The service associated with the death of a Christian does not begin when the person has come to the inevitable end and his remains lie in the church awaiting the last rites, and relatives crowd around, sad and at the same time uninvolved witnesses to the removal of the deceased from the world of the living. No, this service begins every Sunday in the ascension of the Church to heaven, when “all worldly cares” are put aside; it begins on every holiday, but most deeply it is rooted in the joy of Easter. We can say that all church life is the sacrament of our death, because all of it is the proclamation of the Lord’s death and the confession of His Resurrection.

To be a Christian has always meant and means the following: to know with a mysterious, super-reasonable, but at the same time absolutely definite faith that Christ is the very essence and foundation of life, for “ in Him was life, and life was the light of men"(John 1:4).

REMEMBRATION AT THE DIVINE LITURGY

(CHURCH NOTE)

Health is commemorated for those who have Christian names, and repose is remembered only for those baptized in the Orthodox Church.

You can submit notes at the liturgyand proskomedia - the first part of the liturgy, when for each name indicated in the note, particles are taken from special prosphoras, which are subsequently lowered into the Blood of Christ with a prayer for the forgiveness of sins

All Christian dogmas are explanations, consequences, and not causes of this faith, for, “ if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith is in vain"(1 Cor. 15:14). This faith means the acceptance of Christ Himself as Life and Light, “for Life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you this eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us” (1 John 1:2). The starting point of the Christian faith is not “belief,” but love. Every belief is incomplete and transitory. “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. When that which is perfect comes, then that which is in part will cease...” (1 Cor. 13:9-10), “ and prophecies will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished,” only “love never ceases.” t" (1 Cor. 13:8).

Only such acceptance of Christ as Life, communication with Him, confidence in His presence fills the proclamation of the Death of Christ and the confession of His Resurrection with meaning.

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 departed 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 NON-SLEEPING PSALMTER

The indefatigable Psalter is read not only about health, but also about peace. Since ancient times, ordering a commemoration on the Everlasting Psalter has been considered a great alms for a departed soul.

It is also good to order the Indestructible Psalter for yourself; you will feel the support. And one more important point, but far from the least important,
There is eternal remembrance on the Indestructible Psalter. It seems expensive, but the result is more than millions of times more than the money spent. If this is still not possible, then you can order for a shorter period. It's also good to read for yourself.

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 create 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.

SOROKUST ABOUT RESTAL

This type of commemoration of the dead can be ordered at any hour - there are no restrictions on this either. During Great Lent, when the full liturgy is celebrated much less frequently, a number of churches practice commemoration in this way - in the altar, during the entire fast, all the names in the notes are read and, if the liturgy is served, then parts are taken out. You just need to remember that people who have been baptized and lived a Christian life in the Orthodox faith can participate in these commemorations, just as in the notes submitted to the Proskomedia, it is allowed to include the names of only baptized deceased.

In addition to commemorating each individual deceased, the Church, on the same basis, on certain days of the year commemorates all fathers and brothers who have passed away from time to time, who by faith were worthy of Christian death, as well as those who, having been caught by sudden death, were not guided into the afterlife by prayers Churches. The memorial services performed at this time, specified by the Charter 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:

SATURDAYS

1. Meat Saturday.
Dedicating the Meat Week to the reminder 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 eternity, who have lived in piety, of all generations, ranks and conditions, especially for those who died a sudden death, and prays to the Lord to have 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 - a society 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.

2. Trinity Saturday.
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 concluded 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-Sanifying Spirit of the Comforter, which they were granted during their lifetime, would be a source of bliss, since the Holy Spirit “all the soul is alive." 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.”

3. Parental Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of the Holy Pentecost.
On Holy Pentecost - days of fasting, spiritual deeds, 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, and 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 their commemoration is not performed (funeral litanies, litias, memorial services, the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death, Sorokousty), since there is no full Liturgy every day, the celebration of which is associated with the commemoration of the departed. 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.

On all these parental Saturdays, the service is performed according to a special Charter placed in the Typikon and the Lenten Triodion.

4. Parents' days in the Russian Orthodox Church.

In addition to the above-mentioned Saturdays, dedicated to the remembrance of the departed by the entire Orthodox Church since ancient times, in the Russian Orthodox Church some other days are dedicated to the same purpose, namely:

Radonitsa is a general commemoration of the dead, which takes place on Monday or Tuesday after St. Thomas Week (Sunday). According to the Charter, on this day there are no special prayers for the dead, and commemoration is performed on this day according to the pious custom of the Russian Orthodox Church. After the regular evening service, a full requiem service with Easter chants is served. At the Liturgy, the funeral prokeimenon, the Apostle and the Gospel are added.

The basis for the commemoration of the dead, performed on Radonitsa, is, on the one hand, the memories of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell and His victory over death, connected with St. Thomas Sunday, on the other hand, the permission of the Church Charter to perform the usual commemoration of the dead after Holy and Bright Weeks, beginning from Fomin Monday. On this day, believers come to the graves of their relatives and friends with joy about the Resurrection of Christ. Hence the day of remembrance itself is called Radonitsa (or Radunitsa).

PANICHIDA FOR EASTER WEEK

The memorial service on Easter week is celebrated in a special way. After the exclamation of the priest and the singing of “Christ is risen...” with the verses “May God rise...”, the litany for the repose is pronounced: “Have mercy on us, O God...”, it ends with the exclamation of the priest: “Christ, risen from the dead, trampling down death through death and those who are in the tombs the life bestowed, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother,” etc. The Easter canon is sung. According to the 3rd and 6th cantos, the small litany for the repose is pronounced; and according to the 3rd hymn the ipaka is sung: “Having preceded the morning, even about Mary...”, according to the 6th hymn: “Rest with the saints...”, according to the 9th hymn the Easter stakhirs are sung. When singing these stichera, the body of the deceased is usually placed in a coffin. Then there is a litany for the repose: “Have mercy on us, O God...”, etc., as usual at a memorial service (see in the Trebnik the rite of funeral service for the dead on Easter week).

In addition to the fact that memorial services are performed for the deceased who has not yet been buried, they also occur on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death. The deceased is also commemorated on the days of his birth, angel and death.

by articles Pravoslavie.ru

The Church makes the main prayer for the health of the living and the repose of deceased Orthodox Christians at the Divine Liturgy, offering a bloodless sacrifice to God for them. To do this, before the start of the liturgy (or the night before), you should submit notes to the church with their names (only baptized, Orthodox Christians can be entered). At the proskomedia, particles will be taken out of the prosphoras for their health or for their repose, and at the end of the liturgy they will be lowered into the holy chalice and washed with the Blood of the Son of God as a sign of Christ’s washing away human sins. Let us remember that commemoration at the Divine Liturgy is the greatest benefit for those who are dear to us.

A church note given “On health” or “On repose” is a relatively recent phenomenon.
In those families where the traditions of Orthodox piety are respected, there is a commemoration book, a special book in which the names of the living and the dead are written and which is presented during the service for remembrance. Memorial books can still be purchased in churches or Orthodox book stores. A memorial is a record for posterity about the ancestors who lived on earth, which makes the memorial a book that is important for every Christian and forces them to treat it with respect. Memorials are kept clean and tidy, near household icons.
A church note, in essence, is a one-time commemoration and requires the same respect.
A note submitted without an image of a cross, written in sloppy, illegible handwriting, with many names, indicates a lack of understanding of the sacred importance and high purpose of recording the names of the living and deceased for their commemoration.
Meanwhile, memorials and notes, both in their appearance and in their use, can be called liturgical books: after all, the Holy Cross is depicted on them, they are brought into the altar, and read during the Divine Liturgy before the Holy Altar.

An eight-pointed Orthodox cross is usually placed at the top of the note. Then the type of commemoration is indicated: “On health” or “On repose”, after which the names of those commemorated in the genitive case are written in large, legible handwriting (to answer the question “who?”), with clergy and monastics mentioned first, indicating the rank and degree of monasticism (for example , Metropolitan John, Schema-Hegumen Savva, Archpriest Alexander, nuns 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 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 takes place at the proskomedia when removing particles from the prosphora. During the health and funeral litany, you can take out your memorial and pray for your loved ones.

Regarding additional information about the person mentioned in the note, the following must be said. The only thing the priest performing proskomedia needs to know is the name of the Christian given to him at baptism or (for monks) at tonsure, as well as the holy order or degree of monasticism, if any.

Many, however, indicate in their notes before the names some information about the age, rank or position of their relatives, for example, ml. (baby, that is, a child under 7 years old), neg. (adolescent or young woman - up to 14 years old), c. (warrior), bol. (sick, painful), concl. (prisoner, prisoner), put. (travelling, traveling), ub. (killed, killed).

The Orthodox Church does not welcome such a custom, but does not forbid following it. Last names, patronymics, worldly ranks and titles, and degrees of relationship are not indicated in the notes. You should not write “suffering”, “embarrassed”, “needy”, “lost”. In the notes “On Repose” the deceased is referred to as “newly deceased” within forty days after his death.

In addition to general services (liturgy, vespers, matins), in the Orthodox Church there are private services called services (since they are performed upon request, by order of parishioners), including a prayer service (for the living) and a memorial service (for the dead). They are usually performed at the end of the liturgy and are ordered in the same place where they accept notes and sell candles.

Prayer service You can order the Savior (thanksgiving, for the sick, for travelers, etc.), the Mother of God (for various Her icons) or revered saints - at the request of the parishioner.

At the end of the prayer service, the priest usually consecrates the icons and crosses, sprinkling them with holy water and reading a prayer.

Memorial service served in front of 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.

Notes for a prayer service or memorial service are formatted as follows: the type of note is indicated at the top (for example, “Prayer of thanksgiving to the Savior,” “Prayer to the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God for health,” “Requiem service”), and then the names are written in the usual order.

In many monasteries there is a special requirement - the commemoration of the living and the dead during the reading of the Psalter (this is an ancient Orthodox custom).

Monasteries and churches accept notes to commemorate living and deceased Christians for 40 days (Sorokoust), for six months and for a year. In this case, the names are recorded in the funeral synodik and the brethren of the monastery or temple during the specified period during each service pray for our relatives.

Realizing that the most we can do for our loved ones (especially the deceased) 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.

Who should and can be remembered in notes

In notes submitted for commemoration, the names of only those who have been baptized in the Orthodox Church are written.
The first note we submit is “On Health.”
The concept of “health” includes not only the health and physical condition of a person, but also his spiritual condition and material well-being. And if we pray for the health of a person who has done a lot of evil, this does not mean that we are praying that he will remain in the same state in the future - no, we pray to God that He will change his intentions and internal disorder, made sure that our ill-wisher or even enemy began to be in harmony with God, with the Church, with others.
This note should include everyone to whom we wish health, salvation and prosperity.
The Word of God teaches that everyone needs to pray not only for themselves, but also for others: “pray for one another” (James 5:16). The Church is built on this common prayer for each other.
In Imperial Russia, all prayer services began with the name of the Sovereign Emperor, on whose “health” the fate of not only Russia, but also every family, every Orthodox Christian depended. Now we must first write the name of our Patriarch, and after him - the Archpastor, the Most Reverend Bishop, appointed by God as a spiritual ruler, caring for and offering prayers and sacrifices to the Lord for the flock entrusted to him.
Many Christians do this, as the Holy Scripture teaches: “First of all, I ask you to make prayers, petitions, supplications, thanksgivings for all people, for kings and for all those in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and serene life in all piety and purity, for this is good and it pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1-4).
Then the name of your spiritual father is written, the priest who instructs you, takes care of the salvation of your soul, prays to the Lord for you: “Remember your teachers” (Heb. 13:7).
Then write the names of your parents, your name, the names of your family members, loved ones and relatives. Everyone should pray for the health and well-being of their family: “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those at home, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel” (1 Tim. 5:8).
For your family and relatives, write down the names of your benefactors. If they have done good to you, then you should also wish and pray for good and blessings from the Lord for them, so as not to remain in debt to them: “give everyone their due... Do not remain in debt to anyone except mutual love; For he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Rom. 13:7-8).
Finally, if you have an ill-wisher, an offender, an envious person or even an enemy, write down his name for prayerful remembrance, according to the commandment of the Lord: “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you” (Matt. 5, 44).
Prayer for enemies, for those at war, is a great force for ending hostility and establishing peace. The Savior himself prayed for his enemies. There are many known cases when one of the warring parties wrote the name of his ill-wisher in the health note next to his name - and the hostility stopped, the former enemy became a well-wisher.

The second note we submit is “On Repose”. In it we write the names of deceased relatives, acquaintances, teachers, well-wishers, everyone who is dear to us.
Just as we pray for the living, so we must pray for the dead - and not only for our closest relatives, but also for our entire family, for everyone who did good to us in earthly life, helped, taught.
The dead, although they have departed from us, although they remain flesh in the earth, but in soul with the Lord, have not disappeared, they continue to live a spiritual life invisible to us before the eyes of God, since the Lord Himself says in the Holy Gospel: “God is not the God of the dead.” , but alive, for with Him all are alive” (Luke 20:38).
We believe that our deceased relatives, and we often do not know the names of many of them, pray for us, their descendants.
We who live on earth, together with those who have departed from us, constitute one Church, one body, having One Head - the Lord Jesus Christ. “If we live, we live for the Lord; Whether we die, we die for the Lord: and therefore, whether we live or die, we are always the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died, and rose again, and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living” (Rom. 14:8-9).
Our unity and communication with the dead is especially felt during fervent prayer for them. It produces an extremely deep effect and impression on the soul of the person praying, proving the real communication of the soul of the person praying with the souls of those for whom the prayer is offered.

How the Church commemorates the living and the dead at Proskomedia

Preparation begins during the proskomedia. Proskomedia is a part of the liturgy during which bread and wine are prepared for the sacrament. For proskomedia, five special prosphoras are used.
From the first prosphora, after special prayers, the priest cuts out the middle in the shape of a cube - this part of the prosphora is given the name Lamb. This “lamb” prosphora rests on a paten, a round dish on a stand, symbolizing the manger in which the Savior was born. The lamb prosphora is actually used for Communion.
From the second prosphora, the “Mother of God” prosphora, the priest takes out a portion in honor of the Mother of God. This particle is placed on the paten to the left of the Lamb.
From the third prosphora, the “nine-time” prosphora, nine particles are taken out - in honor of the saints: John the Baptist, prophets, apostles, saints, martyrs and saints, unmercenaries, Joachim and Anna, and the saint in whose name the liturgy is celebrated. These taken out particles are placed on the right side of the Lamb, three particles in a row.
After this, the clergyman proceeds to the fourth prosphora, from which they take out particles about the living - about the Patriarch, bishops, presbyters and deacons. From the fifth prosphora they take out particles about the deceased - Patriarchs, creators of churches, bishops, priests.
These removed particles are also placed on the paten - first for the living, below - for the dead. Then the priest removes the particles from the prosphora served by the believers.
At this time, remembrances are read - notes, memorial books, which we submitted to the candle box for the proskomedia.
After reading each name indicated in the note, the clergyman takes out a piece of prosphora, saying: “Remember, Lord, (the name we wrote is indicated).”
These particles, taken out according to our notes, are also placed on the paten along with the particles taken from the liturgical prosphoras. This is the first, invisible by those praying, commemoration of those whose names are written in the notes we submitted.
So, the particles taken out according to our notes lie on the paten, next to the particles taken from special liturgical prosphoras. This is a great, holy place! The particles lying in this order on the paten symbolize the entire Church of Christ.

Many believe that the particles offered for the living and the dead are a cleansing sacrifice for our sins. It's a delusion. You can be cleansed from sin only by repentance, correction of life, mercy, and good deeds.
The particles taken out from the prosphora we serve are not consecrated into the body of the Lord; when they are removed, there is no remembrance of Christ’s suffering: during the ascension of the Holy Lamb, during the proclamation “Holy to the Holies,” these particles do not rise for the mysterious elevation to the cross with the flesh of the Savior. These particles are not given in communion with the Flesh of the Savior. Why are they brought? So that through them the believers, whose names are written in our notes, receive grace, sanctification and remission of sins from the cleansing sacrifice offered on the Throne.

A particle taken from our prosphora, reclining near the most pure Body of the Lord, being brought into the chalice, filled with Divine blood, is completely filled with sacred things and spiritual gifts and sends them down to the one whose name is lifted up. After all the communicants have partaken of the Holy Mysteries, the deacon places into the chalice the particles of the saints, the living and the dead, reclining on the paten.
This is done so that the saints, in their closest union with God, will rejoice in heaven, and the living and the dead, whose names are indicated in the notes, having been washed by the most pure blood of the Son of God, receive remission of sins and eternal life.
This is also evidenced by the words spoken by the priest: “Wash away, O Lord, the sins of those who were remembered here, with Your Honest Blood.”
That is why it is necessary to commemorate the living and the dead precisely in the Church, at the liturgy - after all, it is here that the cleansing of the sins we commit daily takes place through the Blood of Christ.
The sacrifice made by our Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary and offered daily during the Liturgy on the Holy Throne is a complete and completely exhaustive payment for our debt to God - and only it, like fire, can burn away all of a person’s sins.

What is a registered note?
In some churches, in addition to the usual notes about health and repose, they accept custom notes.
A customized mass for health with a prayer differs from a regular commemoration for health in that, in addition to removing a particle from the prosphora (which happens during a regular commemoration), the deacon publicly reads the names of those commemorated in the litanies, and then these names are repeated by the priest before the altar.
But even this is not the end of the commemoration according to the ordered note - after the end of the liturgy, a prayer is offered for them at a prayer service.
The same thing happens at a custom-made mass of repose with a memorial service - and here, after removing the particles with the names of the deceased, the deacon publicly pronounces their names at the litany, then the names are repeated in front of the altar by the clergyman, and then the deceased are remembered at the memorial service, which takes place after the end of the liturgy .
Sorokousty is a prayer service that is performed by the Church daily for forty days. Every day during this period, particles are removed from the prosphora.
“Sorokousts,” writes St. Simeon of Thessalonica, - are performed in remembrance of the Ascension of the Lord, which happened on the fortieth day after the resurrection, - and with the purpose that he (the deceased), having risen from the grave, ascended to the meeting (that is, towards - ed.). Judge, he was caught up into the clouds, and so he was always with the Lord.” Sorokousts are ordered not only for repose, but also for health, especially for seriously ill people.
Some churches and monasteries accept notes for eternal remembrance.
If you submitted a registered note, then the names written in the notes are pronounced at prayer shortly after the reading of the Gospel.

How often should memorial notes be submitted?
The prayer of the Church and the Most Holy Sacrifice attract the mercy of the Lord to us, purifying and saving us. We always, both during life and after death, need God's mercy towards us. Therefore, it is necessary to be worthy of the prayers of the Church and the offering of the sacrifice of the Holy Gifts for us or our loved ones, living and deceased, as often as possible, and necessarily on those days that have special meaning: on birthdays, baptism days, name days of both one’s own and members of your family.
Honoring the memory of the saint whose name we bear, we thereby call on our patron to pray and intercede before God, because, as the Holy Scripture says, the intense prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much (James 5:16).
It is imperative to submit a note of remembrance on your child’s birthdays and baptisms.
Mothers must carefully monitor this, because caring for the child is their sacred duty.
Whether sin attracts us to itself, whether some passion takes possession of us, whether the devil tempts us, whether despair or inconsolable sorrow befalls us, whether trouble, need, illness have visited us - in such cases, the prayer of the Church with the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice serves as the surest means of deliverance, strengthening and consolation.

REMINDER for those wishing to submit a note about the living and the deceased

1. Notes must be submitted before the start of the liturgy. It is best to submit notes of remembrance in the evening or early in the morning, before the start of the service.
2. When writing down the names of the living and the dead, remember them in the process of writing with a sincere desire for their good, from the bottom of your heart, trying to remember the one whose name you are writing down - this is already a prayer.
3. The note must contain no more than fifty names. If you want to remember many of your family and friends, send a few notes.
4. Names must be written in the genitive case (answer the question “who?”).
The names of bishops and priests are indicated first, and their rank is indicated - for example, “about the health” of Bishop Tikhon, Abbot Tikhon, Priest Yaroslav, then write your name, your family and friends.
The same applies to notes “about the repose” - for example, Metropolitan John, Archpriest Michael, Alexandra, John, Anthony, Elijah, etc.
5. All names must be given in church spelling (for example, George, not Yuri) and in full (for example, Alexander, Nikolai, but not Sasha, Kolya),
6. The notes do not indicate last names, patronymics, ranks and titles, or degrees of relationship.
7. A child under 7 years old is referred to in the note as a baby - the baby John.
8. If you want, in health notes you can mention “sick”, “warrior”, “travelling”, “prisoner” before the name. They don’t write in notes: “suffering”, “embarrassed”, “needy”, “lost”.
9. In the notes “On repose” the deceased is referred to as “newly deceased” within 40 days after death. It is allowed in notes “On repose” to write before the name “killed”, “warrior”, “of ever-memorable” (day of death, name day of the deceased).
Notes for a prayer service or memorial service, which take place after the end of the liturgy, are submitted separately.

Commemorating the deceased is a kind of mission. This is necessary, but it is important that the person commemorates without coercion, of his own free will. They do this in memory of a loved one who is no longer around. But he forever remains in the hearts of people who remember him.

The 3rd, 9th and 40th days are especially emphasized in the conduct of memorial events, taking the day of death as the 1st day of counting. These days, the commemoration of the deceased is considered sanctified by church customs and corresponds to Christian teachings about the state of the soul beyond the threshold of death.

Funeral service on the 3rd day after death

The funeral takes place in memory of the miraculous resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day and in honor of the image of the Holy Trinity. It is believed that for the first two days the soul remains on earth, is close to its relatives, visits places dear to it, accompanied by an Angel, and on the third day it ascends to heaven and appears before God.

Funeral for 9 days

The funeral on this day is held in honor of the nine angelic ranks, who can petition for pardon of the deceased. When a soul, accompanied by an Angel, enters heaven, it is shown the afterlife until the ninth day. And on the ninth day, with fear and trembling, the soul again appears before the Lord for worship. Prayers and remembrance on day 9 will help her pass this test with dignity.

Funeral for 40 days

On this day the soul ascends to worship the Lord for the third time. In the period from the ninth to the fortieth day, she recognizes the sins she has committed and goes through ordeals. Angels accompany the soul to Hell, where it can see the suffering and torment of unrepentant sinners.

On the fortieth day, her fate should be decided: in accordance with the spiritual state of the deceased and his earthly affairs. Prayers and remembrance on this day can atone for the sins of the deceased. The choice of the fortieth day for special commemoration was significantly influenced by the fact that Jesus Christ, after his resurrection, ascended to Heaven precisely on the fortieth day.

It is advisable to order a memorial service in the church on each of these memorial days.

Features of commemorating the dead:

1. You can invite everyone present at the funeral to the wake on the third day. On this day, the funeral meal is traditionally held immediately after.
2. Friends and close relatives of the deceased are often invited to the wake on the ninth day.
3. On the fortieth day, everyone comes to remember the deceased. The funeral does not have to be held in the home of the deceased. The place is chosen by relatives at will.

Commemoration on the anniversary of death

The mourning date should be reported only to those people whom the family of the deceased wishes to see at the funeral. The closest people should come - relatives and friends of the deceased. On the anniversary of your death, it is advisable to go to the cemetery. After visiting the grave, all those present are invited to a memorial lunch.

Memorial days are held at the discretion of the family of the deceased. It is inappropriate to discuss the correct organization of a wake.

Do I need to go to church for a funeral?

Funerals for 3, 9, 40 days, as well as for a year after death Orthodox Christians involve holding church services. Coming to the temple, relatives and friends of the deceased light candles, organize memorial services and read prayers.

If you wish, you can do all this not only on memorial days, but also on ordinary days. You can visit church, light a candle and pray if feelings about the deceased come over you. You can also visit the temple and pray on the birthday of the deceased .

If on memorial days it is not possible to go to church, then you can pray at home.

On memorial days you need to be in a good mood. Don't hold a grudge against anyone, especially the dead. These days, it is customary to treat funeral dishes to the people around you - colleagues, neighbors, friends. And also give alms.

Memorial days after the funeral (video)

On what days are the dead remembered? Is it possible to perform funeral services for suicides? How to pray for deceased parents? Archpriest Igor FOMIN answered the most common questions about how to properly remember the dead.

What prayer should we use to remember the dead? How often do we remember the dead?

Christians remember their dead every day. In every prayer book you can find a prayer for the departed; it is an integral part of the home prayer rule. You can also remember the departed by reading the Psalter. Every day Christians read one kathisma from the Psalter. And in one of the chapters we remember our relatives (relatives), friends who have gone to the Lord.

Why remember the dead?

The fact is that life continues after death. Moreover, the final fate of a person is decided not after death, but at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, which we are all waiting for. Therefore, before the second coming we can still change this fate. When we are alive, we can do this ourselves by doing good deeds and believing in Christ. Having died, we can no longer influence our own afterlife, but this can be done by people who remember us and have heart problems. The best way to change the posthumous fate of the deceased is prayer for him.

When are the dead remembered? On what days are the dead commemorated? At what time of day can you remember?

The time of day when one can remember the deceased is not regulated by the Church. There are folk traditions that go back to paganism and clearly prescribe how and at what hour to remember the dead, but they have nothing to do with Christian prayer. God lives in space without time, and we can reach heaven at any moment of the day or night.
The Church has established special days of remembrance of those who are dear to us and have passed into another world - the so-called Parental Saturdays. There are several of them a year, and all but one (May 9 - Commemoration of Deceased Soldiers) have a moving date:
Meat Saturday (Ecumenical Parental Saturday) March 5, 2016.
Saturday of the 2nd week of Lent, March 26, 2016.
Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent, April 2, 2016.
Saturday of the 4th week of Lent, April 9, 2016.
Radonitsa May 10, 2016
May 9 - Commemoration of deceased soldiers
Trinity Saturday (Saturday before the holiday of Trinity). June 18, 2016.
Saturday Dimitrievskaya (Saturday before the day of memory of Dmitry Solunsky, which is celebrated on November 8). November 5, 2016.
In addition to Parental Saturdays, the deceased are remembered in church at every service - at proskomedia, part of the Divine Liturgy that precedes it. Before the Liturgy, you can submit notes “of remembrance.” The note contains the name with which the person was baptized, in the genitive case.

How do you remember for 9 days? How do you remember for 40 days? How to remember for six months? How to remember for a year?

The ninth and fortieth days from the day of death are special milestones on the path from earthly life to eternal life. This transition does not occur immediately, but gradually. During this period (until the fortieth day), the deceased person gives an answer to the Lord. This moment is extremely important for the deceased; it is akin to childbirth, the birth of a little person. Therefore, during this period the deceased needs our help. Through prayer, good deeds, changing ourselves for the better in honor and memory of those close to us.
For six months, such a church commemoration does not exist. But there will be nothing bad if you remember it for six months, for example, by coming to the temple to pray.
An anniversary is a day of remembrance when we - those who loved a person - come together. The Lord commanded us: Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). And joint remembrance, when we read a prayer for relatives and friends who are no longer with us, is a bright, resounding testimony to the Lord that the dead are not forgotten, that they are loved.

Should I remember on my birthday?

Yes, I believe that a person should be remembered on his birthday. The moment of birth is one of the significant, great stages in everyone’s life, so it will be good if you go to church, pray at home, go to the cemetery to remember the person.

Is it possible to perform funeral services for suicides? How to remember suicides?

The question of funeral services and church commemoration of suicides is very controversial. The fact is that the sin of suicide is one of the gravest. This is a sign of a person's distrust of God.
Each such case must be considered separately, because there are different types of suicides - conscious or unconscious, that is, in a state of severe mental disorder. The question of whether it is possible to have a funeral service and commemorate a baptized person who committed suicide in a church rests entirely with the responsibility of the ruling bishop. If a tragedy happened to one of your loved ones, you need to come to the ruling bishop of the region where the deceased lived and ask permission for a funeral service. The bishop will consider this question and give you an answer.
As for home prayer, you can certainly remember a person who committed suicide. But the most important thing is to do good deeds in his honor and memory.

What can you remember? Can you remember it with vodka? Why are they remembered with pancakes?

Trizny, funeral meals, came to us from time immemorial. But in ancient times they looked different. This was a treat, a feast not for the relatives of the deceased, but for the poor, crippled, orphans, that is, those who need help and would never be able to arrange such a meal for themselves.
Unfortunately, over time, the feast turned from a matter of mercy into an ordinary home feast, often with copious amounts of alcohol...
Of course, such libations have nothing to do with real Christian commemoration and cannot in any way influence the posthumous fate of the deceased.

How to remember an unbaptized person?

A person who did not want to unite himself with the Church of Christ, naturally, cannot be commemorated in church. His posthumous fate remains at the discretion of the Lord, and we cannot influence the situation here in any way.
Unbaptized relatives can be remembered by praying for them at home and doing good deeds in their honor and memory. Try to change your life for the better, be faithful to Christ, remembering all the good things that the one who died unbaptized did during his life.

How are Muslims remembered? How are Jews remembered? How are Catholics remembered?

In this matter it makes no difference whether the deceased was a Muslim, a Catholic or a Jew. They are not in the bosom of the Orthodox Church, therefore they are remembered as unbaptized. Their names cannot be written in notes for the proskomedia (the proskomedia is part of the Divine Liturgy that precedes it), but in their memory you can do good deeds and pray at home.

How to remember the dead in church?

In the temple, all those dead who united themselves with the Church of Christ in the Sacrament of Baptism are remembered. Even if a person for some reason did not go to church during his life, but was baptized, he can and should be remembered. Before the Divine Liturgy, you can submit a note “for proskomedia.”
Proskomedia is the part of the Divine Liturgy that precedes it. At the proskomedia, bread and wine are prepared for the future Sacrament of Communion - the transfusion of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. On it, not only the future Body of Christ (the Lamb is a large prosphora) and the future Blood of Christ for the Sacrament (wine) are prepared, but also a prayer is read for Christians - living or dead. For the Mother of God, the saints and us, ordinary believers, particles are taken out from the prosphora. Pay attention when they give you a small prosphora after Communion - it’s as if “someone picked out a piece” from it. It is the priest who takes out particles from the prosphora for each name written in the note “for proskomedia.”
At the end of the Liturgy, pieces of bread, symbolizing the souls of living or dead Christians, are immersed in a chalice with the Blood of Christ. The priest at this moment reads the prayer “Wash away, Lord, the sins of those remembered here by Thy Blood through the honest prayers of Thy saints.”
Also in churches there are special memorial services - requiems. You can submit a separate note for the memorial service. But it is important not only to submit a note, but also to try to be personally present at the service where it will be read. You can find out about the time of this service from the temple servants, to whom a note is given.

How to remember the dead at home?

In every prayer book you can find a prayer for the departed; it is an integral part of the home prayer rule. You can also remember the departed by reading the Psalter. Every day Christians read one kathisma from the Psalter. And in one of the chapters we remember our relatives (relatives), friends who have gone to the Lord.

How to commemorate during Lent?

During Lent, there are special days of remembrance of the dead - Parental Saturdays and Sunday, when full (as opposed to shortened on other days of Lent) Divine Liturgies are served. During these services, a proskomedia commemoration of the dead is performed, when for each person a piece is taken out of a large prosphora, symbolizing his soul.

How to remember the newly deceased?

From the first day of a person’s repose, the Psalter is read over his body. If the deceased is a priest, then the Gospel is read. The Psalter must continue to be read even after the funeral - until the fortieth day.
The newly deceased is also remembered at the funeral service. The funeral service is supposed to take place on the third day after death, and it is important that it is carried out not in absentia, but over the body of the deceased. The fact is that all those who loved the person come to the funeral service, and their prayer is special, conciliar.
You can also remember the newly deceased with a sacrifice. For example, distribute his good, high-quality things to those in need - clothes, household items. This can be done from the first day after a person’s death.

When should you remember your parents?

There are no special days in the Church when we need to remember our parents, those who gave us life. Parents can always be remembered. And on Parents’ Saturdays in church, and every day at home, and by submitting notes “for proskomedia.” You can turn to the Lord at any day and hour, He will definitely hear you.

How to remember animals?

It is not customary to remember animals in Christianity. The teaching of the Church says that eternal life is prepared only for man, since only man has the soul for which we pray.

The anniversary of the death of a dear person is not only a difficult event, but also an occasion to once again remember what he was like during his lifetime. It is important to start preparing for the funeral date in advance. For deceased Orthodox Christians this is a very significant day. The soul of the deceased bids farewell to the earth forever. In Orthodoxy, the Holy Church established the need to commemorate the deceased on a year from the date of death as a birthday in a new eternal life. A man has died in body, but his soul lives on.

It is necessary to celebrate the anniversary of death correctly, because it is a summing up of earthly life. To show how dear the deceased is to us, to tell, to remember what kind of person he was. Only the prayers of living people can help the soul of the deceased reach the kingdom of heaven. It is necessary to pray for the deceased not only in the first days after death. It is the duty of the living to pray for the soul of the deceased constantly, and especially diligently on memorable dates. Only our prayers can save his soul.

By this day, it is necessary to complete the installation of a permanent monument, fence, pave the surrounding area with tiles or sprinkle it with sand. In general, restore order and decorate the grave. It is very good to plant perennial flowers. Plant trees: conifers, birch, or shrubs: viburnum, lilac, thuja.

On the anniversary, be sure to visit the cemetery before lunch and bring fresh flowers. Light a candle and read prayers. You can invite a priest to conduct a service at the grave, perform a litiya.

Someone reads the akathist on their own and performs a litiya, reading the 17th kathisma. Ask the deceased for forgiveness and thank him for all the good things that happened and remained in your life after him.

What to do on this day

The first anniversary of death arrives. What to do and how to organize everything correctly, without missing anything, worries everyone who is faced with this. The future of the eternal life of the deceased depends on us. The commemoration of the dead according to the charter of the Orthodox Church looks like this:

If the funeral will be celebrated at home, prepare the hall the day before. Arrange the photo with a black ribbon, prepare photographs, video and audio recordings, and slides for memories of the deceased. Place fresh flowers, candlesticks with candles, and black ribbons on the table. Place images of the Savior and the Mother of God so that those who remember them can pray in front of them.

If the funeral dinner is being held in a cafe, take everything there in advance; they will take care of the funeral decorations themselves. A week in advance, invite relatives and close friends of the deceased to the memorial, notify them of the location of the dinner.

Think over and prepare things that you will distribute to those who come as a souvenir. It is customary to give away some belongings of the deceased.

There are certain customs for funerals of 1 year, rules for holding. For the funeral table, prepare the deceased’s favorite dishes. It is better if there are an even number of them. Usually a memorial dinner on the anniversary of a death, the menu at home consists of the simplest dishes:

• Borscht with meat or fish.
• Chicken or mushroom noodles.
• Meat or fish dish.
• Kissel, compote, fruit drink, juices.
• Pies, pies, pancakes.
• Meat and fish cuts, salads, pickles.

It all depends on your capabilities. The main thing is to surround the memory of the deceased with love; there is no need for scandals at the memorial, only warm memories and good words. Place a plate on the table for the deceased, and in it a glass of compote, covered with a piece of bread.

Before the funeral dinner begins, one of the relatives must read kathisma 17 from the psalter, perhaps the rite of litia. It is advisable that those commemorating before the start of the meal read “Our Father”, and after each change of dishes read: “Rest, O Lord, the soul of your servant (name).” It is important to remember that at a memorial service it is not the pomp of the table that is most important, but prayer for the deceased, especially fervent on memorable dates. It is necessary to pray for the soul of the deceased even after lunch.

After reading the prayers, the commemoration begins with consecrated kutya, which is prepared from wheat or rice. The grains from which kutia is prepared are a symbol of the beginning of a new life, rebirth, and resurrection. Kutya on the funeral table means the resurrection of the soul, and the sweets in it mean the joy of meeting in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Pancakes are also a must at the funeral table; they are usually served with honey. Everything else is at the request and capabilities of those who organize the funeral.

It is necessary to ask forgiveness from the deceased for everything. At the funeral table, you need to thank the deceased for being in your life, for all the good things, and indulge in pleasant memories. It is important to think through all the words for the anniversary of death in advance, to prepare a speech, so that later you do not get confused from excitement when you speak the obituary. Many people prepare a memorial verse for the anniversary of death in advance, write it themselves or rewrite the one they have prepared with their own hands.

It is very important to remember the first anniversary every day, you can’t do it in advance. Why? After all, the man was still alive. But there are situations when, with the blessing of the priest, it is necessary to postpone the memorial service to the next weekend. But on the day of the anniversary, be sure to visit the Orthodox church, you must attend the services in person, order a commemoration of the deceased, give out alms, visit the cemetery, and organize a memorial service later on the weekend. And, of course, don’t forget about the annual All Souls Day.