What happens to the soul 40 days after death -

When a loved one or loved one leaves, it is the misfortune of the lost. All Orthodox people begin to pray in order to alleviate the state of the soul of the deceased. What happens 40 days after a person dies remains a mystery. Thanks to the Scriptures, one can understand what path the spirit of the deceased must take.

The soul of the deceased for three days after death

After the physical death of a person, the soul continues its path of immortality. Believers understand that spiritual life in heaven is wonderful. Losing a loved one is painful, but we must not forget that within 40 days the fate of the soul’s further stay in heaven or hell is decided. The most important days for the spirit of the deceased are:

the third day;
ninth day;
fortieth day.

As written in Scripture, the soul of a person after death stays in different places for up to 40 days. For the first three days, the spirit can be near its body, or in those places where it was especially good during life. Relatives should pray to ease the suffering of a sinful soul. We are all sinners before God. During the first period of time, the fate of the soul is decided in heaven. Although they say that spiritual life is in a calm state. The soul feels and remembers all bad deeds and sins. In the first three days, feelings of sinfulness and shame for poorly lived days on Earth intensify.

Prayer for forty days

Remember, O Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the life of Thy eternal newly departed servant (or Thy servant), named, and as good and a lover of mankind, forgiving sins and consuming iniquities, weaken, forgive and forgive all his voluntary and involuntary sins, exposing him to Thy holy second coming into the communion of Thy eternal blessings, for the sake of the One who has faith in Thee, the true God and Lover of mankind. For You are the resurrection and the life and the rest of Your servant, named Christ our God. And we send glory to You, with Your beginningless Father and with the Most Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.

Ninth day after death

From the third to the ninth day, the soul comes to God in order to decide its further stay in heaven. In order to get to heaven and serve the Lord for eternity, people must do good deeds during their lifetime. Once you get to the Last Judgment, it will be too late to regret your actions and non-beliefs.

The prayers of family and friends help and ease the suffering of the soul. For this, people order magpie and pray for the deceased themselves. To find out what 40 days after a person’s death mean, you can read the Bible. Until the ninth day, evil spirits live near the soul, luring it to their side. Along with them are guardian angels who alleviate conditions and drive away demons. Over the course of 9 days, the soul travels to several places, namely:

In heaven near God. There is an opportunity to observe how eternal life passes among the saints.
In hell. In order to understand how bad it can be without God.
The soul enters the Last Judgment to pronounce its verdict - it goes to heaven or hell.

Also read: Prayer for 40 days after death

In any case, we should always pray for the departed souls. Sometimes people cannot go to church or invite the priest to pray near the grave. In such cases, you can take the Prayer Book, find the necessary memorial services or psalter and read the prayers.

Prayer after forty days

Remember, O Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the eternal life of Your departed servant, our brother (name), and as Good and Lover of mankind, forgiving sins and consuming untruths, weaken, forsake and forgive all his voluntary and involuntary sins, deliver him eternal torment and fire of Gehenna, and grant him the communion and enjoyment of Your eternal good things, prepared for those who love You: even if you sin, do not depart from You, and undoubtedly in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Your glorified God in the Trinity, Faith, and Unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even until his last breath of confession.

Be merciful to him, and faith, even in You instead of deeds, and with Your saints, as You give generous rest: for there is no man who will live and not sin. But You are the One besides all sin, and Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and You are the One God of mercies and generosity, and love for mankind, and to You we send glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

What happens to the soul 40 days after a person’s death?

When the fortieth day arrives, a verdict is pronounced. Every soul wants to go to heaven and serve God. For this, believers prepare their entire lives. A beautiful coffin or a grand farewell does not matter. The main thing is to accept the Lord's mercy. Prayers for the departed soul reach God and help cleanse sinners from the deeds they committed during their lifetime. The funeral on the 40th day is carried out in the circle of close people, relatives and friends who knew the deceased.

You can find out how the 40th day after a person’s death is celebrated from the priest. It is prohibited to hold feasts and drink alcohol. There are several types of dishes that must be present at the funeral table:

Kutya;
pancakes;
sandwiches;
vinaigrette and other salads;
cutlets;
pie;
compote;
kvass.

On the fortieth day, the soul flies to its home for the last time to say goodbye to its relatives and sets off on its eternal journey. If possible, invite a knowledgeable person to perform the remembrance ceremony. If relatives begin to cry, the leader must calm down, because tears will not bring back a loved one. And the soul does not need home experiences and sobs, which will add suffering before his verdict. On the 40th day after death and how to remember the deceased soul, the Psalter with a description of this rite will also help.

How to properly remember the dead - the main thing is prayer, not food

It is a mistake to consider food and alcoholic drinks to be the main attribute. Not everyone knows how to properly remember the dead. The most important thing is prayer - both in church and at home. Of particular importance is the memorial service, a special all-night service. The first time it is performed before the burial, then on the third, ninth day and forty days after the funeral.

Then a memorial service is ordered for a year from the date of death, and then it can be held annually on the anniversary.

The first forty days after death are the most important for the soul of the deceased. It is necessary that not only the priest in the church, but also the relatives of the deceased at home read prayers daily and ask God for mercy for his soul.

Along with prayer, almsgiving is of great importance for the soul. On fortieth day they usually give away the things of the newly deceased, asking people to pray for him.

Almsgiving on the 40th day after death

With the onset of the fortieth day, believers collect the things of the deceased person and donate them to various needs. Clothes and other belongings of the deceased should never be thrown away. It is advisable to donate to the temple. If there are things that carry memories and value of the deceased, they are given to close relatives. Some clothing may be distributed to neighbors or acquaintances who also knew the deceased person.

Menu forties

Typical dishes that are on the table on this day:

Kutya with honey.
Meat broth with meatballs.
Butter or lean pancakes.
Potatoes with meat - mashed or stewed. Sometimes you can replace it with buckwheat porridge.
Fried chicken or cutlets.
Fried fish.
Kissel or compote.

Funeral table for forty days. Please note - there is no alcohol on the table, this is not welcome

Customs and Christian traditions on the 40th day after death

Prayers in church and personal prayers are considered important support for the soul. Traditional wakes on the 40th day after the death of a loved one can be held in the church after the service if the deceased was a regular parishioner. With the permission of the priest, the memorial is held in the dining room at the church, where only close friends and relatives of the deceased are also invited.

At the 40th day farewell, only the good deeds of the deceased are remembered, so as not to desecrate him before the court. Drinking alcohol and having fun at the table is not allowed. It is imperative to order a memorial service on the 40th day after death - which is done every Saturday in Orthodox churches. A year later, on the anniversary of death, repeat the procedure.

Twenty days from the date of death - a date that came from paganism

Many people are interested in what 20 days after death means and whether this date is included in the memorial days after the funeral.

There is no such date in the Orthodox tradition. It refers to pagan folk beliefs - it is believed that the soul has not completely left the world of the living. On the eve of the twentieth day after death, close relatives went to the cemetery to use special spells to call the dead to a meeting. The souls of previously deceased relatives and the newly deceased were summoned.

On this occasion, pies were baked, jelly was placed on the table and special incantations were sung on the eve of the ceremony. They also prayed and asked God for the deceased.

The next day, food was placed on the table especially for the deceased - pie or pancakes and a drink - tea or jelly. Candles were lit near the icons. In the evening, the soul of the deceased was escorted to another world. To do this, they read prayers and said farewell words when leaving the house.

Nowadays, it is not customary to celebrate 20 days from the date of death. This custom is rare in rural areas.

An example of a modest table for 20 days. They are called "half magpies". According to some ideas, it is during this period that the angel shows the soul where it will be before the Last Judgment, after the end of the Sorochin

All the subtleties of rituals on the 40th day after death

According to Christian traditions, the soul of the deceased needs constant prayers from loved ones. Before the funeral, you should visit the temple and order a memorial service. Only then can you start eating. If for some reason you cannot do this, you can read the appropriate prayers yourself. In any case, a personal prayer service for the deceased will not be superfluous. In order to somehow help spiritual peace, you need to remember the good deeds and exploits of the deceased. To find out how to count 40 days after the death of a loved one, take the date that is the date of death and add forty days to it, taking into account the day of death. This is exactly the date that will turn out to be 40 days.

Immediately after the physical death of a person, the body should be washed. For this procedure, they call friends or ask neighbors. It is prohibited for relatives to wash the body of the deceased. After this, put on new, clean clothes. It is believed that a washed body testifies to the pure, non-sinful soul of the deceased. And the new robe speaks of unfading and is a sign of the gift after the resurrection. Eyes must be closed. A prayer book is placed on the forehead of the deceased person. After all the rituals have been completed, you can order Sorokoust several times.

Also read: What happens on the 9th day after death

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Rules for the funeral meal

Lenten treat. The meal at the wake is simple and lean.
Kutya and pancakes. For the 40-day funeral, kutya and pancakes are always prepared. Kutya is prepared from wheat, rice or barley, adding raisins, nuts, poppy seeds and dried fruits.
Alcohol is not allowed. Contrary to the ingrained worldly habit, it is not customary to use it at Orthodox funerals. There is no need to turn the wake into a noisy feast with alcohol, and also put a glass of vodka “for the deceased” on the table.
Kissel, fruit drink, kvass, juice. Jelly, fruit drink, kvass or juice are appropriate at the funeral table. And for the soul of the deceased, good memory and prayer for repose will be much more important.
Funeral words for 40 days. They should be short and warm - grieving relatives will listen to them. It is appropriate to remember a good episode from the life of the deceased. You can even compose poems for the occasion.

Kutia - a traditional dish for a funeral meal

The meaning of the number 40 in the Bible

The number 40 has a special meaning in the events described in the Bible:

Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven forty days after his resurrection.
The prophet Elijah came to Mount Horeb after the same number of days.
Finally, Moses fasted for 40 days before God gave him the tablets of the Ten Commandments.

A deeply believing Christian should not be afraid of death - this is only the transition of the soul to another world. The body is subject to decay, but not the soul.

Despite what the deceased looks like after 40 days and beyond, his soul remains in immortality and receives reward for its earthly deeds. This should be remembered and prepared by doing good deeds during earthly life.

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Ordeal of the soul after death in Orthodoxy

Today, the most popular narrative on the topic of the ordeal of the soul in the afterlife is the aforementioned “The Life of St. Basil the New.”

It contains the story of St. Gregory, who was a disciple of St. Basil the New, about the ordeal of Blessed Theodora (she was the nurse of the patrician Constantine, who served St. Basil the New).

This work gained fame in Russian lands in the period from the 11th to the 12th centuries. It seriously influenced the literature of the ancient Russians and contributed to the development of folklore and fine arts.