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

First, I’ll be honest in saying I wasn’t sure what to expect when I decided to read and review this particular book. Let’s face it, death is something many of us want to avoid talking about out of fear or dread. But in the end, I’m glad I was given the chance to read this book. I can say I learned some things, and it definitely gave me a lot to think about.

Fr. Stavros’s book is a good read for new converts and cradle Orthodox, in my opinion. I love how Father brings a logical but beautiful approach to understanding the scary but inevitable topic of death. He walks us all through how to deal with those unexpected tragedies, our own end of life, and so much more.

In the book, Fr. Stavros offers up many personal stories and experiences to help us see death and how some deal with it. It really was a great look into a Priest’s role in someone’s end of life. The story of Eva was so touching and was something I thought about for several days after reading that chapter.

Although it wasn’t something mentioned, it reminded me of reading his words on the pages to continue to pray for our Priests as they guide Parishioners and their families through sickness, dying, and tragic situations. I’m so thankful men like my priest and Fr. Stavoros answer the call to guide us along our walk with Christ.

Often in our younger years, we are too busy living life to prepare as we should. like thinking it is not something to consider at the moment.

I’m guilty of not thinking about end-of-life arrangements (I’m definitely not getting younger), or how to prepare myself or my family for how I want things to be when my time comes.

This book is a great reminder to start being smart and planning, as we do not know how soon our time will be.

Since I’m a newer convert of only 5 years, the whole Orthodox funeral service is much different than others I went to growing up, so it makes sense that I should begin to think about these things and prepare ahead, just as we are living our days out here on Earth, preparing ourselves to enter into the Kingdom one day.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Ancient Faith Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed in my review are my own and 100% honest.

Read More about This About the Author

About the author: Keri Bucci

I'm an Orthodox Christain that converted in 2020. I have attended SS George and Alexandra Orthodox Church in Fort Smith, AR the conversion. I'm married to my husband, Anthony, and we have one son, Nathanael. Anthony and I are the creators of the Let Us Attend Website as well as the Orthodox Christian Table over on YouTube. I have also had a food blog for 12 years called My Table of Three, where I share healthy recipes that include fasting recipes, low-carb & sugar-free recipes, and whole food recipes.