Eric is the son of Monica and John Iliff. Monica and John told the story in their own words of Eric's life and death here at Wounded Bird last year on the 2nd anniversary of Eric's death. On this 3rd anniversary of Eric's death, I ask you to join with me to pray for John and Monica and their family and friends and with Eric's friends to ask God's blessing upon them. May God give them comfort and consolation and the peace that passes understanding to keep their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
UPDATE: From John, Eric's father:
Below is one of my & Eric's favorite prayers, and coincidently by an Eastern, though not strictly an Orthodox, saint. john
What is the merciful heart? It is the heart on fire for the whole of creation, for humanity, for the birds, for the animals, for demons, and for all that exists. By the recollection of them the eyes of the merciful pour forth abundant tears. By the strong and violent mercy that grips their hearts, and by such great compassion, their hearts are humbled and they cannot bear to hear or to see any injury or sorrow in all of creation. For this reason, the merciful ones offer up tearful prayer continually ... even for irrational beasts, for the enemies of the truth, and for those who harm them; that their adversaries be protected and may receive mercy.
an excerpt from the 71st Homily of St. Isaac of Nineveh (the Syrian)
To which I can only say, "Amen!"
Prayers from me too.
ReplyDeleteThis is a terribly sad story - what an awful tragedy.
ReplyDeleteMy prayers too.
Thoughts and prayers for John and Monica.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mimi for posting this. I had missed your post on Eric's abuse and tragic death last year. I am speechless. Love and prayers to his family on this anniversary.
ReplyDeleteIn my email to John:
ReplyDelete"As I said last year, through my great hope in the Resurrection, I believe that you'll all be together again."
the prayer from St Isaac is a really lovely prayer.
ReplyDeleteGrande Dame Mimi: As always, thank you for remembering Eric and his family. Eric is surely counted amongst the saints, and we've a tenacious intercessor before God for us all. With respect, yours in the True Faith of the Resurrection, "the Johns"
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing Eric with me...I didn´t read the posting last year and I´m so moved today...blessings of peace for Eric and his family...I hold Eric deep in my heart and won´t forget him...probably ever.
ReplyDeleteWorking with ¨street kids¨in Guatemala is a huge service that Eric performed...in Zona Uno, downtown Guatemala City the place runs full with LGBT people of every age trying to find their way out from under repression and discrimination...I´m very touched.
Leo
To share Eric's story is my privilege. I thank John and Monica for allowing me to do so.
ReplyDeletePrayers ascending!
ReplyDeleteWe truly appreciate *all* your expressions of prayers and support! (So good to hear from you, Leonardo. I have always admired your passionate defense of God's Anawim!)
ReplyDeleteThe rest of our story goes something like this: In the aftermath of our son's abuse, re-traumatization, and suicide; Monica and I found the whole encounter to be a parent's perfect storm of "religious nightmare". Talk about a crisis of faith! And as so very often happens, his mom (R.C.) and I (Orthodox) soon "lapsed". We regretfully expected that we would remain unchurched Christians for the rest of our lives. But a year later, compassionate lay Episcopalians reached out to us and offered us sanctuary in their local, moderate, Anglo-Catholic parish. God bless 'em!
I find it profoundly ironic that these two sister churches so adamantly anti-LGBT clergy and anti-women clergy, just so happen to take clergy sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults far less seriously - and have far more problems accordingly - than TEC.
I wonder why that is?
peace and blessings to you all!
John
Eric, Memory Eternal.
ReplyDeleteSo glad that you and Monica have found a welcome in TEC, John.
Thanks JCF,
ReplyDeleteOur local parish was blessed with great depth and breadth of lay leadership as well as top-notch supply clergy, who welcomed us home - and kept the parish humming along for over 2 1/2 yrs. without a rector.
I was elected a delegate to Synod this winter, and look forward to the process (read ~ struggle) of electing a new bishop here in the Diocese of Springfield, IL.