Prayers at the funeral meal

See also: The custom of praying before meals

Before every meal, Our Father. Lord's Prayer
For the blessing of food and drink for the laity
Prayer after eating

Prayers for special occasions

Prayers at the funeral meal

Prayer for the blessing of Easter foods

A different prayer for the meager Easter meal

Prayer for the blessing of fast foods on the Feast of the Nativity of Christ

Prayer for the blessing of fast food on the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer for the blessing of modest foods (on the feast of the supreme apostles Peter and Paul)

Elder Nikolai Guryanov, before eating the food, as usual, read a long prayer over it. Nearby was a company of unhumble young people. They noticed this and decided to play a little joke on the priest. They sit down and one of them says: “Father, do you all pray like that before eating in the forgotten wilderness of your village?” To which the priest, without hesitation, replied: “No, dear man, not all.” Pigs, dogs, and horses eat just like that.

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Prayer before lunch

Having stood before the holy icons, after preparing the meal, say:
For the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen (bow).

Our Father, Who art in heaven. Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread this day. 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 (bow).

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (bow).

And now and ever and forever and ever, amen (bow).

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless (bow).

For the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints, Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen (bow).

God, be merciful to me, a sinner (bow).

Create me, O Lord, and have mercy on me (bow).

Without number of sins, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner (bow).

Sit down at the table with reverence. Before the meal begins, the elder must say the prayer to Jesus out loud, and those present must answer: “Amen.”

And then they say: “Bless the food.” The elder replies: “God bless.” And they eat with prayer and silence for the glory of God.

If one of the Christians happens to enter the upper room during a meal, then he must say: “An angel at the meal.” Those sitting at the table answer: “It is coming invisibly.”

prayer

PRAYERS AT THE FUNERAL MEAL

If a priest is present at the funeral meal, then the usual funeral litia is performed first, after which the Our Father is sung... and the blessing of the meal follows.

If there is no priest among those present, then after three usual bows:

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 with bows.)

Glory, even now . 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, even now . Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy 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.

And funeral troparia: From the spirits of the righteous who have passed away, the soul of Thy servant (Thy servant), O Savior, give rest, preserving it in the blessed life that belongs to You, O Lover of Mankind.

In Thy chamber, O Lord, where all Thy saints rest, rest also the soul of Thy servant (Thy servant), for Thou art the only Lover of mankind.

Glory: You are God, Who descended into hell and loosed the bonds of the bound. May you and the soul of Your servant (Your servant) rest.

And now : One Pure and Immaculate Virgin, who gave birth to God without a seed, pray for his (her) soul to be saved.

Then this prayer is said three times with 15 bows: Remember, O Lord, the soul of Thy departed servant (Thy deceased servant) name (bow). Elika in this life, as a man, sinned, but You, as a Lover of Mankind, have mercy (bow), and deliver eternal torment (bow), and make the Kingdom of Heaven a partaker (bow), and do good for our souls (bow).

the Lord's Prayer is sung or read as a pre-dinner prayer followed by an invocation of God's blessing on the meal according to the order for the laity.

At the beginning of the funeral meal, before other foods, everyone is offered kutia. And before the last sweet dish, which is traditionally served with jelly with milk (on fast days with almond or poppy seed), the so-called pivomedie is brought - a sweet non-alcoholic drink. In conclusion, everyone stands up and, if the meal is served on the day of burial or commemoration: on the 9th, 20th, 40th days after death and on the first anniversary, they sing the stichera in the 6th tone:

You see me speechless, / and lying there lifeless, / weep for me, brothers and friends, / relatives and knowers: / yesterday was the day I talked with you, / and suddenly you found the terrible hour of death upon me; / but come, all you who love me, / and kiss me with your last kiss, / because I will not like anyone with you / or talk to others; / for I go to the Judge, / where there is no partiality: / for the servant and the ruler stand together, / the king and the warrior, the rich and the poor, / in equal dignity: / each will be glorified or ashamed by his deeds. / But I ask and pray to everyone, / continually pray for me to Christ God, / that I may not be brought down (brought down) by my sin to the place of torment, / but may he punish me, where the living Light is.

If the commemoration is performed on occasions other than those listed, the stichera, tone 8, is sung:

I cry and sob, / when I think about death, / and I see our beauty lying / in the tombs, created in the image of God, / ugly, inglorious, / without form. / Oh miracle! What is this sacrament about us? / How do we surrender to corruption, / how do we embrace death? / Truly by God’s command, / as it is written, / Who gives repose to the deceased.

Then the priest : In the blessed dormition, the servant of God (servant of God) has the name of the one who passed away (reposed) eternal memory.

In the absence of the priest, the eldest of the laity: To the servant of God (servant of God) who passed away (reposed) eternal memory.

All: Eternal memory (three times).

They drink the funeral cup and eat the last dish. The meal ends with the usual thanksgiving.

To the list of prayers

Prayer after lunch

At the end of the meal, make the sign of the cross and leave the table; standing before the holy icons, say:

For the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen (bow).

It is worthy to eat, as you are truly blessed, the Mother of God, ever blessed and most immaculate, and the Mother of our God. The most honorable cherub and the most glorious seraphim, who gave birth to the true Mother of God without the corruption of God’s Word, we magnify Thee (waist bow).

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (bow).

And now and ever and forever and ever, amen (bow).

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy. God bless (bow).

For the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints, Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen (bow).

And 12 bows with the Jesus Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Next, pray for the health and salvation of those who have mercy and nourishment, saying three times with bows:

Merciful Lord, save and have mercy on Your servants who have mercy and nourish us (name of the rivers, bow).

Deliver them from all sorrow, anger and need (bow).

From every illness, mental and physical (bow).

And forgive them every sin, voluntary and involuntary (bow).

And do something useful for our souls (bow).

Then three bows with the publican’s prayer: “God, be merciful.”

After this, thank you for the meal and say:

“Christ save you and keep you for many years!”

In some places there is a custom: after the prayer “For health and salvation,” they sing three times “And keep them for many years,” and after that they pray three bows with the publican’s prayer and give thanks for the meal.

How to remember the deceased with prayer before eating food

If a priest is present at the funeral meal, then the usual funeral litia is performed first, after which the Our Father is sung. and the blessing of the meal follows.

If there is no priest among those present, then after three usual bows:

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 with bows.)

Glory, even now. 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, even now. Amen.

And funeral troparia: From the spirits of the righteous who have passed away, the soul of Thy servant (Thy servant), O Savior, give rest, preserving it in the blessed life that belongs to You, O Lover of Mankind.

In Thy chamber, O Lord, where all Thy saints rest, rest also the soul of Thy servant (Thy servant), for Thou art the only Lover of mankind.

Glory: You are God, Who descended into hell and loosed the bonds of the bound. May you and the soul of Your servant (Your servant) rest.

And now: One Pure and Immaculate Virgin, who gave birth to God without a seed, pray for his (her) soul to be saved.

After this, the Lord's Prayer is sung or read as a pre-dinner prayer, followed by an invocation of God's blessing on the meal according to the order for the laity.

If the commemoration is performed on occasions other than those listed, the stichera, tone 8, is sung:

Then the priest: In the blessed dormition of the servant of God (servant of God) the name of the one who passed away (reposed) is eternal memory.

In the absence of the priest, the eldest of the laity: To the servant of God (servant of God) who passed away (reposed) eternal memory.

All: Eternal memory (three times).

They drink the funeral cup and eat the last dish. The meal ends with the usual thanksgiving.

Before eating food

A short prayer before eating food

The eyes of all, Lord, trust in you, and You give them food in good season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every animal’s good will.

After eating food

We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast filled us with Thy earthly blessings; Do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as You came among Your disciples, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.

I also pray to You, Lord, deliver me from satiety and lust and grant me in peace of mind to reverently accept Your generous gifts, so that by tasting them, I will receive strengthening of my mental and physical strength to serve You, Lord, in the short remainder of my life on Earth.

Remember, Lord, the souls of your departed servants, my parents, and all relatives in the flesh; forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, grant them the kingdom and communion of Thy eternal good things and Thy endless and blissful life of pleasure.

First of all, before you start preparing food, you must pray to God.

What does it mean to pray to God? To pray to God means to glorify, thank and ask Him for the forgiveness of your sins and your needs. Prayer is the reverent striving of the human soul towards God.

Why do you need to pray to God? God is our Creator and Father. He cares about us all more than any child-loving father and gives us all the blessings in life. By him we live, move and have our being; that is why we must pray to Him.

How do we pray? We sometimes pray internally - with our mind and heart; but since each of us consists of a soul and a body, for the most part we say the prayer out loud, and also accompany it with some visible signs and bodily actions: the sign of the cross, a bow to the waist, and for the strongest expression of our reverent feelings for God and deep humility We kneel before Him and bow to the ground.

When should you pray? You should pray at all times, without ceasing.

When is it especially appropriate to pray? In the morning, upon awakening from sleep, to thank God for keeping us through the night and asking for His blessings on the coming day. When starting a business - to ask for God's help. At the end of the case - to thank God for help and success in the case. Before lunch - so that God will bless us with food for health. After lunch - to thank God who feeds us. In the evening, before going to bed, to thank God for the day and ask Him for forgiveness of our sins, for a peaceful and serene sleep. For all cases, special prayers are prescribed by the Orthodox Church.

Prayer before lunch and dinner

Our Father. or: The eyes of all trust in You, Lord, and You give them food in good season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every animal good will.

On Thea - on You. They hope - they turn with hope. In good time - in due time. If you open it, you open it. An animal is a living being, anything living. Favor is a good disposition towards someone, mercy.

What do we ask of God in this prayer? In this prayer we ask that God bless us with food and drink for health.

What is under the hand of the Lord? The hand of the Lord is of course here giving us good things.

What does it mean to do every kindness to animals? These words mean that the Lord cares not only about people, but also about animals, birds, fish, and in general about all living things.

Prayer after lunch and dinner

Earthly goods are everything necessary for earthly life, for example, food and drink.

What are we praying for in this prayer? In this prayer, we thank God for satisfying us with food and drink, and we ask that He not deprive us of His Heavenly Kingdom.

These prayers should be read standing, facing the icon, which must certainly be in the kitchen, out loud or silently, making the sign of the cross at the beginning and end of the prayer.

If several people are sitting at the table, the oldest person reads the prayer out loud.

What can be said about someone who crosses himself incorrectly and carelessly during prayer or is ashamed to cross himself?

Such a person does not want to confess his faith in God; Jesus Christ Himself will be ashamed of this at His Last Judgment (Mark 8:38).

How should one be baptized? To make the sign of the cross, we put the first three fingers of the right hand - thumb, index and middle - together; We bend the last two fingers - the ring and little fingers - to the palm. We place the fingers folded in this way on the forehead, on the stomach, on the right and left shoulder.

What do we express by folding our fingers like this? By putting the first three fingers together we express the belief that God is One in Essence, but threefold in Persons. Two bent fingers show our faith that in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, there are two natures: Divine and human. By depicting a cross on ourselves with folded fingers, we show that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross.

Why do we sign the cross on our forehead, stomach and shoulders? To enlighten the mind, heart and strengthen strength.

Perhaps a modern person will find it strange or even fantastic to say that the taste of dinner can depend on prayer or mood. However, in the lives of the saints there is a very convincing story on this topic.

One day, Prince Izyaslav of Kiev came to the monastery to visit Saint Theodisius of Pechersk (who reposed in 1074) and stayed to dine. On the table there was only black bread, water and vegetables, but these simple dishes seemed sweeter to the prince than overseas dishes.

Izyaslav asked Theodosius why the monastery meal seemed so tasty. To which the monk replied:

“Prince, our brethren, when they cook food or bake bread, first they take a blessing from the abbot, then they make three bows in front of the altar, light a candle from a lamp in front of the icon of the Savior, and with this candle they light a fire in the kitchen and bakery.

When it is necessary to pour water into the cauldron, the minister also asks the elder for a blessing for this. Thus, everything is done with blessing.

The Church does not give any special recommendations regarding food intake, but you cannot eat before the morning service, and even more so before communion. This prohibition exists so that the body, burdened with food, does not distract the soul from prayer and communion.

What is the sacrament of communion? The fact is that a Christian receives the true Body of Christ under the guise of bread, and the true Blood of Christ under the guise of wine for union with the Lord Jesus Christ and for eternal blissful life with Him (John 6:54-56).

How should one prepare for Holy Communion? Anyone who wishes to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ must first fast, i.e. fast, pray more in church and at home, make peace with everyone and then confess.

Should you take communion often? One should receive communion as often as possible, at least once a month and necessarily during all fasts (Great, Nativity, Assumption and Petrov); otherwise it is unfair to be called an Orthodox Christian.

At what church service is the sacrament of communion celebrated? During the Divine Liturgy, or mass, which is why this service is considered more important than other church services, for example, Vespers, Matins and others.

In liturgical practice, the Russian Orthodox Church uses the Typikon. Typikon, or Rules, is a liturgical book containing detailed instructions: on what days and hours, at what divine services and in what order the prayers contained in the Service Book, Book of Hours, Octoechos and other liturgical books should be read or sung.

The Typikon also pays great attention to the food eaten by believers. However, a secular person should not literally follow all the instructions contained in the Charter, for it is aimed primarily at the monastic brethren.

Funeral meal (funeral)

This custom of remembering the dead at a funeral meal has been known for a very long time. Usually, a memorial meal is held by relatives and friends after the funeral (on the 3rd day), on the 9th day, on the 40th day, the anniversary of death, as well as on his name day and birth. The main purpose of the funeral meal is general prayer for the deceased. The deceased is remembered at the table, first of all, with Christian prayers and kind words, and then by “breaking bread.”

On the third, ninth, and fortieth days, a special memorial prayer (Psalm 118) should be read for the deceased in front of the holy icons with a lit lamp or candles.

On any day of commemoration, they read the prayer: “Through the prayers of Christ, who gave birth to Thee, and thy Forerunner, the apostles, prophets, hierarchs, the venerable and righteous, and all the saints, give rest to thy departed servant.”

Before starting the next dish, you need to read this short prayer: “Rest, O Lord, the soul of Your newly departed servant, and forgive him all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven” or: “Rest, O Lord, the soul of Your newly departed servant , and forgive her all her sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant her the Kingdom of Heaven.”

If the memorial meal is held on other days (on nine days, on fortieth day, on the anniversary of death or the day of the Angel of the deceased), then only Eternal Memory is proclaimed.

At the end of the table, ask God for all the departed: “Grant, Lord, remission of sins to all who have first departed in the faith and hope of resurrection, take away our brothers and sisters and create for them eternal memory.”

What follows is a short petition with which the Savior Himself ended His last meal in earthly life: “Blessed are you. Lord, teach me through Your justification.”

The first dish of the funeral meal is kutia (kolivo). These are boiled grains of wheat or rice with honey (raisins, dried apricots). The grains in this case are a symbol of resurrection, and honey is the sweetness that the righteous enjoy in the Kingdom of God.

If it is not possible to illuminate the kutya in the temple, then you need to sprinkle it with holy water yourself. Pancakes and jelly are traditional funeral dishes in Rus'. Then other dishes are served.

If the funeral takes place during one of the multi-day or one-day (Wednesday, Friday) fasts, then its requirements must be observed. And during Lent, funerals can only be held on Saturday or Sunday. Therefore, if they fall on weekdays, then they need to be moved forward to Saturday or Sunday.

A Christian who has been invited to the funeral of a loved one in an unbelieving family should better refuse under a worthy pretext, so as not to sin by breaking fasting or drinking wine.

According to the Church Charter, memorial meals cannot be held on the twelve and great holidays, on Sundays, as well as on Lazarus Saturday, on Bright Week, on the days of half-life and Easter, on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays of Holy Week, on the second days of Christmas, Epiphany and the Holy Trinity.

All prayers mentioned in this material can be read by lay people.

Prayer before dinner

For the prayers of the saints, our father, Lord. Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen (bow).

The poor will eat and be satisfied, and they will praise the Lord and seek Him; their hearts will live forever and ever.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (bow).

And now and ever and forever and ever, amen (bow).

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless (bow).

For the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all Your saints, Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen (bow).

Then three bows with the publican’s prayer: “God, be merciful.” And then everything is as indicated in the prayers before dinner.

Funeral prayers: what are they and what are they for?

Prayer for the repose is words that calm the soul of the deceased, as well as a kind of continuation of the life of the deceased, since they themselves can no longer turn to God. And their relatives, saying words of prayer, help them in this, preserving fond memories and doing good deeds in their name. The prayer for repose is important not only for the soul of the deceased, but also for the person praying. Scripture says that when you pray for others, you yourself will be forgiven. Through it, a person who remembers the deceased cleanses himself, getting rid of his sins.

After the death of a person, his soul remains on earth for some time. For forty days, the relatives of the deceased must say a prayer for the repose of the newly deceased. If they are far from the faith and do not know the words, a funeral prayer is ordered in the church. Candles are also placed here for the repose, and ritual notes are written to commemorate the soul of the deceased. You can invite a priest home, where a prayer is read to them for the repose of the soul.

The prayer for the repose of the deceased carries a certain message to the Lord God. The person praying asks to help and protect the soul of the deceased, to protect him from illness, to forgive him all his sins, to show him a new path in another world. The most important thing is that the text of the funeral prayer is pronounced sincerely, from the bottom of the heart, without any evil thoughts. Because, reading a prayer for the repose of the soul of the deceased or any other, a person on a spiritual level comes into contact with his soul with the Almighty. With its help, a kind of dialogue is conducted with the Lord, and the more selfless the prayers are, the more likely it is that they will be heard.

A prayer for the repose of the soul is a kind of debt to the deceased, which must be paid by his relatives and friends who remained in this world. After talking with God, a person finds peace of mind, pain subsides and relief comes. Therefore, the more often prayers are offered, the faster he will be healed from heart wounds and the all-consuming grief of losing a loved one. It will be easier for him to survive this test, gather his strength and feel the taste of life again.