Leaving the life of a loved one is always a great sorrow that does not dull over the years. It is sometimes quite difficult to realize that a loved one will never be there again, so this loss is accompanied by tears and longing. But such a reaction cannot help the soul of a deceased person in the afterlife, so sorrow is not the best way to prove your love for a loved one who has left this world. In addition, Christianity and Orthodoxy in particular even condemn the excessive manifestation of emotional grief, because the soul of the deceased has gone to the best of the worlds, and we must rejoice for it.
However, such an attitude does not mean at all that relatives should not worry about and help their deceased loved one. On the contrary, in the first days after death, the soul needs enhanced support, expressed in unceasing prayer work. Prayers for the deceased can be read in church and at home; in any case, they will benefit the deceased. We will try to tell readers about what, according to Christians, happens to the soul after death and what prayers to read after the deceased.
Prayer work: why remember the deceased relatives
All relatives should take care of saving the souls of their deceased loved ones. Indeed, the deceased does not always manage to repent of all his sins and is ready to meet with the Creator. Unfortunately, even among the Orthodox who regularly visit the church, such cases are far from uncommon. Therefore, prayer for the departed at home and in the church enables the soul to be cleansed of its sins and turns God's eyes to it. The deceased cannot do it on his own in the afterlife. Such cleansing is considered a great mercy and is granted only through prayers for the dead, which are read by living relatives.
But do not forget that the living also receive invaluable help from prayer work. Relatives are gradually distracted from the bustle of our world, imbued with love for the Lord and remember that the earthly way nevertheless has its end. Prayers for the repose of the soul of the deceased give the living hope for another life, help to avoid conscious sins and turn them away from evil.
Also in the modern world, Christians very easily forget that at any moment the Lord can call them to him, which means that the soul must be ready to meet with the Almighty and private court. If you recite prayers for the repose of the deceased regularly, you receive a special blessing. After all, God always treats with special love those who undertake such obligations voluntarily and from a pure heart. In addition, the deceased themselves also do not stop praying for their relatives remaining on the earth. In this way, an inextricable bond is formed, which is very important for any Christian and strengthens it thanks to the powerful energy of the whole race.
Rules for Reading Prayers
Prayers for the deceased up to 40 days and after this period are not just a necessary ritual, but a sacred duty of every Orthodox person. But not everyone is aware of how to do it correctly and for how long prayers should be regular. In fact, in Orthodoxy there are certain rules that must be observed by anyone who wants to help their deceased relatives.
It is worth considering that prayer for deceased parents, children or any other people is especially important in the first forty days after death. The church always mentions this in a conversation with relatives of the deceased and recommends reading prayer texts daily. Only in this case can you be sure that you will fulfill your duty to the dead.
The priests advise in prayer for the departed to remember all relatives. Of course, remembering all their names is quite difficult. But for these purposes, it is recommended to start a special book - the commemoration. Previously, when family traditions were sacredly honored, similar books were in every home. The names of living and deceased relatives were separately recorded there. They tried to mention them, if not every day, then at least on special holidays and dates. Thus, our ancestors maintained a close relationship with the clan and called a blessing to their descendants.
In addition, prayer for the departed inspired the hope that they, after death, would not be forgotten by their loved ones. This means that everyone has a chance that he will be forgiven by the Lord at the request and supplication of his relatives.
Prayers read up to 40 days for the deceased are much more important and effective than those that you will recite later. Many do not know that it is possible to offer requests to the Lord not only in the temple, but also at home. An indisputable advantage is the fact that prayers recited on the deceased at home can be absolutely any. Some of them are forbidden to read in the temple, but away from it you can freely pronounce them and be sure that they will reach the Lord. For example, one cannot pray for suicides in a church, but no one will forbid doing this at home. Also, the clergy will refuse to bury the unbaptized people, therefore, it is forbidden to ask for them in the walls of the church. But at home, such a thing is possible and surely will benefit the soul who has left this world.
Prayers read to the departed outside the temple can be any. But the main thing is to maintain concentration and not be distracted by anything other than the spoken text. One of the important rules is the need to read the entire text. In no case can certain parts or words of it be excluded.
The emergence of a Christian tradition of praying for deceased relatives
Our ancestors from ancient times realized the need for prayer for the repose of the soul of the deceased. Initially, they asked for their loved ones with simple words coming from the heart. Special texts were not invented then and sometimes the prayer was completely silent.
If you delve into the holy books, you can find out when the first texts appeared, which were used to escort souls to the underworld. In Russia they date back to about the eleventh century. It is believed that one of the Kiev princes asked the holy elder to write a prayer that would facilitate the fate of the deceased. This elder was Theodosius of the Caves, who became the ancestor of Slavic prayers for the dead.
However, another theologian is also known, who three centuries earlier was able to make up a whole group of special prayers. John Damascene, and it was he, wrote several funeral texts as a respect for his friend. Surprisingly, they are still used during funeral services in the church.
In addition to the usual traditional prayers, recited by the departed, there are also special texts that help the soul to separate from the work in case of serious illness and prolonged agony.
Many Orthodox believe that the church primarily cares about the human soul and does not pay attention to the body. However, during the funeral service, it is this that is the main part of the ceremony. He is rewarded for all those years that it helped the soul acquire the experience necessary for the afterlife.
Ways to Pray for the Dead: A Brief Announcement
It is very important to know what prayers to read from the deceased, but the ways in which you will pronounce these texts are equally important. There are several of them, and clergymen believe that up to forty days it is possible to use all of the following methods.
Many Orthodox read prayers at home for the dead, the text of which can be found in any church. Some relatives order funeral services for their deceased loved ones in the temple, others simply come there and pray in front of the images. It is also possible to file a note with the name of the deceased, so that the priest mentions him at the liturgy.
Remember that any care for the soul of the deceased, looks good in the face of the Lord and it is necessary to do this for the salvation of the deceased. To understand this, you need to accurately imagine what exactly happens to the deceased after leaving for another world. Let's try to understand this issue with the readers.
The soul in the afterlife
We think you already understood that prayer for the repose of the deceased is very important, but its true meaning and meaning are not accessible to everyone. No one knows for sure what happens to the soul after death, but fragmentary information about this can still be obtained from the texts of the Holy Fathers.
They argue that immediately after separation from the case, the disembodied spirit should prepare for judgment and demonic temptations. Without this, it is impossible to determine his appointment until the Last Judgment.
Demons are doing their best to remind the soul of all its sins, in which it did not have time to repent, and thereby carry it to hell. Only prayers of loved ones can save from this. Each pronounced text purifies the soul and alienates it from a terrible fate.
After such ordeals, the newly-deceased appears before the Lord, who judges him, based on everything done on the earth's path. If the soul is sinless, then it is taken to heaven. At the time of the Last Judgment, she will not be subjected to a new trial, because the original decision remains unchanged.
But the soul, which ended up in hell after a private trial, can only wait for the Last Judgment. On this day, the Almighty can change the decision made earlier and this can be done primarily thanks to the texts of the prayer for the departed. If those close to them do not forget about the soul of the deceased and continue to pray for it even after the first forty days, then they may very well pray the Lord for a new purpose for her.
There is a history documented by monks on this subject. Once one of the brothers did not have time to repent of all sins and went into another world. Then he began to dream of monks in a hellfire with a face distorted by torment. They were very surprised and began to pray for his soul. Each time the dreams became brighter, and the deceased's face shone with peace. After a while, the monk stopped dreaming of his brothers, and they realized that they were able to pray for his soul.
Prayers in the temple
What prayer for the departed is the most effective, the clergy will not tell you. They firmly believe that any prayer feat will take effect if it is performed with a pure heart and with love. But in any case, it is necessary to begin with church services. They must be ordered in memory of the deceased as often as possible, and this can be done on almost any day, regardless of the calendar date.
Usually the Orthodox in the church are limited to three types of prayers. An prayer for the reassurance of the dead, read at the liturgy, is considered irreplaceable. It is one of the shortest and very easy to remember. The most effective such prayer for the deceased is up to 40 days, its text we provide below.
An important requiem is also, which has its own specific rules of service. Be sure at this moment, relatives should leave a feasible donation in the temple, expressed in monetary terms.
Almost all Orthodox are aware that magpie is one of the most powerful prayers. It must be ordered immediately after the death of a person, because this liturgy is served for forty days. After this period, you can order the magpie again. Many relatives order such services for a longer period. It can last even six or twelve months.
It must be understood that any of the relatives of the deceased can come to the temple and put a candle for his repose. In this case, it is not necessary to read a special prayer, you can turn to the Lord in your own words, coming from the heart.
Prayers for the home
Of course, it is important to pray in the church, but it is not always possible to do this daily. Therefore, you need to know what prayer is read after the deceased for up to 40 days at home. In fact, absolutely all texts are suitable for these purposes, except for them, you can give alms and do other things in the name of the Lord. All of them will count towards the soul of the deceased and help her in the afterlife.
The priests advise to accompany the deceased with texts from the Psalms. Even in ancient times, the apostles recommended pronouncing them so that the soul could easily find a way on the other side and be able to go through all the ordeals and temptations intended for it. It is believed that such a reading will have a beneficial effect on the deceased and soothe his living relatives. The Word of God will comfort all those who are in grief, and protect the soul of the deceased.
Kathisma can be read not by one person, but by several in turn. This can be agreed with relatives and share texts between them. It is important to do this daily, because it is the prayer work that is more important to the Lord, and not the money that you can donate to the temple. The priests say that in the first forty days it is already difficult for the soul in the new world, and the prayer of those close to them serves as a kind of beacon for them and shows the way.
A few words about prayers in the cemetery
Do not forget that the Orthodox should pray during the burial and each time coming to the grave of a loved one. A cemetery is a special place that requires respect and observance of a certain ritual.
I would like to note that the relatives of the deceased should always keep the grave clean and tidy. This is the sacred duty of every Christian. There must be a cross at the burial site. It is installed, according to tradition, at the feet of the deceased, so that he is always facing the crucifix.
At the grave, relatives should light a church candle and read any prayer that you know. In no case should you eat, drink and speak loudly in the cemetery - this contradicts all Orthodox canons. Leaving food and a funeral glass of vodka on graves is especially condemned; this tradition dates back to pagan times by its traditions. Therefore, clergymen warn their flock from such behavior.
It is noteworthy that prayer at the grave can have absolutely any character. The main thing in this situation is that loved ones remembered the deceased and broke away from their vain affairs in order to honor his memory and lighten his path in the afterlife a little.
The most significant days after death
It is not for nothing that our ancestors determined the special days that are most important for the soul of the deceased and his relatives. Among them, nine and forty days stand out, which are a kind of milestones for the deceased. Prayers for deceased parents, children, and other close people should be especially intense on the indicated dates and before them. The easiest way is to turn daily to the Lord with the following prayer:
However, it is not basic, and therefore refers, most likely, to complementary. In order to understand the significance of nine and forty days, it is necessary to talk with the priest. He can tell the relatives of the deceased about exactly how the soul goes in the afterlife before determining its permanent destination.
According to Orthodox texts, the deceased may be very close to his family the first days after his death. Some souls spend time in their home, others invisibly hover over their favorite places in life, while others do not part with the person who was most dear to them. During these days, two angels are with soul. One was given to man even at birth and was his keeper throughout life. And the second becomes a vehicle to the Lord and therefore is sent to the soul at the time of her earthly death and transition to another world.
On the third day, the angels finally tear off the soul from all its affections and accompany it to God. But along the way, she goes through a series of temptations that suit demons. They want people to remember all their sins and turn away from eternal and bright life next to the Lord. Demons do not leave the soul for a second, they seek to drag it to hell. And only angels with their strength and prayers for the repose of the deceased until 40 days, read by loved ones, protect him from temptations and help them pass.
The next six days are given to the soul so that it can be in paradise and enjoy its beauty. On the ninth day, angels accompany a person to hell, showing him all the horrors of this place. There he remains until the hour of the private trial, which is scheduled for the fortieth day.
That is why the terms announced by us are crucial for the soul. All prayers read for her later will no longer be able to influence the determination of the place for the deceased until the Last Judgment.
Orthodox traditions associated with prayer for the deceased
According to Orthodox rites, at the time of death over the body of the deceased, it is necessary to read the Follow. The text of this prayer helps the soul to completely separate from the body and follow the angels along the path prepared for it. The follow-up consists of prayer, troparia and several kondakas. It is quite complex texts, so we will not cite them in the article. , . .
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We hope that our article turned out to be useful to you and now you definitely know all the details of the Orthodox funeral rites. And you can also imagine how important it is not to stop praying for your loved ones. After all, you can do this in any free minute at home.