Waiting for death
See also: “Remembrance of the Dead.”
- The dying prayer of the Hieroschim. Parthenia of Kyiv
- The prayer is different
- Holy Great Martyr Barbara
- Psalm 38
The dying prayer of the Hieroschim. Parthenia of Kiev1
Audio:
When I, depressed by illness, feel the approaching end of my earthly existence: Lord, have mercy on me. When my poor heart, at its last beats, languishes and languishes in mortal pain: Lord, have mercy on me. When my eyes are watered with tears for the last time at the thought that throughout my life I have offended You, O God, with my sins: Lord, have mercy on me. When the rapid beating of my heart begins to accelerate the outcome of my soul: Lord, have mercy on me. When the mortal pallor of my face and my cold body strikes my loved ones with fear: Lord, have mercy on me. When my vision is darkened and my voice is cut off, my tongue turns to stone: Lord, have mercy on me. When terrible ghosts and visions begin to drive me to despair of Your mercy: Lord, have mercy on me. When my soul, struck by the memories of my crimes and the fear of Your judgment, becomes exhausted in the fight against the enemies of my salvation, who are trying to drag me into the darkness of torment: Lord, have mercy on me. When the sweat of death drenches me, and the soul with painful suffering moves away from the body: Lord, have mercy on me. When mortal darkness closes all the objects of this world from my dim gaze: Lord, have mercy on me. When all sensation in my body ceases, my veins become numb and my muscles turn to stone: Lord, have mercy on me. When human speech and earthly sounds no longer reach my ears: Lord, have mercy on me. When the soul appears before Your face, O God, in anticipation of Your appointment: Lord, have mercy on me. When I begin to heed the righteous sentence of Your judgment, which determines my eternal fate: Lord, have mercy on me. When the body, abandoned by the soul, becomes the prey of worms and decay and, finally, my entire composition turns into a handful of dust: Lord, have mercy on me. When the sound of the trumpet awakens everyone at Your second coming and the book of my deeds is opened: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, Your sinful servant (name). In Your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Amen.
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The prayer is different
Audio:
Heavenly Father, Redeemer Jesus Christ, Holy Soul God, true, only and highest Comforter! When my time is fulfilled, which You have set for me, when my days, which You have written in Your book, have reached their end, then grant me a blessed and peaceful departure from this life, drive out from me the love of the world and the desire to live longer; give me a heart that is ready to leave here with joy. Ban all horror and fear; keep me from the temptation of the enemy. Arm my soul with the weapons of Your righteousness, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation; because You, Lord Jesus Christ, are my wisdom, my righteousness, my sanctification and redemption, my life, my consolation, my peace and my joy. Place on me the wedding garment of Your righteousness, that my soul may appear before You pure, without spot or wrinkle, and let me hear Your joyful word: come, you who are blessed by the Lord, inherit the the kingdom of your Father prepared for you from the beginning, and enter into the joy of the Lord yours. Amen.
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Holy Great Martyr Barbara
Audio:
All-wise and most beautiful saint, Great Martyr of Christ Barbara! Blessed art thou, for the worldly wisdom of God did not reveal the flesh and blood of God to you, but God Himself the Heavenly Father, who for the sake of faith was abandoned, expelled and killed by an unfaithful father He accepted this one as his beloved daughter: for the corruptibility of earthly possessions, the inheritance was given to the flesh incorruptibility; labors of martyrdom for the repose of Heaven, changing the Kingdom; Your temporary life, cut short by His death, glorify with veneration, like a soul from the faces of the heavenly ordering spirits, but a body placed on earth in the temple of their angels, eng to keep the food of the commandment whole, honestly and miraculously. Blessed art thou, Christ the Son of God, the Heavenly Bridegroom, an ignorant virgin, who desires to have His goodness, thy caretaker, through all her suffering, wounds, pleasure, cutting, and the very head of her head truncated You tried to decorate it with the most precious utensils: yes, because a wife is faithful to her head, her husband, Unite yourself inseparably with Christ in spirit and body, saying: I have found. But my soul loved Him, held Him, and did not forsake Him. Blessed are you, for the Holy Spirit has rested upon you, for whom spiritual reasoning has been taught to you by the spiritual, all the spirits of wickedness in idols, for the destructive one you have rejected, and the only God Having known the Spirit, like a true worshiper, you deigned to bow down in spirit and truth, preaching: I honor the Trinity, one Deity. You glorified this Holy Trinity, even in life and death, with your confession and suffering, begging for me, my representative, as yes and I am always threefold, faith, love and hope, here I honor the Holy Trinity as virtue. The Imam is the lamp of faith, but the oil of good deeds is vain: you, wise virgin, thy suffering flesh, filled with blood and shed with wounds, like a possessed lamp, give from your oil, so that by decorating my soul I will be honored, your unworthy servant (name) ) for you to enter the palace of heaven. I am a sojourner on earth and a sojourner, like all my fathers: eternal blessings to the heir and a blessed meal in the Kingdom of Heaven to the communicant, as in the journey of life, the divine meal new treats, sitsa and in the exodus from the world, grant me the desired parting words: and always in the end to sleep death will begin to fall asleep, then touching my exhausted flesh, like sometimes the angel of Elijah, saying: arise, eat and drink, for the grace of the divine Body and Blood of the Mysteries is strengthened, I walk in the fortress of Yadi, the long path of death, even to the mountain of heaven: and there, Through the three windows of the bathhouse you saw Him, through the faith of God, the Trinity; He, together with you, face to face, may I be worthy to see and glorify Him forever and ever. Amen.
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Psalm 38
Audio:
Reh: I will keep my ways, lest I sin with my tongue: I have kept with my mouth, that the sinner should never arise before me. I became mute and humbled, and kept silent from the blessings, and my illness was renewed. My heart will warm within me, and a fire will burn in my teaching: in the words of my tongue: tell me, Lord, my end and the number of my days, which is, yes I understand that I am deprived of h. Behold, Thou hast laid down my days, and my frame is as nothing before Thee: but all living man is vanity. For a man walks like this, but he is in vain; he hoards treasures, and I don’t know who will collect it. And now who is my patience? Isn't it the Lord? and my composition is from You. Deliver me from all my iniquities: you have given me reproach to the fool. I was dumb and did not open my mouth, as You have created. Leave Thy wounds from me: Thy hands have disappeared from the fortress. In reproof of iniquity you punished man, and you lost his soul like a spider: but every man was in vain. Hear my prayer, Lord, and inspire my prayer, do not silence my tears: for I am a stranger with You and a stranger, like all my fathers. Relax me, let me rest, before I even leave, and I won’t be with anyone.
Translation: I said, I will take heed to my ways, lest I sin with my tongue; I will bridle my mouth while the wicked is before me. I was dumb and voiceless, and was silent even about good things; and my grief increased. My heart was inflamed within me; a fire was kindled in my thoughts; I began to speak with my tongue: tell me, Lord, my death and the number of my days, what it is, so that I may know what my age is. Behold, You have given me days as inches, and my life as nothing before You. Truly, every living person is complete vanity. Truly, man walks like a ghost; in vain he fusses, collects and does not know who will get it. And now what should I expect, Lord? my hope is in You. Deliver me from all my iniquities, do not hand me over to the reproach of a madman. I have become dumb, I do not open my mouth; because You did it. Turn away Thy blows from me; I disappear from Thy smiting hand. If You punish a person for his crimes with reproofs, then his beauty will crumble like a moth. So, every man is vanity! Hear, O Lord, my prayer and listen to my cry; do not be silent to my tears, for I am a stranger with You and a stranger, like all my fathers. Depart from me, that I may refresh myself before I go away and be no more.
Venerable Parthenius of Kiev (Krasnopevtsev). Prayers and instructions.
Synodal translation.
See DEATH
Prayers
Prayers for the Dying
If the dying person can pray, then his loved ones pray for him together, reading the Litany to All Saints (or excerpts from it), adding “pray for him” as a prayer request. Particular mention should be made of the saints, heavenly patrons of the patient and members of his family. You can also pray with the words of other well-known prayers.
You can read the chaplet of Divine Mercy, for, as Jesus said through St. Faustina, when this chaplet is read near a dying person, the wrath of God is humbled and bottomless mercy embraces the soul.
As the moment of parting approaches, one of those present can pray the words of the following prayers.
Dear (name)
, we entrust you to God Almighty and give you to the One who created you;
so that you return to your Creator. And therefore, let the Most Holy Theotokos, the heavenly angels and all the saints of God meet those departing from this life. May Christ, the Son of the living God, who accepted the death of the cross for you, deliver you, lead you to heaven and accept you into the fold of His faithful, so that you may be filled with heavenly joy forever and ever. - Amen.
Accept, Lord, Your servant (name)
into the Kingdom of Heaven, promised to him by Thy mercy.
- Amen.
Deliver, O Lord, Your servant from all oppression. - Amen.
Deliver, O Lord, Thy servant as He delivered Noah from the waters of the flood. - Amen.
Deliver, O Lord, Your servant as You delivered Job from his suffering. - Amen.
Deliver, O Lord, Thy servant as He delivered Moses from the hand of Pharaoh. - Amen.
Deliver, O Lord, Thy servant as He delivered Daniel from the den of lions. - Amen.
Deliver, O Lord, Thy servant as He delivered the three youths from the fiery furnace. - Amen.
Deliver, O Lord, Thy servant as He delivered David from the sword of Goliath and the hands of Saul. - Amen.
Deliver, O Lord, Thy servant as He delivered Peter and Paul from prison. - Amen.
Deliver, O Lord, Thy servant through Jesus Christ, our Savior, who accepted the death of the cross for us and gave us eternal life. - Amen.
We entrust to You, Lord, Your servant (name)
and we pray to You, Lord Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, that You may accept
(name)
for joy in Your Kingdom, for for the sake of saving his soul You came down from Heaven. As a weak man, he sinned, but he revered God the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit and worshiped You, the Lord, by whom all things were created.
Hail, Queen, Mother of Mercy, glory to our life, joy and hope. We cry to You in exile, the children of Eve. We sigh to You, groaning and weeping in this valley of tears. O our Intercessor! Direct your eyes of mercy upon us, and show Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb, to us after this exile. Oh meekness, oh mercy, oh joy, Virgin Mary!
Appear, Saints of God, hurry towards, Angels of the Lord, accept this soul, lift it up to the throne of the Most High. – May Christ, Who called the soul (name)
, and may the Angels lead her to His Kingdom.
Accept the soul (name)
, lift it to the throne of the Most High.
Let's pray. To You, O Lord, we entrust the soul of Your servant (name)
, so that, dying for the world, he may live for You.
Forgive, O Lord, all his sins according to Your great mercy. - Amen.
Church rites that must be performed over the body of the deceased
If death comes to your family, then, of course, it is very difficult to remain reasonable and remember all the rituals. However, it is the children who, in the event of the death of one of their parents, are responsible for observing all rituals. Therefore, this issue must be taken very seriously. Moreover, all church rituals are not too difficult for grief-stricken loved ones.
At the very moment when the soul departs from the body, it is necessary to read “Succession”. This is not one prayer, but a whole set of prayers and songs. They help the deceased to completely separate from the body and say goodbye to his earthly existence. Next, you need to read the Psalter and order several funeral services in the temple. We'll talk about them a little later.
On the third day after the death of the deceased, a funeral service is held in the temple. To do this, the coffin with the body is brought to the church, where the priest performs the necessary prayers. After the burial, all relatives and friends must remember the deceased. Also, the funeral meal is repeated on the ninth and fortieth day after death.
How to pray for a deceased mother?
Grief always comes unexpectedly, which is why it is so difficult to think sensibly at these moments. A prayer for a deceased mother does not require special preparations, however, when reading it, certain rules must be followed:
- You should not pray in a state of deep despondency, try to renounce your grief a little and turn to the Creator without grief and with a pure heart. If turning to God is accompanied by tears, then such prayer will become a heavy burden for the soul in the afterlife. It will not bring joy and will not support you in the upcoming trials.
- Of course, it is worth ordering special prayers in the temple, but they should only complement the words that the child will say for his departed mother in the silence of the house. Only such prayers have real power and value in the eyes of God. They must be read at any icon and with a lit church candle. However, if there are no icons and candles in the house, then you can pray without them. The main thing is that the words are spoken with love.
- Of course, prayer alone will not help your deceased mother find peace. Therefore, it is necessary to ask God for her on the days of remembrance and at any other time, because prayer for the deceased mother after forty days is no less important than before the expiration of this period. It is believed that daily appeal to the Creator will help the soul to cleanse itself of sins and find peace in heaven.
The first forty days after death: what does the soul do during this time?
Prayer for a deceased mother is especially important forty days after her death. It is not for nothing that this period is defined as a certain milestone, after which it is practically impossible to change anything.
- In Orthodoxy, it is generally accepted that after the soul leaves the body, it remains on earth for another two days. She is met by two angels: a guardian and a guide. They will accompany the soul in the first days after death. The soul can spend them next to its loved ones, visit the most memorable places or those that it never had time to visit during its lifetime. This time can be called farewell to your earthly existence.
- The third day is considered one of the most difficult. Angels must lead the soul to the Creator, but along the way demons begin to tempt it. They strive in every possible way to take her to hell, recalling all the sins committed during her earthly journey. It is very difficult to overcome temptation, but a prayer for a deceased mother can become a beacon that will guide and help the soul.
- Over the next six days, the deceased remains in paradise, he gets acquainted with everything that is there, resting before the judgment that every soul fears.
- The ninth day is dedicated to communication with God, after which the disembodied spirit goes to hell. There he remains until the fortieth day, after which the trial itself takes place. On this day the soul receives its verdict until the Last Judgment.
From all of the above, it becomes clear why in the first days after death, children should actively pray for the departed parent in order to help him overcome all trials.
How to properly remember the dead?
People, even when arriving at a cemetery, do not always behave correctly and in accordance with the canons of the Orthodox Church. But they are quite simple and include only a few points:
- keep the grave clean;
- do not use foul language;
- do not drink alcohol.
It is also obligatory to visit the temple on the day of remembrance and write a note with the name of the deceased so that the church minister will pronounce it during the service. It is also advisable to order a memorial service, but this is done at the request of the relative.
What prayers to read for your deceased mother: Sorokoust
It is customary to order forty liturgies in the church immediately after the death of a person. Moreover, this can be done simultaneously in several churches, it is acceptable if they are located in different cities or even countries. Sorokoust represents prayers of remembrance that the priest reads at the liturgy. This happens for forty days until the soul comes to the judgment of God and receives its determination.
According to the Orthodox canons, a forty-day commemoration during the service helps the soul pass tests more easily and be cleansed of its lifetime sins, which it did not have time to repent of. It is believed that after the first three liturgies served for the deceased, the angels turn to the Almighty with requests to follow the soul to hell in order to ease its torment. In the following liturgies they ask for the communion of the newly presented soul.
Over the course of ten dinners, the angels ask the Creator for the opportunity to bring the deceased to the gates of hell. Until the twentieth service, the soul is in hell and only then receives permission to leave there. Angels accompany her everywhere and in the following days dress the disembodied spirit in white robes, return him to his usual appearance and introduce him to paradise with the blessing of the Creator. This is why it is so important to offer prayers for the deceased mother for up to 40 days in church and at home.
What prayer to read at home?
Prayer for the deceased mother should be daily for up to 9 days. It is best to read the following text, which we present in full without abbreviations.
The same prayer must be said on all days of commemoration of the deceased mother. This is usually done on the ninth and fortieth day. In the future, the deceased is remembered on specially designated church holidays and on the anniversary of death.
On such days, you need to come to the grave of your loved ones and read a prayer there or at home if you cannot get to the cemetery.
When to remember the dead?
Of course, no one can forbid us to remember our parents who have left this world. But the Orthodox Church sets aside several days on which this must be done without fail. On such dates, loving children always remember their relatives in church and at the grave in the cemetery. Naturally, the first such day is the anniversary of death. After 40 days, prayer for a deceased mother or father should not be as intense as before. There is no point in counting any other dates; the Orthodox Church does not support this.
Another date when we all remember not only our deceased parents, but also other people who are no longer with us is Radonitsa. This holiday does not have a specific date. It is associated with Easter and is counted from the Holy Resurrection.
In addition to these days, Orthodoxy sets aside several more Saturdays when it is customary to remember one’s deceased loved ones. There are actually not many of them, so these days are quite easy to remember:
- Meat Saturday (before Maslenitsa).
- Saturdays of Great Lent (second, third, fourth).
- Before Pentecost.
If your mother was involved in military service, which is not uncommon in the modern world, then she must be remembered on the ninth of May and on the Saturday before the eighth of November.
Prayer for the deceased mother up to 40 days
In addition to what we have already said, those especially close to the deceased should read the Psalter. This is done at the same time by agreement, thus the power of prayer increases significantly. Until forty days, it is very important to constantly ask the Lord for forgiveness of the sins of the deceased. This can be done using the text below.
Priests also advise keeping a special book where the names of all close relatives who are no longer alive will be written down. This will help you remember them at any time and turn to the Lord in prayer. You can pronounce it at the behest of your soul, regardless of your location, since it is quite simple and easy to remember.
If necessary, you can read another prayer presented above. Clergymen often call it one of the first when they advise children to ask for their deceased parents.
