Soul after death. What ordeals the soul goes through after death 20 days commemorate

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, 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 remain on mortal earth put candles, fast and.

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:

1. Idle talk is a passion for empty words and excessive talk.
2. Lying is the intentional deception of others for their own benefit.
3. Slander is the spread of false rumors about a third person and the condemnation of other people's actions.
4. Gluttony is an excessive love of food.
5. Idleness is laziness and life in inaction.
6. Theft is the misappropriation of another's property.
7. Covetousness - excessive attachment to material values.
8. Covetousness is the desire to obtain values ​​dishonestly.
9. Untruth in deeds and deeds - craving to commit dishonest actions.
10. Envy is the desire to take possession of the same that the neighbor has.
11. Pride is the veneration of oneself above others.
12. Anger and fury.
13. Resentment - the storage in the memory of other people's misdeeds, a thirst for revenge.
14. Murder.
15. Sorcery is the use of magic.
16. Fornication - promiscuity.
17. Adultery is adultery.
18. Sodomy - God denies the unions of a man and a man, a woman and a woman.
19. Heresy is the denial of our God.
20. 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 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 not subject to 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.

the soul 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 whether 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 enter 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 babies, 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. Ikh remains attached to the mother, she becomes the first in line for physical incarnation in 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 dispose of destinies, and the idea of ​​laying hands on oneself is given to those who tempt and test 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 people who succeeded 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, death was prepared in advance, it was thought of 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: which he will spend on the other side. 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 hour is coming when the remains of the deceased are buried in the earth, where they will rest until the end of time and the general resurrection. But the love of the mother of the Church for her child, who has passed away from this life, does not dry out. On certain days, she prays for the deceased and brings a bloodless sacrifice for his repose. Special days of commemoration are the third, ninth and fortieth (while the day of death is considered the first). Commemoration these days is consecrated by an ancient church custom. It is consistent with the teaching of the Church about the state of the soul beyond the grave.

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 her to those places that attract her with memories of earthly joys and sorrows, evil and good deeds. The soul that loves the body sometimes wanders around the house where the body is laid, and thus spends two days like a bird looking for its nest. The virtuous soul, on the other hand, walks in those places where it used to do the right thing. 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, which appeared before the face of the Just, is very timely.

Ninth day. The commemoration of the deceased on this day is in honor of the nine orders of angels, who, as servants of the King of Heaven and intercessors to Him for us, intercede for mercy on the deceased.

After the third day, the soul, accompanied by an Angel, enters the heavenly abodes and contemplates their inexpressible beauty. She remains in this state for six days. For 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 enjoyment of the saints, she begins to grieve and reproach herself: “Alas for me! How busy I am 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, poor me!” On the ninth day, the Lord commands the Angels to again present the soul to Him for worship. With fear and trembling the soul stands before the throne of the Most High. 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, for the acceptance of the special Divine gift of the grace-filled 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 a commemoration on the fortieth day after death, so that the soul of the deceased ascended the holy mountain of Heavenly Sinai, was rewarded with the sight of God, achieved the blessedness promised to her and settled in heavenly villages with the righteous.

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

Anniversary. The Church commemorates the dead 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 fixed holidays are repeated again. The anniversary of the death of a loved one is always celebrated with at least a hearty commemoration of his loving relatives and friends. For an Orthodox believer, this is a birthday for a new, eternal life.

Ecumenical funeral service (PARENTAL SATURDAYS)

In addition to these days, the Church has established special days for the solemn, universal, ecumenical commemoration of all fathers and brothers who have passed away from the age of faith, who have been honored with a Christian death, as well as those who, having been overtaken by sudden death, were not sent to the afterlife by the prayers of the Church. The requiems performed at the same time, indicated 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:

Saturday is meatless. Dedicating the Meat-Feast Week to the remembrance of the last Last Judgment of Christ, the Church, in view of this judgment, has established intercession not only for her living members, but also for all those who have died from time immemorial, who have lived in piety, of all genera, ranks and conditions, especially for those who died a sudden death. and pray to the Lord for mercy on them. The solemn all-church commemoration of the departed on this Saturday (as well as on Trinity Saturday) brings great benefit and help to our dead 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 community of believers, whose members are not only those who live, but also all who die in the faith. And communion with them through prayer, prayerful commemoration of them is the expression of our common unity in the Church of Christ.

Saturday Trinity. The commemoration of all the dead pious Christians was established on the Saturday before Pentecost due to the fact that the event of the descent of the Holy Spirit completed the economy of the salvation of man, and the departed 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 feast that for the departed the grace of the all-holy and all-sanctifying Spirit of the Comforter, which they were honored during their lifetime, would be a source of bliss, since by the Holy Spirit “every soul is alive.” ". Therefore, the eve of the holiday, Saturday, the Church dedicates to the remembrance of the dead, to prayer for them. St. Basil the Great, who compiled the touching prayers for the Vespers of Pentecost, says in them that the Lord, most of all, on this day deigns to accept prayers for the dead and even for "those who are held in hell."

Parental Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Holy Forty Days. On Holy Forty Days - the days of Great Lent, spiritual feat, the feat of repentance and doing good to others - the Church calls on believers to be in the closest union of Christian love and peace not only with the living, but also with the dead, to make prayerful commemoration on the appointed days of those who have departed from this life. In addition, the Saturdays of these weeks are appointed by the Church to commemorate the departed also for the reason that no funeral commemorations are performed on the weekly days of Great Lent (this includes funeral litanies, litias, memorial services, commemoration of the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death, forty-mouthed), since there is no daily full liturgy, with the celebration of which the commemoration of the dead is associated. In order not to deprive the dead of the saving intercession of the Church on the days of Holy Forty Days, the indicated Saturdays are singled out.

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

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

CHURCH FUNERAL SERVICES

It is necessary to commemorate the deceased in the Church as often as possible, not only on the designated special days of commemoration, but also on any other day. The Church performs the main prayer for the repose of the departed Orthodox Christians at the Divine Liturgy, bringing a bloodless sacrifice to God for them. To do this, before the start of the liturgy (or the night before), a note with their names should be submitted to the church (only baptized Orthodox can be entered). On the proskomedia, particles for their repose will be taken out of the prosphora, which at the end of the liturgy will be lowered into the holy cup and washed with the Blood of the Son of God. Let us remember that this is the greatest good that we can give to those who are dear to us. Here is how the commemoration at the liturgy is said in the Epistle of the Eastern Patriarchs: “We believe that the souls of people who fell into mortal sins and did not despair at death, but repented even before being separated from real life, only did not have time to bear any fruits of repentance (such fruits could be their prayers, tears, kneeling during prayerful vigils, contrition, consolation of the poor and expression in deeds of love for God and neighbor), - the souls of such people descend into hell and suffer punishment for the sins they have committed, without losing, however, the hope of relief. They receive relief through the infinite goodness of God through the prayers of priests and good works done for the dead, and especially through the power of bloodless sacrifice, which, in particular, the clergy brings for every Christian for his loved ones, and in general for everyone, the Catholic and Apostolic Church daily brings.

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

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

The number of names in the note does not matter; it is only necessary 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 confusion, remember that the difference in prices (registered or simple notes) only reflects the difference in the amount of the donation. Nor should you be embarrassed if you have not heard the names of your relatives mentioned in the litany. As mentioned above, the main commemoration takes place on the proskomedia, when particles are taken out of the prosphora. During the funeral litany, you can take out your commemoration book and pray for loved ones. Prayer will be more effective if the one who commemorates himself on that day partakes of the Body and Blood of Christ.

After the liturgy, you can serve a memorial service. A memorial service is served before the eve - a special table with the image of a crucifix and rows of candlesticks. Here you can also leave an offering for the needs of the temple in memory of the departed loved ones.

It is very important after death to order a magpie in the temple - an unceasing commemoration at the liturgy for forty days. At the end of the magpie, you can order again. There are also long periods of commemoration - six months, a year. Some monasteries accept notes for eternal (as long as the monastery stands) commemoration or for commemoration during the reading of the Psalter (this is an ancient Orthodox custom). The more churches that pray, the better for our neighbor!

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

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

REMEMBERING THE DEAD AT HOME PRAYER

Prayer for the departed is our main and invaluable help to those who have departed to another world. The deceased does not need, by and large, either a coffin, or a grave monument, and even more so a memorial table - all this is just a tribute to traditions, albeit very pious ones. But the eternally living soul of the deceased feels a great need for constant prayer, for she cannot do good deeds herself, with which she would be able to propitiate the Lord. Prayer at home for loved ones, including the dead, is the duty of every Orthodox. St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, says this about prayer for the departed: “If the all-pervading Wisdom of God does not forbid praying for the dead, does this not mean that it is still allowed to throw a rope, although not always reliable enough, but sometimes, and maybe often, salvific for souls who have fallen away from the shore of temporal life, but have not reached the eternal home? Salvatory for those souls who vacillate over the abyss between bodily death and the last judgment of Christ, now rising by faith, now plunging into deeds unworthy of it, now exalted by grace, now being brought down by the remains of a damaged nature, now ascending by Divine desire, now becoming entangled in coarse, not yet completely stripped off the clothes of earthly thoughts ... "

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

Prayer for the dead

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

It is more convenient to read the names from the commemorative book - a small book where the names of living and deceased relatives are recorded. There is a pious custom to keep family commemorations, reading which Orthodox people commemorate many generations of their deceased ancestors by name.

FUNERAL MEAL

The pious custom of commemorating the dead at a meal has been known for a very long time. But, unfortunately, many commemorations turn into an occasion for relatives to get together, discuss the news, eat tasty food, while Orthodox Christians should also pray for the departed at the memorial table.

Before the meal, one should perform a lithium - a short rite of memorial service, which can be performed by a layman. In extreme cases, you need to at least read the 90th psalm and the prayer "Our Father". The first dish that is eaten at the wake is kutya (kolyovo). These are boiled grains of cereals (wheat or rice) with honey and raisins. Grains are a symbol of resurrection, and honey is a sweetness enjoyed by the righteous in the Kingdom of God. According to the charter, kutya should be consecrated with a special rite during a memorial service; if this is not possible, it is necessary to sprinkle it with holy water.

Naturally, the desire of the owners to treat everyone who came to the commemoration to taste better. But you need to observe the fasts established by the Church, and eat the allowed food: on Wednesday, Friday, during long fasts - do not eat fast. If the memory of the deceased happens on a weekday of Great Lent, then the commemoration is transferred to the next Saturday or Sunday.

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

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

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

“It was in the difficult post-war years. Comes to me, the rector of the village church, a mother crying with grief, in which her eight-year-old son Misha drowned. And she says that Misha dreamed of her and complained about the cold - he was completely without clothes. I say to her: "Are any of his clothes left?" - "Oh sure". - "Give it to your friends Mishin, they will surely come in handy."

A few days later, she tells me that she again saw Misha in a dream: he was dressed in exactly the same clothes that were given to his friends. He thanked, but now complained of hunger. I advised to make a memorial meal for the village children - Misha's friends and acquaintances. No matter how difficult it is in difficult times, but what can you do for your beloved son! And the woman, than she could, treated the children.

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

40 days after death, what does this date mean for the soul of the deceased person and his loved ones? They can drag on indefinitely or go too fast. Everyone goes through the stages of grief differently. But we know that the soul of a person after death meets with the Heavenly Father. And we can help the soul of the deceased to pass posthumous tests. Therefore, it is so important to pray for a person even after his death. But how to do it right? How to behave so that prayer for the deceased is pleasing to God? In this article, we tried to collect answers to frequently asked questions about why it is customary to commemorate deceased relatives and loved ones exactly 40 days after death.

What does 40 days after death mean?

40 days is an important period that occurs frequently in Biblical history. Prophet Moses fasted for 40 days before receiving the tablets of the Law. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years before they came to the promised land.

According to the Orthodox tradition, after death, the soul of a person does not immediately go to heaven or hell. For three days after death, the soul is next to the body and does not immediately leave everything earthly. Only on the third day does the Guardian Angel take the soul of a person and show her the heavenly abode. This time will not last long, only until the ninth day, when the soul of a person appears before God and under the weight of unrepentant sins, this meeting can be difficult for the deceased. That is why the prayer support of relatives is so important. Of course, God is merciful, but we cannot represent Heavenly Father the way we represent a person. It can be difficult for the soul in front of a perfect creator from the realization of its unworthiness. Until the 40th day, a person looks at what hell is, life without God.

What happens to the soul of the deceased 40 days after death

On the 40th day after death, it is determined where the soul of a person will reside - in heavenly abodes or in hell. We do not know exactly what heaven and hell look like, but we have a promise that in hell a person's soul suffers. This decision remains in force until the Last Judgment. We assume that the soul of a person is especially hard at these moments, so the prayerful support of those who remained in earthly life and worries about the deceased is so important. A person's sins create obstacles for him to a joyful meeting with the Lord. But the Guardian Angel and the prayers of loved ones help the soul to go through difficult trials that last from 9 to 40 days after death. This is important for loved ones too. After the death of a dear person, we can no longer do anything for him, except for prayers. We can express our love to a person who has gone into Eternity only through prayer.

Wake for 40 days after death

Until the 40th day after death, the soul goes through trials, ordeals. These days, a person is forced to answer for the sins that he committed during his lifetime, without repenting of them. On the 40th day, the Church tries to help a person at a meeting with the Lord and on the day of determining his future fate. In order to pay tribute to the good deeds committed by a person during his lifetime, a commemoration is organized, where the relatives of the deceased can remember the good deeds of a person, find words of comfort for each other. In the Orthodox tradition, death is considered grief and an inevitable consequence of the fact that evil has come into this world, so grief over the death of a person is natural. The Lord created us all for eternal life. But we know that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to give us Eternal life, so despair and despondency do not accompany a Christian's transition from earthly life to Eternity. It is very important that in a difficult moment, next to the relatives of the deceased, there is someone who could find words and consolations and reminders of the Eternal Life that the Lord has given us. For someone to pray for the soul of a person next to the mourners. But abuse and disputes at the wake of a person, memories of past grievances are completely inappropriate.

Relatives at the commemoration are united by a joint meal. Orthodox commemorations do not involve the use of alcohol. It is customary to dress modestly, in clothes of dark colors. One of the dishes of the memorial meal is kutya - porridge, which is prepared from whole grains of wheat, barley, rice or other cereals. Nuts, raisins or other sweets are added to kutia. The dish is poured over with honey, and served with kutya at the very beginning of the memorial meal. If the commemoration of the deceased took place during fasting, the dishes of the memorial table should be lenten. The meal ends with pancakes or pancakes, if the church charter allows it on a particular day. At the wake, as a rule, they drink compote. The memory of the deceased is sometimes honored with a moment of silence.

Is it possible to remember 40 days earlier

For 40 days after death, relatives mourn the deceased and help him intensely with prayer. 3, 9 and 40 days after death are specially marked, because it is on these days, according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, important events occur with the soul of a person. Especially on the 40th day, when the fate of a person is decided before the Last Judgment. You can prayerfully remember a person on any day, but it is these milestones in parting with a person that are considered important. You can always go to the cemetery, pray for the deceased by the rite of private prayer for the laity. The most important thing for the human soul is prayer, all other worldly traditions are secondary. There are also exceptions:

If 40 days after death fall on the last week before Easter and the first Sunday after Easter week. Panikhidas are not served on Easter itself. On Christmas and other twelfth holidays, it is also not customary to serve a memorial service, but, in agreement with the priest, they read a litia.

40 days after death - what to do for the relatives of the deceased

40 days after death is an important milestone in farewell to the deceased. On this day, a funeral service is ordered in the Church. Assemble the memorial table. They read prayers for the deceased in private. Unfortunately, there are many superstitions and worldly traditions that are often attributed to the Church. Questions are often asked: “Is it possible to clean up to 40 days after death? Is it possible to distribute the things of the deceased. The church charter does not prohibit cleaning and there are no special instructions on how to deal with the things of the deceased, because everything related to the material world no longer matters for a person who has passed into Eternal Life. The main thing we can do is pray and not defile the memory of a person with memories of his bad deeds or past grievances against him.

What prayers to read up to 40 days after death

The rite of lithium (zealous prayer) performed by a layman at home and in a cemetery
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
The King of Heaven, the Comforter, the Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything. Treasure of the good and life to the Giver, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Read three times, with the sign of the cross and a bow from the waist.)

Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Lord, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (Three times.)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Lord have mercy. (12 times.)
Come, let us worship our King God. (Bow.)
Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God. (Bow.)
Come, let us worship and bow down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. (Bow.)

Alive in the help of the Most High, in the blood of the God of Heaven will settle. The Lord says: Thou art my intercessor and my refuge. My God, and I trust in Him. As if He will deliver thee from the net of the hunter, and from the rebellious word, His splash will overshadow thee, and under His wings you hope: His truth will be your weapon. Do not be afraid of the fear of the night, from the arrow flying in the days, from the thing in the darkness of the transient, from the scum, and the demon of the noonday. A thousand will fall from your country, and darkness at your right hand, but it will not come close to you, both look at your eyes, and see the reward of sinners. As you, O Lord, are my hope, the Most High have laid down your refuge. Evil will not come to you, and the wound will not approach your body, as if by His Angel a commandment about you, save you in all your ways. They will take you in their hands, but not when you stumble your foot on a stone, step on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent. For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver, and I will cover, and, as I know My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in sorrow, I will crush him, and I will glorify him, I will fulfill him with long life, and I will show him My salvation.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, glory to Thee, O God (thrice).
From the spirits of the righteous who have died, the soul of Your servant, Savior, rest in peace, keeping me in a blessed life, even with You, Humanity.
In Thy rest, O Lord, where Thy saints rest, rest also the soul of Thy servant, as Thou alone art the Lover of mankind.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit: You are the God who descended into hell and loosed the bonds of the fettered. Thyself and the soul of Thy servant rest.
And now and forever and forever and ever. Amen: One Pure and Immaculate Virgin, who gave birth to God without seed, pray that his soul be saved.

Kontakion, tone 8:
With the saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of Your servant, where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life.

Ikos:
Thou art the One Immortal, having created and created man: we will be created from the earth and go to the earth there, as you commanded, who created me, and the river of me: as if you are the earth and go into the earth, or else all men will go, grave weeping creating a song: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Lord, have mercy (thrice), bless.
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen.
In blissful sleep, grant eternal rest. Lord, to your deceased servant (name) and create eternal memory for him.
Eternal memory (three times).
His soul will dwell in the good, and his memory will be for generation and generation.

Panikhida for 40 days

There are prayers that can be said for the soul of the deceased by the laity and prayers that are performed on the 40th day after death in the temple. A memorial service is read both on the 3rd and 9th day after death. This service begins in the evening and continues throughout the night. This service is moving into matins. For some of the dead, unfortunately, you can only pray in private. The Church cannot pray for those who during their lifetime did not desire this prayer, since faith is an act of good will. It is impossible to order a memorial service for a person who has not been baptized, for blasphemers and for people who have committed suicide without suffering from a mental illness.

Even if the Church for some reason cannot pray for the deceased, loved ones can always pray at home and hope for the mercy of the Lord.

Great memorial service - God rest the souls of the departed Thy servant (Assumption Church, Yekaterinburg)

There are several days in the Church to commemorate the dead. Some are common (Radonitsa, Parental Saturdays), others are private. They are associated with the date of death of a particular person and are important for his relatives and friends. But at any commemoration, it is important to remember that you first need to go to the temple, submit a note for proskomedia, order a memorial service, and only then sit at the table, remembering the deceased.

Prayer is very important for a dead person. The Church teaches that prayer for the newly departed must begin as early as possible. Immediately after death, relatives and friends can read the psalter for the deceased or.

On the very first day after the death of a person, it is worth ordering a magpie (forty memorial liturgies for the deceased) in the temple. Ideally, Magpie should last from the first to the fortieth day after death, but in practice it often happens that forty liturgies end later than the fortieth day after death. All this time the person is commemorated as "newly deceased".

According to Orthodox tradition, from the first to the third day after death, the soul is on Earth and visits close relatives and places that were dear to her.

On the third day, a person is buried in the temple. This tradition is associated with the Resurrection of Christ on the third day after the crucifixion.

Any deceased baptized person, if he has not renounced Orthodoxy or converted to another faith, may be buried in the temple.

Nowadays, it is not always possible to sing and bury the deceased precisely on the third day after death. In this case, a person is buried and buried when possible, but prayer on the third day after death is very important.

On the ninth day after death, as St. Macarius of Alexandria says, the soul sees paradise and worships God. At this moment, she also needs prayer, so you need to pray at home and go to church, submit a note for the liturgy () and order a memorial service.

From the ninth to the fortieth day after death, as many holy fathers say, angels show a person and help him pass the tests that the soul goes through. Of course, until the end, people cannot imagine what happens to a person after his death, but the Church and the saints say that the prayers of the living help the departed Christians.

On the fortieth day, the deceased goes to the Last Judgment either to heaven or hell. At this time, he also needs a prayer at the proskomedia and a commemoration at a memorial service.

In the future, a special commemoration is needed on the anniversary of death. On this day, after prayer in the temple and at home, relatives can remember their dear person at a gala dinner.

Many holy fathers called the day of death the birthday of a person in a new life, so the grief from the loss of a loved one at this time can be softened by the joy that a Christian has already gone to Christ and can pray for his living loved ones after death.

The Church also prays for the departed. The most important of them are two ecumenical Saturdays - Trinity (on the eve of the Day of the Holy Trinity), and (two weeks before the start of Lent) Meat Week. Both of these Saturdays do not have a fixed date and are celebrated every year at different times depending on the dates of Lent and Easter.

It is very important to remember that dead Christians constantly need prayer for them, therefore, ideally, every day after the death of a person for his loved ones should become a “commemoration day”.
On the screensaver, a fragment of a photo

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 specially invite anyone. 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 dogma 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.