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