It is frightening and painful to stand in front of the uncovered grave, into which the coffin with the body of a loved one is about to be lowered. It is easier for the Orthodox Christian to survive the loss in caring for the afterlife of the deceased. Up to 40 days, he especially needs prayer and remembrance.
The close one died. What to do?
Why it is customary to bury the deceased on the 3rd day, is written below. A little later we will return to this issue; now it is necessary to find out what to do after the soul of a relative is separated from the body.
Previously, the deceased lay at home before burial, in our time he is sent to the morgue. Relatives begin to engage in a sad affair, bothering about the funeral and commemoration. The soul of the deceased is somehow forgotten or not given much importance to her requests for help.
According to the words of St. Macarius of Alexandria, who received a revelation about the afterlife of souls, they spend two days in those places that they loved in life. Some souls stay home, say goodbye invisibly to loved ones, some visit places where they worked the truth.
The soul asks for help, only no one hears its cry. Here's what you need to do after the loved one has passed into eternal life:
- Pray for the repose of the newly appointed slave (s) of God. The shortest prayer looks like this: "Peace, Lord, the soul of your deceased slave / your deceased slave (name) and forgive him (her) all sins, free and involuntary, make him (her) your kingdom of heaven."
- Be sure to read the hymnal for the repose of the soul. Ideally, the hymnal is read over the body of the deceased all night. In connection with sending the deceased to the morgue, it is not possible to subtract the hymnal from him. But no one has canceled the reading in absentia.
- Try to file notes on the rest in the nearest temples. If possible, order magpie. Speaking of the latter: it is advisable to submit them to forty temples and monasteries up to forty days from the day of death.
- Everything written above applies only to baptized people. It is forbidden to remember suicides or unbaptized in the church and read the hymnal on them.
Why is they buried on the third day?
So we got to the question of why the deceased is buried for 3 days. As described above, there is a legend about finding a soul on earth for two days after death. She, accompanied by an angel, can go wherever she wants.
On the third day, the soul goes to bow to God. Therefore, the deceased is buried on this day, he needs enhanced prayers from loved ones.
Funeral service
We found out why they bury them for 3 days. An Orthodox person is buried before burial. The funeral service is performed in the church; it is a prayer service for the soul of the deceased. It is performed on the third day, before the betrayal of the body to the earth. Above, it is written about the need for strengthened prayers on this day, which is why we talked about.
During the funeral service, the church asks God to forgive the forgiveness of the sins of the deceased, granting him the Kingdom of Heaven. In the following are the words "with the saints repose", they are the real testimony of the above.
Often people who rarely visit the temple gather at the funeral service. It is customary to talk about such people: they believe in God in the soul. A follow-up that lasts quite a long time is completely incomprehensible to them. Relatives are shifting from one foot to another, waiting for the end of the funeral service. Sincerely, only those to whom he was very dear in life pray for the deceased.
Burial
It is written above why people are buried for 3 days. It remains to find out how to behave at the funeral, how you can help the deceased loved one.
Be sure to ask the priest to have a memorial service or litia at the grave. For this, it is not necessary to bring a priest from the temple, in which the newly appointed servant of God was buried. Almost every cemetery has its own temple or a small chapel where a priest serves. You can turn to him.
The greatest help for the soul is a sincere prayer for its repose. It is very difficult to pray when everything inside is bursting with pain, tears are pouring in hail, the realization comes that there, under the ground, dear man will forever remain. In earthly life, never to see him again.
Take comfort in meeting in the future life. There is a belief that a person posthumously meets all his relatives. And pray for the repose of the soul of the new priest, through pain and tears, no one will help the deceased except a sincerely believing relative (we do not consider church commemoration).
Wake
Why is buried on the 3rd day after death, it is written in the second subsection of the article. Let's talk about the funeral, because so much superstition and stupidity is associated with them that it becomes very sad.
Remember that it is strictly forbidden for Orthodox people to do:
- Remember the deceased with vodka. It is generally not recommended to drink for the repose of the soul, for this it is customary to pray, but not to drink strong drinks.
- From the same series - a glass of vodka, covered with a piece of brown bread. The deceased has no such offer, and unclean spirits will be very happy. When we put a glass of bread in front of a photograph of the deceased, we feed demons instead of helping the deceased in prayer.
- Sometimes the wake turns into a regular feast. Relatives and friends of the deceased discuss quite ordinary topics, forgetting why they gathered at the table. This does not honor the assembled people, for their main task is to remember the deceased, to ask God for the forgiveness of his sins, to grant the Kingdom of Heaven.
3rd to 9th day
The heading of the article mentions the memorial days, such as the 3rd, 9th and 40th.
According to church tradition, the soul appears to bow to God on the third day after the repose. That is why they bury them for 3 days, as described above.
Particular zeal for praying for the deceased is necessary within 40 days after the burial. This does not mean that after this time they forget about the deceased, pray for the soul regularly, remembering the deceased relatives during the morning rule, read the Psalm for them. But the first 40 days are the most responsible, so to speak. The soul goes through a posthumous ordeal, gets to know the paradises, examines hell. On the 40th day, she again appears before the Creator, determining her further fate. The soul cannot help itself, it remains to hope for loved ones who remain on the earth.
According to legend, from the 3rd to the 9th day, the soul visits the heavenly abodes, she is shown the places prepared for the elect of God. The soul sees the saints, trembles and worries about its fate, repenting of the sinful pastime, if such a thing took place in her life.
From the 9th to the 40th day
Why did they bury on the 3rd day of the deceased, what days are considered special for commemoration, how to behave at the funeral service, we found out. The article is nearing completion, it remains to find out what happens to the soul from the 9th to the 40th day after the burial of the body.
There is an opinion that she visits the underworld, terrified of what is happening there. Belatedly lamenting about his sinful life, he longs for prayer help from his relatives in order to become like heavenly cloisters.
40th day
The final day, requiring a special prayer of lamentation for the deceased, he goes to God. The creator decides whether the soul goes to heaven or hell. That is why it is necessary to visit the temple on this day, to submit a note of repose, ideally, to serve a memorial service or lithium on the grave. If this is not possible, then do it in the church.
Conclusion
Readers living a Christian life and being in the temple knew all of the above. For those who rarely attend church, information on why they bury them for 3 days and how to approach the commemoration of the soul from a Christian point of view will be useful.
Parental Saturday is coming. Go to the temple, submit a note for the deceased loved ones, stand with the parishioners and pray for the repose of souls.