Ordeals of the soul after death: what happens after death

In countries where historically there are long and strong Christian traditions, everyone knows that after human death of particular importance are the third day after the sad event, the ninth day and the fortieth day. Almost everyone knows, but many cannot say exactly why these dates - 3 days, 9 days and 40 days - are so important. What happens, according to traditional ideas, with the soul of a person until the ninth day after his departure from earthly life?

Soul Path

Christian ideas about the posthumous path of the human soul may differ depending on one or another denomination. And if there are still few differences in the Orthodox and Catholic picture of the afterlife and the fate of the soul in it, then in various Protestant movements the range of opinions is very large - from almost complete identity with Catholicism to moving away from tradition, up to the complete denial of the existence of hell as places of eternal torment for the souls of sinners. Therefore, the Orthodox version of what happens to the soul in the first nine days after the beginning of a different, afterlife is more interesting.

The patristic tradition (that is, the recognized body of works of the Fathers of the Church) says that after the death of a person, for almost three days, his soul has almost complete freedom. She not only has all the “baggage” from earthly life, that is, hopes, affections, fullness of memory, fears, shame, the desire to complete some unfinished business, and so on, but she is also able to be anywhere. It is generally accepted that during these three days the soul is either near the body, or, if a person died away from home and family, next to his loved ones, or in those places that for some reason were especially expensive or remarkable for this person. On the third tribute, the soul loses the complete freedom of its behavior and is taken by angels to Heaven to worship the Lord there. That is why on the third day, according to tradition, it is necessary to hold a memorial service and thus finally say goodbye to the soul of the deceased.

Having worshiped God, the soul goes on a kind of “tour” around paradise: the Kingdom of Heaven is shown to it, it gets an idea of what paradise is, sees that unity of righteous souls with the Lord, which is the goal of human existence, meets with the souls of saints, and the like. This “sightseeing” journey of the soul through paradise lasts six days. And here, according to the Fathers of the Church, the first torments of the soul begin: seeing the heavenly pleasure of the saints, she understands that, due to her sins, she is not worthy to share their fate and is tormented by doubts and fear that she will not go to heaven. On the ninth day, the angels again carry the soul to God so that it can glorify His Love for the saints, which she had just been able to personally observe.

What is important these days for the living

However, according to the Orthodox worldview, nine days after death should not be taken as an exclusively otherworldly matter, which does not seem to concern the surviving relatives of the deceased. On the contrary, forty days after the death of a person are for his relatives and friends the time of the greatest convergence of the earthly world and the Kingdom of Heaven. Because it is during this period that the living can and must make every effort to contribute to the best possible fate of the soul of the deceased, that is, its salvation. To do this, you need to constantly pray, hoping for God's mercy and forgiveness of the soul of its sins. This is important from the point of view of determining the fate of the human soul, that is, where it will await the Last Judgment, in heaven or hell. At the Last Judgment, the fate of each soul will be finally decided, so that those of them who were placed in hell have the hope that prayers for her will be heard, she will be forgiven (if they pray for a person, even though he committed many sins, which means that there was something good in him) and will be awarded a place in paradise.

Ninth day after human death is in Orthodoxy, no matter how strange it may sound, almost festive. People believe that for the last six days the soul of the deceased has been in paradise, albeit as a guest, and now it can adequately praise the Creator. Moreover, it is believed that if a person led a righteous life and with his good deeds, love for his neighbor and repentance for his own sins won the favor of the Lord, then his posthumous fate can be decided after nine days. Therefore, those close to a person should, firstly, pray especially hard for his soul on this day, and secondly, hold a memorial meal. commemoration on the ninth day, from the point of view of tradition, they should be “uninvited” - that is, they do not need to invite anyone specially. Those who wish the soul of the deceased all the best must themselves remember this responsible day and come without reminders.

However, in reality, wakes are almost always invited in a special way, and if more people are expected than the dwelling can accommodate, then they are held in restaurants or similar establishments. commemoration on the ninth day, this is a calm remembrance of the deceased, which should not turn into either an ordinary party or mourning gatherings. It is noteworthy that the Christian concept of the special significance of three, nine and forty days after the death of a person has been adopted by modern occult teachings. But they gave these dates a different meaning: according to one version, the ninth day is indicated by the fact that during this period the body supposedly decomposes; according to another, at this turn, one of the bodies dies, after the physical, mental and astral, which can appear as a ghost. 40 days after death: the last frontier

In the Orthodox tradition, the third, ninth and fortieth days after the death of a person have a certain meaning for his soul. But it is the fortieth day that is of particular importance: for believers, this is the boundary that finally separates earthly life from eternal life. That's why 40 days after death, from a religious point of view, the date is even more tragic than the very fact of physical death.

Fight for the soul between hell and heaven

According to Orthodox ideas, which come from the holy cases described in the Lives, from the theological works of the Fathers of the Church and from canonical services, the soul of a person from the ninth to the fortieth day passes through a series of obstacles called air ordeals. From the moment of death until the third day, a person's soul resides on earth and can be near their loved ones or travel anywhere. From the third to the ninth days, she stays in paradise, where she is given the opportunity to appreciate the blessings that the Lord, as a reward for a righteous or holy life, gives to souls in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The ordeals, however, begin from the ninth day and represent such obstacles in which nothing depends on the human soul itself. A person changes the ratio of his good and evil thoughts, words and deeds only in earthly life, after death he is no longer able to add or subtract anything. Ordeals are, in fact, "judicial competitions" between representatives of hell (demons) and paradise (angels), which have an analogy in the debate between the prosecutor and the lawyer. There are twenty ordeals in total, and they represent certain sinful passions to which all people are subject. During each ordeal, demons present a list of a person’s sins associated with this passion, and angels announce a list of his good deeds. It is generally accepted that if the list of sins for each ordeal turns out to be more solid than the list of good deeds, then the soul of a person goes to hell if, by God's mercy, good deeds do not multiply. If there are more good deeds, the soul moves on to the next ordeal, as in the case if there are equal numbers of sins and good deeds.

The final decision of the fate

The doctrine of aerial ordeals is not canonical, that is, it is not included in the main doctrinal code of Orthodoxy. However, the authority of patristic literature has led to the fact that for many centuries such ideas about the posthumous path of the soul are actually the only ones within this religious denomination. The period from the ninth to fortieth day after death a person is considered the most important, and the fortieth day itself is perhaps the most tragic date, even compared to death itself. The fact is that, according to Orthodox ideas, on the fortieth day, after going through the ordeals and seeing all the horrors and torments that await sinners in hell, the human soul appears for the third time directly before God (for the first time - on the third day, the second time - on the ninth day). And it is at this moment that the fate of the soul is decided - where to stay until the Last Judgment, in hell or in the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is believed that by that time the soul had already passed all possible tests, which were to determine whether a person could earn salvation with his earthly life. The soul has already seen paradise and could feel how worthy or unworthy it is to share the fate of the righteous and saints. She has already gone through ordeals and imagines how numerous and serious her sins are. By this time, she should completely repent and trust only in God's mercy. That is why the fortieth day after death is perceived by the Church and relatives of the deceased as a key milestone, after which the soul goes either to heaven or hell. It is necessary to pray diligently for the soul of the deceased, based on at least three motives. Firstly, prayer can influence the Lord's decision regarding the fate of the soul: attention is drawn both to the very fact of indifference of those close to a person, and to the possible intercession before God of the saints who are prayed to. Secondly, if the soul is nevertheless sent to hell, this does not yet mean final death for it: the fate of all people will be finally decided during the Last Judgment, which means that there is still an opportunity to change the decision with prayers. Thirdly, if the soul of a person has found the Kingdom of Heaven, it is necessary to adequately thank God for the mercy He has shown.

Modern man can do almost anything, but the mystery of death remains a mystery even today. No one can say exactly what awaits after the death of the physical body, what path the soul has to overcome and whether it will be. Nevertheless, numerous testimonies from near-death survivors suggest that life on the other side is real. And religion teaches how to overcome the path to Eternity and find endless joy.

In this article

Where does the soul go after death?

According to church ideas, after death, the soul will have to go through 20 ordeals - terrible trials of mortal sins. This will make it possible to determine whether the soul is worthy of entering the Kingdom of the Lord, where infinite grace and peace await it. These ordeals are terrible, even the Holy Virgin Mary, according to biblical texts, was afraid of them and prayed to her son for permission to avoid death torments.

Not a single newly-departed will be able to avoid ordeals. But the soul can be helped: for this, loved ones who have remained on mortal earth light candles, fast and pray.

Consistently, the soul falls from one level of ordeals to another, each of which is more terrible and painful than the previous one. Here is their list:

Idle talk is a passion for empty words and excessive talk.
Lying is the intentional deception of others for their own benefit.
Slander is the spread of false rumors about a third person and the condemnation of other people's actions.
Gluttony is an excessive love of food.
Idleness is laziness and life in inaction.
Theft is the misappropriation of another's property.
Covetousness - excessive attachment to material values.
Covetousness is the desire to obtain values dishonestly.
Untruth in deeds and deeds - craving to commit dishonest actions.
Envy is the desire to take possession of the same that the neighbor has.
Pride is the veneration of oneself above others.
Anger and fury.
Resentment - the storage in the memory of other people's misdeeds, a thirst for revenge.
Murder.
Sorcery is the use of magic.
Fornication - promiscuity.
Adultery is adultery.
Sodomy - God denies the unions of a man and a man, a woman and a woman.
Heresy is the denial of our God.
Cruelty - a callous heart, immunity to someone else's grief.

7 deadly sins

Most ordeals are a standard idea of the virtues of a person, prescribed for every righteous person by the law of God. The soul will be able to reach Paradise, only having successfully passed through all the ordeals. If she does not pass at least one test, the ethereal body will get stuck at this level and will be forever tormented by Demons.

Where does a person go after death?

The ordeals of the soul come on the 3rd day after death and last as long as the sins a person committed during his earthly life. Only on the 40th day after death will the final decision be made on where the soul will spend eternity - in Hellfire or in Paradise, near the Lord God.

Every soul can be saved, for God is merciful: repentance will cleanse from the sins of even the most fallen person, if sincerely.

In Paradise, the soul does not know worries, does not feel any desires, earthly passions are no longer known to it: the only emotion is the joy of being near the Lord. In hell, souls are tormented and tormented for eternity, even after the Universal Resurrection, their souls, united with the flesh, will continue to suffer.

What happens 9, 40 days and six months after death

After death, everything that happens to the soul is beyond its will: the newly deceased is left to humble himself and accept the new reality meekly and with dignity. For the first 2 days, the soul stays close to the physical shell, it says goodbye to its native places, to loved ones. At this time, she is accompanied by angels and demons - each side is trying to lure the soul to its side.

Angels and demons fight for every soul

On the 3rd day, ordeals begin, during this period, relatives should pray especially a lot and earnestly. After the cessation of ordeals, the angels will take the soul to Paradise - to show the bliss that can await it in eternity. For 6 days, the soul forgets about all worries and diligently repents of sins committed knowingly and unknown.

On the 9th day, the soul cleansed of sins again appears before the face of God. Relatives and friends should pray for the deceased, ask for mercy for him. There is no need for tears and groaning, only good things are remembered about the newly deceased.

It is best to dine on day 9 with kutya flavored with honey, symbolizing the sweet life under the Lord God. After the 9th day, the angels will show the soul of the deceased Hell and torment awaiting those who lived unrighteously.

Pastor V. I. Savchak will tell about what happens to the soul after death on each day:

On the 40th day, the soul reaches Mount Sinai and appears before the face of the Lord for the third time: it is on this day that the question of where the soul will spend eternity is finally decided. Commemorations and prayers of relatives will be able to smooth out the earthly sins of the deceased.

Six months after the death of the bodily soul, the penultimate time will visit relatives and friends: they are no longer able to change its fate in eternal life, it remains only to remember the good and pray fervently for eternal peace.

Orthodoxy and death

For a believing Orthodox person, life and death are inseparable. Death is perceived calmly and solemnly, as the beginning of the transition to eternity. A Christian believes that everyone will be rewarded according to their deeds, therefore they are more concerned not about the number of days lived, but about being filled with good deeds and deeds. After death, the Last Judgment awaits the soul, at which it will be decided whether a person will fall into the Kingdom of God or go straight to Gehenna Fiery for grave sins.

Icon of the Last Judgment in the Church of the Nativity of Christ

The teaching of Christ instructs his followers: do not be afraid of death, for this is not the end. Live in such a way that you spend eternity before the face of God. This postulate contains a huge power that gives hope for an endless life and humility before death.

Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy A. I. Osipov answers questions about death and the meaning of life:

The soul of a child

Saying goodbye to a child is a great grief, but do not grieve unnecessarily, the soul of a baby not burdened with sins will go to a better place. Until the age of 14, it is believed that the child does not bear full responsibility for his actions, because he did not have time to reach the age of desires. At this time, the child may be physically weak, but his soul is endowed with great wisdom: often kids remember their past reincarnations, memories of which pop up in fragments in their minds.

Nobody dies without their own consent- death comes at the moment when the soul of a person calls for it. The death of a child is his own choice, just the soul decided to return home - to heaven.

Children perceive death differently than adults. After the death of a relative, the child will be perplexed - why is everyone grieving? He doesn't understand why going back to heaven is something bad. At the moment of his own death, the child does not feel any grief, or the bitterness of parting, or regrets - he often does not even understand that he has parted with his life, feeling happy, as before.

After death, the soul of the child lives in joy in the First Heaven.

The soul is met by a relative who loved him or simply by a bright essence who loved children during his lifetime. Here, life is as similar as possible to earthly life: he has a house and toys, friends and relatives. Any desire of the soul is fulfilled in the blink of an eye.

Children whose lives were interrupted in the womb - due to abortion, miscarriage or improper birth - also do not suffer, do not suffer. Their soul remains attached to the mother, she becomes the first in line for physical incarnation during the next pregnancy of a woman.

Soul of the suicidal

From time immemorial, suicide has been considered a grave sin - in this way a person violates the intent of God, taking away the life bestowed by the Almighty. Only the Creator has the right to control destinies, and the idea of laying hands on oneself was given by Satan, who tempts and tests a person.

Gustave Dore. Suicide forest

A person who died a natural death experiences bliss and relief, but for a suicide, the torment is just beginning. One man could not come to terms with the death of his wife and decided to lay hands on himself in order to reunite with his beloved. However, he was not at all nearby: the man was resuscitated and asked about that side of life. According to him, this is something terrible, the feeling of horror never goes away, the feeling of inner torture is endless.

After death, the soul of a suicide seeks the Heavenly Gates, but they are locked. Then she tries to return to the body again - but this also turns out to be impossible. The soul is in limbo, experiencing terrible torment until the moment when a person was destined to die.

All the people who managed to be saved after death from suicide describe terrible pictures. The soul is in an endless fall, which cannot be interrupted, the tongues of hellish flames tickle the skin and become closer and closer. Most of the saved are haunted by nightmare visions for the rest of their days. If thoughts of interrupting life with your own hands creep into your head, you need to remember: there is always a way out.

About what happens to the soul of a suicide after death, how to act to calm the restless soul, the Simplemagic channel will tell:

Souls of animals

Regarding animals, clergy and mediums do not have an unequivocal answer to the question of the last refuge for souls. However, some holy men unequivocally speak of the possibility of introducing the beast to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Apostle Paul directly declares that after death the animal is waiting for deliverance from slavery and earthly suffering, and St. Simeon the New Theologian adheres to this point of view, saying that, serving in a mortal body, together with a person, the soul of an animal will taste the highest good after the death of the physical.

The souls of animals will find liberation from the slave share after the death of the physical.

The point of view on this account of Theophan the Recluse is interesting: the saint believed that after death all the souls of living beings (except people) join the great World Soul, created by the Creator long before the creation of the world.

Time to collect stones

Thinking about death and fearing it is completely normal. Each person wants to look behind the veil of the eternal mystery of Life and find out what awaits beyond its borders. Thanatology proves that from the time of the Ancient World, people prepared for death in advance, thought about it as a part of life, and this was perhaps the greatest wisdom of our ancestors.

Parapsychologists say that after the death of a person, the soul experiences the same feelings as a person during physical death, so it is important to remain calm and confident until the very last breath.

After death, the soul is waiting for exactly what a person deserved during his lifetime: infinity, which he will spend on the other side, depends on his actions and deeds. Years lived with dignity, offenders forgiven, warm relationships with loved ones will help the soul to find itself in a better place, where peace, all-consuming love and bliss await it.

Death is an inevitable reality that everyone will face sooner or later. But this is not the end - only the physical shell dies, and the human soul acquires true immortality, so there is no need to be sad, it is worth letting go of your own soul with a light heart, dreaming that one day you will be able to meet again - already on the other side of life.

A little about the author:

Evgeny Tukubaev The right words and your faith are the keys to success in a perfect ritual. I will provide you with the information, but its implementation directly depends on you. But do not worry, a little practice and you will succeed!

The question, of course, is very interesting to many, and there are two most popular views on it: scientific and religious.

In terms of religion	From the point of view of science
The human soul is immortal	There is nothing but a physical shell
After death, a person expects heaven or hell, depending on his actions during life.	Death is the end, it is impossible to avoid or significantly extend life
Immortality is guaranteed to everyone, the only question is whether it will be eternal pleasures or endless torment	The only kind of immortality you can have is in your children. genetic continuation
Earthly life is but a brief prelude to infinite existence.	Life is all you have and is what you should value the most

- the best amulet against the evil eye and damage!

What happens to the soul after death?

This question is of interest to many people, and now in Russia there is even an institute that tries to measure the soul, weigh it and film it on camera. But in the Vedas it is described that the soul is immeasurable, it is eternal and always existing, and is equal to one ten thousandth of the tip of a hair, that is, very small. It is practically impossible to measure it with any material instruments. Think for yourself, how can you measure the intangible with tangible instruments? This is a mystery to people, a mystery.

The Vedas say that the tunnel described by people who have experienced clinical death is nothing but a channel in our body. There are 9 main openings in our body - ears, eyes, nostrils, navel, anus, genitals. There is a channel in the head called sushumna, you can feel it - if you close your ears, you will hear a noise. Temechko is also a channel through which the soul can exit. She can exit through any of these channels. After death, experienced people can determine to which sphere of being the soul went. If she left through the mouth, then the soul returns to the earth again, if through the left nostril - towards the moon, through the right - towards the sun, if through the navel - it goes to the planetary systems that are below the Earth, and if through the genitals, then it enters to the lower realms. It so happened that I saw a lot of dying people in my life, in particular the death of my grandfather. At the moment of death, he opened his mouth, then there was a big exhalation. His soul came out through his mouth. Thus, the life force, together with the soul, leaves through these channels.

Where do the souls of the dead go?

After the soul has left the body, for 40 days it will stay in the place where it lived. It happens that people, after the funeral, feel that someone is present in the house. If you want to feel like a ghost, imagine eating ice cream in a plastic bag: there are possibilities, but you can't do anything, you can't taste anything, you can't touch anything, you can't physically move. When a ghost looks in the mirror, he does not see himself, and feels shock. Hence the custom of covering mirrors.

The first day after the death of the physical body, the soul is in shock because it cannot understand how it will live without the body. Therefore it is customary in India to immediately destroy the body. If the body is dead for a long time, the soul will constantly circle around it. If the body is buried, she will see the decomposition process. Until the body rots, the soul will be with it, because it was very attached to its outer shell during life, practically identified itself with it, the body was the most valuable and expensive.

On the 3-4th day, the soul comes to its senses a little, gets rid of the body, walks around the neighborhood, and returns to the house. Relatives do not need to arrange tantrums and loud sobs, the soul hears everything, and experiences these torments. At this time, you need to read the scriptures and literally explain what the soul should do next. Spirits hear everything, they are next to us. Death is a transition into a new life, death as such does not exist. Just as in life we change clothes, so the soul changes one body for another. The soul during this period does not experience physical pain, but psychological pain, it is very worried and does not know what to do next. Therefore, it is necessary to help the soul and calm it down.

Then you need to feed her. When stress passes, the soul wants to eat. This state appears in the same way as during life. The subtle body wants to taste. And in response to this we put a glass of vodka and bread. Think for yourself, when you are hungry and thirsty, you are offered a dry crust of bread and vodka! How will you feel?

You can facilitate the further life of the soul after death. For this, the first 40 days do not need to touch anything in the room of the deceased and do not start sharing his things. After 40 days, on behalf of the deceased, you can do some good deed and transfer the power of this deed to him - for example, keep a fast on his birthday and declare that the power of fasting passes to the deceased. In order to help the deceased, you need to earn this right. Just lighting a candle is not enough. In particular, you can feed the priests or distribute alms, plant a tree, and all this must be done on behalf of the deceased.

The scriptures say that after 40 days the soul comes to the bank of the river called Virajya. This river is teeming with various fish and monsters. There is a boat by the river, and if the soul has enough piety to pay for the boat, it swims across, and if not, then it swims - such is the way to the courtroom. After the soul has crossed this river, the god of death Yamaraj awaits it, or in Egypt it is called Anibus. A conversation is being held with him, the whole life is shown as if on a film. There the further destiny is determined: in what body the soul will be born again and in what world.

By performing certain rituals, the ancestors can greatly help the dead, facilitate their further path, and even literally pull them out of hell.

Video - Where does the soul go after death?

Does a person feel the approach of his death

If in terms of premonitions, then there are examples in history when people predicted their death over the next few days. But this does not mean that everyone is capable of this. And don't forget about the great power of coincidences.

It may be interesting to know if a person is able to understand that he is dying:

We all feel the deterioration of our own condition.
Although not all internal organs have pain receptors, there are more than enough of them in our body.
We even feel the arrival of a banal SARS. What can we say about death.
Regardless of our desires, the body does not want to die in a panic and activates all resources to fight a serious condition.
This process may be accompanied by convulsions, pain, severe shortness of breath.
But not every sharp deterioration in well-being indicates the approach of death. Most often, the alarm will be false, so you should not panic in advance.
Do not try to cope with conditions close to critical on your own. Call for help from everyone you can.

Signs of approaching death

As death approaches, a person may experience some physical and emotional changes, such as:

Excessive drowsiness and weakness, at the same time periods of wakefulness decrease, energy fades.
Breathing changes, periods of rapid breathing are replaced by pauses in breathing.
Hearing and vision change, for example, a person hears and sees things that others do not notice.
The appetite worsens, the person drinks and eats less than usual.
Changes in the urinary and gastrointestinal systems. Your urine may turn dark brown or dark red, and you may also have bad (hard) stools.
Body temperature fluctuates from very high to very low.
Emotional changes, the person is not interested in the outside world and individual details of everyday life, such as time and date.

“Nowhere in the world, except in Russia, has a funeral custom and rite been developed to such a deep, one might say, virtuosity, to which it reaches in our country,” wrote K.P. Pobedonostsev. “And there is no doubt that our folk character was reflected in this warehouse of his, with a special worldview inherent in our nature.” This is our conversation with the serving priest of the church in the name of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica in Sulazhgor O. Konstantin Savander.

“Since ancient times, special Saturdays have been appointed,” says Fr. Constantine, - when all Christians prayed purely for their loved ones who died. Such days became known as parental days.

—Why does the Church pray with such diligence for the departed?

The Church prays for the repose and forgiveness of the sins of the departed, hoping for God's mercy. Although man was a sinner and received God's recompense after death, but when there is the last judgment on mankind, then prayers for him will be remembered by God, and he can be pardoned. After death, the soul of a person can no longer change anything, all her hopes are on those who remain on earth. There is a pious tradition that on parental Saturdays the souls of even the most hardened sinners receive consolation and joy.

What should you do on Parental Saturday?

- On the eve and on parental Saturday itself, you need to come to the Divine service. Before it begins, submit a note with the names of the deceased, put candles on the requiem table, but most importantly, pray for your loved ones, listening to the words of church hymns. The shortest prayer: “God rest the soul of the deceased servant (s) of Yours (name), and forgive him all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven.” With this prayer, you can put candles, say goodbye to the deceased.

Wanting to somehow help the soul of the deceased, a person who believes not only on parental Saturday, but should always do works of mercy, give alms to the poor for the deceased, put candles, submit notes. People who do not have special means donate food, which is placed on a table located in front of (or behind) the requiem table. You can't donate vodka or cognac...

In the morning, after attending the service, ordering a memorial service and praying for the departed at it, an Orthodox Christian goes to the cemetery to pray for his relatives, remember something good about them, and put things in order at the grave.

- Visiting the cemetery, we involuntarily have the thought of our own death ...

- A person should always be ready for death. Not necessarily we will live a long life, no one knows his term. Many people are afraid of thinking about death... In order not to be afraid, one must not sin, because often a person is afraid to bear responsibility for his evil deeds. We can correct ourselves, repent and change our lives, and then we will not be punished for our sins. You need to confess more often, live a very attentive spiritual life, you need to go to church, because it is impossible to be saved without God's help. When the hour of death draws near, it is advisable to gather together, confess, and take communion. If a person is seriously ill, a priest is invited home for this.

What should relatives do after the death of a loved one?

- Immediately after death, you should start reading Psalter, this book is sold in churches and icon shops. Then you need to go to the temple and order funeral litany, agree on funeral services which is best done on the third day. It is desirable that a person be buried in a temple, but this can also be done in a mourning hall. Funeral service performed on the deceased once, but funeral services can be ordered frequently. After the funeral, the deceased is taken to the cemetery and buried. If the priest has the opportunity, he will make lithium on the grave. There, after the last farewell to the deceased, the priest completes burial order- three times with a prayer: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us" pours the consecrated sand in the form of an Orthodox six-pointed cross over the funeral cover. When there is no priest, any close person can do it. Usually after the funeral they arrange commemoration, or a funeral dinner - an almost fasting meal, preferably without alcohol, when loved ones kindly remember the deceased.

- Who can not be buried?

— One must be aware that the funeral service is performed on a member of the Church, so it is useless to perform the funeral service for an unbaptized person. It happens that the relatives of the deceased do not know whether the deceased was baptized or in honor of which saint he was baptized (when a person has a secular non-church name, for example, Edward). Then, before you go to order a funeral service, you need to try to find out if the deceased had godparents when he was born (if before the war, then he was probably baptized), whether there was a church in the village where he was born when this temple closed. In general, such a fact (if it turns out with great certainty that the deceased was baptized after all) is very regrettable, it means that the deceased was a non-church, unbelieving person. Relatives should pray hard for the Lord to have mercy on his soul. Funeral services are not performed, as are memorial services for suicides.

- Why are the 3rd, 9th and 40th days especially distinguished?

- The human soul 3 days is close to his family, 3 By Day 9 she is shown the afterlife, and with 9 days- a particularly difficult period for the soul of the deceased, she goes through ordeals, where she learns all her sins. Finally, on the 40th day, the ordeals end and the soul is again ascended by the Angels to worship God, Who determines for her the appropriate place in anticipation of the Last Judgment on her earthly affairs, spiritual state and by the grace of the prayers of the Church and loved ones. During this period (from 9 By Day 40) relatives should pray especially. Again, the Psalter is read, in churches the name of a person is commemorated in custom notes. It is highly desirable to serve a memorial service on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days.

How can you decorate a grave?

- As you like, you just need to try to have a cross on the grave, a symbol of victory over death.

- There are many superstitions associated with funerals and behavior in the cemetery ...

— Yes, and many of them seem stupid and funny to me. For example, people throw money into the grave to ransom the deceased. Or they put money, food and various expensive things in the coffin or leave it on the grave. Wouldn't it be better to give them to a poor believer who will pray to God for the repose of the deceased? There is no need to pour vodka on the grave or pour it into a pre-installed glass, guided by such an "iron" argument that "the deceased loved vodka." By doing this, you hurt the deceased very much, because he may suffer after death for the sin of drinking wine. Finally, it is pointless to knock on a monument or on a plaque specially laid on the grave in order to inform the deceased that you have come, he will not hear you, his soul is far away. The deceased can be given to know about you only through your fervent prayer to God.

What to do if the deceased is dreaming?

So he asks for prayers. But if the deceased, like a ghost, walks around the apartment, scares the tenants, then this evil spirit under the guise of the deceased is doing its dirty work. Such dwellings should be illuminated with a special rank.

What can be said to console the relatives of the deceased?

- Of course, the loss of a dear person is the greatest grief, but one cannot reach despair. Separation is not eternal, in the future life we will meet. The time that we have left on earth should be used to ensure that our meeting with loved ones, and most importantly - with God, is bright, and eternal life is joyful.

Interviewed by Irina Tatarina

On funeral rites based on materials from the Orthodox press

Universal Parent Saturdays have been established since the first centuries of Christianity. And this was not done by chance: the Holy Church cares not only for those who live on this earth, but also for all Orthodox Christians who have died from time immemorial.

Why is it necessary to bury the dead?

– According to the traditions of the holy fathers and the spiritual practice of the Holy Church, the soul of the deceased without a funeral service has no rest. Therefore, the performance of the funeral service is very important for her. The whole Church, in the person of priests and those praying, asks the Lord, by His great mercy, to forgive all the sins of the deceased and give him a resting place in the cloisters of paradise. In the permissive prayer, the priest not only asks for the forgiveness of the soul of the deceased, but also prays to the Lord to remove any curse that weighs on the soul of the interred person.

Why do the Orthodox have such a solemn rite of burial of the dead?

“Because the body is a vessel of the Holy Spirit, and loved ones are escorted not just by mortal remains, but by relics. It is assumed that any Christian strove to live holy, but, like any person in this life, he sinned. This is what the Church prays for, so that the Lord forgives the sins of the deceased.

- Why, after the death of a person, is it necessary to file a magpie in the temple about his repose?

- St. Basil the Great writes that the human soul is with the body until the third day, in connection with this, they bury it on the third day after repose. When the coffin with the body is sealed in the church, the soul at that moment departs from the person. After the ninth day, she goes through ordeals, in other words, 20 judgments. The soul will be able to go through ordeals if the person led a righteous and pious lifestyle. Otherwise, she will be condemned. Therefore, in the church it is read magpie about repose Thus, we accompany the human soul with a prayer intercession before God.

In former times, after the death of a neighbor, Christians read for 40 days Psalter for the dead and every day they took prosphora for the deceased in their church at the liturgy. In this way they rendered great help to his soul. Here it is appropriate to note that there is no higher prayer on earth than the prayer of a priest during the Sacrament of Proskomidia, when he pronounces the name of an Orthodox Christian and removes a particle from the prosphora. Therefore, you need to immediately order a magpie for the repose of your neighbor in the church and submit the name of the deceased for commemoration at the Proskomedia. The more temples and monasteries the soul of the deceased is commemorated, the greater the benefit for her, as well as for the soul of the one who submits for commemoration.

- If the deceased never confessed during his lifetime, did not take communion, did not fast, will it be useful for him that after death a priest will be brought to him?

“Works without faith are dead. But the priests perform such a rite over everyone, since they leave everything to the Judgment and Providence of God, to what God wants to do with the soul of a sinner ... It happens that we only saw the bad deeds of a person during his lifetime, but did not see when he repented of their actions. And God has seen and knows all this, therefore God will dispose of this human soul according to His Will.

Once, one archimandrite who served in the Tula region was approached by people from leading party circles with a request to give communion to grandfather. This was in the early 1960s, at the time of the most severe persecution of the Church, when secret baptism, communion at home, and even minor repairs to the church were imprisoned or imprisoned in a psychiatric hospital. Therefore, it is quite possible that it could be a provocation. But the young people convincingly insisted on going with them, saying that their grandfather was dying and could not die. Repeatedly they put him dead in a coffin and each time, to the horror of those around him, he got up from the coffin, demanding to bring a priest for communion and explaining that as soon as he dies, all those killed and tortured by him come to him, led by three priests whom he shot , and they say to him: “Come back, confess and partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, for we begged your soul from God.”

Relatives of the old man called the local priest, but he, having heard what sins this man was guilty of, refused to read the permissive prayer and said: “I cannot resolve from such sins. Look for a monk…”.

After a long conversation, the elder agreed to go to the dying man. Before confession, as required by the rules, the archimandrite asked everyone in the room to leave, but the dying man, pointing to the young man who had arrived with the elder, said: “Let him stay and hear everything, he needs it ...”. “A more terrible confession and at the same time more complete,” writes Archimandrite George, “I have never heard in my life.”

After the ardent atheist repented, the elder read a permissive prayer and communed the dying man. Before his death, this old man, who knew the truth under fear of a curse, bequeathed to his relatives to sing him in the temple and bury him under a wooden cross, and that no monument should be erected. And so they did - they buried him in the church.

- Who can not be buried in Orthodox churches?

- According to the Charter of the Church, it is impossible to perform Orthodox burial rites and church commemoration of people who are not baptized, baptized, but who renounce the faith (heretics), who during their lifetime treated the Church with mockery, enmity, or, being considered Orthodox, were carried away by Eastern religions. Previously, such people were excommunicated from the Church (proclaimed anathema) - now this is done very rarely, but these people excommunicated themselves from the Church themselves. The Church prays only for those who recognize the Orthodox Church as the true Church.

There is no church funeral service for suicides. Our Church refuses this even to people who attempted on the life or property of their neighbors and died from wounds and injuries received as a result of repulse. In this case, only warriors who died on the battlefield are buried. They were sent to defend their Fatherland and they died a martyr's death, having fulfilled their military duty.

- What is an absentee funeral? In what cases does it apply?

- Because of the abundance of hymns, the rite of the Orthodox transmission of souls to another world, and the body to the earth is called funeral service. When it is not performed on the body of the deceased, it is called absentee. Due to the impoverishment of piety, this type of funeral service is now the most common. And strictly speaking, it is permissible only in cases where the body of the deceased is not available for burial (fires, floods, wars, acts of terrorism). But, as it is sung in a certain psalm: What he deserved, he got. What is the use of a funeral service when I have not lived for an hour in love and repentance?...»

- What should the relatives and friends of the missing person do if it is not known whether he is alive or not?

- If a person disappeared not so long ago, it is necessary to order prayers to St. Martyr John the Warrior and Archangel Gabriel. They help to find missing people, as well as missing things and other property.

- Often on the roads in the places of accidents with a fatal outcome, people put up monuments and lay flowers. Is it correct?

— No, not right. On the contrary, this place must be consecrated by inviting a priest for that. After all, this place was defiled by murder, the death of a person, that is, demons were present at this place, as a result of which the tragedy occurred.

— Often on Easter day people go to the cemetery. Is it worth following this folk custom?

- Christ rose (that is, came to life) from the dead, trampling down death (having put to shame, having conquered), and to those who in the tombs (to the dead) gave life. The time of Easter is the time of life, resurrection, therefore, on such days, none of the Orthodox even thinks about cemeteries. Panikhidas are not served in the church for the entire Easter week, and the funeral services for those who have passed away on these bright days are performed according to a special rite - Easter. Because everyone rejoices at the resurrected Savior of the world! But when Bright Week ends and Radonitsa comes (as the people say - Easter for the departed), then only we will go to the cemetery - to congratulate our deceased relatives with prayer.

Is it possible to lay wreaths on the grave?

- Wreaths of artificial flowers, such as paper, are not allowed. It is better to put one live flower on the grave than many artificial ones. After all, a living flower is a symbol of the universal Resurrection, and a paper one is deadness, a symbol of the fact that the dead will never rise again. Paper wreaths are wound up by atheists.

Prayer for the deceased - sacred duty of every Christian. A great reward and great consolation awaits the one who, through his prayers, will help his departed neighbor receive the forgiveness of sins. For the All-good Lord imputes this deed to righteousness and therefore, first of all, bestows mercy on those who do mercy, and then on the souls in relation to whom this mercy was shown. Those who commemorate the departed will be remembered by the Lord, and people will also remember after their departure from the world.

According to the materials of Orthodox newspapers.

In the days of Great Lent - the time of repentance and prayer, several Saturdays are dedicated to the remembrance of the departed. We must commemorate our dead loved ones not only these days, but constantly. The priest of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral answers the questions of our readers O. Roman Chadaev.

- What is more important on the day of remembrance of loved ones: to visit the cemetery or serve mass in the church?

On the day of the memory of the deceased, first of all, you need to submit a note in the temple for a proskomedia, order a memorial service. If possible, visit the cemetery. You can organize a memorial service. It is also customary to do good deeds and give alms on the day of remembrance of the deceased.

- Who can give alms and how to do it?

Charity can be given to those who need it. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick. This should be done not for show, but "in secret", so that "the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing."

- How often and on what days should you visit the graves and what is desirable to do there?

It is advisable to visit cemeteries on the day of the death of the deceased, as well as on birthdays, name days (Angel's Day), parental Saturdays and Radonitsa. It is necessary to remember the deceased with a prayer, to put things in order on the grave. There you can ask the priest to serve a memorial service .

- Why do people stand at funeral services with candles in their hands?

During the funeral, four candles are placed on the four sides of the coffin, representing a cross. During burial, as well as at funeral services, those present hold candles, symbolizing the Divine light with which a Christian is enlightened in baptism, which serves as a prototype of the future light.

Should graves be decorated?

The best decoration of a Christian grave is a grave cross. The custom of placing crosses on the graves of the dead dates back to ancient times. It first appeared around the 3rd century in the East, in Palestine, and passed to us along with the faith from Greece.
The fence of the grave, the tomb cross, the very place in the fence must be kept tidy and clean. This care is a natural manifestation in Christians of a sense of respect for the ashes of their ancestors and, in general, their neighbors who have died in the faith.

Posted by Irina Tatarina

Each nation prefers its own customs of funeral rites and memorial meals. But all of them are united by the belief that only earthly life is limited in time, while the soul lives forever. Therefore, such great importance is attached to the observance of all burial rituals and subsequent commemorations. And in this regard, many are interested in the question of whether they commemorate 20 days after death.

In accordance with Christian Orthodox rites, a commemoration for the deceased must be organized at least three times. Firstly, the memorial table is laid directly on the day of the funeral. All those who took part in this mourning process, relatives and relatives gather behind him.
Secondly, the commemoration is arranged for nine days, when only close relatives gather at the table. Thirdly, forty-day commemoration, which is of great importance. After all, according to Orthodox canons, it is on this day that the soul of the deceased bids farewell to the earthly world and goes to the afterlife. Relatives, friends, neighbors and acquaintances of the deceased gather at this memorial table.
Further, as a rule, relatives commemorate the deceased every year on the day of his death.

Do I need to remember in 20 days

After the death of a person, his soul constantly needs the support of the living. Therefore, the clergy recommend her daily commemoration for forty days starting from this tragic date. According to the church canon, there are no special commemorations for twenty days, but this tradition was steadily maintained in the countryside in the old days. Today, this date is rarely singled out.

Why was the commemoration made on the twentieth day, and how did they go

For the reason that until the expiration of the forty-day period the soul continues to dwell on earth, among the villagers it was customary on the eve of the twentieth day to go to the churchyard in order to invite the deceased to the meeting. To this end, before the sun went down, the relatives of the deceased read special sentences at the grave, calling the deceased to the table. Other deceased relatives were invited along with him.

Before the meeting, it was customary to bake pies and sing memorial verses. Prayers were also raised with a request to the Lord for the deceased, whose soul should soon come to him with a bow. Kissel was displayed on a table set in the front corner.

Directly on the day of commemoration, the table for the living was not going to. As a treat for the deceased, pies or pancakes, tea, and most often jelly were exhibited. Candles were lit in front of the icons. On this day, it was supposed to see off the soul in the evening. To do this, they left the house offering prayers and saying farewell words.

Wake after twenty days after death

If relatives have a desire to commemorate the deceased, having gathered in a narrow circle, then there is nothing reprehensible in this. Just don't throw a big feast at the same time. It must be remembered that the dead are first of all commemorated not by abundant eating of food, but by prayer and alms distributed to those in need. You can also go to the temple, order a memorial service and pray for the repose of the soul.

Today, the commemoration of the deceased on the twentieth day is accepted in individual dioceses of Australia and New Zealand. This tradition is supported by representatives of the Russian diaspora. According to them, twenty days should be considered an important date, a multiple of forty days. In Russia, this opinion is not supported, as in the countries of the near abroad, but at the same time, no objections are raised against the commemoration on the twentieth day.

There is also an opinion that for the repentant soul, tretiny, ninety and sorochiny are allocated for going to the Lord to worship. These days it is actively supported by the prayers of the living. And the twentieth day, called half-forties, is allotted to the angel to show the soul the place where it will be until the Last Judgment, after the end of the half-forties.