A memorial service is a service, which in its composition represents an abbreviated rite of burial and is also similar to Matins. The 90th psalm is read on it, after which the great litany for the repose of the one commemorated is ascended, then the troparia are sung with the refrain: “Blessed are you, O Lord...” and the 50th psalm is read. The canon is sung, which is divided by small litanies. After the canon, the Trisagion, Our Father, troparia and litany are read, after which there is dismissal.

This service can be held before and after the funeral service on the third, since Christ was resurrected on the third day after his death, the ninth - waiting for the soul of the deceased to be brought closer to the nine ranks of angels, the fortieth day - because the Savior on the fortieth day ascended in his most pure flesh to heaven, after death or at another time at the request of relatives and friends. The soul of every deceased person goes through ordeal after death, so at this time his soul needs prayer. Memorial service helps the soul ease the transition to the afterlife. At this time of day they also said goodbye to the bodies of the dead and martyrs. The remains of the martyrs were placed in caves or distant houses, in which psalms were then sung and burial was carried out by early morning. This liturgical observance of the deceased was called a memorial service, or in another way - an all-night vigil. Therefore, the service for the deceased began to be called a memorial service.

Of great importance for the soul of the deceased is the prayer that is performed before the funeral service in a church or in several churches and monasteries. While the body of a deceased person lies dead, his soul undergoes spiritual tests, which in the church are called ordeals. Based on this, the soul has an urgent need for the care of loved ones, which is expressed in prayer, alms and good deeds in honor of the deceased. During the funeral service in the temple, all those present hold lighted candles in their hands, which express love and the prayer that flows from their hearts.

Memorial service - text of the service

The essence of the prayers of the memorial service is to appeal to the Lord with a request to forgive the sins of the deceased and to grant his soul peace and the Kingdom of Heaven. In the texts funeral services The Church pays attention to how the soul of the deceased ascends to the judgment of God, how it faces the judgment with fear, revealing its sins before the Lord. The Church speaks about the fundamental law of divine judgment - this is mercy. The memorial service ends with the words: “In the blessed Dormition, grant eternal peace, O Lord, to Thy departed servant (name) and create for him eternal memory!” “These words,” says Saint Simeon of Thessalonica, “are a gift and the completion of everything; they send the deceased to the enjoyment of God and transfer the soul and body of the deceased to God.” The prayers of a memorial service bring relief to the soul of the deceased, as well as to the worshipers themselves.

As a rule, requiem services are performed in churches after the Divine Liturgy, however, according to some theologians, such a practice has no basis in the Charter of the Orthodox Church. After the Liturgy, no services should be performed at all. Therefore, it is proposed to serve a requiem mass before the Liturgy or after the evening service.

Ecumenical memorial services - parental Saturdays

In addition to commemorating each individual deceased, the Church commemorates at a certain set time all deceased Orthodox Christians, those who were overtaken by sudden death and were not guided into the future eternal life by the prayer of the Church. Such memorial services are called ecumenical; the days on which they take place are called ecumenical parental Saturdays. These days include:

Meat Saturday. The Meat Sunday that follows is dedicated to spiritual reflection on the Last Judgment. Prayer for the dead these days brings them great benefit. The salvation of the soul can only be realized in the Church, whose members are the living, as well as all the dead. Uniting with them through prayer is an expression of our love.

The translation of the word “requiem” from Greek means “all-night singing.” Christians of the first centuries, under conditions of persecution, could hold services only in secluded places, most often at night.

Saturday Trinity. The commemoration of all departed Christians is also designated on the Saturday before the Feast of Pentecost, because the descent of the Holy Spirit completed the economy of human salvation, in which the dead also take part. Praying on the day of Pentecost, the Church asks that for the dead the grace of the Lord will become a source of joy and bliss, since by the Spirit of God “every soul is alive.” Therefore, the Saturday before the holiday is dedicated to prayer for the departed. Saint Basil the Great, who composed the prayers of Vespers of Pentecost, says that on this day the Lord is more willing to accept prayers for departed Christians and even for “those kept in hell.”

Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday named after St. Demetrius of Thessalonica. The establishment of commemoration of the dead on this day belongs to Dmitry Donskoy, who, after the Battle of Kulikovo, commemorated the fallen soldiers, established this commemoration to be performed annually on October 26. Subsequently, together with the soldiers, they began to commemorate all the deceased.

Parental Saturdays for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Lent. During the period of Great Lent, the Church calls on all believers to be in unity with the living and the dead, and to pray for them on certain days. The Saturdays of these weeks are designated for commemorating the dead since on the weekdays of Great Lent funeral services are not performed (these include: magpies, funeral litanies, memorial services, commemorations of the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death), because the full Liturgy is not held daily, but the commemoration of the dead is associated with this service. In order not to deprive departed Christians of the prayers of the Church during the days of Great Lent, these Saturdays were set apart.

What is a memorial service? When is the funeral prayer read? You can learn about the rules for remembering the dead by reading our article.

Memorial service, memorial prayer, parents' Saturdays

REMEMBRANCE OF THE DECEASED – DAYS OF SPECIAL REMEMBRANCE OF THE DECEASED

The hour comes when the remains of the deceased are buried in the earth, where they will rest until the end of time and the general resurrection. But the love of the Mother of the Church for her child who has passed from this life does not dry out. On certain days, she makes prayers for the deceased and makes a bloodless sacrifice for his repose. Special days of commemoration are the third, ninth and fortieth (in this case, the day of death is considered the first). Commemoration on these days is sanctified by ancient church custom. It is consistent with the teaching of the Church about the state of the soul beyond the grave.

The third day. The commemoration of the deceased on the third day after death is performed in honor of the three-day resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the image of the Holy Trinity.

For the first two days, the soul of the deceased is still on earth, passing along with the Angel accompanying it through those places that attract it with memories of earthly joys and sorrows, evil and good deeds. The soul that loves the body sometimes wanders around the house in which the body is placed, and thus spends two days like a bird looking for a nest. A virtuous soul walks through those places in which it used to do the truth. On the third day, the Lord commands the soul to ascend to heaven to worship Him - the God of all. Therefore, the church commemoration of the soul that appeared before the face of the Just One is very timely.

Ninth day. The commemoration of the deceased on this day is in honor of the nine ranks of angels, who, as servants of the King of Heaven and representatives to Him for us, petition for pardon for the deceased.

After the third day, the soul, accompanied by an Angel, enters the heavenly abodes and contemplates their indescribable beauty. She remains in this state for six days. During this time, the soul forgets the sorrow that it felt while in the body and after leaving it. But if she is guilty of sins, then at the sight of the pleasure of the saints she begins to grieve and reproach herself: “Woe is me! How much I have become fussy in this world! I spent most of my life in carelessness and did not serve God as I should, so that I too would be worthy of this grace and glory. Alas for me, poor one!” On the ninth day, the Lord commands the Angels to again present the soul to Him for worship. The soul stands before the throne of the Most High with fear and trembling. But even at this time, the Holy Church again prays for the deceased, asking the merciful Judge to place the soul of her child with the saints.

Fortieth day. The forty-day period is very significant in the history and tradition of the Church as the time necessary for preparation and acceptance of the special Divine gift of the gracious help of the Heavenly Father. The Prophet Moses was honored to talk with God on Mount Sinai and receive the tablets of the law from Him only after a forty-day fast. The Israelites reached the promised land after forty years of wandering. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself ascended into heaven on the fortieth day after His resurrection. Taking all this as a basis, the Church established commemoration on the fortieth day after death, so that the soul of the deceased would ascend the holy mountain of Heavenly Sinai, be rewarded with the sight of God, achieve the bliss promised to it and settle in the heavenly villages with the righteous.

After the second worship of the Lord, the Angels take the soul to hell, and it contemplates the cruel torment of unrepentant sinners. On the fortieth day, the soul ascends for the third time to worship God, and then its fate is decided - according to earthly affairs, it is assigned a place to stay until the Last Judgment. That is why church prayers and commemorations on this day are so timely. They atone for the sins of the deceased and ask for his soul to be placed in paradise with the saints.

Anniversary. The Church commemorates the deceased on the anniversary of their death. The basis for this establishment is obvious. It is known that the largest liturgical cycle is the annual circle, after which all the fixed holidays are repeated again. The anniversary of the death of a loved one is always marked with at least a heartfelt remembrance by loving family and friends. For an Orthodox believer, this is a birthday for a new, eternal life.

UNIVERSAL MEMORIAL SERVICES (PARENTAL SATURDAYS)

In addition to these days, the Church has established special days for the solemn, general, ecumenical commemoration of all fathers and brothers in faith who have passed away from time to time, who have been worthy of Christian death, as well as those who, having been caught by sudden death, were not guided into the afterlife by the prayers of the Church. The memorial services performed at this time, specified by the statutes of the Ecumenical Church, are called ecumenical, and the days on which the commemoration is performed are called ecumenical parental Saturdays. In the circle of the liturgical year, such days of general remembrance are:

Meat Saturday. Dedicating the Meat Week to the remembrance of the Last Last Judgment of Christ, the Church, in view of this judgment, established to intercede not only for its living members, but also for all those who have died from time immemorial, who have lived in piety, of all generations, ranks and conditions, especially for those who died a sudden death , and prays to the Lord for mercy on them. The solemn all-church commemoration of the departed on this Saturday (as well as on Trinity Saturday) brings great benefit and help to our deceased fathers and brothers and at the same time serves as an expression of the fullness of the church life that we live. For salvation is possible only in the Church - the community of believers, the members of which are not only those living, but also all those who have died in the faith. And communication with them through prayer, their prayerful remembrance is an expression of our common unity in the Church of Christ.

Saturday Trinity. The commemoration of all dead pious Christians was established on the Saturday before Pentecost due to the fact that the event of the descent of the Holy Spirit completed the economy of human salvation, and the deceased also participate in this salvation. Therefore, the Church, sending up prayers on Pentecost for the revival of all living by the Holy Spirit, asks on the very day of the holiday that for the departed the grace of the all-holy and all-sanctifying Spirit of the Comforter, which they were granted during their lifetime, would be a source of bliss, since by the Holy Spirit “every soul is given life.” " Therefore, the Church devotes the eve of the holiday, Saturday, to the remembrance of the departed and prayer for them. Saint Basil the Great, who composed the touching prayers of Vespers of Pentecost, says in them that the Lord especially on this day deigns to accept prayers for the dead and even for “those kept in hell.”

Parental Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of the Holy Pentecost. On Holy Pentecost - the days of Great Lent, the feat of spirituality, the feat of repentance and charity to others - the Church calls on believers to be in the closest union of Christian love and peace not only with the living, but also with the dead, to perform prayerful commemorations of those who have departed from this life on designated days. In addition, the Saturdays of these weeks are designated by the Church for the remembrance of the dead for another reason that on the weekdays of Great Lent no funeral commemorations are performed (this includes funeral litanies, litias, memorial services, commemorations of the 3rd, 9th and 40th days by death, sorokousty), since there is no full liturgy every day, the celebration of which is associated with the commemoration of the dead. In order not to deprive the dead of the saving intercession of the Church on the days of the Holy Pentecost, the indicated Saturdays are allocated.

Radonitsa. The basis for the general commemoration of the dead, which takes place on the Tuesday after St. Thomas Week (Sunday), is, on the one hand, the remembrance of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell and His victory over death, connected with St. Thomas Sunday, and, on the other hand, the permission of the church charter to perform the usual commemoration of the dead after Holy and Holy Weeks, starting with Fomin Monday. On this day, believers come to the graves of their relatives and friends with the joyful news of the Resurrection of Christ. Hence the very day of remembrance is called Radonitsa (or Radunitsa).

Unfortunately, during Soviet times, the custom was established of visiting cemeteries not on Radonitsa, but on the first day of Easter. It is natural for a believer to visit the graves of his loved ones after fervent prayer for their repose in the church - after a requiem service has been served in the church. During Easter week there are no funeral services, for Easter is an all-encompassing joy for believers in the Resurrection of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, during the entire Easter week, funeral litanies are not pronounced (although the usual commemoration is performed at the proskomedia), and memorial services are not served.

CHURCH FUNERAL SERVICES

The deceased must be commemorated in the Church as often as possible, not only on designated special days of remembrance, but also on any other day. The Church makes the main prayer for the repose of deceased Orthodox Christians at the Divine Liturgy, offering a bloodless sacrifice to God for them. To do this, you should submit notes with their names to the church before the start of the liturgy (or the night before) (only baptized Orthodox Christians can be entered). At the proskomedia, particles will be taken out of the prosphoras for their repose, which at the end of the liturgy will be lowered into the holy chalice and washed with the Blood of the Son of God. Let us remember that this is the greatest benefit we can provide to those who are dear to us. This is how it is said about commemoration at the liturgy in the Message of the Eastern Patriarchs: “We believe that the souls of people who fell into mortal sins and did not despair at death, but repented even before separation from real life, only did not have time to bear any fruits of repentance (such fruits could be their prayers, tears, kneeling during prayer vigils, contrition, consolation of the poor and expression in actions of love for God and neighbors) - the souls of such people descend into hell and suffer punishment for the sins they have committed, without, however, losing hope for relief. They receive relief through the infinite goodness of God through the prayers of priests and charity done for the dead, and especially through the power of bloodless sacrifice, which, in particular, the priest makes for every Christian for his loved ones, and in general the Catholic and Apostolic Church makes for everyone every day.”

An eight-pointed Orthodox cross is usually placed at the top of the note. Then the type of commemoration is indicated - “On repose”, after which the names of those commemorated in the genitive case are written in large, legible handwriting (to answer the question “who?”), and the clergy and monastics are mentioned first, indicating the rank and degree of monasticism (for example, Metropolitan John, schema-abbot Savva, archpriest Alexander, nun Rachel, Andrey, Nina).

All names must be given in church spelling (for example, Tatiana, Alexy) and in full (Mikhail, Lyubov, and not Misha, Lyuba).

The number of names on the note does not matter; you just need to take into account that the priest has the opportunity to read not very long notes more carefully. Therefore, it is better to submit several notes if you want to remember many of your loved ones.

By submitting notes, the parishioner makes a donation for the needs of the monastery or temple. To avoid any embarrassment, please remember that the difference in prices (registered or plain notes) only reflects the difference in the amount of the donation. Also, do not be embarrassed if you did not hear the names of your relatives mentioned in the litany. As mentioned above, the main commemoration occurs at the proskomedia when removing particles from the prosphora. During the funeral litany, you can take out your memorial and pray for your loved ones. The prayer will be more effective if the one commemorating himself on that day partakes of the Body and Blood of Christ.

After the liturgy, a memorial service can be celebrated. The memorial service is served before the eve - a special table with an image of the crucifixion and rows of candlesticks. Here you can leave an offering for the needs of the temple in memory of deceased loved ones.

It is very important after death to order the sorokoust in the church - continuous commemoration during the liturgy for forty days. After its completion, the sorokoust can be ordered again. There are also long periods of commemoration - six months, a year. Some monasteries accept notes for eternal (as long as the monastery stands) commemoration or for commemoration during the reading of the Psalter (this is an ancient Orthodox custom). The more churches where prayer is offered, the better for our neighbor!

It is very useful on the memorable days of the deceased to donate to the church, give alms to the poor with a request to pray for him. On the eve you can bring sacrificial food. You cannot just bring meat food and alcohol (except for church wine) to the eve. The simplest type of sacrifice for the deceased is a candle that is lit for his repose.

Realizing that the most we can do for our deceased loved ones is to submit a note of remembrance at the liturgy, we should not forget to pray for them at home and perform acts of mercy.

MEMORY OF THE DECEASED AT HOME PRAYER

Prayer for the departed is our main and invaluable help to those who have passed into another world. The deceased, by and large, does not need a coffin, a grave monument, much less a memorial table - all this is just a tribute to traditions, albeit very pious ones. But the eternally living soul of the deceased experiences a great need for constant prayer, for it cannot itself do good deeds with which it would be able to appease the Lord. Home prayer for loved ones, including the dead, is the duty of every Orthodox Christian. St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, speaks about prayer for the dead: “If the all-discerning Wisdom of God does not forbid praying for the dead, does this not mean that it is still allowed to throw a rope, although not always reliable enough, but sometimes, and perhaps often, saving for souls who have fallen away from the shores of temporary life, but have not reached eternal refuge? Saving for those souls who waver over the abyss between bodily death and the final judgment of Christ, now rising by faith, now plunging into deeds unworthy of it, now elevated by grace, now brought down by the remains of a damaged nature, now ascended by Divine desire, now entangled in the rough, not yet completely stripped of the clothes of earthly thoughts..."

Home prayerful commemoration of a deceased Christian is very diverse. You should pray especially diligently for the deceased in the first forty days after his death. As already indicated in the section “Reading the Psalter for the Dead,” during this period it is very useful to read the Psalter about the deceased, at least one kathisma per day. You can also recommend reading an akathist about the repose of the departed. In general, the Church commands us to pray every day for deceased parents, relatives, known people and benefactors. For this purpose, the following short prayer is included in the daily morning prayers:

PRAYER FOR THE DECEASED

Rest, O Lord, the souls of Your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names), and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is more convenient to read names from a commemoration book - a small book where the names of living and deceased relatives are written down. There is a pious custom of keeping family memorials, reading which Orthodox people remember by name many generations of their deceased ancestors.

FUNERAL MEAL

The pious custom of remembering the dead at meals has been known for a very long time. But, unfortunately, many funerals turn into an occasion for relatives to get together, discuss news, eat delicious food, while Orthodox Christians should pray for the deceased at the funeral table.

Before the meal, a litia should be performed - a short rite of requiem, which can be performed by a layman. As a last resort, you need to at least read Psalm 90 and the Lord’s Prayer. The first dish eaten at a wake is kutia (kolivo). These are boiled cereal grains (wheat or rice) with honey and raisins. Grains serve as a symbol of resurrection, and honey - the sweetness that the righteous enjoy in the Kingdom of God. According to the charter, kutia must be blessed with a special rite during a memorial service; if this is not possible, you need to sprinkle it with holy water.

Naturally, the owners want to provide a tasty treat for everyone who came to the funeral. But you must observe the fasts established by the Church and eat permitted foods: on Wednesdays, Fridays, and during long fasts, do not eat fasting foods. If the memory of the deceased occurs on a weekday during Lent, then the commemoration is moved to the Saturday or Sunday closest to it.

You must abstain from wine, especially vodka, at the funeral meal! The dead are not remembered with wine! Wine is a symbol of earthly joy, and a wake is an occasion for intense prayer for a person who may suffer greatly in the afterlife. You should not drink alcohol, even if the deceased himself liked to drink. It is known that “drunken” wakes often turn into an ugly gathering where the deceased is simply forgotten. At the table you need to remember the deceased, his good qualities and deeds (hence the name - wake). The custom of leaving a glass of vodka and a piece of bread at the table “for the deceased” is a relic of paganism and should not be observed in Orthodox families.

On the contrary, there are pious customs worthy of imitation. In many Orthodox families, the first to sit down at the funeral table are the poor and the poor, children and old women. They can also be given clothes and belongings of the deceased. Orthodox people can tell about numerous cases of confirmation from the afterlife of great help to the deceased as a result of the creation of alms by their relatives. Moreover, the loss of loved ones prompts many people to take the first step towards God, to begin living the life of an Orthodox Christian.

Thus, one living archimandrite tells the following incident from his pastoral practice.

“This happened in the difficult post-war years. A mother, tearful with grief, whose eight-year-old son Misha drowned, comes to me, the rector of the village church. And she says that she dreamed of Misha and complained about the cold - he was completely without clothes. I tell her: “Are any of his clothes left?” - "Yes, sure". - “Give it to your Mishin friends, they’ll probably find it useful.”

A few days later she tells me that she again saw Misha in a dream: he was dressed in exactly the clothes that were given to his friends. He thanked him, but now complained of hunger. I advised to organize a memorial meal for the village children - Misha's friends and acquaintances. No matter how difficult it is in difficult times, what can’t you do for your beloved son! And the woman treated the children as best she could.

She came for the third time. She thanked me very much: “Misha said in a dream that now he is warm and nourished, but my prayers are not enough.” I taught her prayers and advised her not to leave acts of mercy for the future. She became a zealous parishioner, always ready to respond to requests for help, and to the best of her ability she helped orphans, the poor and the poor.”

Throughout his life, a believer observes all the rites and rituals that prepare him for a meeting with the Lord. And one day the moment comes when the soul leaves the body. The care of the soul of the deceased falls on the shoulders of the relatives. We cannot return a deceased person to our mortal world, but helping his soul find peace and tranquility is within the power of any believer.

The essence of the ritual

For those who have only recently begun the path to God, it is worth explaining that a memorial service is a church service, a special prayer that is said in church on the third, ninth and fortieth day after the death of a Christian. This service begins in the evening and continues throughout the night, smoothly transitioning into the morning. This ritual is performed only in Orthodoxy. In Protestant and other beliefs, such services are not performed, but anyone can pray for the deceased at home.

For a believer who has always followed all religious rules, it will be a great tragedy if he is buried without a funeral service. Then the soul will appear in heaven without purification.

Varieties and rules

Prohibitions on funeral services

All other people after their death can count on being prayed for.

There are certain periods of the year when funeral services cannot be held. This is the last week before Easter and the first Sunday after Easter week. Funeral services for the dead are allowed on any day except Easter itself.

Also, funeral services are not held on Christmas and other twelve holidays. It may be carried out at the discretion of the priest.

Church services

All services are possible divided into the following types:

A memorial service is obligatory on the 9th day. It is from this moment that the soul goes through ordeals and comprehends its sins. To ease her torment, it is necessary here, in earthly life, to say prayers and ask for forgiveness of sins.

One of the main dates is the 40th day after death. He is called the magpie. It is on this day, according to legend, that the soul visits familiar places and comes to say goodbye to relatives. If you do not remember the deceased on this day, his soul will suffer and suffer. Therefore, on this day they must order a memorial service so that the deceased can easily and calmly leave this world forever.

At home, funerals are held, alms are distributed, and the grave is visited. Throughout the day, loved ones should remember the deceased and say good words about him. It is prohibited to hold or attend entertainment events.

Death anniversary

Like the magpie, the date of death is considered an important date. It is customary to order a church service, arrange a funeral dinner and give alms. Relatives, by doing good deeds, help the soul of the deceased to receive the forgiveness of the Lord. On this day, a note is submitted with the name of the person who should be remembered. There are certain rules submitting the following notes:

During the service, family and friends should stand with lit candles. After the service is completed, the candles are extinguished. This symbolizes our life, which also burns, but will definitely go out someday.

Prayer is an invisible thread that connects a living person and the soul of the deceased. The deceased can no longer do good deeds and ask the Lord for intercession. But family and friends can do this. Death is not oblivion, but a completely different, eternal life. Therefore, the souls of the departed need to be commemorated.

Elena Terekhova

When is a memorial service for the deceased celebrated?

- this is a prayerful commemoration at which a funeral service is performed in the hope of God’s mercy and forgiveness of the sins of the deceased. Such services can be ordered on the third, ninth, fortieth day after death, on the birthday of the deceased.

If a memorial service is being held in a church, you need to place a candle on a candlestick, which looks like a board with holes for candles. It's called "eve". There is also a small cross there. Eve has its own meaning. It reminds us that all the dead can hope for the Kingdom of Heaven and shine with divine light like wax.

During a memorial service for the dead, candles are not placed on the eve of the week before Easter. Because at this time believers pay all their attention to the events of Christ before His crucifixion. After parting with the body, the soul spends some time in hell.

On the fortieth day, the Lord decides where she will stay. Therefore, if a soul died in lack of faith and without repentance, it needs the prayers of relatives. Until the fortieth day, we remember the deceased as newly deceased.

During the funeral prayer, the priest censes, the deacon pronounces the words, and the choir sings the requiem. When a person dies, his relatives sometimes have many questions about his funeral service. For example: “Can I order memorial service for the deceased, if he is a Catholic?”, “Is it possible to order a funeral service if the deceased is unbaptized?”, “What can be done for the deceased if he was buried without a funeral service?”, “Is it possible to perform a funeral service in absentia for someone who died during the war if the place of his burial is not known? ", "Why do you need to bring food to the temple?"

All questions have answers. Non-Orthodox people can be remembered in home prayer. But you cannot order a memorial service for them in a church. The unbaptized are also not buried in the church, since they were not members of the Church, did not confess the Lord Jesus Christ, and did not partake of the mysteries of Christ.

If the deceased was buried without a funeral service, but he was baptized in the Orthodox Church, then you need to come to the church and order an absentee funeral service, as well as order a magpie.

Memorial services for the deceased, those killed during the war and those buried in an unknown place can be celebrated in absentia if the person was baptized. And sprinkle the soil received after the funeral in a cross shape on any grave in the Orthodox cemetery.

Believers bring food to the temple so that the church ministers can remember the departed during the meal. This is alms, donations for the deceased. To have more prayer books for the dead, you can set a funeral table for the poor, homeless, and orphans.

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A funeral prayer can ease the suffering of the souls of the deceased in the afterlife, especially when pronounced sincerely and from a pure heart. It can be read in church, at home, or at a grave almost all year round, with the exception of Easter days. But there are also special days to commemorate the dead.

After the death of loved ones, the care of their souls falls on the shoulders of relatives. A funeral is not complete without a requiem service for the deceased. It is also necessary to ensure that the believer is buried in accordance with all religious traditions.

Why is this necessary?

A service held in a church should not be confused with such a thing as a civil memorial service. The church ritual should last all night, and with the onset of morning it turns into the morning funeral service.

The purpose of a memorial service is to ask God for forgiveness for the unrighteous actions of the deceased person. The deceased will no longer be able to ask for himself. Throughout their lives, people voluntarily or unwittingly commit sinful acts. For many of them, the believer does not have time to ask for forgiveness. After death, the deceased will appear before the Creator. Previously, each soul goes through ordeals for a certain time. During this time, the church must have time to atone for the sins of the deceased.

Prayer for the repose of the soul is the duty of every believer towards his brother in faith.

You should ask God for the deceased not only in cases where the deceased is a close relative. It is necessary to pray for a stranger, for a close friend, and even for a blood enemy. A Christian is obliged to forgive his enemies and ask higher powers for good for them. A petition for a non-Christian who respected Orthodoxy will also be accepted. Conducting a ceremony in a church in such cases is prohibited. However, there is nothing wrong with praying for the deceased privately, that is, at home.

For whom is the ceremony not performed?

Certain categories of lay people may be denied Christian ritual. This is not about punishing a person by refusing to intercede. On the contrary, clergy are obliged to ask for every believer, regardless of the degree of his sinfulness. However, there are exceptions. Cannot count on a memorial service:

1. Unbaptized. The rite of baptism assumes that a person accepts all the precepts of Orthodoxy. He becomes part of the Christian community, and the church is obliged to take care of his soul. If a person has not accepted faith, clergy do not have the right to pray for his repose. It is possible that the deceased chose a different path to God and worshiped him in accordance with the requirements of a different religion. In this case, the Orthodox Church must respect the choice of the believer and not hold a service even at the request of relatives.
2. Suicide. Close people of the deceased of their own free will often ask the question of whether it is possible to order a memorial service for a suicide who was baptized and distinguished by his diligent service to God. Voluntary taking of one's life is considered one of the most serious sins. The church does not conduct any suicide rituals. An exception may be cases where the person was mentally ill or under the influence of psychoactive substances. The church does not make exceptions for deeply religious believers who are of sound mind. Relatives can pray for the soul of a loved one at home.
3. Blasphemer, persecutor of faith, inveterate sinner. They also do not pray for the repose of the souls of such people in churches. A person who openly ridiculed religion or was an oppressor of believers cannot expect priests to pray for his repose. People who were distinguished by sinful behavior during their lives, who never repented of their actions, do not receive the forgiveness and intercession of the church.
4. Atheist. Church rites for atheists are replaced by a civil memorial service. If a person was not a persecutor of faith, but denied the existence of God and bequeathed not to perform any rituals on him, the last will of the deceased must be fulfilled. In this case, we are also not talking about punishment for unbelief. A person has made his choice, which should be treated with respect and without censure.

Can a memorial service be civil?

Initially, the concept of a civil memorial service did not exist at all. This is a secular term. For the ceremony, not a temple, but a special hall is used. Farewell to the deceased can take place in any spacious room that can accommodate a large number of friends, acquaintances or strangers to the deceased.

Civil memorial services are held after the death of politicians, artists, athletes, military personnel and other prominent personalities.

If during his lifetime the deceased was famous, had fans, etc., relatives need to make sure that everyone can say goodbye to the deceased. A civil funeral service can take place in a room that is related to the lifetime activities of the deceased. Famous actors, for example, are often said goodbye to in the theater where they worked.

At the civil ceremony, a farewell speech is made and words of condolences are expressed to relatives. The ceremony may be accompanied by the laying of wreaths, funeral rallies or fireworks (if the deceased was a military man). Sometimes an event develops into a protest, demonstration, armed conflict, etc. This happens in cases where the deceased was a representative of a movement or political party.

At a church funeral service, no words of sympathy are expressed for relatives. It is not customary to give a farewell speech. Any conflicts and showdowns are prohibited. Priests recommend treating farewell in church as a joyful event. The believer has passed the earthly path, and now he faces a meeting with the Creator and eternal bliss. This prospect should not cause grief.

Civil and church memorial services are not opposed to each other.

One may follow the other. First, a secular farewell takes place, and then the deceased is taken to church to perform the necessary rituals. Only after this the coffin with the body is taken to the cemetery.

Types of funeral services

1. First ceremony. Performed on someone who has just died. It must be carried out before the body is buried. Similar funeral services should be ordered by the laity on the ninth and fortieth days of a person’s death. The service is ordered both when a year passes after the death of the deceased and on his subsequent dates of death and birthdays. These days, it is advisable for relatives to organize a wake.
2. Parastas. Translated from Greek, this word means “intercession.” The service is held immediately for all deceased Christians. The service is particularly pompous and solemn. During the ceremony you can hear the choir singing. At the parastasis the canon “Immaculate” should be sung. In most cases, such a memorial service is held on the night of Parents' Saturday.
3. Cemetery. Sometimes the service is not held in a timely manner, that is, before the body is buried. Relatives of the deceased may doubt whether it is possible to order a memorial service in this case. It is not advisable to hold the first ceremony after the funeral, however, the circumstances for which the service was not held may vary. Perhaps the relatives of the deceased were unable to order the ceremony on time due to completely objective circumstances. Cemetery services have their own differences. Matins (the beginning of the memorial service) is not held at the grave. It is customary to perform only litiya (the end of the memorial service). This is due to the fact that special objects of worship, such as the Holy Altar, are required to conduct Matins. It cannot be transported from the temple to the cemetery.

The fortieth day after the death of a person is called sorokoust (forty days). This day is considered especially important for the deceased. According to some beliefs, on the forties the soul returns briefly from the other world to visit its relatives. If the deceased notices that his family has forgotten him, he will suffer greatly. This is why the family must order a memorial service. According to another version, on the day of fortieth the soul leaves this world forever. For forty days after her death, she was close to her loved ones. To conduct the soul, a special worship service is necessary.

Relatives hold memorial services at home. You can give out alms or treat strangers near the church. Each person decides for himself how much money to give as alms. On the fortieth day it is necessary to visit the grave if possible. It is believed that it is on this day that the eternal fate of the soul is decided: whether it will reside in hell or heaven. Forties should not be turned into a formality. Simply submitting a funeral note, ordering a lithium, or setting the table is not enough. The whole day should be devoted to memories of the deceased person. Any entertainment should be avoided.

The anniversary of a person's death is considered another important date. On this day, as on the fortieth day, it is necessary to visit the grave, pray for the deceased and do good deeds for him. Through the good deeds of relatives, the soul receives forgiveness of many sins.

On this day people come to church at the beginning of the service, which, if possible, must be defended to the end.

You can submit a memorial note for a deceased person. It is handed over to temple employees or placed in a special box. On the same day, a general memorial service will be held for all the people mentioned in the notes. Please remember that:

1. The note does not indicate anything except the full name (not Katya, but Ekaterina). The surname, patronymic, and nationality of the deceased do not matter. Instead of the civil form of the name, you must use the version accepted by the Orthodox Church (not Egor, but Georgiy).
2. A child under seven years of age should be referred to as an infant in the note. Children under fifteen years of age are called adolescents (adolescents).
3. If the note is submitted on one of the anniversaries of death, it is customary to call the deceased person of blessed memory. The deceased who left this world less than forty days ago are called newly deceased. If a person died a long time ago, but today is not the anniversary of his death, he is called deceased.
4. You can submit a note for both a blood relative and a loved one who is not a relative.

A deceased loved one needs more than just a decent funeral and a beautiful speech at the cemetery. One should remember the departed and perform good deeds in memory of them not only on death anniversaries. Relatives and friends of the deceased should pray for him and order services from priests who know the sequence of the funeral service. Any sincere spiritual help to the deceased will be accepted by the Almighty.