Sorokoust #
“In the Holy Liturgy […] the entire Church, and Christ Himself as its Head, touches the soul of the departed. And there can be no ‘touch’ more powerful, one that stirs the soul with longing to ascend into the mountains of the Lord, and thereby to be drawn forth from the ‘mines of the devil’ like a brand from the fire.”
— Bishop Mikhail (Semenov)
The most important form of commemoration for a departed person is remembrance during the Divine Liturgy over the course of forty days. One ancient custom among Orthodox Christians is the so-called sorokoust — the reading of the Psalter forty times for the soul of the deceased. This sorokoust is typically carried out as soon as possible after the person’s death, that is, within the first forty days.
The sorokoust brings the greatest benefit when it is performed without self-interest, when the prayer becomes an act of spiritual labor. For this reason, it is desirable that the reading of the sorokoust be entrusted either to someone close to the departed, who fervently cares for their salvation, or to someone humble and free from worldly gain.
The sorokoust is usually read for the repose of a single soul. In ancient times, when monasteries would read the Psalter for the dead on behalf of many, this reading was continuous and “unceasing,” sometimes continuing for decades.