How to help the dead. The Beginning of Spiritual Vision

How can we help the dead

Each of us has deceased relatives, spouses, friends and just good friends. And we remember them, and sometimes they come to us in a dream or somehow remind us of themselves. What are we to do in such a situation? Can we do something for them?

Many of us visit the graves of deceased loved ones, take care of the graves, order tombstones for them. Those who can, strive to erect expensive monuments. This is how we try to calm our conscience. But does it matter to the dead themselves? Is this what they wanted from us?

If we do not believe in God, then there is little we can do for the dead. After all, for an unbeliever, life ends with the onset of death, the dead body disintegrates, and the soul, if it exists, disappears. Then the dead do not care how we care for their graves? Unbelievers say that the memory of the dead is preserved in the souls of the living, the dead, as it were, continue to live in their offspring. But this is of little consolation. All the same, the main thing is missing - the preservation of the unique personality of the deceased; the personality of the dead disappears with the death of the body.

Well, what if everything is wrong? If the identity of the deceased is preserved, and it is in the afterlife; what then? If this afterlife is not comforting for her because of unbelief and because of her sins? Can we admit and imagine that the soul of a person we love during life is now tormented in hell? And these torments are heavy and unbearable. Isn't that why our conscience sometimes worries, and we remember the dead dear to us? Doesn't our love for them require some action from us?

Love always lives, including love for the dead, and the dead are not dead, but alive, and they themselves are able to love us. For the human soul is immortal. But this soul, after the death of the body, is directed by God to heaven or hell. A small number of the righteous go to paradise for the joy of communion with the Almighty; Many, however, go to hell because of their sins. And in hell the soul is tormented for its sins. That is why even unbelievers have torments of conscience about their negligence for their loved ones who have died. For the voice of conscience is the voice of God in our soul, even if we do not believe in God.

What are the torments of hell? We cannot even imagine it. The torment of hell is depicted as outer darkness (Matt. 22:13; 25:30), weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 22:13; 25:30), prison of spirits (1 Pet. 3:19), hell (Philippians 2:10), fiery hell (Matt. 5:22; Mark 9:43), unquenchable fire and undying worm (Mark 9:44, 46, 48). “If no word can express even those fierce sufferings that people who are burned here endure, then the sufferings of those who are tormented there [in hell] are all the more indescribable. Here, at least, all suffering ends in a few minutes, and there the scorched sinner burns forever but does not burn up" (St. John Chrysostom)

Such is the torment of sinners. This is how our relatives, spouses, friends and people close to us can suffer. And at this time we calmly spend our lives and do practically nothing to alleviate their plight. But we not only can, but are simply obliged to help the dead. What can we do for them? With faith in God's mercy, we can pray for the dead, offer a bloodless sacrifice for their repose, and give alms. We only need to remember that the Lord will hear our prayer the more surely if we ourselves try to live according to His commandments.

The fate of a person's soul is predetermined in a private court within the first forty days after his death. This judgment is different from the universal Last Judgment, which will be at the end of our world and which will pass the final sentence on every person: soul and resurrected body. A private court determines only the position of the soul until the Last Judgment or until it is pardoned by God.

We find grounds for such a belief in Holy Scripture. The Old Testament says about private judgment: "It is easy for the Lord to repay a man according to his deeds on the day of death... at the death of a man his deeds are revealed" (Sir. 11:26-27). In the New Testament, Christ, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, indicated that the rich man ended up in hell after death, and Lazarus was carried by angels to the bosom of Abraham (Luke 16: 22-23).

The Savior promised the repentant thief: "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43). These examples show us that immediately after the death of a person (and even before the end of the world) a judgment will be made and the fate of a person will be determined. And the apostle Paul says: "It is appointed for men to die once, and then the judgment" (Heb. 9:27). Here we are talking about a private judgment, which is carried out immediately after death, in contrast to the Last Judgment, which will come after the Second Coming of Christ.

The Apostle Peter tells us that Christ, after death on the Cross, descended in His spirit into hell and preached deliverance to the souls of the departed (1 Pet. 3:18-20). Church tradition preserves the truth about a private judgment that takes place within forty days after the death of a person over his soul. This truth is confirmed by the mystical life of the Church.

The fate of the soul after a private judgment is not definitively determined. The souls of repentant sinners, but who did not have time to bear the fruits of repentance, good deeds, although they can go to hell, will remain there in the hope of salvation. This hope can be embodied not by the dead themselves, for after death there is no opportunity to do good deeds, but by the living, who will intercede before the Almighty for sinners.

Intercession for the dead can either improve the condition of sinners' souls in hell or even free them from hell.

In the New Testament, Christ Himself gives an indication of the possibility of saving sinners not only in this age, but also in the age to come, and only blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not forgiven either in this life or in the age to come. The Apostle James calls on all Christians to pray for one another. Here we are talking primarily about the living, but since with God everyone is alive, then you also need to pray for the dead.

So, we must pray for the dead, both in home prayers, when reading the Psalter, and in church, when we put a candle for repose, and also take part in church prayers: at a memorial service, at the liturgy. An especially effective commemoration of the dead is considered to be the offering of a bloodless sacrifice for them during the liturgy.

“It will be of great benefit to the souls for whom prayer is offered when the Holy and Terrible Sacrifice is offered,” for during the liturgy, particles are taken out of the prosphora by name and lowered into the chalice with the words: “Wash away, Lord, the sins commemorated here by Your Honorable Blood, by the prayers of the saints yours."

We must know that prayers for the deceased should be especially intense in the first forty days after his death, when a private judgment is being made on his soul: on the third, ninth and fortieth days, counting the first day as the day of death. On the third day, we pray in remembrance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, expressing the hope for the resurrection of the deceased, whose soul at this time ascends to God for worship.

On the ninth day, we express the hope that the deceased will be considered a saint (nine angelic ranks); the soul of the deceased by this time - from the third to the ninth day - has already seen the beauties of paradise and again worships God, in order to then see the horrors of hell - from the ninth to the fortieth day.

On the fortieth day we remember the ascension of the Lord; on this day, the fate of the soul is determined for a long time, perhaps until the end of the world and the Last Judgment. This is how we should see the departed Christians to the other world. In addition to the indicated days, you need to pray for the dead on the anniversary of birth, on the day of the angel, on the anniversary of death, and on special days established by the Church.

Well, if the deceased was not a Christian, what then? Or, if the deceased died as a baby in the mother's womb or died during childbirth? Then the Church offers to pray for him with a special home prayer, a prayer to the martyr Huar. It is only necessary to take a blessing from the priest for reading this prayer.

Is there any other intercession before the Lord for the dead? Yes, there is. You can give alms for the deceased, whether he is a Christian or not. And this will be pleasing to his soul, for many sins are forgiven through alms. "Charity delivers from death and does not allow to descend into darkness"

The Monk Theodore the Studite advised to give alms even for heretics, and the Optina elders - even for suicides. Not only the sins of the dead are forgiven, but also the sins of the one who gives alms for them: "... Charity delivers from death and can cleanse every sin. Those who do alms and deeds of truth will live long"

"The one who gives to the poor will not become impoverished; and who closes his eyes from him, there are many curses on him" St. John Chrysostom teaches: "Do you want to honor the dead? Almost him with alms and good deeds; for alms serve to deliverance from eternal torment." Especially valuable before God is secret charity, which no one knows about: "... When you do charity, let your left hand not know what your right hand is doing, so that your charity may be in secret; and your Father, who sees the secret, will reward you openly"

It must be remembered that Christ Himself accepts alms in the face of a beggar. Almsgiving must be given with joy and love to the neighbor - to this very beggar. “All sacrifices and alms to the poor will not replace love for one’s neighbor if it is not in the heart; therefore, when giving alms, one must always take care that it is given with love, from a sincere heart, willingly, and not with vexation and chagrin at them.

The very word alms shows that it should be a deed and a sacrifice of the heart, and is given with tenderness or regret for the plight of the poor, and with tenderness or contrition for one’s sins, for the purification of which alms are given ... Who gives alms reluctantly and with vexation, sparingly, he did not know his sins, did not know himself. Almsgiving is a beneficence, first of all, to the one who gives it.

Any sin can be forgiven by God to the dead at the intercession of the living, except for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. We commit many sins out of weakness, out of weakness, out of laziness, out of carelessness, and such people are in the majority, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is something completely different. This is a conscious opposition to God's truth, bitter unbelief, apostasy, impenitence. Such a sin is not forgiven; It is useless to intercede for such people. It is bitter that there are such people, but such people, thank God, are a minority ...

But let us return to the majority - to sinners due to human weakness. When such people die in sins, who will ask the Lord for them? Who will give the Almighty a reason to show His mercy?: "Every person who had in himself (not all people, but only the one who had in himself) the leaven of virtue, but did not have time to turn it into bread, and therefore, although he wanted to, he could not to do this, or out of laziness, or carelessness, or human weakness, or because he put it off from day to day, and therefore they will be overtaken by death - will not be forgotten by the righteous Judge and Master; but after his death, the Lord excite his relatives, neighbors, friends, direct their thoughts, attract hearts and incline their souls to provide assistance and help to him.

So, the important thing is that while we are alive, we can help those dear to our hearts who have died with our intercession for their souls before God. Prayer for the dead, almsgiving for them brings them joy, eases their afterlife, and even frees them from hell. This is the law of love. And the Lord Himself wants us to love each other, take care of each other, remember each other.

We can and must help our dead loved ones, because they cannot help themselves in the next world. If the deceased person was an Orthodox Christian, but was not buried according to the church rite during the funeral, he should be buried in absentia. You need to pray for the dead, especially diligently - the first 40 days after death to help you go through the ordeals, but even after 40 days your prayer will be of invaluable help.

Pray for the departed daily to Archangel Michael and at church services on the days of his memory - September 19 and November 21.

You can pray yourself, and order a commemoration of the repose ("forty-mouth") in an Orthodox church, up to 7 churches, so that prayers for the deceased do not stop all year round (the maximum magpie can be ordered for a year, but in churches there is also an eternal commemoration ).Order services for the repose in Orthodox churches and monasteries.Serve at the Indestructible Psalter, this is the most effective.

The indestructible Psalter is a special kind of prayer. The indestructible Psalter is so called because its reading takes place around the clock, without interruption. Such a prayer is prayed only in monasteries. The power of this unceasing prayer is great. Reading the Psalter drives away demons from a person and attracts God's grace.

You can serve both for the living (about health) and for the deceased people of the Orthodox faith. The more you give, the better. For a month, for a year, etc. , and the most that you can do for a deceased loved one - no, do not order an expensive granite monument, but order an eternal commemoration on the indestructible Psalter in the monastery.

If you don’t have time to get to the nearest monastery, you can order services (both magpie and the reading of the indestructible Psalter) at Orthodox exhibitions-fairs, which are periodically (2-3 times a year) held in all major cities, many monasteries are represented at these exhibitions and churches in Russia.

Prayer for the living and the dead while reading the indestructible Psalter has unprecedented power, which crushes demons, and softens hearts, and propitiates the Lord in such a way that he raises sinners out of hell. This is the strongest support for the dead, so they can be begged from places of torment.

If the deceased loved one was not Orthodox, he can also be helped - by alms given for him, by good deeds and by life itself according to the commandments of God.

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Brief summary of the Orthodox teaching on the posthumous fate of the soul

This book is too limited in scope to give a full Orthodox teaching on the other world and the life after death; our task was much narrower - to expound this teaching to the extent that it would be sufficient to answer the questions raised by modern "posthumous" experiences, and point the reader to those Orthodox texts where this teaching is contained. In conclusion, here we specifically give a brief summary of the Orthodox teaching on the fate of the soul after death. This presentation consists of an article written by one of the last outstanding theologians of our time, Archbishop John (Maximovich), a year before his death. His words are printed in a narrower column, while explanations of his text, comments and comparisons are printed as usual.

Archbishop John (Maximovich) "Life after death"

“I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come” (Nicene Creed).

Boundless and unsuccessful would be our grief for dying loved ones, if the Lord did not give us eternal life. Our life would be aimless if it ended in death. What would be the use of virtue and good deeds then? Then those who say: "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" would be right. But man was created for immortality, and Christ, by His resurrection, opened the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven, eternal bliss for those who believed in Him and lived righteously. Our earthly life is a preparation for the future life, and this preparation ends with death. “It is appointed for men to die once, and then judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Then a person leaves all his earthly cares; his body disintegrates in order to rise again at the General Resurrection.

But his soul continues to live, not ceasing its existence for a single moment. By many appearances of the dead, we have been given a partial knowledge of what happens to the soul when it leaves the body. When vision with the bodily eyes ceases, spiritual vision begins.

Addressing his dying sister in a letter, Bishop Theophan the Recluse writes: “After all, you will not die. Your body will die, and you will move on to another world, alive, remembering yourself and recognizing the whole world around you ”(“ Soulful Reading ”, August 1894).

After death, the soul is alive, and its feelings are sharpened, not weakened. St. Ambrose of Milan teaches: “Since the soul continues to live after death, goodness remains, which is not lost with death, but increases. The soul is not held back by any obstacles set by death, but is more active, because it acts in its own sphere without any connection with the body, which is rather a burden than a benefit to it ”(St. Ambrose“ Death as a good ”).

Rev. Abba Dorotheos sums up the teaching of the early fathers on this issue: “For souls remember everything that was here, as the fathers say, and words, and deeds, and thoughts, and none of this can then be forgotten. And it is said in the psalm: “In that day all his thoughts will perish” (Ps. 145:4); this refers to the thoughts of this age, i.e., about the structure, property, parents, children, and every deed and teaching. All this about how the soul leaves the body perishes... But what it has done regarding virtue or passion, it remembers everything, and none of this perishes for it... And nothing, as I said, the soul from what she did in this world, but she remembers everything after leaving the body, and, moreover, better and more clearly, as she has freed herself from this earthly body ”(Abba Dorotheos, Instruction 12).

Great ascetic of the 5th century, St. John Cassian clearly formulates the active state of the soul after death in response to heretics who believed that the soul was unconscious after death: “Souls after separation from the body are not idle, do not remain without any feeling; this is proved by the gospel parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)... The souls of the dead not only do not lose their feelings, but do not lose their dispositions either, i.e. hope and fear, joy and sorrow, and something of what they expect for themselves at the universal judgment, they already begin to anticipate ... they become even more alive and zealously cling to the glorification of God. And indeed, if, having considered the evidence of Holy Scripture about the nature of the soul itself, according to our understanding, we consider a little, then whether it would not be, I do not say, extreme stupidity, but madness - to even slightly suspect that the most precious part of a person (i.e., the soul) , in which, according to the blessed apostle, is the image of God and the likeness (1 Cor. 11: 7; Col. 3: 10), after putting off this bodily stoutness, in which she is in real life, as if she becomes insensible - the one that contains in to himself every power of reason, by his communion even the mute and insensible substance of the flesh makes sensitive? It follows from this, and the property of the mind itself requires that the spirit, after the addition of this carnal stoutness, which is now weakening, bring its rational forces to a better state, restore them to be purer and more subtle, and not lose them.

Modern "post-mortem" experiences have made people tremendously aware of the consciousness of the soul after death, of the greater sharpness and speed of its mental faculties. But by itself this awareness is not enough to protect the person in such a state from manifestations of the out-of-body realm; one should master ALL Christian teaching on this subject.

The Beginning of Spiritual Vision

Often this spiritual vision begins in the dying before death, and while still seeing those around them and even talking to them, they see what others do not see.

This experience of the dying has been observed for centuries, and today such cases with the dying are not new. However, here it is necessary to repeat what was said above - in Chap. 1, part 2: only in the grace-filled visits of the righteous, when saints and angels appear, can we be sure that these were indeed beings from another world. In ordinary cases, when a dying person begins to see deceased friends and relatives, this can only be a natural acquaintance with the invisible world into which he must enter; the true nature of the images of the deceased, appearing at this moment, is known, perhaps, only to God - and we do not need to delve into this.

It is clear that God gives this experience as the most obvious way to communicate to the dying person that the other world is not a completely unfamiliar place, that life there is also characterized by the love that a person has for his loved ones. His Grace Theophan touchingly expresses this thought in the words addressed to the dying sister: “Batiushka and matushka, brothers and sisters will meet you there. Bow to them and give our regards, and ask them to take care of us. You are surrounded by your children with their joyful greetings. You'll be better off there than here."

Encounter with spirits

But upon leaving the body, the soul finds itself among other spirits, good and evil. Usually she is drawn to those who are closer to her in spirit, and if, while in the body, she was under the influence of some of them, then she will remain dependent on them after leaving the body, no matter how disgusting they may be when they meet.

Here we are again seriously reminded that the other world, although it will not be completely alien to us, will not turn out to be just a pleasant meeting with loved ones “at a resort” of happiness, but will be a spiritual clash that our soul’s disposition experiences during life - did it bow more to the angels and saints through a virtuous life and obedience to the commandments of God, or, through negligence and unbelief, she made herself more fit for the company of fallen spirits. The Right Reverend Theophan the Recluse well said (see above the end of Chapter VI) that even a test in aerial ordeals can turn out to be rather a test of temptations than an accusation.

Although the very fact of the judgment in the afterlife is beyond any doubt - both the Private Judgment immediately after death, and the Last Judgment at the end of the world - the external judgment of God will only be a response to the internal disposition that the soul has created in itself in relation to God and spiritual beings. .

First two days after death

During the first two days, the soul enjoys relative freedom and can visit those places on earth that are dear to it, but on the third day it moves to other realms.

Here Archbishop John is simply repeating a doctrine known to the Church since the 4th century. Tradition reports that the angel who accompanied St. Macarius of Alexandria, said, explaining the church commemoration of the dead on the third day after death: “When an offering takes place in the church on the third day, the soul of the deceased receives relief from the angel guarding her in sorrow, which she feels from separation from the body, receives because the doxology and the offering in the church of God has been made for her, which is why a good hope is born in her. For for two days the soul, together with the angels who are with it, is allowed to walk the earth wherever it wants. Therefore, the soul that loves the body sometimes wanders near the house in which it was separated from the body, sometimes near the tomb in which the body is laid; and thus spends two days, like a bird, looking for its nests. And a virtuous soul walks in those places where it used to do the right thing. On the third day, He Who rose from the dead, commands, in imitation of His resurrection, to ascend to heaven for every Christian soul to worship the God of all” (“Words of St. Macarius of Alexandria on the Exodus of the Souls of the Righteous and Sinners”, “Christ. Reading”, August 1831).

In the Orthodox rite of burial of the departed Ven. John of Damascus vividly describes the state of the soul that has parted from the body, but is still on earth, powerless to communicate with loved ones whom it can see: “Alas for me, what a feat to have a soul separated from the body! Alas, then how much will shed tears, and have mercy on her! Lifting up your eyes to the Angels, praying idlely: stretching out your hands to people, not having someone to help. The same, my beloved brethren, having thought of our short life, we ask the departed repose from Christ, and great mercy to our souls ”(Following the burial of worldly people, the stichera is self-voiced, tone 2).

In a letter to the husband of her dying sister mentioned above, St. Theophan writes: “After all, the sister herself will not die; the body dies, but the face of the dying remains. Passes only to other orders of life. In the body lying under the saints and then taken out, it is not there, and it is not hidden in the grave. She is somewhere else. Just as alive as now. In the first hours and days it will be near you. And only she won’t speak, but you can’t see her, otherwise here ... Keep this in mind. We who remain weep for those who have departed, but it is immediately easier for them: that state is gratifying. Those who died and were then introduced into the body found it a very uncomfortable dwelling. The sister will feel the same way. She is better there, and we are killing ourselves, as if some kind of misfortune had happened to her. She looks and, no doubt, marvels at it (“Emotional Reading”, August 1894).

It should be borne in mind that this description of the first two days after death gives a general rule that by no means covers all situations. Indeed, most of the passages from Orthodox literature cited in this book do not fit this rule - and for a completely obvious reason: the saints, who were not at all attached to worldly things, lived in constant expectation of transition to another world, are not even attracted to places, where they did good deeds, but immediately begin their ascent to heaven. Others, like K. Ikskul, begin their ascent earlier than two days by the special permission of God's Providence. On the other hand, all modern “post-mortem” experiences, no matter how fragmented they may be, do not fit this rule: the out-of-body state is only the beginning of the first period of the disembodied wandering of the soul to the places of its earthly attachments, but none of these people has been in a state of death. long enough to even meet the two Angels who are supposed to accompany them.

Some critics of the Orthodox doctrine of life after death find that such deviations from the general rule of "after death" experience are evidence of contradictions in Orthodox teaching, but such critics take everything too literally. The description of the first two days (as well as the subsequent ones) is by no means dogma; it is simply a model that only formulates the most general order of the "post-mortem" experience of the soul. Many instances, both in Orthodox literature and in accounts of modern experiences, where the dead instantly appeared alive on the first day or two after death (sometimes in a dream), serve as examples of the truth that the soul does indeed remain close to the earth for some short time. (Actual apparitions of the dead after this brief period of freedom of the soul are much rarer and always by God's Will for some special purpose, and not by anyone's own will. But by the third day, and often earlier, this period comes to an end. .)

ordeal

At this time (on the third day) the soul passes through the legions of evil spirits, which block its path and accuse it of various sins, in which they themselves have involved it. According to various revelations, there are twenty such obstacles, the so-called "ordeals", at each of which this or that sin is tortured; having gone through one ordeal, the soul comes to the next. And only after successfully passing through all of them, can the soul continue its path without being immediately plunged into hell. How terrible these demons and ordeals are can be seen from the fact that the Mother of God Herself, when the Archangel Gabriel informed Her of the approach of death, prayed to Her Son to deliver Her soul from these demons, and in answer to Her prayers, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself appeared from Heaven accept the soul of His Most Pure Mother and take Her to Heaven. (This is visibly depicted on the traditional Orthodox icon of the Assumption.) The third day is truly terrible for the soul of the deceased, and for this reason prayers are especially needed for it.

In the sixth chapter there are a number of patristic and hagiographic texts about ordeals, and there is no need to add anything else here. However, here we can also note that the descriptions of ordeals correspond to the model of torture that the soul undergoes after death, and individual experience can differ significantly. Minor details such as the number of ordeals, of course, are secondary in comparison with the main fact that the soul is really subjected to judgment soon after death (Private Judgment), which sums up the “invisible battle” that it waged (or did not wage) on earth against the fallen spirits.

Continuing the letter to the husband of the dying sister, Bishop Theophan the Recluse writes: “For those who have departed, the feat of transition through the ordeal soon begins. She needs help there! Stand then in this thought, and you will hear its cry to you: "Help!" This is where you should put all your attention and all your love for her. I think that the most real evidence of love will be if, from the moment your soul departs, you, leaving the worries about the body to others, step back yourself and, secluded where possible, plunge into prayer for her in her new state, for her unexpected needs. Having begun in this way, be in an unceasing cry to God - for her help, for six weeks - and beyond. In Theodora's legend - the bag from which the Angels took to get rid of the publicans - these were the prayers of her elder. Your prayers will be the same... Don't forget to do this... Behold love!"

Critics of Orthodox teaching often misunderstand that “bag of gold” from which the Angels “paid for the debts” of Blessed Theodora during the ordeals; it is sometimes erroneously compared to the Latin notion of "super-due merits" of saints. Here, too, such critics read Orthodox texts too literally. What is meant here is nothing more than the prayers for the departed of the Church, in particular the prayers of the holy and spiritual father. The form in which it is described - there is hardly even a need to talk about it - is metaphorical.

The Orthodox Church considers the doctrine of ordeals so important that it mentions them in many divine services (see some quotations in the chapter on ordeals). In particular, the Church especially expounds this teaching to all her dying children. In the “Canon on the Exodus of the Soul,” read by a priest at the bedside of a dying member of the Church, there are the following troparia: “Prince of the air, a rapist, tormentor, standing on these terrible paths and vainly probing those words, grant me to pass unhinderedly departing from the earth” (Song 4). “Holy Angels, lay me to the sacred and honest hands, Lady, as if I covered those wings, I don’t see the dishonorable and stinking and gloomy demons of the image” (Ode 6). “Having given birth to the Lord Almighty, the bitter ordeals of the head of the world-keeper are far from me, whenever I want to die, but I will glorify Thee forever, Holy Mother of God” (Song 8).

Thus, the dying Orthodox Christian is prepared by the words of the Church for the coming trials.

forty days

Then, having successfully passed through ordeals and bowed to God, the soul visits heavenly abodes and hellish abysses for another 37 days, not yet knowing where it will stay, and only on the fortieth day is a place assigned to it until the resurrection of the dead.

Of course, there is nothing strange in the fact that, having gone through ordeals and finished forever with the earthly, the soul should get acquainted with the real other world, in one part of which it will stay forever. According to the revelation of the Angel, St. Macarius of Alexandria, a special church commemoration of the dead on the ninth day after death (in addition to the general symbolism of the nine ranks of angels) is due to the fact that until now the soul has been shown the beauties of paradise, and only after that, during the rest of the forty-day period, it is shown the torment and horrors of hell, before on the fortieth day a place is assigned to her where she will await the resurrection of the dead and the Last Judgment. And here too, these numbers give a general rule or model of the after-death reality, and, of course, not all the dead complete their journey according to this rule. We know that Theodora really completed her visit to hell on the fortieth - by earthly standards of time - day.

State of mind before the Last Judgment

Some souls after forty days find themselves in a state of anticipation of eternal joy and bliss, while others are in fear of eternal torment, which will fully begin after the Last Judgment. Before that, changes in the state of souls are still possible, especially thanks to the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice for them (commemoration at the Liturgy) and other prayers.

The teaching of the Church about the state of souls in Heaven and hell before the Last Judgment is set forth in more detail in the words of St. Mark of Ephesus.

The benefits of prayer, both public and private, for souls in hell are described in the lives of the holy ascetics and in patristic writings.

In the life of the martyr Perpetua (III century), for example, the fate of her brother was revealed to her in the form of a reservoir filled with water, which was located so high that he could not reach it from that dirty, unbearably hot place where he was imprisoned. Thanks to her fervent prayer throughout the whole day and night, he was able to reach the reservoir, and she saw him in a bright place. From this she understood that he was delivered from punishment (Lives of the Saints, February 1).

There are many similar cases in the lives of Orthodox saints and ascetics. If one is inclined to be overly literal about these visions, then it should perhaps be said that, of course, the forms that these visions take (usually in a dream) are not necessarily "photographs" of the state of the soul in another world, but rather images that convey the spiritual truth about the improvement of the state of the soul through the prayers of those who remained on earth.

Prayer for the dead

The importance of commemoration at the Liturgy can be seen from the following cases. Even before the glorification of St. Theodosius of Chernigov (1896), the hieromonk (the famous elder Alexy from the Goloseevsky skete of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, who died in 1916), who was reclothing the relics, was tired, sitting at the relics, dozed off and saw the Saint in front of him, who said to him: “Thank you for your hard work for me. I also ask you, when you serve the Liturgy, to mention my parents”; and he gave their names (Priest Nikita and Maria). Prior to the vision, these names were unknown. A few years after canonization in the monastery, where St. Theodosius was the abbot, his own memorial was found, which confirmed these names, confirmed the truth of the vision. “How can you, hierarch, ask for my prayers when you yourself stand before the Heavenly Throne and give God’s grace to people?” the hieromonk asked. “Yes, that’s right,” said St. Theodosius, “but the offering at the Liturgy is stronger than my prayers.”

Therefore, a memorial service and home prayer for the dead are useful, as well as good deeds done in their remembrance, alms or donations to the Church. But commemoration at the Divine Liturgy is especially useful for them. There were many appearances of the dead and other events confirming how useful the commemoration of the dead is. Many who died in repentance, but failed to manifest it during their lifetime, were released from torment and received repose. Prayers for the repose of the departed are constantly lifted up in the Church, and in the kneeling prayer at Vespers on the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit there is a special petition "for those who are held in hell."

St. Gregory the Great, answering in his "Conversations" the question whether there is anything that could be useful to souls after death, teaches: "The holy sacrifice of Christ, our saving Sacrifice, is of great benefit to souls even after death, provided that their sins may be forgiven in the Hereafter. Therefore, the souls of the departed sometimes ask that the Liturgy be served for them... Naturally, it is safer to do during our lifetime what we hope others will do about us after death. It is better to make the exodus free than to seek freedom in chains. Therefore, we should despise this world from the bottom of our hearts, as if its glory had already passed, and daily offer God the sacrifice of our tears as we offer His sacred Flesh and Blood. Only this sacrifice has the power to save the soul from eternal death, for it mysteriously represents to us the death of the Only Begotten Son” (IV; 57, 60).

St. Gregory gives several examples of the appearance of the dead alive with a request to serve the Liturgy for their repose or thanksgiving for it; once also one captive, whom his wife considered dead and for whom she ordered the Liturgy on certain days, returned from captivity and told her how he was freed from chains on certain days - precisely on those days when the Liturgy was served for him (IV; 57, 59).

Protestants generally believe that church prayers for the dead are incompatible with the need to gain salvation first in this life: “If you can be saved by the Church after death, then why bother fighting or seeking faith in this life? Let us eat, drink and be merry.”... Of course, no one who holds such views has ever achieved salvation through church prayers, and it is obvious that such an argument is very superficial and even hypocritical. The prayer of the Church cannot save someone who does not want salvation or who has never made any efforts for this during his lifetime. In a certain sense, it can be said that the prayer of the Church or individual Christians for the deceased is another result of the life of this person: they would not have prayed for him if he had not done anything during his life that could inspire such prayer after his death.

St. Mark of Ephesus also discusses the issue of church prayer for the dead and the relief it brings to them, citing as an example the prayer of St. Gregory Dialog about the Roman emperor Trajan - a prayer inspired by the good deed of this pagan emperor.

What can we do for the dead?

Anyone who wants to show his love for the dead and give them real help can best do this by praying for them, and especially by commemoration at the Liturgy, when the particles seized for the living and the dead are immersed in the Blood of the Lord with the words: “Wash, Lord, sins commemorated here by Your precious blood, by the prayers of Your saints.

We can do nothing better or more for the departed than to pray for them, commemorating them at the Liturgy. They always need this, especially in those forty days when the soul of the deceased follows the path to the eternal villages. The body then does not feel anything: it does not see the gathered loved ones, does not smell the smell of flowers, does not hear funeral speeches. But the soul feels the prayers offered for it, is grateful to those who offer them, and is spiritually close to them.

Oh, relatives and friends of the dead! Do for them what is necessary and what is within your power, use your money not for the external decoration of the coffin and grave, but to help those in need, in memory of your dead loved ones, in the Church, where prayers are offered for them. Be merciful to the dead, take care of their souls. The same path lies before you, and how then we would like to be remembered in prayer! Let us ourselves be merciful to the departed.

As soon as someone has died, immediately call the priest or tell him so that he can read the "Prayers for the Exodus of the Soul", which are supposed to be read over all Orthodox Christians after their death. Try, as far as possible, for the funeral to be in the church and for the Psalter to be read over the deceased before the funeral. The funeral should not be carefully arranged, but it is absolutely necessary that it be complete, without reduction; then think not of your own comfort, but of the deceased, with whom you part forever. If there are several dead in the church at the same time, do not refuse if you are offered that the funeral service be common to everyone. It is better that the funeral service be served simultaneously for two or more deceased, when the prayer of the assembled relatives will be more fervent, than for several funeral services to be served consecutively and services, due to lack of time and effort, were shortened, because each word of the prayer for the deceased is like a drop of water for the thirsty. Immediately take care of the magpie, that is, the daily commemoration at the Liturgy for forty days. Usually in churches where the service is performed daily, the deceased, who were buried in this way, are commemorated for forty days or more. But if the funeral was in a temple where there are no daily services, the relatives themselves should take care and order a magpie where there is a daily service. It is also good to send a donation in memory of the deceased to monasteries, as well as to Jerusalem, where unceasing prayer is offered up in holy places. But the forty-day commemoration should begin immediately after death, when the soul especially needs prayer help, and therefore the commemoration should begin at the nearest place where there is a daily service.

Let us take care of those who have gone to the other world before us, so that we can do everything for them that we can, remembering that “blessed are mercies, for they shall receive mercy” (Matt. 5:7).

Resurrection of the body

One day this whole perishable world will come to an end and the eternal Kingdom of Heaven will come, where the souls of the redeemed, reunited with their resurrected bodies, immortal and incorruptible, will forever abide with Christ. Then the partial joy and glory that souls in heaven even now know will be replaced by the fullness of the joy of the new creation for which man was created; but those who did not accept the salvation brought to earth by Christ will be tormented forever - along with their resurrected bodies - in hell. In the final chapter of the Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Rev. John of Damascus describes well this final state of the soul after death: “We also believe in the resurrection of the dead. For it will be true, there will be a resurrection of the dead. But when we speak of the resurrection, we are thinking of the resurrection of bodies. For the resurrection is the second resurrection of the fallen; souls, being immortal, how will they be resurrected? For if death is defined as the separation of the soul from the body, then the resurrection is, of course, the secondary union of soul and body, and the secondary exaltation of the resolved and dead living being. So, the body itself, decaying and being resolved, it itself will rise incorruptible. For He Who at the beginning brought it forth from the dust of the earth can raise it up again, after it again, according to the Creator's saying, was dissolved and returned back to the earth from which it was taken...

Of course, if only one soul practiced the exploits of virtue, then only she alone will be crowned. And if she alone was constantly in pleasure, then in justice she alone would have been punished. But since the soul did not aspire to either virtue or vice separately from the body, then in justice both will receive a reward together ...

And so, we will rise again, as the souls will again unite with the bodies, which become immortal and take away corruption from themselves, and we will appear before the terrible judgment seat of Christ; and the devil, and his demons, and his man, that is, the Antichrist, and wicked people, and sinners will be delivered into eternal fire, not material, like the fire that is with us, but such as God can know about. And having created good things, like the sun, they will shine together with the Angels in eternal life, together with our Lord Jesus Christ, always looking at Him and being visible by Him, and enjoying the uninterrupted joy that flows from Him, glorifying Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit in endless ages of ages . Amen" (pp. 267-272).

HOW TO HELP THE DEAD?

What to do when you lose loved ones

The mysterious meaning of funeral rites

How to deal with superstitions?

What the soul feels and sees in the other world

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Foreword

What do we feel when we stand at the grave at the sight of the coffin, what thoughts visit us at this moment? It's no secret that most feel fear of death, fear of mystery...

Unfortunately, this is the way most people live. However, the feeling at the sight of death should not be fear, but only awe before the end of earthly existence and the forthcoming answer before the Lord Almighty. Precisely with awe, since we are all only aliens, that is, we are present in this world temporarily. And therefore, remembering that the Lord the Savior, by His Grace, brought us to being, is the most important moment of our life work. Only God calls us to the Heavenly Fatherland to the much-desired Eternal Bliss. Death is an encounter with Christ. What this meeting will be depends on us. As we lived, so we die; according to life, our stay in Eternity: with God or in condemnation.

And so, the person has departed into Eternity... Now only we, the living, can alleviate the plight of the deceased. This will be a much needed help...

What should be done for the soul of the deceased? Visiting a cemetery, caring for a grave, lighting candles for the dead? All this is very pious, but our first duty is prayer, and necessarily church, conciliar prayer, in which faith comes first: for God everyone is alive. Therefore, our attitude towards the dead should be as towards the living, since they are really alive.

The loss of a neighbor is always difficult... Obscurity, lack of communication make us grieve even more. It is possible to make up for interrupted communication with prayer. However, one should not be too naive about prayer communication, believing that prayer may be followed, for example, by the appearance of the deceased. This is a completely false notion. Prayer is directed to God, and therefore, the true answer can only come from Him. And if, as we know from the Holy Scriptures, those condemned to torment do not communicate with the heirs of the "bosom of Abraham", then how will the Lord "let go on a date" one of those called to Eternity?

Not looking for such sensual phenomena, we are obliged to pray to the Lord for a better fate for the soul of the deceased.

However, as members of the Orthodox Church, we cannot pray for those who rejected God and the Church: died in unbelief (atheism) or voluntarily passed away; according to the words of the holy martyr Cyprian, "to whom the Church is not a mother, God is not a father." Anyone who has not prepared for a meeting with Christ cannot hope for the help of Christian prayer, which leads to the hour of death our entire Christian life. Preparation for Eternity is the work of the whole Christian life. Faith in the universal Resurrection and in the heritage of the eternal blessedness of communion with God will always help to overcome temptations and achieve a “non-shameful” end.

Deacon Sergius Zverev

Chapter 1
When you lose loved ones

Each of us has deceased relatives, spouses, friends and just good friends. And we remember them, and sometimes they come to us in a dream or somehow remind us of themselves. What are we to do in such a situation? Can we do something for them?

Many of us visit the graves of deceased loved ones, take care of the graves, order tombstones for them. Those who can, strive to erect expensive monuments. So

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(10 min)

Today you bury the body of a person close and dear to you. His soul is already far from here. In what condition it is and where, we do not know, although we all pronounce the wish "The kingdom of heaven to him" on full automatic. Almost everyone pronounces it, even those who do not at all believe in this Kingdom and in the existence of Heaven with a capital letter. It is not a fact that the soul of the deceased will be sent there. But you can help her get there. The soul of the deceased is perfectly aware of itself and is now really alive. No less alive than the soul of each of us, even if many of you do not believe in it. In exceptional cases, God allows souls to even be during the funeral next to their coffin. But without a body, she cannot change and will be what she blinded herself to while living in the body. At the moment, she really needs the help of those who love her. After all, she is now awaiting the judgment of eternal existence in a new and unusual world in which she will live until her resurrection in a new body. Let's help her with this.

What can help the soul?

Petition.

According to the faith of Christians, not only Orthodox, but also Catholics, the soul after death comes to a private court, where its fate is determined until the Last Judgment, which is sometimes called the Last Judgment. Judge will judge - Christ. Moreover, “lawyers” at the Court can be both the souls of the dead righteous, if they have something good to say for the soul, and the people who remain on earth and love her, who can become her intercessors in prayers. And such intercession is accepted by God because it is an act of love. Even earthly powerful rulers softened in condemnation with the mass and heartfelt intercession of those who loved the condemned. And even more so, God, who is Love, will accept your intercession and intercession. Only it should be from the heart, and not for a sense of accomplishment.

Victim.

If the deceased, even in your opinion, was not a strong believer, and it is difficult to call him a saint, then the prayer should be backed up with a donation. The fact is that the highest manifestation of love is in sacrifice. The Son of God demonstrated love for his fallen and sinful creation by sacrificing himself. You yourself intuitively understand how to test the sincerity and strength of your love for someone. It is enough to ask yourself the question: am I ready to give my life for the sake of saving his or her life? And an honest answer to this question will be an indicator of the quality of your love for you. Many will give their lives for a friend or relative, but hardly for a neighbor or a homeless person from the street.

Today no one asks you to sacrifice your life for your soul. Donate material goods to those in need, asking God to consider this as a sacrifice for the deceased. But it must be a sacrifice. The sacrifice is always significant. This is not a handout of old clothes or small cash. A sacrifice is when you have to give up something to meet your usual needs, at least in the current month. In this sacrifice there should be nothing from vanity and receiving at least a minimum of positive evaluation by others. Only so that we and God know. Such a sacrifice pleases Him. The sacrifice of vanity will not be accepted, but will become a condemnation to the donor.

Feat.

In the Patericon there is a case of a deceased steward of a monastery whose face turned black after death. The abbot immediately realized that when he was in the world on the business of the monastery, the monk fell into serious sins and hid them. Merciful for this brother, and realizing that by his way of serving the monastery he protected the others from the same temptations, he called on all the monks to undertake the feat to save the soul of the steward. The brothers, together with the rector, strictly fasted for three days, not eating anything but plain water, and they did not bury their brother. And on the third day his face began to brighten. The deed of the abbot and the monks is 3 in 1. And intercession, and sacrifice, and personal feat for salvation from hell and condemnation of the soul of the deceased.

By the way, the commemoration is made fast and without vodka for this very reason. This is a kind of small feat for the deceased of all those who commemorate him, who refused a rich and satisfying dinner.

It happens that loved ones feel heaviness in their souls after death, from the fact that they didn’t forgive something, or didn’t show mercy to the deceased, or provoked him to sin in any form. There is also heaviness from fears for the posthumous fate of the soul for a not entirely pious life. Then the feat will be appropriate if you combine it with a prayer for the deceased. And the Lord will send relief, depending on the degree of your sincerity and faith in prayer.

Who can help?

The one who loves the most can help best. Remember this forever. This truth is absolute. So you called the priest, in the hope that he would somehow help the deceased. Of course, he will perform the ritual part as conscientiously as possible. But he did not know and did not love this man. Even as a simple neighbor whom he had seen at least once in his life. As a priest, he will do his best. And his actions, if you join with your mind the words of his prayers and lift them up to God through your heart, will help the soul of the deceased, forcing to pray even those who do not know how to do this and have never done it. But the quality of these prayers in themselves is not high. They have another merit, and that is their collective character. The main thing is that everyone should try to really pray, and not think that this is the priest's business, and he must conscientiously wait until this whole ceremony is over.

Therefore, I appeal to those who love and will remember for a long time. Pray in your own words. Ask God to forgive so-and-so (do not add "God's servant" if the deceased himself did not consider himself such) his sins committed knowingly and out of ignorance. Ask for deliverance from hell and from the torment of passions. And while praying, remember the deceased speculatively, putting all your heart into the words of prayer. Do not look for special prayers for repose in prayer books, do not read special canons and akathists. What others have written, and even in a language in which you do not think, will not lie on your heart and will not bring any benefit to the soul of the deceased. If you are more comfortable with the prayer book, please. The main thing is to do this as soon as you commemorate the deceased, without becoming attached to being in the temple or in front of the icons.

No need to submit notes to all the temples that have turned up. Commemoration books in monasteries and at churches are read fluently, only looking through them. There is practically no sense in such prayers. Indeed, in this subtraction there is no love, only obligations to do this for money. The sacrifice will of course be accepted. But in the absence of love and feat in it, its price is low.

Offer a sacrifice of love to the deceased with sincere prayer, and the result for him in the next world will be the most effective.

What is now useless and somewhat harmful?

No excessive actions of relatives in relation to the body of the deceased: a rich commemoration, an expensive coffin, a monument, or even a crypt, do not affect the state of the deceased. It all makes sense only for the living. Of course, they can express love for the deceased, or they can also be a moment of vanity (vanity is dependence on the opinions of others). It will be just a cross with a fence or a marble crypt - for the deceased there is no difference. BUT for you, everything will be determined by the strength of faith in the afterlife or its absence . If you do not believe in it, then an expensive tombstone is a bullet point on the deceased. That is, he is here, under the stove, and nowhere else, and this is the place of his mourning. People come to the grave to “talk” with the deceased, because identify the person they love with the buried body. Such a person does not live by prayer for the soul of the deceased, but by his memories of him alive, and sorrow for his loss. And he is more sorry for himself in this sadness, and may not care at all about the soul of the deceased.

If the prayer for the soul of the deceased is in the first place, and there are no motives of vanity in perpetuating the memory, then any tombstone with any income will be appropriate. This means that there is a belief in an afterlife, and a person identifies the deceased with his now living soul, located in another world. This is the form of love that gives a peaceful death to any person who is aware of its approach. The feeling of such love gives confidence that he will not be left without support even after death. But the presence of an expensive monument on his grave will not support in any way. Personally, I would have traded rest in an expensive crypt, with endless visits for sorrow and tears by my relatives, for finding the body in an unmarked mass grave, but with a few heartfelt prayers from those who love me for my soul. Even if they are thousands of kilometers away and do not know where the body was buried.

In the best case, a simple cross is better on the grave, but a large monument from your heartfelt prayers. It means that you properly honored the body, but continue to care for the soul . And such care will change you for the better, because it is pleasing to God. And where even your faith will not be enough, your love will complement it. Amen.

Answers to questions about communication with the dead and told the rules for the commemoration.

It is very important to commemorate deceased relatives, because this is a certain reverence for the deceased relatives. But it's important to do it right. And how exactly do you learn from the article.

How to commemorate deceased relatives?

All people are mortal. Sometimes their life is cut short tragically, sometimes by an absurd accident, and sometimes the time just comes. You shouldn't be upset about this. After all, no one is immune from this.

The least you can do in such a situation is correctly commemorate and see the deceased in another mi R. Everyone has a different understanding of how to do it right. The ignorance in this matter is sometimes astounding.

One should always look for answers in the church or the Scriptures.
Many under the phrase "remember the deceased" understand the distribution of sweets and cookies to people. This is correct, but there are many more customs and rules in this matter.

First of all, it is worth mentioning how to properly bury a person. After all, even in this, many people make mistakes. Mistakes that should not be made:

• In no case should you commemorate the deceased alcoholic drinks. Faith forbids this, many scriptures talk about it. Thus, the deceased person will be doomed to inevitable torment. The best way out is to distribute food and clothes to the homeless
• Don't order a funeral band. Sometimes you go and hear heartbreaking music. It makes her feel bad and uncomfortable. From it you can determine that someone is buried nearby.
  Wise people say they come to this music crafty. They rejoice and dance. And the deceased cannot say goodbye to this world calmly.
• People have died and are dying. And so it will always be. Nowadays, the grave and monument are hung with wreaths. But if you go back to the past, you can understand that in those distant times there was no all this. They always came to the grave with fresh flowers. But the godless time of Soviet power made its own adjustments to this tradition. There is no such custom abroad.
  If you remember the movie "Visiting Eternity", you can be horrified. The hero talked about his journey through that world. There, all the people were hung on wreaths. They became gallows for them. Therefore, before buying a wreath (and they are not cheap), think about the deceased. Does he need him and do you want to find your deceased relative for eternal torment?
• Don't commemorate a dead person sweet food. Almost all of this is done with sweets and cookies. But you shouldn't do that. Such delicacies are foodstuffs that are attributed to the weaknesses of gluttons. And with this you only delight them, and do not commemorate the deceased

So what's the right way to do it? What should be done, what should not be done? These questions should always be answered in the Bible or asked old people. In any church, they will help to understand this matter, provide the necessary literature and simply give advice.

It is believed that the soul of a person after death roams our land for another 40 days. Most often, she is near her body. You should be attentive and listen to all extraneous rustles and sensations. After all, a person can contact loved ones.

His soul seeks peace and tranquility. She tries to get through to the people around him.

On the fortieth day, the soul flies away. And before deciding on her place in heaven, she has to go through several circles of hell. To help the deceased in this difficult moment, you should read Psalms.

Love for the dead should be shown through funeral services. They are held in any church after morning prayers. Prepare in advance: buy products. You will then give them to those in need.

Do not forget about the ban on alcohol and treats. Also, do not lose sight of the fact that for such a ceremony they write a note according to the model, which indicates the name of the deceased. You should go to memorial services Saturdays for parents. These days, the power of prayers increases several times.

There is a special day for the remembrance of the dead. He is called commemorative. It falls on the ninth day after Easter. This day is called Radonitsa.

Many people go to the grave on Sunday, that is, a week after the holiday. But this is wrong. The souls of the dead come to their grave only after a set time - 9 days.

If for some reason you cannot visit the gravestone of a loved one, then the souls come to your home or work. They can also wait for you in church churches.

It happens that a person passes away of his own free will. The church does not pray for suicides. They consider it a great sin. But relatives can read the prayer themselves and ask the Lord for forgiveness for the actions of the deceased.

You can commemorate a person on the date of his birth and date of death. Don't forget to order magpie in the church. All commemorations are best arranged a day or two before the expected date.

Can our dead relatives see and hear us?

The church answers this question affirmatively. It is worth a little all the same to understand this matter and clarify the main aspects.

According to church beliefs human soul is immortal. And death is just an intermediate state in which a person is reborn, acquires a new body and a new life.

People who have been in a state of clinical death claim that they remember everything and saw their body from the side. From this we can conclude that death is just a dream. But sleep forgets the body, not the soul. The soul wanders, seeks shelter, visits loved ones.

According to beliefs, a sinful soul gains a chance to atone for its evil deeds. She is reborn and lives life again. Sinless souls go to heaven, to a place where there are no diseases, sorrows, grief. There they follow the lives of their relatives, friends and acquaintances.

They not only hear our speeches, but also look into our souls, read our thoughts and learn about our innermost secrets and desires. Therefore, you should not burn your life just like that, you should not plot bad deeds and commit bad deeds. The souls of our loved ones will suffer.

Do dead relatives see us at the cemetery?

On memorial days, all relatives and close people of the deceased gather near his grave. There they talk about him, remember all the joyful and happy moments with his participation.

As the saying goes: "they say something good about the dead, or nothing." These days, souls also come to the cemetery to see everyone. On other days, the soul that has found peace does not visit the earth. If you decide to visit the deceased person on other days, then he is watching you from heaven.

This is what the church teaches us. Skeptics are suspicious of these moments. They believe that the person died, and his consciousness was forgotten by eternal sleep. It cannot come to life in another reality and watch everyone from the sidelines. This is the work of Faith. If it is easier for you to survive the death of a person, hoping that he sees and hears you, then just believe in it.

How to call the spirit of a deceased relative?

Magic has always allowed to penetrate into another world, to call the spirit of any dead person and talk to him. But before the ritual should think about the consequences. Spirits don't always want to be disturbed.

It is better not to perform such a dangerous ceremony yourself. You should trust a trusted medium in this matter. Only he can summon the right spirit. Seances are best done in a relaxed state, with good thoughts.

Alternatively, you can use a Ouija board. A few tips to help evoke the spirit of a deceased relative:

• Relax, throw away all problems and worries, free your mind
• Don't feel fear. If the session is not conducted correctly, then an evil spirit will come. He will feed on your fears
• Before the session, fumigate the entire room incense
• It is advisable not to eat or drink anything on the day of the ritual, do not drink alcohol for 3 days
• call the spirit at night - after 12 and before 14 hours
• put wax candles in the room
• thread the black thread into the needle and make it look like a pendulum
• On the sheet, write all the questions you would like to ask the deceased
• call the name of the deceased and call to come
• if the needle starts to move, then the spirit of the deceased is nearby. You can leave the window open, so it will be easier for the soul to get into the room.
• if everything worked out for you and you received the answers, then do not forget to thank the spirit for coming and say that you are letting it go back

How to communicate, talk with a deceased relative?

Many people are interested in how to talk with dead people. It's not hard to do. There are several ways to do this:

• Seek help from a medium. A good specialist in this field will provide you with such an opportunity. He will not only do this, but also tell what state the soul of the deceased is in, what his aura is, what he lacks. But don't get too carried away with séances
• You can communicate with the dead in your sleep. Sleep is considered a small death. In this state, all human organs stop working. A person simply plunges into non-existence and his consciousness turns off. It is in this state that it is easier to talk with the deceased
• You can also communicate through paper. This method is similar to communicating through a Ouija board. Only in this case you will need paper with written letters and a saucer

Can deceased relatives help the living?

This question cannot be answered unambiguously. Even if this happens, it is in rare cases. The dead help only those who really need it. They can do it through signs. But people do not always understand them correctly.

There is an opinion that after death the soul is not able to feel anything, it does not know what love, hatred are. Therefore, in this case, there can be no question of any help.

Do not heavily "load" the spirits with your problems and requests. After all, a person freed himself from the physical body and left the world. He lived a life full of not only joys, but also grief, tears, sorrows. He drank his cup of sorrows to the dregs. Why should he experience such emotions in heaven?

How to ask for help from deceased relatives?

In difficult life situations, people sometimes turn to deceased parents or relatives for help. There are many prayers and conspiracies for the implementation of such actions. In some, it is proposed to go to the cemetery, others simply use household items when reading the plot. You should think about such rituals. They are true and will not bring you more trouble.

It is better to ask for help through prayer, but from God. So you will find peace and tranquility. This will help you find a solution to even the most intractable problem.

If you still decide to resort to the help of deceased relatives, then below is a conspiracy. It should be read near the grave of the person from whom you are asking for help.
“My dear (my) father (mother) (name of the deceased), get up, wake up, look at me, at your baby. How miserable I am in this white world. My dear, look at me, an orphan from your home, amuse me with a kind word.

You can communicate mentally with a dead person. In a conversation with him, you can outline the situation and ask for advice. Some people go to church and pray. Within the walls of temples, it is easier for them to concentrate and understand what the deceased wants to advise them.

Do not turn too often to the spirits for advice.
If you have any doubts about making a decision, go to the cemetery. At the grave of the deceased, you will express all the pros and cons of this situation. And the first thing that comes to your mind, consider the advice of a deceased person

Will deceased relatives meet after death?

This question has always interested close people of the deceased relative. Even the priests do not give an exact answer.
Some mediums claim that will definitely meet. Indeed, in the case of clinical death, people say that they met their loved ones there.

But in order to meet them again, a person should be cleansed of sins, go through Purgatory. And only then will he reach Paradise, where all his relatives are waiting for him.
Priests on this score say that it is possible that they will meet if the place of their final stay coincides. And this is known only to God.

Do the souls of the dead come to relatives?

People give many examples that prove that deceased relatives visit their relatives. Some of them have things falling, others are honoring a light breeze that cannot occur indoors.

One woman said that her dead son was calling her from that world. But no one can say for sure that this is the soul, and not the fruit of their own imagination.

According to beliefs, the soul roams the earth for another 40 days. At this time, she visits relatives, relatives and acquaintances. Many say they feel the presence of the spirit of the deceased. Sometimes it happens in a dream.

If this happens after forty days, then it is worth considering. Usually this means that the soul has not found peace. Or guilt haunts her, and she wanders in search of forgiveness. The priests advise go to church and light a candle for the repose.

Video: Contact with the dead or life after death