Almost all religions of the world are very attentive in the posthumous fate of believers. In some cases, the deceased are revered, sometimes they are prayed for, sacrifices are made. Even atheists have a special burial ritual, because deep down in their hearts everyone understands that death is a transition to some other state, and not just the end of biological life.
Prayer for repose is accepted in Orthodoxy and is very common. What is it? How is such a prayer carried out and what gives? That's a very difficult question. According to the teachings of the Church, the posthumous fate of a person is determined by actions throughout life, as well as by the state of the soul at the time of death. After death, a person can no longer change for the worse or for the better. Based on this, prayer for the repose is completely useless.
But we must remember that prayer is a conversation with God, and not a trading or exchange shop. That is, it is impossible to determine: once a prayer is read for the repose, it means that a person will feel better. God, the All-Good Creator, of course, graciously looks at our prayers and offerings to improve the afterlife of the deceased. For the sake of the salvation of others, sometimes amazing feats of faith were performed. For example, the well-known St. Petersburg Xenia the Blessed began her journey when her husband died without repentance. Her whole life is a kind of prayer for the repose of her beloved husband. And even if he was not a very pious person, one cannot believe that the Lord would not have accepted this feat of love.
But, of course, no one can bear the burden of Blessed Ksenia, so there are certain traditions of memorial prayers.
Prayer for the repose of the soul begins as soon as the soul leaves the body, that is, as soon as a person has died. Already at this moment it is quite appropriate to say, "Peace, Lord, the soul of your servant."
Often at the tomb and in the first days after the death of a loved one, family members read the Psalter. This is a pious tradition, it is read for forty days and after each Glory the prayer is repeated: “Peace, Lord, the soul of your servant ...”.
But this is a homely, so-called secret version of prayer. There is also a tradition of church prayers. First of all, this is the funeral service. This is not a sacrament. Any sacrament must be carried out with the consent of a person. The funeral service is a collection of prayers that are sung and read over the tomb. It is built in the form of a dialogue of the soul of the deceased with God and relatives.
A prayer for the repose such as a memorial service is available daily. It can be served both at home and in the temple, and can be repeated many times a day. Particularly often requiem services serve in the first forty days, when the soul, according to the teachings of the Church, has not yet passed a private court.
Later, of course, it is also necessary to pray. The Orthodox even have days of special commemoration of the departed, when the Church calls to remember their loved ones especially, once again. The most effective prayer for repose is, of course, the proskomedian prayer of the priest at the altar during the Divine Liturgy. These are the so-called notes for the repose, which are served in a candle shop. During the service, a piece of prosphora is taken out for each item listed in the note, and after the consecration of the holy Gifts, these particles are immersed in the Blood of Christ. It is believed that the soul at this moment also joins God.
One can remember the repose for special days, both at home and in the church. Do not forget about your dead is very important for the living.