O Lord, You have freed us from the fear of death. You have made the end of life here the beginning of a true life for us… Let not the dreadful abyss separate me from your chosen ones… You who have on earth the power to forgive sins, forgive me, so that I may draw breath again and may be found before you in the stripping off of my body without strain or blemish in the beauty of my soul.
Saint Macrina the Younger
