What is a memorial service for the deceased in simple words and when is it ordered?

Death for every Christian is not just the end of earthly existence. It is rather the beginning of a new life, but in the afterlife. A memorial service for the deceased plays an important role in commemorating the deceased person. But a living person should know for himself a short course about such a church concept as a memorial service. Orthodox canons answer the question of what a memorial service is and what its significance is, when it is held and in relation to whom.

What is a memorial service in Orthodoxy?

What is a memorial service in a church? If we translate it into simple language, a memorial service is an all-night vigil. The memorial service takes its history from ancient times, when the first Christians prayed due to persecution exclusively at night, and in the morning they could be buried alive in the catacombs that served as temples.

But today this is not the case; faith does not lend itself to persecution. But a memorial service, what is it then? This is a funeral service for the deceased and can be either full or shortened, held both at home and in church - it can be conducted by both priests and laity. All this is discussed in each specific case on a purely individual basis, taking into account the Orthodox canons.

What does memorial service mean?

In early Christian times, when the Church was persecuted, the burial of dead Christians took place at night. The service performed at this time was literally an all-night vigil. That is, it lasted throughout the whole night. After the separation of the burial rite from the all-night service, both of them retained the same names. The word “requiem service” comes from the ancient Greek “παννυχίς” (“pannikhis”) - “all-night vigil”.

A memorial service is a shortened form of the burial rite (a special service performed once over the body of the deceased).

“We say goodbye to a person once, and the funeral service is performed only once. But the need for prayer for those who are dear to us remains throughout our lives. This is what a memorial service is for. This service has a comforting content for us who live here, and for the dead it has spiritual benefits” (priest Philip Ilyashenko).

Why is a memorial service needed?

Memorial service for the dead, what is it? This is a funeral service that helps the deceased move from one world of the living to the afterlife. If you go to a temple, or a monastery, or pray at home, this is how a request is made for the deceased, an intercession before the Lord.

A proper funeral dinner and alms, along with the prayers offered by the laity and the priest when the service is served - all this makes death not the end, but a painless transition to another world. The very reading of the prayer and the good deeds of relatives on earth in the name of the deceased make it possible to remove more sins from his soul.

Procedure for performing a memorial service

The procedure for performing a memorial service is described in the Trebnik (liturgical book).

The priest puts on an epitrachelion (a long ribbon that goes around the neck and both ends go down to the chest) and a phelonion (the upper liturgical vestment without sleeves). The funeral service takes place in the vestibule of the temple in front of a special table depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. At the funeral service, the initial prayers, Psalm 90, funeral litanies (prayer requests), funeral troparia, psalms 118 and 50, and the funeral canon are read. The funeral service is accompanied by small censing (burning incense).

If there is a funeral kolivo, then it is consecrated.

For the deceased, you can serve the Great Requiem Service (in Greek - parastas). In this case, the full text of the funeral canon is read. The brief rite of requiem is called funeral litia. According to custom, it is read at home (when the body of the deceased has not yet been delivered to the temple). Litiya is performed after the body of the deceased is immersed in the grave. It is also served at home after returning from the cemetery. If necessary, the lithium is read after the end of the Liturgy in church.

The meaning of a memorial service for the souls of the dead

A memorial service - what is it in simple words and what significance does it have for the deceased? During the period of earthly life, every believer has an earthly body and prays for himself, and can consciously change for the better. But when he dies, his relatives and close people do it for him.

Memorial service, what is it? These are the prayers of the living for the forgiveness of the sins of the deceased; it is they that help him receive grace in the next world. This is a life preserver that not only eases the suffering of the deceased. The service itself helps to cleanse him of sins. This is the song that the Valaam monastery choir sings, praising the Lord and asking him for mercy on the deceased.

Information about the service

The religious feeling that overwhelms a person who believes in the Lord God cannot but manifest itself externally. Our ancestors said that religion is a kind of cult of veneration of our Savior Jesus Christ, who repented of the sins committed by people and accepted death on the cross.

Faith and spirituality can work miracles, protecting you from troubles and difficulties along the path of life, various psychological and physiological illnesses, injuries, gossip, anger and hostility from unkind people. In order to gain God's grace and mercy, a believer turns to the Lord God in daily prayers, asking for protection and protection, making speeches of gratitude for the help provided in daily matters.

Despite the fact that many Christians who believe in higher powers often pray at home, the prayer that is read within the walls of an Orthodox church has greater power. Church worship is the outward expression of religiosity in public prayers and rituals.

Orthodox worship, as clergy say, teaches and spiritually educates Orthodox Christians in faith and justice, enriches them spiritually and physically, and provides food for thought and search for the righteous path. Worship has a huge impact on a person, giving strength to revive and restore faith in oneself and our Savior Jesus Christ.

Prayer service, memorial service and magpie are types of church services in the Orthodox faith. A person who is unfamiliar with the rules of conduct in a church and does not know the church charter often confuses the meanings and features of various religious rituals.

The prayer service, the fundamental parts of which are the Gospel, canonical texts, prayer chants, troparia and litanies, is a special form of worship of the Lord God, the Most Pure Virgin Mary and the holy great martyrs. This prayer ritual allows you to turn to the Higher powers, asking the Savior Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos and the holy saints to send down mercy and grace.

A memorial service is a special form of church service, consisting of prayer texts about the forgiveness of sins committed by the deceased, as well as about the repose of the souls of deceased Orthodox Christians in the Kingdom of Heaven. In his prayer speeches, the clergyman asks the Lord God to grant His mercy and blessed eternal life to the departed righteous.

Sorokoust is a special prayer for the health or repose of the soul of an Orthodox Christian. This ritual is repeated daily for forty Divine Liturgy.

To whom and when can you order a memorial service?

A memorial service for the repose - when is it ordered? You can order it in any temple and monastery, at any time, day and year, the main thing is that the holy place is open. A memorial service is ordered, prayers are read, the main thing is that the deceased himself be a member of the Orthodox Church. He must be baptized and during his life he did not renounce the Lord, and did not go into a sect or other faith.

When is a memorial service ordered? When the death of a believer occurs, and the service itself is held as on the day of death, as well as on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days, when the liturgy and memorial prayer itself acquires sacred meaning.

Prayer for the departed

Remember, O Lord our God, in faith and hope the life of your eternally departed (before the 40th day from the day of death - newly reposed) Thy servant (Thy deceased servant, Thy departed servant) (name), and as You are Good and Lover of Mankind, forgiving sins and consuming untruths , weaken, forsake, and forgive all his (her) voluntary and involuntary sins, raising him (up) at Your holy second coming to the communion of Your eternal blessings, for the sake of which there is only faith in You, the true God and Lover of mankind; for Thou art the resurrection and the life and the rest of Thy servant (name), Christ our God, and to Thee we ascribe glory, with Thy beginningless Father, and with the Most Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.

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How to properly submit funeral notes

What do you need to know to order a memorial service in a church for the deceased? It is ordered in any Orthodox church when a layman submits a memorial note. It is submitted with the name of the deceased for whom you are praying - written in full, in the genitive case, without indicating the surname and patronymic, titles, and so on.

You can write the name either on a blank piece of paper or on a special form that is available in the church, which has an 8-pointed cross and the title says “On Repose.” The note is drawn up taking into account the following rules:

the full name is the same as the deceased was baptized during his lifetime, without abbreviations;
Be sure to indicate in the note the church version of secular, so to speak, worldly names;
if they write a note about a child under 7 years old, it is obligatory to record him as an infant, from 7 to 15 - a youth;
do not indicate the ranks and regalia given to the deceased during his lifetime; if desired, you can indicate how many days ago the deceased died.

Afterwards, you need to give the note to the church shop - it costs nothing to edit the note, and even if you made a mistake, you just need to rewrite it again. The church canon does not provide for indicating the cause of death, but if a person happened to die not a violent death, but for example, at his own hands, suicides are not commemorated in the church.

What to do next? It is advisable to submit a note in the morning - morning and lunch services, the magpie himself, allow the deceased to quickly find peace in the next world. After filing a note, a common procedure is to make a donation. How much a remembrance can cost - a funeral service, a commemoration, and other ritual services in a church depends on its policy. Prices may vary, but the money always goes to the needs of the parish.

Types of prayers

In Orthodoxy, there are several types of prayers, each of which can be ordered separately or collectively when there is a large gathering of parishioners in the church:

A prayer service of thanksgiving is performed in front of a large number of faithful parishioners in the church on the days of the New Year, the Nativity of Christ and other significant dates.
Petitionary prayer chants are performed regarding various needs and events (diseases and epidemics, natural disasters and troubles in life, a long road, starting a business, crop failure, etc.).
Every day, including on Sundays, water-blessing prayer rituals are held, after which the water is blessed.
Prayer chants, accompanied by the reading of akathists before miraculous and popularly revered holy images.

What to bring to church for a funeral service

In order not to plunge oneself into despondency for the deceased and to properly remember the deceased, the funeral service provides for a certain donation, alms in honor of the deceased. What can you bring to the temple, what products:

canned food and bakery, confectionery products;
vegetables, fruits and eggs;
wine and sugar, cereals, even vegetable oil.

Meat products are prohibited. The main thing is that all products must be fresh and not spoiled, because this is a gift, an offering to God for the deceased and his soul.

What products do they bring?

You need to focus on the church calendar. Fast days or weeks mean that you cannot bring meat (meat, dairy products, eggs). On the eve (eve) they put any food except raw meat. These products will be used to cook for the poor, homeless people living at the temple.

Usually bread and cereals, sunflower oil, and flour for baking prosphora are placed on the kana. Sugar, candies, and sweets are traditional foods for the funeral table. For the altar they buy Cahors or lamp oil. Fish, vegetables and fruits are suitable.

Check in advance if the day coincides with fasting or a church holiday. On Radunitsa (the ninth day after Orthodox Easter) they bring Easter, Easter cake, and eggs. There are no specific recommendations for a memorial table; the main thing is to donate food with love.

How long does the service last?

In practice, there are 2 types of services - long and short memorial services. The first lasts about 6-7 minutes, and can be read by everyone, even believers, and not just the priest, both in church and at home. And such a service begins with the words “with the spirits of the righteous who have died...”, then special prayers are read.

The longer funeral service lasts about 20 minutes, and is called the most complete service for the repose of the deceased. And for the most part, it is carried out in a temple or on the territory of a cemetery.

How is the civil funeral service going?

A civil funeral service is an increasingly common social event held in the event of the death of a world-famous person or celebrity. And in fact, this is an official ceremony that has nothing to do with Orthodox services and canons. And it is there that many say warm words about the deceased, and when the coffin is transported to the cemetery, a funeral, memorial procession follows it.

Also, a civil ceremony may include a guard of honor, rallies and laying flowers at monuments, and so on. But in recent years, civil and church services have increasingly been united in one place.

Main differences from a memorial service

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the clergy of Orthodox churches perform services. One of the most common forms is a prayer song about the health of the righteous of the Christian faith. This can be a prayer for everyday needs and everyday needs, for the protection of a traveler on a journey, for healing and the granting of health to the sick.

You need to order a service for health behind a candle box. A person who ordered a prayer service for health and left a donation for the development of the temple of God may not be present at the service itself, conducted by the clergyman.

Sometimes the prayer chant is supplemented with the reading of folk prayers, called akathists, and canons. At the end of the service, the priest anoints the worshipers with blessed oil and sprinkles them with holy water.

Prayerful remembrance of the dead, or memorial services, came to us from ancient times, when devout Christians, under the cover of night, secretly collected the bodies of the tortured righteous who did not want to renounce their faith in Jesus Christ. The burial of the dead was accompanied by singing and lighting of candles.

Today, a memorial service can be performed both before the burial of the deceased and after his body is committed to the earth. Prayerful remembrances of the deceased are held:

on the third, ninth and fortieth days after death;
on the anniversary of death;
on the birthday of the deceased;
on the day of the namesake.

During the funeral service, worshipers stand with lit candles, depicting their faith in a bright future life. At the end of the service, the candles must be extinguished. Earthly life, like a candle that has not burned out, must go out.

Is it possible to order a memorial service for an unbaptized person?

If during his lifetime the deceased himself was not baptized and was not accepted into the fold of the Orthodox Church, according to the canons it is forbidden to perform a funeral service for him and order a memorial service for him, and accordingly, it is also forbidden to submit memorial notes. And at the same time, it’s worth immediately making a reservation - even if you deceitfully submit a note in church about commemorating an unbaptized person, then in the next world it will only be worse for him.

Deception itself is always regarded as a sin. At the same time, you take it upon yourself and carry it out in relation to a person dear to you, who is now deceased. Although if the deceased is baptized, and unbaptized friends or relatives submit a note, this is permitted and even encouraged. After all, the unbaptized person, as it were, touches the church and its foundations, gets to know them, and quite possibly, in the future will make the right decision about baptism.

When a deceased relative or friend professed a different faith or was not a Christian, his burial is carried out in accordance with his religion. Although relatives themselves in an Orthodox church can offer prayers to St. War, it is this saint in Orthodoxy who patronizes all people of other faiths and the unbaptized.

Follow-up of the Panikhida, for reading by the laity.

Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory, and now:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Lord, have mercy, (12 times). Glory, and now:

Come, let us worship our God the King (bow).

Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God (bow).

Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God (bow).

Also Psalm 90.

Living in the help of the Most High, he will dwell in the blood of the heavenly God. The Lord says: You are my protector and my refuge, my God, and I trust in Him. For He will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from the words of rebellion, His splash will overshadow you, and under His krill you hope that His truth will surround you as a weapon. Do not fear from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies in the days, from the thing that passes in darkness, from the gristle and the demon of the midday. Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand, but it will not come near you, otherwise you will see your eyes and see the reward of sinners. For You, O Lord, are my hope; You have made the Most High your refuge. Evil will not come to you, and wound will not approach your body, as His Angel commanded you to keep you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their arms, lest they dash your foot against a stone; tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent. For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver; I will cover also, because I have known My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him, I am with him in sorrow, I will destroy him and glorify him, I will fulfill him with the length of days and show him My salvation.

Glory, and now: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to Thee, O God. (Thrice.)

Voice 8: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Chorus: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 1: Blessed are you, who have chosen and accepted, O Lord.

Chorus: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 2: Their memory lasts forever.

Chorus: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Verse 3 : Their souls will dwell in good things.

Chorus: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Troparion, tone 8:

With the depth of wisdom, build everything humanely / and give what is useful to everyone, / To the One Creator, rest, O Lord, the souls of Thy servant, / having placed their trust in Thee, / Creator and Maker and our God. [Twice.]

Glory, and now: To you and the wall and refuge of the imam, / and the prayer book is favorable to God, / Whom you gave birth to, the brideless Mother of God, salvation of the faithful.

And troparia:

Blessed art thou, O Lord, / teach me by thy justification.

You will find the holy face, the source of life and the door of heaven, / may I also find the way through repentance: / I am the lost sheep, / call me Savior, and save me.

Blessed art thou, O Lord, / teach me by thy justification.

You preached the Lamb of God, / and slaughtered those who were like lambs, / and unto ageless holiness, / and everlasting death. / Pray diligently to the martyr, / to grant us permission for our debts.

Blessed art thou, O Lord, / teach me by thy justification.

You who have walked the narrow and sorrowful path, / all in life have taken the cross as if you had taken it with a yoke, / and you who have followed Me by faith, / come and enjoy, / what honors are in store for you, / and heavenly crowns.

Blessed art thou, O Lord, / teach me by thy justification.

I am the image of Your ineffable glory, / even though I bear the plagues of sins: / be generous with Your creation, O Lord, / and cleanse with Your compassion, / and grant me the desired fatherland, / paradise the ki of a resident creating me.

Blessed art thou, O Lord, / teach me by thy justification.

Of old you created me from things that do not exist, / and honor your Divine image, / by transgressing the commandment, / returning me to the earth from which I was taken, / in the likeness of the hedgehog, you have built / the good of ancient times. be imagined by that.

Blessed art thou, O Lord, / teach me by thy justification.

God rest your servants, / and grant me peace in paradise, / where the faces of the Lord’s saints, / and the righteous women shine like stars, / give rest to your departed servants, / despising all their sins.

Glory: Tri-radiant One of the One Divinity, we piously sing crying out: / Holy art Thou, the Father Without Beginning, / The Son Without Meaning, and the Divine Soul: / Enlighten us with the faith of those who serve Thee, / And snatch up the eternal fire ́.

And now: Rejoice, Pure One, who gave birth to God in flesh for the salvation of all, / Through her the human race will find salvation: / May we find paradise through You, / Blessed Pure Mother of God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, thank you God. (Thrice.)

Prayer

Remember, O Lord our God, in faith and hope the life of Your eternal departed servant (Your departed servant, Your departed servants) (their names) , and for He is good and a lover of mankind, forgiving sins, and consume untruths, weaken, leave, and forgive all freely his (her) sins and involuntary, raising him (s) up at Thy holy second coming to partake of Thy eternal blessings, for the sake of Thy only one of faith, the true God and lover of mankind; for Thou art the resurrection and life, and rest unto Thy servant (Thy servant, Thy servant) (their names) , Christ our God, and to Thee we send glory, with Thy beginningless Father, and with the Most Holy Spirit oh, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.

And sedalen, voice 5:

Rest, our Savior, / with Thy servants, / and this they dwell in Thy courts, / as it is written, / despising, as good, their sins / voluntary and involuntary, / and all that is known and not known, More humane.

Glory, even now, to the Mother of God: You who shone forth from the Virgin to the world, O Christ God, / showed the sons of light to You, / have mercy on us.

Also, Psalm 50.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your compassions, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; For I know my iniquity, and I will bear away my sin before me. I have sinned against You alone and have done evil before You, so that You may be justified in Your words and triumph over Your judgment. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, you have loved the truth; You have shown me Your unknown and secret wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. There is joy and gladness in my ears; the bones of the humble will rejoice. Turn away Your face from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create a pure heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Give me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked your way, and wickedness will turn to you. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; my tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then take pleasure in the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering; then they will place your calf on the altar.

Canon, voice 6.

Song 1.

Irmos: As Israel walked on the dry land, / in the footsteps of the abyss, / seeing the persecutor of Pharaoh / being drowned, / I sing a song of victory to God, crying out.

Chorus:

Rest, O Lord, / to the souls of your departed servants.

Glory to the Father and the Son, / and the Holy Spirit.

And now and forever, / and forever and ever, amen.

Song 3.

Irmos: There is no one holy, / like You, O Lord my God, / the exalted horn of Your faithful, O Good One, / and establishing us on the rock / of Your confession.

Chorus:

Rest, O Lord, / to the souls of your departed servants.

Glory to the Father and the Son, / and the Holy Spirit.

And now and forever, / and forever and ever, amen.

Prayer

Sedalen, voice 6:

Truly all kinds of vanity, / but life is shadow and sleep, / for every earth-born is troubled in vain, / like the saying of Scripture: / when we have gained peace, / then we will dwell in the tomb, / where together the king and beggars. / Moreover, Christ God, / having rested in peace, / as a Lover of mankind.

Glory, even now, to the Mother of God: All-Holy Mother of God, / during my life, do not forsake me, / do not entrust me to human intercession, / but intercede and have mercy on me.

Song 4.

Irmos: Christ is my strength, / God and Lord, the honest Church / sings divinely, crying out / from a pure meaning, celebrating in the Lord.

Chorus:

Rest, O Lord, / to the souls of your departed servants.

Glory to the Father and the Son, / and the Holy Spirit.

And now and forever, / and forever and ever, amen.

Song 5.

Irmos: By God’s / Thy light, O Blessed One, / Illumine Thy souls / with love, I pray, / Lead Thee, / the Word of God, / the true God, / calling out from the darkness of sin.

Chorus:

Rest, O Lord, / to the souls of your departed servants.

Glory to the Father and the Son, / and the Holy Spirit.

And now and forever, / and forever and ever, amen.

Song 6.

Irmos: The sea of life, / raised in vain by the misfortunes of the storm, / flowed into Your quiet refuge, I cry to You: / lift up my life from aphids, / O great mercy.

Chorus:

Rest, O Lord, / to the souls of your departed servants.

Glory to the Father and the Son, / and the Holy Spirit.

And now and forever, / and forever and ever, amen.

Prayer

Remember, O Lord our God, in faith and hope the life of Thy eternal departed servant (Thy departed servant, Thy departed servants) (their names) , and for He is good and a lover of mankind,

forgive sins, and consume untruths, weaken, forsake, and forgive all his (her) voluntary and involuntary sins, restoring him (s) to Your holy second coming in the communion of Your eternal blessings, for whose sake there is only one faith in You, the true God and lover of mankind ; for Thou art the resurrection and life, and rest unto Thy servant (Thy servant, Thy servant) (their names) , Christ our God, and to Thee we send glory, with Thy beginningless Father, and with the Most Holy Spirit oh, now and ever and unto ages of ages, Amen.

Kontakion, tone 8:

Rest with the saints, / Christ, Thy servant of the soul, / where there is no sickness, no sorrow, / no sighing, / but endless life.

Ikos: You yourself are the only immortal, / who created and created man: / from the earth we were created from the earth, / and to the earth let us go, / as you commanded, who created me and our rivers : / for thou art the earth, and into the earth thou shalt go: / or perhaps Let us all go, / funeral lament, creating a song: / hallelujah.

Song 7.

Irmos: The dew-bearing furnace / was made by an Angel / like a venerable youth, / the Chaldeans were scorching / the command of God, / the tormentor was exhorted to cry out: / Blessed are you, God our father.

Chorus:

Rest, O Lord, / to the souls of your departed servants.

Glory to the Father and the Son, / and the Holy Spirit.

And now and forever, / and forever and ever, amen.

Song 8.

Irmos: From the flame like the saints you poured out the dew / and you burned the righteous sacrifice with water: / you did everything, O Christ, just as you willed. / We extol You to all ages.

Chorus:

Rest, O Lord, / to the souls of your departed servants.

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, / the Lord.

And now and forever, / and forever and ever, amen.

Song 9.

Irmos: God / cannot be seen by man, / the angels do not dare to look at the Worthless One; / By You, All-Pure One, having appeared as a man / The Word Incarnate, / Who is magnified, / with the heavenly howls we please You.

Chorus:

Rest, O Lord, / to the souls of your departed servants.

Glory to the Father and the Son, / and the Holy Spirit.

And now and forever, / and forever and ever, amen.

The spirits and souls of the righteous will praise You, Lord.

Catavasia: God / cannot be seen by man, / the angels do not dare to look at Worthiness; / By You, All-Pure One, having appeared as a man / The Word Incarnate, / Who is magnified, / with the heavenly howls we please You.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory, and now:

And this troparia is sung. Voice 4:

From the spirits of the righteous who have passed away, / give rest to the souls of Thy servant, O Savior, / preserving them in the blessed life / which belongs to Thee, O Lover of Mankind.

In Thy chamber, O Lord, / where all Thy saints rest, / rest the souls of Thy servant, / for Thou art the only Lover of mankind.

Glory: Thou art the God who descended into hell, and who looseth the chains of the bound, / Givest rest to Thy servant himself.

And now: One pure and immaculate Virgin, who gave birth to God without a seed, / pray that their souls may be saved.

Prayer

It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Theotokos, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to the Word of God without corruption, we magnify Thee, the real Mother of God

Glory, and now: Lord, have mercy, three times.

Possess the living and the dead, Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother, the glorious and all-praiseworthy Apostles, the venerable and God-bearing Fathers ours and all the saints, the souls of Your servants [names] , teach in the villages of the righteous, in the depths Give Abraham rest and be with the righteous, and have mercy on us, as you are Good and Lover of Mankind. Amen.

And abiye: In the blessed dormition, grant eternal rest, O Lord, to your departed servant [name] , and create for them an eternal memory.

They sing: Eternal memory, (three times)

Traditionally they also sing:

Their souls will be established in goodness, and their memory will endure forever.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

Is it possible to serve a memorial service for suicides?

If the deceased died by his own hand—a suicide—then, according to the canons of the church, he cannot be commemorated in Orthodox churches under any circumstances. The only exception to this rule is that the person himself suffered from certain mental disorders during his lifetime, and could not understand or control his own actions. And there must be a written medical report from the commission.

It is forbidden to write memorial notes for such deceased people - you can simply remember them at home in prayer, at the dinner table, or at the funeral table. But it’s worth making a reservation right away - during the celebration of Ecumenical Parental Saturday, all the dead are commemorated. Suicides also end up here. Although they can often be remembered during the celebration of Radonitsa, but after first requesting the consent and permission of the priest.

Prayer after the funeral service

It is the prayers at the funeral service that play an important role - they help the deceased to find peace and tranquility, and originate from the first Christians who died for the faith. At the very beginning of the memorial service, the priest pronounces the introduction - who exactly is being remembered.

Next, the priest reads Psalm 90 - it is in it that all the joy of a Christian during the transition from the earthly world to the world of the Kingdom of Heaven is written. The text itself is quite symbolic, but it rather reflects the images and symbols of the soul’s ordeal on its path to the blessings of the Almighty. The prayerful remembrance ends with the most important prayer – the Our Father.

When they don't serve a memorial service

As prescribed by the canons of the Orthodox Church, there are a number of cases in which a memorial service is not held. Orthodox priests say that commemoration of the deceased is carried out daily, but on a number of holidays such a liturgy is not read. And the following holidays are recognized:

The Nativity of Christ, as well as the celebration of the bright resurrection of Christ;
no commemoration is carried out between Christmas and Epiphany;
they do not remember the deceased even in the very first week of Great Orthodox Lent;
they do not commemorate the dead during the period from Lazarus Saturday, which is the day before Palm Sunday, and before the celebration of Radonitsa.

On all other days, churches and monasteries commemorate the souls of the departed, according to the canons of the church, taking into account all the rules and recommendations. All of them are simple and, as we see, understandable to every Christian who cares about his own soul and the repose of relatives and friends. If you are in doubt about a particular issue, you can always ask a priest for advice.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that a memorial service held in a church is not just an Orthodox ritual. This is a tribute of respect and honor to the deceased from all living relatives and friends. A memorial service is held for all Orthodox Christians who have not renounced the faith, with the exception of suicides, and the prayers themselves not only cleanse the soul of the deceased, but also help to save all living ones.

Memorial service at the cemetery

During a burial, a memorial service for repose can be performed not only in a church, but also in a cemetery. Usually this is a private funeral service, performed on the memorial days of the deceased. These are the first forty days after death or on the day of funeral, birthday or death.

There is a Russian tradition to perform a general memorial service in the cemetery on Tuesday of the second week after Easter. This is the so-called Radonitsa. According to the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, no memorial services are held in the first week after Easter (Bright Week).

“This is a time of boundless spiritual joy about the Resurrection of Christ, therefore the funeral aspect is excluded from all types of services of this Week” (Archimandrite Dosifei Mikhailyuk).

According to St. Ambrose of Milan (4th century), after celebrating Easter, Christians should share the celebration and joy with the dead and proclaim to them the glory of the Risen Lord. From the “joyful” commemoration the name Radonitsa arose.

On this day, the funeral service is preceded by a religious procession, which, if possible, takes place around the cemetery fence. At the same time, the Easter Canon is sung, and the priest carries a censer, a cross and a three-candlestick in his hands. The memorial service is served according to the general rules in a place prepared for this purpose. To do this, the face is turned towards the east, and if the funeral service is performed at the grave, then towards the cross.