Widow's prayer for her late husband to Jesus Christ
How should a widow woman pray for the remembrance of the soul of her deceased husband:
“Christ Jesus, Lord and Almighty! You are the consolation of the weeping, the intercession of the orphans and widows.
You said: call on Me in the day of your sorrow, and I will destroy you.
In the days of my sorrow, I run to You and pray to You: do not turn Your face away from me and hear my prayer brought to You with tears.
You, Lord, Master of all, have deigned to unite me with one of Your servants, so that we may be one body and one spirit;
You gave me this servant as a companion and protector. It was Your good and wise will that you would take this servant of Yours away from me and leave me alone.
I bow before Your will and I resort to You in the days of my sorrow: quench my sorrow about separation from Your servant, my friend. Even if you took him away from me, do not take your mercy away from me.
Just as you once accepted two mites from widows, so accept this prayer of mine.
Remember, Lord, the soul of Your departed servant (name), forgive him all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, whether in word, or in deed, or in knowledge and ignorance, do not destroy him with his iniquities and do not consign him to eternal torment, but according to Your great mercy and according to the multitude of Thy compassions, weaken and forgive all his sins and commit them with Thy saints, where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life.
I pray and ask You, Lord, grant that all the days of my life I will not cease to pray for Your departed servant, and even before my departure, ask You, the Judge of the whole world, to forgive all his sins and place him in the Heavenly abodes, which You have prepared for those who love Cha.
For even if you sin, do not depart from You, and undoubtedly the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are Orthodox even to your last breath of confession;
impute to him the same faith, even in You, instead of works: for there is no man who will live and not sin, You are the only one besides sin, and Your righteousness is righteousness forever.
I believe, Lord, and confess that You will hear my prayer and do not turn Your face away from me.
Seeing a widow weeping green, you were merciful, and you brought her son to the grave, carrying her to the grave; How did You open to Your servant Theophilus, who went to You, the doors of Your mercy and forgave him his sins through the prayers of Your Holy Church, heeding the prayers and alms of his wife: here and I pray to You, accept my prayer for Your servant and bring him into eternal life.
For You are our hope. You are God, the hedgehog to have mercy and save, and we send glory to You with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Widower's prayer for his deceased wife
Christ Jesus, Lord and Almighty!
In contrition and tenderness of my heart, I pray to You: rest, O Lord, the soul of Your departed servant (name), in Your Heavenly Kingdom. Lord Almighty! You favored the marital union of husband and wife, when you said: it is not good for man to be alone; let us create for him a helper for him. You have sanctified this union in the image of the spiritual union of Christ with the Church. I believe, Lord, and confess that You have blessed me to unite me in this holy union with one of Your handmaids. By your good and wise will you deigned to take away from me this servant of yours, whom you have given to me as a helper and companion of my life. I bow before Your will, and I pray to You with all my heart, accept my prayer for Your servant (name), and forgive her if you sin in word, deed, thought, knowledge and ignorance; Love earthly things more than heavenly things; Even if you care more about the clothing and decoration of your body than about the enlightenment of the clothing of your soul; or even careless about your children; if you upset anyone by word or deed; If you murmur in your heart against your neighbor or condemn someone or anything else you have done that is evil. Forgive her all this, for she is good and philanthropic; for there is no man who will live and not sin. Do not enter into judgment with Thy servant, as Thy creation, do not condemn her to eternal torment for her sin, but have mercy and mercy according to Thy great mercy. I pray and ask You, Lord of Powers, to grant me throughout the days of my life to never cease to pray for Your departed servant, and even until the end of my life to ask her from You, the Judge of the whole world, for forgiveness of her sins. Yes, just as You, God, have placed a crown of stone on her head, crowning her here on earth; Thus, crown me with Your eternal glory in Your Heavenly Kingdom, with all the saints who rejoice there, and together with them forever sing Your All-Holy Name with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Tel. Rublev LLC © 2014-2017 Rublev
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Text of the prayer “Lord rest the soul of your departed servant”
“Lord God, who trampled death and conquered the devil, who gave life to all mankind.
I ask for rest for the soul of your deceased servant (proper name). And if he has sinned in life, then forgive him his voluntary and involuntary sins.
You, as a great philanthropist, forgive him and have mercy. Grant his soul to find peace in the Kingdom of Heaven, deliver him from retribution for his sins and from eternal torment in fiery hell.
Remember him, Lord, as well as all the most holy ministers of the church, who served You with faith during their lives, the soldiers who defended their homeland from their adversaries, those who on occasion laid down their heads in internecine warfare.
Every sin of Your deceased servant (name of the person) was committed through foolishness, and during his lifetime he repented of his misdeeds and deeds. I send up my prayer to You and believe in Your mercy. Amen".
Short prayer
“Remember, Lord, the deceased, the Servant of God (the person’s name), forgive all his sins and give him hope for resurrection. Help his soul, Lord, to find peace in the Kingdom of God and deliver him from eternal torment. Amen".
Widow's prayer for her deceased husband
Death of a loved one
We all remember folk tales: “they lived happily ever after and died on the same day.” Unfortunately, in reality, married life usually ends not so joyfully. A husband or wife does not go into eternity at the same time. Some of them will have to endure all the bitterness and severity of the loss of a loved one. For some, close and dear people help them cope with grief. Others are left alone with their feelings and experiences. Some people manage to live through the suffering, endure the pain and move on.
Someone closes in on himself and cannot come to terms with the inevitable. After all, people often drive away thoughts of death like an infection. And for some, the prayer of a widow for her deceased husband helps.
Believers cope with the loss of their soulmate by trusting God and relying on Him. Christians remember the inevitability of death and believe that life does not end with the end of earthly existence. Death is a temporary separation from a loved one. And after some time, the spouses will unite again in the Heavenly Abode of God. Where there will be no sorrows, sorrows, earthly problems, but only the joy of being with God.
“...to survive earthly separation is simple. If your spouse went to God earlier, then you should be happy for him - God is better! And then we will follow him, and when, of course, as the Lord wills... Death is only a temporary separation, a transition” (Archpriest Valerian Krechetov).
How to cope with the death of your husband
After the death of her husband, especially a sudden one, a widow left alone will have to go through several life stages. She faces a journey from shock and misunderstanding of what happened to acceptance and the realization that she needs to move on with her life. This is a very difficult time. Some people need a few months to recover, while for others a few years are not enough. God will help you cope with the severity of your loss and give you genuine consolation. The main thing is to open your soul before Him and start praying.
Prayer, like a life-giving source, will bring peace to the widow. Communication with Heavenly Father will help you survive the loss and heal your spiritual wound.
“Do not imagine death in a terrible form, but believe that it serves only as a transfer from time to eternity, and the Lord has placed time in His power” (Reverend Macarius of Optina (Ivanov)).
The fate of the soul after death
After death, the soul leaves the body and ascends to God to decide its posthumous fate. Unfortunately, one of the spouses can go to heaven, and the other to fiery Gehenna. Believers, when creating a family, strive to lead a pious lifestyle, helping each other. But loving spouses were always worried about their future in another world.
Will husband and wife be together in the Kingdom of Heaven?
The Gospel of Matthew describes a dialogue between the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and Christ. They cited the example of a woman whose husbands died one after another, leaving no heirs. Seven brothers took her as their lawful wife. The Sadducees asked whose wife she became after her death? To which the Lord replied:
“You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God, for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but remain as the angels of God in heaven” (Matthew 22:29-30).
Will spouses meet after death?
At first glance, it seems that the answer is unambiguous and does not involve options. Spouses will not be such after the end of earthly life. However, theologians and Bible interpreters interpret the Savior’s words not so categorically. Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria writes that after the resurrection life will be spiritual and sublime, and not crudely carnal. Therefore, marriage in heaven can be viewed differently.
Archpriest Oleg Stenyaev explains:
“By paying attention to the word “how,” we understand that saved people will be like Angels, remaining human in the heavenly format of human existence. Consequently, the nature of the relationship between spouses will change. The focus of their life will cease to be what is the center of life here on earth - the BODY, but the interests of the SPIRIT will completely dominate. It is said: “There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies; But there is another glory of those in heaven and another of those on earth” (1 Cor. 15:40). This is what Christ means when he says: “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but remain as the angels of God in heaven.”
We cannot know for certain what life will be like for spouses in heaven. But we believe in God's mercy and His love for us. Widows pray for their husbands. Widowers - for wives. And each of those left to live hopes to meet their other half soon. Saints and priests call for this.
Confession and Communion in days of tribulation
Not only a widow’s prayer for her deceased husband can bring relief to both of them. You should attend divine services and begin Communion. Confession and the Eucharist are Sacraments that bring us closer to God. And He, in turn, gives strength to survive suffering. After the service and Communion, the widow feels peace, acute pain is replaced by quiet sadness. Prayer for a husband becomes not just a bunch of words, but sincere and real communication with God.
Feeling like part of a community of believers makes a person feel better. Common prayer with parishioners eases the severity of grief. You can ask the priest for a conversation where you can talk about your grief. There is a high probability that he will find words of consolation and support. And the priest will definitely pray for the repose of his spouse’s soul.
Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov says:
“The man was cut in half. You can then ask: “How are you feeling?” I feel like I’ve been cut in half. This is a very difficult situation. One parishioner of our church, after being widowed, took a year and a half to come to her senses! Women often come to me whose grief over a loss continues for five or eight years. Grief, of course, dulls, but...
What can you do?
To avoid such pain from parting, you need to pray very hard for the repose of your soul. And then the wife’s soul will feel that the husband’s soul perceives this... You also need to take communion more often and after communion, turn to God in prayer that the Lord will allow you to bear this cross. Because if this is allowed, it means that for some reason God needs it this way. Otherwise they would live happily ever after and die on the same day.”
The fate of the soul after death
After death, the soul leaves the body and ascends to God to decide its posthumous fate. Unfortunately, one of the spouses can go to heaven, and the other to fiery Gehenna. Believers, when creating a family, strive to lead a pious lifestyle, helping each other. But loving spouses were always worried about their future in another world. Will husband and wife be together in the Kingdom of Heaven?
The Gospel of Matthew describes a dialogue between the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and Christ. They cited the example of a woman whose husbands died one after another, leaving no heirs. Seven brothers took her as their lawful wife. The Sadducees asked whose wife she became after her death? To which the Lord replied:
“You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God, for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but remain as the angels of God in heaven” (Matthew 22:29-30).
The second prayer of a widow for her deceased husband
Remember, O Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the eternal life of Your servant, (name of the deceased), who passed away, and as the Good and Lover of mankind, forgiving sins and consuming untruths, weaken, forsake and forgive all her voluntary and involuntary sins, deliver him from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant her the communion and enjoyment of Thy eternal good things prepared for those who love Thee:
Even if you sin, do not depart from You, and undoubtedly in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, God glorify You in the Trinity, faith, and the Unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even until your 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.
Prayer for the deceased on the year since death
From the funeral service
Troparion tone 8
Build with the depth of wisdom all things humanely and bestow upon all that are useful, O One Creator, rest, O Lord, the soul of Thy servant (or: the soul of Thy servant; for many: the souls of Thy servant), for place their trust in Thee (or for many: place their trust), the Creator and the Creator and our God. Glory, even now: To you and the Wall and the Refuge of the Imams, and the Prayer Book favorable to God, Whom You gave birth to, O Blessed Mother of God, salvation of the faithful
Prayer
God of spirits and all flesh, having trampled down death and abolished the devil, and given life to Thy world! Himself, Lord, give rest to the souls of your departed servants: your most holy patriarchs, your eminence metropolitans, archbishops and bishops, who served you in the priestly, ecclesiastical and monastic ranks; the creators of this holy temple, the Orthodox forefathers, fathers, brothers and sisters, lying here and everywhere; leaders and warriors who laid down their lives for the faith and fatherland, the faithful, who were killed in internecine warfare, drowned, burned, frozen to death, torn to pieces by beasts, suddenly died without repentance and did not have time to reconcile with the Church and with their enemies; in the frenzy of the mind of those who committed suicide, those for whom we were commanded and asked to pray, for whom there is no one to pray, and the faithful, Christian burial deprived of (the name of the rivers) in a bright place, in a green place, in a place of peace, from where sickness, sadness and sighing can escape . Every sin committed by them in word or deed or thought, as a good Lover of mankind, God forgives, as if there is no man who will live and not sin. For You are the only one besides sin, Your righteousness is truth forever, and Your word is truth.
Psalm 90
Living in the help of the Most High, he will settle in the shelter of the Heavenly God. Says the Lord: Thou art 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 rebellious words, His splash will overshadow you, and under His wing you hope: His truth will surround you with weapons.
Do not be afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies during the day, from the thing that passes in darkness, from the cloak, and from the demon of the midday.
Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will fall at your right hand, but it will not come close to you, otherwise you will look at your eyes, and you will 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, but not when you dash your foot on a stone, step on an asp and a basilisk, and cross a lion and a serpent.
For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver, and I will cover, and 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 I will glorify him, I will fill him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.
What prayers are ordered in the church for the deceased?
When a loved one dies, it is a terrible loss, but despite this, you should know how to behave in such a situation. It is important to order a memorial service for the deceased after the funeral.
To do this you need:
- Visit the temple.
- Place a candle in the appropriate place for the repose of the soul of the deceased.
- Place funeral products on the funeral table.
- Write a note with the name of the deceased for the priest.
- Tell the minister about your desire to order a memorial service.
The memorial service must be ordered on the 9th and 40th day. These dates are significant for determining where the soul of the deceased will end up, and prayers in this case play an important role. Texts of prayers for memorial services are not ordered. As a rule, the priest reads all the initial prayers first, then the prayer continues with the reading of the 90th Psalm. After this, special texts are read for the repose of the soul of the deceased; the name of the deceased person is necessarily mentioned in them. It is allowed to order a memorial service at the cemetery.
Confession and Communion in days of tribulation
Not only a widow’s prayer for her deceased husband can bring relief to both of them. You should attend divine services and begin Communion. Confession and the Eucharist are Sacraments that bring us closer to God. And He, in turn, gives strength to survive suffering. After the service and Communion, the widow feels peace, acute pain is replaced by quiet sadness. Prayer for a husband becomes not just a bunch of words, but sincere and real communication with God.
Feeling like part of a community of believers makes a person feel better. Common prayer with parishioners eases the severity of grief. You can ask the priest for a conversation where you can talk about your grief. There is a high probability that he will find words of consolation and support. And the priest will definitely pray for the repose of his spouse’s soul.
Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov says:
“The man was cut in half. You can then ask: “How are you feeling?” I feel like I’ve been cut in half. This is a very difficult situation. One parishioner of our church, after being widowed, took a year and a half to come to her senses! Women often come to me whose grief over a loss continues for five or eight years. The grief, of course, is dulled, but... What can you do? To avoid such pain from parting, you need to pray very hard for the repose of your soul. And then the wife’s soul will feel that the husband’s soul perceives this... You also need to take communion more often and after communion, turn to God in prayer that the Lord will allow you to bear this cross. Because if this is allowed, it means that for some reason God needs it this way. Otherwise they would live happily ever after and die on the same day.”
What prayer to read in a cemetery at the grave of the deceased
In the Orthodox faith, dead people are called deceased, since faith in eternal life is always present in the souls of true believers. As a rule, during a funeral, prayers are read by a priest. But subsequently, prayers must also be read at the grave of the deceased.
After the grave has been removed, you should light a candle and read the following prayer:
“Remember, O Lord, all-merciful and all-merciful. Your deceased servant (name of the deceased), a person close to me. Show, Lord, your love for mankind and forgive him all his earthly sins, voluntary and involuntary, for he committed them out of his own foolishness and sincerely repented of them.
Only You are truth and truth, only You have been granted the power to forgive sins and give peace to the soul.
Show your mercies and blessings, deliver the deceased, the servant of God (name of the deceased) from punishment and torment in fiery Gehenna.
A person cannot live his life without sinning, for You alone are sinless. I pray to you and send glory to your deeds. Amen".
What prayers to read for the dead?
The death of a person is a tragedy for his family and friends. Sometimes it seems that nothing can be done to help the deceased, except for a funeral, a wake, a monument at the grave and the good memory of other people. But actually it is not.
Since ancient times, Christians have spoken about the importance of prayer for the dead. It can be short and in your own words, it can be silent when a person cannot speak because of his grief, but it can also be long.
Many holy fathers themselves composed prayers for the dead. According to legend, the first example of a prayer of permission, which is placed in the hand of the deceased, was written by the Monk Theodosius of Pechersk in the second half of the 11th century at the request of one of the Kyiv princes.
Even earlier, in the 8th century, the famous theologian and defender of holy icons, St. John of Damascus, in memory of his deceased friend, composed 13 funeral stichera, which can still be heard at funeral services. However, the Church takes care of a person even at the most tragic moment of his life, when the soul is separated from the body - for this there is a special prayer for people who are in long and painful agony.
As soon as a Christian has died, the Psalter can be read about his soul with intense prayers for the soul of the newly deceased, and then for the last time the person is brought to the temple for the funeral service.
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh spoke wonderfully about the Church’s love for the human body, which manifests itself during the funeral service:
“We find this love, this care, this reverent attitude towards the body in Orthodoxy; and this is reflected in a surprising way in the funeral service. We surround this body with love and attention; this body is the center of the funeral service for the deceased; not only the soul, but also the body. And indeed, if you think about it: there is nothing in human experience, not only earthly, but also heavenly, that would not reach us through our body.”
According to the teachings of the Church, it is very important to pray for a newly deceased (recently deceased person) in the first forty days from the moment of death, since at this time the soul of a person goes to either heaven or hell before the Last Judgment, but prayers for the dead are needed even after this period. After death, a Christian cannot independently alleviate his fate, but the prayers of loved ones, commemoration at the liturgy and the distribution of alms with a request to remember a person can change a person’s fate at the Last Judgment. Once in the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery they buried a monk who had many unconfessed sins. Other monks, together with the abbot, saw at night how their careless brother was tormented in hell. The amazed monks began to pray for the sinner, and in new visions the brother’s face became lighter and more peaceful. In the end, Christ forgave this man’s sins, and he went to heaven.
There are many ways to pray for the dead: you can submit a note to the proskomedia for commemoration at the liturgy, order a memorial service or a short litiya, or you can pray at home.
Help from Princess Olga to the widow
The image of Saint Olga, the first enlightener of Rus', should be a shrine in every home in Russia, especially she helps widows. Her icon can be placed in the “red corner”, where the home iconostasis is usually located: this is a corner or place on the wall opposite the door or by the window, where icons of the Lord, the Mother of God and saints are placed on a separate shelf.
You can buy a shelf in a church shop, you can put the images on a bookshelf, next to books about spiritual life.
The Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess became famous for her strength and wisdom in all areas of life: as a wise ruler, a kind mother, a faithful wife, and a great saint. She helps widows who mourn their deceased husbands and pray for them.
O holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, the first saint of Rus', zealous intercessor and prayer book for all of us before the Lord Jesus Christ!
We come to you with faith and pray with love: be a helper and companion to us all in all good deeds.
Just as in your earthly life you tried to enlighten our ancestors with the light of the holy Christian faith, so now, being in holiness in Heaven, with your grace-filled prayers before the Lord, help us in enlightening our hearts and minds with the light of the Gospel of Christ, so that we prosper in faith, piety and love to God.
Comfort those in poverty and sorrow, give a helping hand to those in need, intercede for those who are offended and under attack, those who have departed from Orthodoxy and blinded by heresies, ask us to come to their senses, ask us from the Generous God for all all that is good and useful for the temporary earthly life and the eternal life beyond the grave, so that we, having lived earthly life according to the commandments of God, were honored to be heirs of the eternal Kingdom of Heaven and the blessings bestowed by the Lord, forever glorified and worshiped with you the Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
Prayer to Archangel Michael for the unbaptized departed
For unbaptized deceased it is also possible. Sincere prayers will definitely be heard by the Higher powers. Prayer will help quench spiritual grief and give hope that the soul of the deceased, who is not an Orthodox believer, will still find peace.
A very powerful prayer in such cases is the prayer addressed to the Archangel Michael, which is said on September 19 and November 21.
It is believed that praying for the dead at midnight on these dates has miraculous power. It was during this period that Archangel Michael descends into hell and lowers his wing into fiery Gehenna to extinguish it. Therefore, you need to pray for the unbaptized deceased, be sure to name their names, so that the saint will lead them out of hell.
The prayer text reads as follows:
“Lord the Great Heavenly King, All-Merciful and All-Merciful! I ask You to send me, the Servant of God (my own name), to help Your Archangel Michael.
Ask him to protect me from all enemies, visible and invisible.
I turn to you, Great Archangel Michael of the Lord, Prince and commander of all the heavenly forces of God, the Seraphim and Cherubim. I ask you to become my assistant and provide support in sorrows, sorrows, in deserts and river spaces.
Protect me, Great Archangel Michael, from devilish temptations, defeat all my enemies and enemies with the power of the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord and the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos.
I ask you, Holy Archangel Michael, to bring the deceased (the name of the unbaptized deceased) out of the lake of fire and bring him, under the cover of your wing, to the Throne of God for repentance. Pray to the Lord God, the All-Merciful Lover of Mankind, to forgive the sins of the servant of God (name of the deceased) and to grant peace to his soul. Amen".
How to read
You can say a memorial prayer for a spouse who has passed away from the world at home and in the cemetery. You need to sign yourself with the sign of the cross and fervently ask God for mercy on the soul of the deceased. The widow thereby helps herself, since her state of mind is harmonized, and thoughts of loss cease to torment her heart.
An understanding comes that the deceased husband did not disappear, but moved into other spheres of existence and continues to live.
At home, prayer is read with a burning candle or lamp, usually in the evening. But it doesn’t hurt to come to church for prayer services more often, where you can take part in the Liturgy and Memorial Service. The widow can also talk to the priest about her loss and ask for advice on what to do next.
How prayer reading helps
After the separation of the soul from the body, a person can no longer influence his future destiny in any way; only the prayer of loved ones can change the posthumous existence of the soul.
After the death of his wife, the spouse should read the widower's prayer
After death, there are several stages of its existence.
- The first three days after death, the soul enjoys freedom, visits all its favorite places on earth, as if saying goodbye to its closest ones, sees them and this is its last peaceful existence, calm and problem-free.
- From the third to the ninth day, the soul passes through ordeals, of which there are 20 in total. At each of the ordeals, it is tested by the spirits of evil regarding the sins that were committed on earth.
- Finally, on the 40th day, the place is determined where the soul will await the Last Judgment and the final verdict on where it will end up - in hell or heaven.
Important! It is during this period that it is possible to change the posthumous fate of a person. Through the prayer of the living for the dead.
A widower’s prayer for his wife helps both her and the husband himself, bringing comfort and relief in mental suffering. By turning to God and asking for relief from the posthumous fate of the deceased, the husband continues to be in a spiritual connection with his wife.
