We must always prepare for our own death, but in the event of the death of a loved one, we are called to show the final mercy to the deceased. This applies not only to relatives and close friends but to any Old-Rite Christian. Providing this last act of kindness is a great virtue before…

Before the dressing and placement of the body in the coffin, it is customary to wash the body of the deceased with water. According to ancient Church tradition, women are to wash a woman, and men—a man. The deceased is freed from all clothing, the jaw is bound with a cloth, and the body is…

The hour is coming when all who are in the graves will hear the voice of the Son of God. And those who have done good will come forth to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.Gospel of John, Reading 16 (5:28) The burial service in the…

“As we commit him to the grave, let us pray the Lord grant him rest forever.”— Stikheron from the Funeral Service Our love for departed loved ones is not expressed by lavish memorial meals or ornate gravestones. What the departed need most of all is prayer. In Rus’, the dead were traditionally buried in hollowed-out, unpainted…

“Blessed is the way, wherein thou shalt walk, O soul, for there hath been prepared for thee a place of rest.”— Prokeimenon at the burial On the third day after death, the body of the Christian is committed to the earth. If the church is nearby and other circumstances allow, the clergy come to the house…

“…for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”(Prayers at Burial) The body of a departed Christian is committed to the earth. Cremation is not permissible in Christian tradition. The grave is arranged simply and modestly. A headstone serves two purposes: to show fellow Christians that a brother in the faith lies buried here,…

“Come, let us give the final kiss, brethren, to the departed…”— Stikheron from the Funeral Service For many, their turning to God begins precisely with the funeral of a loved one. The prayers of the funeral service illuminate souls that have become calloused. The rite concludes with the final kiss. Looking for the last time upon…

In memorial slips for the departed (zapíski za upokóy), the names of those who believed in God and passed away in the Orthodox (Old Believer) faith are written—those over whom a priest has performed the funeral rite. In some families, a synodik or pomyannik is compiled, in which the entire lineage of the family is recorded. These commemorative books…

To clothe the deceased, new garments are used, resembling those typically worn during church services. For men: underpants, shirt, belt, and kaftan (a long outer garment); for women: a long shirt, sarafan (traditional jumper dress), povoinik (a married woman’s headdress), and a headscarf. Soft slippers are placed on the feet. First, a savan (burial shroud) is placed in the coffin. The savan is made as…