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The Third, Ninth, and Fortieth Day…
Read more: The Third, Ninth, and Fortieth Day…“Brethren, I would not have you ignorant concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”— Epistle of the holy Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians Holy Tradition designates specific days that are to be especially devoted to the remembrance of the departed. Chief among these are the third, ninth,…
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At the Memorial Meal
Read more: At the Memorial MealThe memorial meal has today become an obligatory part of funerals and commemorative days. Where did it come from, and how should it be properly organized? In olden times, the custom of feeding the poor was widespread. This was done especially often in memory of the departed. Once a form of almsgiving, memorial meals today…
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When and How to Arrange the Memorial Meal
Read more: When and How to Arrange the Memorial MealWhen should memorial meals for the deceased be held? How should they be organized? Is it sufficient to simply host a memorial meal, or must commemoration also be ordered in the church? How should a memorial meal be conducted properly? The commemoration of the deceased is typically observed on the 3rd, 9th, and 40th days…
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Helping Departed Loved Ones — Our Drawing Near to God
Read more: Helping Departed Loved Ones — Our Drawing Near to GodThe death of a loved one is a time to reflect on the meaning and ideals that govern our lives. Are we doing all we can to approach the end of our own life with dignity? Do we live for God and for the good of our neighbors, or is our personal comfort more important…
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Oration 43: Funeral Oration for Basil, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. By St. Gregory the Theologian
Read more: Oration 43: Funeral Oration for Basil, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. By St. Gregory the TheologianIt remained only that the Great Basil—who so often had furnished me with many subjects for discourse (for he rejoiced in my words more than any man rejoices in his own)—should now, at last, offer even himself as a subject for rhetorical struggle, and that a most exalted one, even for those well-versed in the…
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Why did the Lord create hellish torments? Isn’t this unmerciful? The teaching about eternal torment is addressed to all believers, not just evildoers, yet most people do not commit grave sins. How does it apply to them?
Read more: Why did the Lord create hellish torments? Isn’t this unmerciful? The teaching about eternal torment is addressed to all believers, not just evildoers, yet most people do not commit grave sins. How does it apply to them?In His parable about the Last Judgment, the Lord Jesus Christ explains the purpose of hell. To those who failed to show mercy to “one of the least of His brethren,” the Lord will say: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did…
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How should we commemorate the departed? What memorial services are observed throughout the year?
Read more: How should we commemorate the departed? What memorial services are observed throughout the year?Commemorating the departed is an important aspect of a Christian’s prayer life. Each day during prayer, we recite the Creed, where we profess our hope in the resurrection of the dead and life in the world to come. Our faith in the resurrection of the dead is based on Christ’s actions: He not only died…
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What awaits a person after death?
Read more: What awaits a person after death?From time immemorial, this question has deeply troubled humanity—a question about which A. S. Pushkin poetically remarked: “And the grave’s fateful secrets…” “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” These words of God, spoken to Adam after his fall into sin, determined the mortality of all “born of Adam.” Bodily death is a…
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What must a Christian observe to be deemed worthy of a Christian burial with a priest and commemoration for the departed during the liturgy?
Read more: What must a Christian observe to be deemed worthy of a Christian burial with a priest and commemoration for the departed during the liturgy?The Order of Confession states: “If a Christian dies without repentance, the priest must neither chant over him (burial service) nor offer the oblation (commemoration during the liturgy) for him, as he has not fulfilled the Law of God and the Christian faith.” In the same text, the priest admonishes his spiritual children: “If, through the action…
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About Those Deprived of Church Burial
Read more: About Those Deprived of Church BurialIt is permitted to give alms to the poor on behalf of non-Orthodox — this brings them some consolation, for God is pleased when we help one another.— St. John Chrysostom Church burial and commemoration are performed only for those who have died in the faith of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ and in…