.

Her exploration of grief and the practices of grief within our faith tradition is so tender and compassionate! Thanks to having listened to this book, I am interested in attending to this thread (about the connectedness of heaven and earth) within our liturgical life now, so I am more attuned to this form of comfort and connection when the inevitable losses come down the road. It also was of great help now when encountering a dear loved one at church whose beloved grandmother just passed. In that moment, there were no words I could offer, only "Christ is risen."

Whether you are grieving now or know you one day will be grieving, this book is for you.

The Orthodox pocket prayer book is a great comfort to me as it contains prayers for every spiritual need. A wonderful companion!

Physically and artistically the little prayer booklet is beautiful and pleasing. But I am SO weary of Orthodoxy's obsession with Old English that I dropped the rating down to a 2.

These books are amazing. I have now read them to my two children a dozen times. They love these books. The illustrations are amazing and they chose incredibly interesting Saints for the books.

I use this book every day. I love the high quality materials. Thank you so much

It's a perfect size to slip into my purse. The layout is beautiful and easy to read.

This is an excellent book. I think every person, everyone who thinks he/she is a Christian, every soldier or general, every leader should read this book. War belongs to God and He solely decides his outcome. And a nation living with sin, can't hope for a peaceful life, no matter who peace-loving that nation is.

Beautiful and well made!

Amazing!

Memory Eternal is not a self-help, therapeutic kind of book, but if your parish is seeking a primer on dealing with grief, Memory Eternal will accompany other books beautifully. I would read it along with A Christian Ending by Dcn. Mark and Elizabeth Barna. The former offers a few basics on the liturgy and approach towards grief for priests and the faithful, the other speaks about the death and burial, the initial sendoff and acknowledgment of grief. The former addresses what happens from the burial onward, with a guide for grief. The first half reads like a doctoral dissertation that addresses the layperson intermittently. It would confuse a non-Orthodox Christian, as it doesn’t provide a foundational walk-through of Orthodox practice, but it belongs on the shelf of parish bookstores and would be an excellent read for seminarians, priests, and parish leaders. For those who need a foundation in death and grief in Orthodox theology, as well as an awareness of the spectrum of reactions to loss that Orthodox Christians may experience, it’s a great starting point. Most of all I recommend Memory Eternal’s grief group guide, which will help any parish layperson or leader create an effective support group.

I listened to this book on audiobook first, and wanted to have a hard copy to reference since I know I will be referring back to it repeatedly. It does such a great job of comparing and contrasting the Orthodox faith with Catholicism and evangelicalism, Putting things in historical context, and explaining the key components of the Faith of the Apostles. I'm thankful to have such good explanations to share with my friends and family!

The first book that address your long term goal in bringing up kids and the importance on connection and respect.

Harry Boosalis’ book is great for anyone wanting a clear understanding of angels without getting lost in pages of long books. Citing references to scripture and oral tradition, Boosalis’ book comes off as the definitive understanding of angels and demons.

This book is written for the mind and the spirit. Any person grappling with grief stands to benefit enormously from reading this book. Beautifully written - highly recommend!

So glad this booklet came out. I’m a long time convert to orthodoxy and I still have trouble confessing. I found this very beneficial

Prayer wise this may be my favorite prayer book. The only thing it's missing is text for the Divine Liturgy, but then I have other books that fill that role.

Very beautiful Bible, sewn binding and well made. I only gave it 3 stars because the Old Testament (supposed to be a translation of the Septuagint) sticks to close to the readings of the New King James Version (a translation of the Hebrew), even to the point of following the NKJV over the Septuagint.?

As I near the one year anniversary of my father’s death, I was given the opportunity to review the audiobook version of Sarah Byrne-Martelli’s Memory Eternal: Living with Grief as Orthodox Christians. My grief at the one year mark has been what feels like a ‘two steps forward, one step back’ process; very discouraging. “I should be farther along in the process,” I tell myself on a particularly hard morning. These days, tears don’t flow easily, which has left me very edgy, numb, and down at times. I feel changed, hoping one day I will wake up and be my naive self again, believing in goodness, and not seeing death everywhere I look. Little would I know that simply starting this book would bring about tiny miracles in my life.
When I began to listen to this book, I began to feel the walls come down; not in a violent way, but instead brick by brick, gently. It was affirming, calming, and gave me an incredible amount of peace. I felt supported in the grief process. The stories of other grieving Orthodox christians made me feel less alone in my pain. The tools provided on how to reach out for help, how to pray, how to function on hard days was invaluable. I also felt validated that my father’s presence is still very near, and that is where the tiny miracles began.
I have a photo of my dad on my fridge, holding my son. The photo is taken from the perspective of standing behind him, over his shoulder. Before he passed, I viewed this photo as being centered on my baby boy, and now all I see are my daddy’s soft, freshly shaved cheeks , and whose aftershave I can still smell. Before reading the book, I would pass that photo and miss him. Now, I stop and kiss his cheek and tell him I love him. Sometimes I imagine his cheek has one day stubble and he playfully rubs it against mine as he would do often. It’s so painful to imagine, but it is also equally joyful - the mystery of it all!
Another miracle since saying yes to the next phase of grief is deciding to write this review on my laptop instead of my phone as would be usual to me. As I opened my computer, I saw the note my dad wrote about me on my 32nd birthday sticking out of the cover of my laptop. After my dad passed away, my siblings and I drove to his home to go through his possessions. All I wanted was something from him, a note, a sign, anything. Within 10 minutes of being there, that note was found. It was a surprise and reminder of my dad’s love for me, and that I do feel him near. The fact that it was brought to my attention again tonight as I write this review is a beautiful kiss from my God to me.
The final miracle I will share here are the tears that fall as I type. To know that we have a sweet God who cares so deeply for us that He will meet us in our grief and walk hand in hand with us as we go through it; that grief is not always linear, that it doesn’t have to look a certain way, and that He is present. He gives us tears to show love, and I did and do love my daddy.
I recently attended an Orthodox funeral for a leader in our Church, Metropolitan Herman, and it wasn’t what I was expecting. The Metropolitan was laid in the center of the church, surrounded by dozens of priests and clergy, adorned not in black, but instead in white. It was a delicate balance of grief and loss, married with hope and life. They proclaimed joyfully words of resurrection given to us by Christ, and those words made death a little less scary and daunting. They celebrated his life and also grieved him.
I am grateful for the Orthodox Church and it’s perspective on death and how we say, “Christ is risen!” as well as “memory eternal!” To keep his memory eternal, to keep him alive, to re-member him and put him back together… this is an important part of being an Orthodox Christian. My faith supports my grief. This book supports my faith. Pick up a copy, start a grief group (this book contains a guide for leading grief groups in Orthodox communities), reach out to someone who has suffered a loss.

Just what I was looking for

Thanks to two popular podcasts through Ancient Faith (“The Whole Counsel of God” and “Lord of Spirits”), many people have come to know and appreciate Father Stephen DeYoung and his extensive knowledge. Father DeYoung’s latest book “The Whole Counsel of God: An Introduction to Your Bible” is another hit for Orthodoxy. He is not only extremely well-educated, but he has a knack for translating this knowledge to the layperson in a concise and understandable way.

“The Whole Counsel of God” is a short book at 128 pages, yet it is packed with valuable information. Father DeYoung delves into the various translations of both the Old Testament and New Testament and offers practical advice on what that means to the reader – what translation best suits the everyday reader, as well as what translation best suits the academic. He goes on to discuss textual differences, their origins, and how it all plays into the preservation of our Scriptures. I personally appreciate the historical breakdown and how it beautifully points to the richness and essential nature of our Holy Traditions. More importantly, Father DeYoung addresses HOW to read your Bible: a question that all readers have yet may feel sheepish asking their priest.

Father DeYoung has a rare gift – his thorough understanding of the Bible, its history, and its origin languages has not left the layperson in the dark, but rather enlightened.

*Disclaimer: I received a promotional copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.