Even in works of scientific content related to the exact sciences, it is easy to find disagreements in theories and exceptions to the accepted rules, and in matters of faith and religion, there are more than enough differences in interpretations and explanations of traditions. Thus, finding the only true remembrance of 9 and 40 days after death simply does not exist. Below you will find answers given by various representatives of the spirit world, as well as interesting facts and very important tips.
The version of the representatives of the Sretensky monastery
On the ninth day, the deceased is commemorated to honor the honor of the 9 ranks of the angels, who, being servants of the Heavenly King and our representatives to Him, intercede before Him for mercy on the deceased. It is believed that from the third to the ninth day, the soul of the deceased resides in the heavenly abodes, where it:
Forgets the former grief that she had to leave her body and the ordinary world.
Realizes that she has served God so little while on earth, reproaches herself for this and grieves.
On the ninth day, the Lord sends Angels to bring the soul to worship. Before the throne of the Lord God, the soul trembles in this and is in great fear. At this time, the holy church in prayers for the deceased asks the Almighty to make a decision to accept the soul of his child. From 9 to 40 days, the soul goes to hell, where it observes the torment of sinners who do not deserve forgiveness, and trembles with fear. Therefore, it is so important to spend the ninth day in remembrance and prayers for the deceased.
Why is the 40th day after death celebrated? The history and giving of the Church say that 40 days is the period necessary for the soul to prepare to receive help and Divine gift from the Heavenly Father. The number 40 appears repeatedly in church legends:
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After 40 days of fasting, the Prophet Moses talked to the Lord on Mount Sinai
and received the tablets of the law. On the 40th day, Jesus Christ ascended to heaven after His resurrection. 40 years the Israelites wandered before they reached the promised land. The church representatives took all the facts described above into account and decided to hold the commemoration on the 40th day after death. With their prayers, they help the soul to ascend the holy mountain of Heavenly Sinai and saw the Lord God, attained bliss and found herself in the company of the righteous in the heavenly villages.
In 9 days, after worshiping the Lord, the Angels show the souls hell, in which the souls of unrepentant sinners suffer in torment. On the 40th day, getting to the Lord for the third time (the first time the soul gets on the 3rd day), the soul receives a sentence: a place is appointed in which it will stay until the Last Judgment. That is why church commemorations and prayers on this day are so important, they help to atone for sins and get a cleansed soul into Paradise with the saints.
How are 9 days counted from the date of death?
It is not uncommon for people to make the mistake of starting the countdown from the day after death. In fact, the countdown time should be the day on which the deceased left this world, even if it happened late in the evening (before 12:00). Thus, if a person died on December 2, then December 10 will be the ninth day after death. Adding numbers mathematically (December 2 + 9 days = December 11) and starting the count from the day after death is wrong.
On the ninth day, you can remove the curtains from the mirrors.
On the ninth day after the death of the deceased, you can remove the curtains from the mirrors in the house (in all except the bedroom of the deceased). It is noteworthy that the hanging of mirrors is a non-Orthodox tradition. These are echoes of an old Russian belief, which says that in the mirrors the soul of the deceased can get lost and not find a way to the next world. On the ninth day, the commemoration should be modest. Alcohol at a feast is optional, and according to the widespread opinion of primordial believers, an unnecessary attribute. In a table conversation, one should remember the good deeds and good deeds of the deceased. It is believed that every good word spoken about the deceased will be credited to him.
Recommendations from the ministers of the church
Hegumen Fyodor (Yablokov) on remembrance: Remembrance should be prayerful. This is often forgotten, reducing the commemoration to a feast, and a commemoration without a sincere commemoration of the deceased has no meaning. Drinking at funerals and commemorations is not only unnecessary, but also harmful for the dead. There should be no alcohol on the table at all, or a minimum amount. Taking alcohol or drugs in these cases is not a tradition; it is an attempt by an atheist person to hide, to escape from reality. There is no need to force the whole table with food, the table should be modest. Gathering for the commemoration, people gather for prayer, for a prayerful memory of the deceased, and not in order to arrange a feast of gluttony. The obligatory dish in accordance with tradition is kutia, over which a special prayer must be read. Within 40 days, you must avoid any mourning events,you can come to the commemoration in any strict, non-seductive clothing.
Archimandrite Augustine (Pidanov) on traditions and superstitions: Nowadays, you can often come across superstitions cleverly disguised as traditions. Superstition is indifference, vanity, meaningless attitude to faith. First, some superstitions contradict the concepts and traditions of faith, and secondly, some superstitions simply do not leave time for faith in our life. For example, at first glance, there is nothing wrong with the fact that a person hangs mirrors. But a person burdens all his thoughts with the fact that he must not forget to hang mirrors, not finding time to pray for the souls of a loved one. There should be no drinks on the table, and do not be afraid that someone will judge you. It all depends only on you, whether you organize a commemoration for the soul of the deceased or a drinking party for the sake of relatives and friends.
Archimandrite Augustine (Pidanov) on the funeral service: The funeral service is nothing more than a prayer order, approved by the church as a farewell and parting word for sending people to another world. Many people mistake the funeral service for a ceremony or tradition. In the process of carrying out the ceremony, people try to make the incomprehensible understandable, but in fact, behind the form of the funeral service is much more important and more important both for the soul of the deceased and for those who are now living. To find answers to questions related to sending Christians to their last journey, one should contact the clergy directly. Only in this way can you avoid mistakes and hold the funeral service, bringing the greatest benefit to the soul of the deceased, without wasting time on superstition.
Yai Evgeniya
