The birth of a person brings great joy to the family. Unfortunately, the date of death is already marked in the book of life. It depends only on the person how and with what he will come to this day. How will he live the period allotted to him.
Day of death. What to do
When the day of death comes, the Lord calls his servant to him. The body loses the ability to move, the heart stops. After that, the body is in the coffin, and the soul continues to live. Now her journey to another, eternal life begins. The path is not easy and thorny.
According to the Holy Fathers, for three days the soul hovers above the earth. She mourns the separation from the body. Along with the soul, the relatives of the deceased also grieve. It is not easy to believe that a loved one is no longer around. They remember all the good things associated with him, and curse fate that she ordered it that way.
In fact, it is worth worrying about not only this. It is much more necessary to grieve about what will happen to the soul of the deceased. Where will she find rest? After all, not everyone manages to live life with dignity. But even with a respectable lifestyle, there are many sins that do not let the soul into paradise. They are deposited throughout a person's life.
Help for a loved one
People confess during life and before death. But remembering absolutely all your sins is simply impossible. They can be either very small - you can forget about them. Or they were made so long ago that it is very problematic to remember them. It is not always possible to confess before death.
In such a situation, one should rely only on the help of relatives. They should pray for the soul of the deceased. Immediately after the departure of a loved one to another world, it is necessary to read the "Prayer for the Departure of the Soul." It is printed on the first page of the psalter and is in the prayer books.
The text of the prayer is simple. It can also help if a person is tormented in agony and death cannot come to him. After reading the prayer, you can ease the torment, and the Lord will quickly call him to himself.
Read the psalter
After that, it is recommended to read the psalter further. When praying for the newly deceased up to 3 days, it is necessary to read from one to several kathismas per day. The amount depends on the strength of the prayer. After reading the psalter to the end, you should start over.
Some relatives entrust the reading of the psalter to strangers. They simply pay for their services and consider that the job is done. But in fact, the Holy Fathers and the Church unanimously say that prayer is more spiritual if a relative reads it. He puts his whole soul into it. All your suffering for the deceased.
Prayer to the Mother of God
Prayers are written mainly in Old Church Slavonic. Therefore, they are difficult not only in pronunciation, but also in understanding. In this case, it is impossible to pronounce the words of prayers sincerely. For this, many prayer books offer prayers for the newly deceased in Russian.
There are a large number of them. Depending on the cause of death and who died. There is a prayer for those who died and did not have time to be baptized. Among them is a prayer to the Mother of God for the newly deceased. She is the mother of the Lord, and praying to her can help soften the Heavenly King. You can find it in almost any prayer book.
Soul wanderings
After three days, the soul appears before the Lord. This happens after the funeral service in the church and the burial of the body. It is worth recalling that not everyone can be buried in the church. Under the prohibition of the funeral:
- unbaptized people;
- suicidal.
The soul worships God, and he gives her the opportunity for 6 days to admire how they have fun in paradise. How do the saints spend their time there? If the soul is sinful, then it is tormented by sorrows and resentment for an unfaithfully lived life. When praying for the newly deceased servant of God, do not forget about this. To mitigate suffering will help daily appeals to God relatives and friends. It is necessary to sincerely read prayers and be baptized.
On the 9th day, the soul appears before the Lord. The Lord sends her to hell. There she watches the torments of sinners. He sees how the souls of those who have lived their lives in vain suffer. In dislike of the Lord. Prayers for the newly reposed will help to beg for forgiveness before the Lord and alleviate the suffering of the soul.
On the fortieth day, the soul appears before the Lord, and at this time the place of its stay is determined. Therefore, prayer for the deceased up to 40 days is important. Earnest prayer can soften the Lord. His grace can help the soul to go to heaven or, while in hell, endure less torment.
Nobody except us
You can read prayers for the newly deceased at home or in the temple. After the death of a loved one, you must go to the temple. Submit a note about the repose of the soul of the newly deceased servant of God. It would be useful to order a magpie for the repose and an indefatigable prayer service. After the return of their temple, candles are lit and placed in salt. They put water and put a piece of bread. The main thing is not to forget to put the image of the Savior. All prayer readings are performed before him.
You can order a magpie in any temple. If the commemoration will be of a long nature, then it is better to order it in the monastery. After all, there are services every day and during the day. According to Christian custom, the body is recommended to be buried, not cremated. Make-up is considered a special forced measure.
Up to 40 days is a special kind of mercy. It links man and the Lord like the umbilical cord of a child to its mother. Even the most terrible sinner, being in worldly life, can change something in it. It is impossible to become a righteous man in an instant. It's hard work, and not everyone can do it. But being alive can change your life. After death, nothing can be changed. All the hope of the soul rests on the shoulders of loved ones and relatives. She asks them to help. He asks to beg for a better fate from the Lord.
Help yourself and loved ones
Prayer for the newly reposed is the highest form of asceticism. The fruits of which are known only at the terrible judgment. When people ask the Lord for something, they get what they want. For this they thank the Lord. Praise him. Prayers for the newly deceased, of course, reach the Lord's ears, but their result will be known only at the terrible judgment. Coming to him, he learns about how effective they were. If you pronounce them with a pure heart and good intentions, then many sins of a person who has already died will be forgiven. The wrath of the King of Heaven will be replaced by mercy. And then, at the Last Judgment, the deceased will bow at the feet of his friend or relative and thank him for this.
Prayer for the newly reposed is the fulfillment of the main dual commandment. She speaks of love for God and neighbor. Loving your neighbor does not mean just helping him in worldly life. It means to help him when nothing depends on him anymore. He came to the Lord, and the soul is stained with sins. The prayers of loved ones will help to whiten her and soften the wrath of the Lord.
Prayers for the 40th day
It is on the fortieth day that the soul ceases to hover over the abyss. Her fate is finally determined. On this day, the relatives of the deceased are the hardest. An unhealed wound in the soul bleeds, and faith in a better future does not come. Prayer for 40 days will help alleviate mental suffering.
In the temple, you should ask the Lord to take the soul of the deceased, and give peace to the soul of a loved one. Before that, put candles for the repose of the soul. Then, having crossed yourself and taking three candles with you, you can go home. These candles are lit there and, looking at them, a prayer is said for 40 days to the Lord (it can be found in the prayer book).
For forty days, it is worth not only praying at home, but also visiting the temple. If the deceased is baptized, then he can be mentioned in the notes that are served in the temple. If not, then you can only pray for him on your own. And no matter where - at home or in the temple.
In addition to prayers, food can be brought to the temple and served. This will be considered alms and will go for the commemoration of the soul. The clergy will commemorate him at a meal. Only it is necessary to say the name of the servant of God.
Mourning should be worn for at least 40 days. If an internal need arises, it can be done longer.
After this, mental suffering will subside a little and strength will appear to live on. In the future without the deceased, but such is life. And it continues no matter what. The main thing is to believe in the best, and then the pain will subside faster.
