The phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" was most likely used by Jesus as a name for his "school", i.e. of that circle of people who learn from Him here on earth, while the phrase "Kingdom of God" denotes that Heavenly reality, which will be fully revealed to people only after the second coming of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I bring to your attention an article by Doctor of Theology Alexander Bolotnikov.

the thematic approach to the study of the Bible leads to the formation of a system of "stamps", established concepts that have existed for centuries and are automatically applied in the interpretation of Biblical texts.

One example of such a cliché is the term "Kingdom of Heaven" (in Greek, basilea ton uranon), which occurs 31 times in the Gospels, exclusively in the Gospel of Matthew. In Orthodox culture, more than once one hears the expression "the kingdom of heaven to him", used in relation to a deceased person. If this phrase sounds from the lips of a believer, then it is understood unambiguously. The speaker wants the soul of this deceased to be in paradise. Thus, there is this undisputed stamp about the meaning of the expression "Kingdom of Heaven", as about the place where all the saved who have received eternal life will find themselves.

This is where a lot of difficulties arise.

Firstly, already at the very beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, in the so-called Sermon on the Mount, the following statement of Jesus is found: and whoever does and teaches, he will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven "(). It turns out that in eternal life the saved are divided into classes and there is inequality. In the Church of the Latter-Time Saints, commonly referred to as Mormons, this verse is taken literally in this way. That is, there is a higher and a lower heaven. At the top are the great righteous, and at the bottom are the lesser ones. In other words, if a person “did not reach” a certain moral and spiritual bar, then he will still be saved, only he will be less. If this is so, then it becomes absolutely incomprehensible where the “lowest bar of righteousness” lies, below which salvation is impossible. It is for this reason that most Christian teachings reject the idea of ​​grading those who have received salvation into greater and lesser.

However, the problem of more and less in the Kingdom of Heaven does not end there. Jesus speaks of his cousin John, who foretold his coming by his prophecies, in the following words: but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than him" (). If we apply the traditional Christian understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven as a place where the saved spend eternity, then we get a complete confusion. Is it possible that the greatest man on earth will not be able to overcome the bar of salvation? The next verse, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is taken by force, and those who use force take it by force” () generally threatens to cross out the whole essence of the doctrine of salvation by faith, and not by works, preached in Christianity since the time of Martin Luther.

The problematic nature of the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" was noticed by the Church Fathers. Unlike the phrase "Kingdom of God", which is found in other Gospels, the expression "Kingdom of Heaven" occurs, as we said, exclusively in the Gospel of Matthew. Most of the parables of Jesus that are recorded by Matthew are parables about the "Kingdom of Heaven". In fact, Jesus uses 10 parables to explain to his disciples this seemingly simple term. One has only to glance at these parables in Matthew 13 to discover that the concept of "Kingdom of Heaven" is absolutely not equivalent to the concept of "paradise". For example, in the parable of the net (), the Kingdom of Heaven is a net into which good and bad fish fall; and only "at the end of the age" "the angels will separate the evil from the righteous." It is obvious that the seine is not a paradise in which, by definition, there can be no evil. Similarly, with the parable of wheat and tares (, 37-44). Here, in this parable, the Kingdom of Heaven is specifically likened to the work that Jesus does on earth. Those who follow him are called “sons of the kingdom,” but there are also “sons of the evil one,” who were uprooted during the harvest “at the end of the age.” Moreover, when Jesus gives an explanation of the parable of the tares in verses 27-44, he directly says that at the end of time the Son of Man “will send His angels, and they will gather from His Kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who do iniquity.” It is clear that in paradise there are neither temptations nor those who do iniquity. That is why the Church Fathers believed that the "Kingdom of Heaven" is the Church of Christ itself, in which there are "wheat and tares."

However, such an interpretation on the basis of the above parables does not help in any way to explain the "hierarchy" mentioned in the two texts of the Gospel of and 11:11. And even if one makes an assumption that contains the idea of ​​a church hierarchy, then even this cannot in any way explain why John the Baptist, the greatest of those born of women, found himself in the lowest position in the church.

Surprisingly, even most of the exegetical commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew, compiled by both conservative and historical-critical scholars, provide a very streamlined and non-specific explanation of the use of the term "Kingdom of Heaven" in the above texts. This confirms our assumption that Christianity often uses established clichés to fit the biblical text. But the second reason for this streamlining is that it is very difficult for these scholars, most of whom are Protestants, to internally agree with what Jesus says at the beginning of his Sermon on the Mount.

In order to understand the meaning of the words "Kingdom of Heaven", it is necessary to study in detail the context of the Sermon on the Mount, of which this phrase is a part. The sermon begins with the 17th verse of the 5th chapter:

“Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle will pass from the law until all is fulfilled. So, whoever breaks one of these least commandments and teaches people so, he will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever does and teaches, he will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I tell you, if your righteousness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, then you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Verse 17 is often understood by many Christians to be exactly the opposite, as if Jesus came to fulfill the law so that Christians would no longer be under its burden. The problem with this understanding lies in the fact that in Christian theology the concept of "Torah", translated into Greek by the word nomos (law), is perceived solely as a set of some rules and regulations that God specially invented in order to burden the Jews with them. However, in Hebrew, the concept of "Torah" is interpreted much broader. It comes from the Hebrew noun ohr, light, and is perceived as God's revelation or enlightenment, as recorded in Psalm 18: “The law of the Lord is perfect, strengthening the soul; The revelation of the Lord is true, making the simple wise. The commandments of the Lord are righteous, gladden the heart; the commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes.

Based on what is written in verse 18, the Torah occupied a priority place in the teachings of Jesus. Moreover, his statement about the jot and the dash clearly does not encourage modern attitudes towards detailed students of the laws of the Torah, who are considered formalists and letter-eaters in many Christian circles. However, in the words of Jesus, written in Greek as iota et he mia keria (one iota and one dash), there is very important information. The fact is that in this context, iota (י) is not used in the meaning of the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The word keriah, translated as a line, is interpreted by many commentators as an element of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Indeed, from the point of view of writing, the Hebrew letters can be divided into simple elements, where the line is a straight line in the letter, and the iota is a rounded one. In other words, even if you look at any first grader who is learning to write, he is first trained to draw the elements of letters. Thus, contrary to the opinion of many commentators, Jesus is not talking about some abstract small part of the law, but about the letters of the Torah, or rather about the accuracy of their writing.

Unlike modern alphabets and scripts, first-century Hebrew written with primitive tools on the rough surface of leather or papyrus is not easy to read. For example, even with the typographic quality of the fonts, Hebrew beginners have difficulty distinguishing between the letters bet ב and kaf כ or dalet ד and resh ר. And in ancient texts, the situation is even more complicated. In particular, the letters Yod (Yota) י and Vav ו, as can be seen in the letter, differ only in the presence of a vertical line, which, as it were, continuing the letter Yod, makes the letter Vav out of it. As you can see, the Hebrew text does not forgive a careless attitude, and therefore, both in ancient times and today, very high demands are placed on both the sofer, the scribe, and the reader of the text. After all, incorrect reading or spelling of letters can lead to distortion of the text of the Torah.

So, if in verse 18 Jesus says that he does not intend to change a single letter in the Torah, then it turns out that He is the most important “letter-reader”. However, in early Judaism, this literalism was of the utmost importance. The fact is that both in the first century and now, every Jew who wants to seriously study the Torah had to become a student of a rabbi in a yeshiva. The term yeshivah in Hebrew comes from the verb yashav, to sit, and, in modern terms, means a study session. In a literal sense, this "session" looked like this: the students, sitting around the rabbi, studied the Torah. The Talmudic aggadah tells how the famous Jewish leader of the late first century, Rabbi Akiva, at the age of forty, together with his son, sat down to study with Rabbi Eliezer and began with aleph and bet. In other words, in the first century the study of the Torah began with learning the basics of literacy. After all, ordinary people at that time did not know how to read and write, and without this it is impossible to study the Torah.

It turns out that in the Gospel of Jesus, he speaks of the program of his yeshiva. This is why Jesus is constantly referred to as "rabbi" or teacher. Moreover, the disciples of John the Baptist, after he pointed them to Jesus, immediately turned to him with the words “rabbi, where do you live” and followed him. At that time, most of the famous rabbis were very poor people and gathered students at home. Thus, we see that Jesus began his ministry by opening a yeshiva, in which he began to recruit disciples. If you walk through Brooklyn today, you can see a yeshiva at every intersection. Each yeshiva bears either a name that separates it from others, or the name of its founder. In the early centuries, most yeshivas bore the names of their founders. For example, at the end of the first century BC, two rabbis, the founders of Pharisaic Judaism, Shammai and Hillel, founded their yeshivas, which were called Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel. Jesus, however, decided not to call his yeshiva by his own name, but called it, according to what is written in the Gospel from the Hebrew Malchut Ashamayim, "Kingdom of Heaven." That is why in one of the parables about the "Kingdom of Heaven", in the parable of the tares, Jesus calls his disciples b'nei Malkut, sons of the kingdom (), and on the basis of the parable it is clear that the concept of b'nei Malkut is not limited only to the circle of his 12 apostles and even a circle of 72 close to him. Just as the yeshivas of Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel existed after the death of Shammai and Hillel until the time of the destruction of the Temple, and were taught by the followers of these rabbis, the yeshiva of Jesus exists until the "end of the age" and the followers of Jesus study and teach there.

The name “Kingdom of Heaven” Jesus chose for his yeshiva was not accidental. Jesus deliberately emphasizes the contrast between his attitude towards the Torah and the attitude practiced in the yeshivas taught by the disciples of Shammai and Hillel. By the end of the 1st century BC in rabbinic Judaism, the understanding was formed that the correct interpretation of the Torah is that which is supported by the majority of rabbis. So, for example, of the two yeshivas of Shammai and Hillel, which are constantly competing with each other, only the interpretation of the Torah given by Hillel's disciples is recognized, due to the fact that there are more of them. Taking out of context the words "she is not in heaven" recorded in the book, the rabbis ascribed to themselves the final right to decide what is truth. By naming his yeshivah the “Kingdom of Heaven,” Jesus wished to emphasize that the interpretation of the Torah is the prerogative of the Almighty.

Thus, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount is, in fact, Jesus' presentation of his yeshiva. That is, in the first 16 verses of the 5th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, known as the “commandments of the beatitudes,” Jesus formulates the requirements that he makes for those who want to learn from him. Then, in verses 17-20, he outlines the essence of his "study" program, which is based on loyalty to the principles of the Torah and the traditions of its study. That is why, in this context, Jesus says that any of his disciples who breaks the slightest commandment of the Torah and teaches it to others will be called the least in his yeshiva, that is, the Kingdom of Heaven. The Greek word luo, "to untie," translated in the Russian Synodal Bible as "to break" in rabbinic Judaism, has a deeper meaning than mere fulfillment. Luo most likely conveys the rabbinical term matir, to allow. In the Hebrew of the Mishnah, the two terms matir and assir - permit and forbid - are used in relation to rabbinical halachic decisions, which are legal norms in Judaism. From the use of the verb luo, it follows that Jesus addresses His disciples as future rabbis. And, to put it in modern language, he warns them that if, having learned from him, they “unleash” with their rabbinical authority, that is, allow the violation of even the smallest commandment, then he will “put them a deuce.”

Understanding the "Kingdom of God" as the name of Jesus' yeshivah also helps to understand the meaning of Jesus' words to John the Baptist. He is called the lesser of the lesser in the "Kingdom of Heaven." The story of the baptism of Jesus is recounted in all four Gospels, but only the Gospel of John details how the disciples of John the Baptist, leaving him and calling Jesus a rabbi, actually moved into his newly opened yeshiva. For this reason, John says that Jesus must grow and John the Baptist must decrease. Thus, the disciples of John the Baptist, having completed their studies with him, went to study with Jesus. It turns out that the yeshiva of Jesus is an "educational institution" of a higher level. Therefore, in verse 11 of the 11th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, it is said that even the most beginner student of the Jesus yeshiva is a graduate of John the Baptist who has passed to a higher level of spiritual education.

Read more on the topic "Interpretation of Scripture":

They say that according to Orthodox canons, a photograph or a sculptural image of a buried person cannot be placed on a grave monument. Is this true and why? Indeed, on the graves, in particular, of famous personalities, we always put either their sculptures or bas-reliefs with their image.

An Orthodox Christian, realizing the need for external expression of the memory of the deceased, nevertheless internally tries to always remember our main and most important duty to the deceased. This is a duty of prayer, as an offering of love, and as our most pleasing sacrifice to God in memory of a dead person.

Those who have crossed the threshold of eternity, by and large, do not need a coffin, or a grave, or flowers on it, or long feasts with speeches. All the attention of the soul in this terrible hour is focused only on those obstacles that block its path to the Kingdom of God. First of all, such obstacles are unrepentant, unconscious sins, unforgiven offenses, uncorrected ways of life. After death, a person can no longer change anything and expects from us, from members of the Church of Christ and people close to him in earthly life, who have the grace-filled opportunity to pray to God with a filial prayer, he expects for us only the most frequent and warm prayerful sighing.

Therefore, on the grave hill, only one Orthodox cross is enough, which is placed at the feet of the deceased, as if for him to look at him as his last hope. The death of Christ on the Cross is the event from which the power of death over the human race was abolished by the Descent into hell of God Himself.

Coming to the grave, even the most famous person (especially if he is so dear to us), we should not be distracted by the recollection of the appearance or merits of the deceased, looking at his photograph or sculpture, but our duty is to turn all the power of prayerful attention to the simple and most necessary words : Rest, O Lord, to the soul of your departed servant.

Can I take pictures or video during the funeral?

Hieromonk Dorotheos (Baranov), cleric, answers
Bishop's Church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Satisfy my sorrows"

Funerals, as a rule, take place in a concentrated, if not prayerful, then at least reverent atmosphere. Each of those present at the funeral comes into contact with the Sacrament of death and thinks about many things, including, probably, about their own outcome from this life. In such holy moments, creating any inconvenience to people is not entirely correct. Photographing is always associated with some kind of intrusion into the inner world, and this is the power of this art. And the inner world of a person in the face of death, when he sees it and, as it were, remembers it, is a mysterious moment, which it is indecent to violate. Of course, the funeral of famous personalities is an exception, when it is presented as news, as a kind of tribute to the information community. But still, in this case, one must remember the relatives and friends of the deceased, because no matter how well-known person he may be, there are always those for whom the deceased is just a close person, without regalia and awards.

Why is it forbidden to use forks and knives at funerals?

Hieromonk Dorotheos (Baranov), cleric, answers
Bishop's Church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Satisfy my sorrows"

There is no such prohibition. If someone confuses you with such fabrications, you have every right to demand an explanation why this cannot be done. If the answer is sound, which is impossible in principle, then do as you wish. But it is better not to litter your head with such trifles, but to think more about the prayerful commemoration of the deceased.

Unfortunately, along with the general culture, the culture of memorial meals, which were originally a continuation of the church service for the dead, went into oblivion. But, despite this, every effort must be made to ensure that the memorial dinner is accompanied by an atmosphere of reverence and silence, and not by the desire to observe the most unintelligible signs.

Is it possible to commemorate the dead with vodka?

This is something that one has to not only face, but also fight against, and even prohibit this kind of commemoration as having nothing to do with Christian. The deceased first of all need our prayers and good deeds done in memory of him. The funeral service in the temple testifies that the person died in peace with the Church, and the Church prays for him, for the forgiveness of his sins. And the memorial meal is a kind of good deed, which is directed to those who live nearby. Usually people were invited to it, relatives, acquaintances, as well as poor people, the poor, who, having been at dinner, could offer a prayer for the soul of the deceased.

It is interesting to trace how the tradition of organizing memorial meals arose. Previously, the funeral service was performed after the liturgy, and the coffin with the deceased was in the temple. People came in the morning on an empty stomach, and the burial procedure ended, as a rule, in the afternoon. Naturally, people needed natural reinforcement of forces. But the very idea of ​​commemoration, the idea of ​​prayer is completely incompatible with drinking alcohol, it is blasphemy. It is unfortunate when memorial meals turn into noisy feasts, by the end of which it becomes unclear why everyone has gathered.

Is it possible to put a plate of borscht, a glass of vodka and bread “on the path” to the deceased on the memorial table?

Responsible priest Anatoly Strakhov, rector
St. Nicholas Church at the Elshansky cemetery in Saratov

This tradition has nothing to do with Orthodoxy. According to Christian belief, the earthly life of a person who belongs to the Church by baptism is a time when he can testify to his desire to be with God or, conversely, to show by his deeds that he serves some other purpose and conviction. A person realizes his freedom - to be with God or without Him. And after death, this will can no longer be made. However, by the grace of God, until the universal judgment, the afterlife of a baptized person who has died in peace with the Church can be changed through the prayer of the Church and the prayerful intercession of neighbors for his soul, coupled with almsgiving.

Speaking of the deceased, they often add “Let the earth rest in peace” ... Is it possible to do this?

Responsible priest Anatoly Strakhov, rector
St. Nicholas Church at the Elshansky cemetery in Saratov

God created man to share with Him the joy of being in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the main and ultimate goal of human life. Therefore, the best wish for the deceased is the wish for eternal memory (not in the sense that we should always remember him, but for the eternal memory of God about his soul), and the wish for the Kingdom of Heaven, which is a kind of prayer and hope in God's mercy.

Is it true that you can’t bring home the “earth” after the funeral, and you can’t take anything with you from the cemetery?

Responsible priest Anatoly Strakhov, rector
St. Nicholas Church at the Elshansky cemetery in Saratov

The question of the "land" reflects the pagan idea of ​​​​people about the burial rite, which has nothing to do with church tradition and the Christian attitude towards death. Very often negligent relatives first bury the deceased and only then remember that he was baptized. And, coming to the temple, instead of asking a person to sing a funeral, they begin to demand “land”. We have to explain that the earth is not the main thing in the funeral and does not contain a sacred meaning. It has only a symbolic meaning, it is a reminder of the words of the Holy Scriptures that man is the earth, and he will return to the earth. This is not a pass to the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, to bring the land home or not to bring it in does not matter. If the funeral service is performed in the temple, then this is not at all a question - the priest crosswise sprinkles the deceased with earth right in the temple, and if he accompanies the coffin to the cemetery, he pours earth into the grave with the words: “The Lord's earth, and its fulfillment, the universe and all living upon her" (Ps. 23, 1).

Therefore, the question of the “land” arises among those who ask for the burial service of their deceased relative in absentia. Previously, such a funeral service was performed in exceptional cases, if, for example, a person died in a war, and it was impossible to perform a funeral service in the temple. By and large, the funeral service in absentia is an abnormal and unacceptable phenomenon, performed by the Church only out of condescension to the modern unchurched society. Such are the consequences of the godless time when people, being numbered in the Church and calling themselves Christians, are Orthodox only by baptism, live outside the church, and it is natural that after death they are also buried outside the church. But the priests still meet people halfway and perform the ceremony, since it is impossible to deprive an Orthodox person of prayer.

REMEMBERING THE LOST: PECULIARITIES OF REMEMBERING IN GREAT LENT

During Great Lent there are Sabbath days of special prayerful commemoration of the dead - parental Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Holy Forty Days.

Christian love prompts us to pray for the dead, by which we are all mutually united in Jesus Christ and constitute spiritual wealth. The dead are our neighbors, whom the Lord bequeaths to love as ourselves. God does not say: love your neighbors while they live.

On Holy Forty Days — the days of Great Lent, spiritual feat, the feat of repentance and doing good to others — the Church calls on the faithful to be in the closest union of Christian love and peace not only with the living, but also with the dead, to make prayerful commemorations on the appointed days of those who have departed from this life. In addition, the Saturdays of these weeks are appointed by the Church to commemorate the departed also for the reason that on the weekdays of Great Lent there are no funeral commemorations (this includes funeral litanies, litias, memorial services, commemoration of the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death, forty-mouthed), since there is no daily full liturgy, with the celebration of which the commemoration of the dead is associated. In order not to deprive the dead of the saving intercession of the Church on the days of the Holy Forty Days, the indicated Saturdays are singled out.

In pre-revolutionary times, each family had a list of the names of all the deceased members of this family - "Pomyannik". So, they prayed even for those whom the oldest of the living family members did not remember. Now this tradition has been lost by most families, and even when performing a commemoration, many believers do not know how to properly commemorate deceased loved ones.

Priest Andrei Bezruchko, rector of the St. Nicholas Church in Voskresensk, cleric of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in the village of Voskresenskoye answered questions regarding the commemoration of the departed.

Why does the Orthodox Church introduce special days of commemoration - parental Saturdays, after all, commemoration, so, is performed at the liturgy?

The point is that liturgies are not celebrated in parish churches every day; there is no such technical possibility, in modern terms. In order to celebrate the liturgy, it is necessary that, in addition to the priest, there are singers, sexton, and, of course, those who pray. Therefore, in the middle of the week, not every church has a service, namely, a liturgy. But on Sunday, in every active church, liturgies are celebrated. This is not enough to commemorate the dead, because this day happens only once a week. Therefore, for a special commemoration, parental Saturdays and days of commemoration of the dead are allocated, on which a special prayer for the dead takes place.

In Great Lent, the full liturgy cannot be performed during the week, therefore, there can be no commemoration of the dead on these days. From Monday to Friday (on weekdays) of Great Lent, a full liturgy is not performed in any church - it is not supposed to be performed on Wednesdays and Fridays or on major holidays, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. At this liturgy, neither a commemoration of health nor repose is performed, because the days of fasting are days of repentance, days of special prayer, when a person goes deep into himself and the church structure of the service itself does not leave time for long commemorations of the departed, except for a brief funeral litia, which is laid after the 1st hour. And, therefore, in Great Lent, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th Saturdays are determined, which are called the days of commemoration of the departed - on these days a special time is given for prayer for the departed. On the eve, the 17th Kathisma is read (this is when they pray for the dead). It speaks of recompense to the righteous and sinners from God, of their accountability before God for their deeds, and therefore, this Kathisma in the Psalter is the most appropriate on this day and the Church Charter determines to read it on the eve of Saturday. And already on the very Sabbath day of commemoration of the dead, a liturgy and memorial service is performed, as a prayer for the dead, where the dead are commemorated.

When are parental Saturdays on the calendar, and what other special days have the Orthodox Church set for commemoration of the departed?

- Parental Saturdays are called several days in the church calendar: Myasopustnaya, Trinity And Dmitrievskaya parental Saturdays. The rest of the days in the Church calendar are the days of commemoration of the dead. Although, on all these days, they commemorate the parents of the deceased, and relatives and friends of Orthodox Christians, Orthodox slain soldiers, but the names differ in the structure of the service itself, that is, in the name of the days of commemoration of the dead, it determines the very structure of this prayer for the dead. For example, if the parental Saturday is Trinity, Myasopustnaya and Dmitrievskaya, then these days the service is more filled than on other days of commemoration of the dead, with lengthy prayers, including troparia, stichera, canons.

In addition to the usual days of commemoration of the departed: three parental Saturdays, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Saturdays in Great Lent, there are other days of commemoration of the departed - Radonitsa (Tuesday of the second week after Easter), since on the Paschal week itself there are no large prayers for the dead, there is only a secret prayer that takes place in the altar, and there is no common prayer for the dead. They are transferred to Radonitsa, although the structure of the service performed on this day is not so abundantly filled with prayers for the dead.

The days of commemoration of the dead are September 11, on the day of the beheading of John the Baptist, the dead are also commemorated, the date has come historically - it is customary to commemorate Orthodox soldiers who died in the Patriotic War of 1812 on this day, they commemorated this day and so this day remained for commemoration, and not only the dead warriors.

Also today, on May 9, the deceased soldiers in the Great Patriotic War are commemorated. On this day, warriors are commemorated, although other deceased relatives can also be commemorated.

Another day of commemoration of the dead is the day of commemoration of the dead, who died during the years of persecution for the faith of Christ, repressed people in the 30s, in godless times. Among the millions of those who were shot there were many Orthodox Christians, all of them are commemorated in a special prayer on the day of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia - this is the last Sunday of January (after January 25). On this day, after the prayerful commemoration of the saints, we turn to the repose of the souls of the departed.

There are other days of commemoration of the dead, they are not in the church calendar, but with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch they are celebrated. For example: about those killed in an accident, about the dead liquidators of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, etc.

- What should a believer do on parental Saturday in order to commemorate deceased loved ones?

First of all, prayer for them, prayer in the temple, prayer at home, because there are people who, for good reason, cannot attend church on this day. Therefore, they can fervently and heartily pray at home for their deceased relatives - in their private prayer at home. In the usual Prayer Book there is a “Prayer for the Dead”. On the eve, you can give notes with the names of the deceased to those who go to the temple on this day. You can visit the church shop the day before and hand over a note so that they remember that day, put a candle, because a burning candle is like a symbol of the burning of the human soul during prayer. We pray for the departed, and they feel our prayer and their afterlife from our prayer becomes better, becomes blissful. Of course, this depends on the strength of our prayer, and although we cannot make such a prayer, as the saints did, so that overnight through our prayer the departed would immediately be in paradise, but to the best of our ability in prayers, we remember them, envelop their afterlife .

- In the "Prayer for the Dead" there are words “God rest, Lord, the souls of your departed servants: parents ...” , what words should be pronounced if the parents of the supplicant are alive?

You can say grandparents, they include grandfathers, great-grandfathers, all deceased members of the clan, therefore Saturday is also called parental, because we pray for the departed of our clan.

- How to write names in notes correctly if the names of those who are commemorated are Yuri, Svetlana and Eduard?

All names in the notes should be given in church spelling, for example, George, not Yuri, Fotinia, not Svetlana. Some people, pronouncing the name in Greek, can calmly pronounce it in Russian, for some names there is no barrier between languages. But, nevertheless, you need to be guided by the local charter: if they accept in the temple with that name, serve it, if not, then it's okay if you correct the name.

But there are rare names that have no interpretation in church calendars, for example, Eleanor, Edward, Rubin, etc. Therefore, you should write the name given at Baptism, and if it is unknown, resolve this issue with the priest.

- Does a person need to think about the afterlife on parental Saturday or on the day of remembrance of the dead?

A person needs to think about the afterlife not only on this day, but every day of his life. The Proverbs of Solomon says: “In all your deeds, remember your end, and you will never sin…” This is the path to a sinless life. If we think that we have to stand before God and give an answer for our deeds, then every day in our life we ​​will try to spend piously, commit less sins.

On the days of commemoration of the dead, you need to think about your own afterlife, and about the afterlife of deceased relatives. Of course, all these thoughts of a normal person who understands his spiritual path, follows it, strives to climb the hierarchical ladder of virtue.

- What is the meaning of the memorial meal?

Those present, eating at the meal, commemorate the deceased relatives, for whom this meal is being prepared. This is an important point, because there is a saying “The well-fed does not understand the hungry.” When we are full, we do not think that there are people who are hungry, who need to be fed. Often, when the commemoration is held, many people come there to eat - there is no opportunity to eat at home. Therefore, being present at this meal, they will commemorate our deceased relative with a prayer. The meal itself is an almsgiving done for the deceased relatives, because those expenses that went to it, this is the sacrifice.

Question about attendees. This should not be a circle of people who interest us for profitable purposes in order to benefit from them. Therefore, we must invite poor people to the commemoration who need to be fed.

Of course, the main thing in commemoration is prayer, but, nevertheless, the memorial meal is a continuation of this prayer. The meal in the church charter is a continuation of the service, its integral part. Therefore, being present at the memorial meal, a person is present at the divine service.

- Are alcoholic drinks allowed?

The church charter does not prohibit the use of alcoholic beverages at the memorial meal. But sometimes commemoration turns into drunkenness, from commemoration into sin. Therefore, everything should be in moderation. The use of alcoholic beverages is possible, but I advise those who abstain not to drink, and those who want to drink do not commemorate with alcohol, but commemorate with a meal, and drink alcohol so that they do not raise their glasses, commemorating a deceased acquaintance.

Is it right to leave sweets, cigarettes (if the deceased was a smoker) or even glasses of alcohol in the cemetery?

Some people think that if the deceased smoked during his lifetime, then after his death, cigarettes should be brought to the grave, then, following this logic, if a person liked to drive a car, then he needs to drive a car to the cemetery. What else did you love? Dance - dance on the grave. Thus, we are returning to paganism, then there was a trizna (rite), which just did not happen there. We must understand that if a person had some kind of earthly addiction, it remains on earth, but this does not exist in eternal life. Of course, it is inappropriate to put cigarettes or glasses of alcohol. You can leave sweets or cookies, but not on the grave, but on a table or bench, so that a person comes and commemorates this person. And to scold, for example, children in that. that they collect sweets is not worth it - they are placed in order to remember.

The grave must be kept clean, and nothing from food should be placed on the grave itself. In the absence of a person, the birds sit there and shit, and it turns out - the grave is well-groomed, the fence is painted, and the birds or dogs disturb the order - they scatter candy wrappers, etc.

The best way out is to distribute candies and sweets to those who need it as alms.

- How to speak correctly"Rest in peace"or?

An Orthodox Christian will always say: "Rest in peace" and the atheist says: "May he rest in peace", because he does not believe in the Kingdom of Heaven, but, although, wishing something good, let him say so to his relative. But an Orthodox Christian needs to say correctly: "Rest in peace".

What kind of people should not be commemorated in the temple?

- The temple does not commemorate suicides and unbaptized by name. In common prayer, when we come to church to pray, we can give any petitions to the Lord God in our hearts, in our minds. Of course, when a person has unbaptized deceased, or suicidal deceased, one cannot forbid to turn to the Lord in mental prayer - the Lord himself knows whom, how to determine in the afterlife.

There are cases when suicides are blessed to be buried in absentia. And when the funeral service is held in absentia, in the Diocesan Administration, after the commemoration of the dead, they say that the commemoration in the temple of this person is at the discretion of the rector of this temple.

In the Church Charter for resolving controversial issues there is an expression "If the abbot pleases", and this is understood in such a way that if the rector allows, you can submit notes, if not, it means that the priest is guided by the statutory principles.

- Is it possible to commemorate them with a home prayer?

In prayer, no one limits, although, you need to understand that the Lord himself will judge at the Last Judgment. At home, we can pray for everything, not only for people, but also for dispensation in the family and affairs.

- If a person dies during Lent, how can he be commemorated during the week?

In Great Lent there are some deviations from the rules of the usual commemoration. The church charter says that if a person dies during Great Lent, then on the week, neither on the 9th nor on the 40th day, they are not commemorated, but commemorations are arranged, either on the proper Saturday following this day or on the previous Sunday . For example, if 9 days need to be celebrated on Tuesday, then it is better to collect the commemoration on the previous Sunday.

Hello! Tell me, please, how to start the commemoration correctly, should someone say a prayer? Who and what? usually someone is the first to give a speech, ending with the words "Kingdom of heaven to him" or "May the earth rest in peace." Then everyone drinks, always having a pancake. Then 2-3 more speeches, then for the health of relatives, I drink compote (which everyone had with a pancake, already eaten) and leave. Almost everyone has the same procedure. But still, how is it right, in a Christian way, to hold this event.
Thanks in advance for your reply!

Asks: Moscow region

Answers:

Dear reader!

This whole "procedure", as you argue, has nothing to do with how the commemoration of the deceased Orthodox Christian is carried out.Since early Christian times, relatives and friends of the deceased have gathered together on special days of commemoration in order to ask the Lord for the repose of the deceased and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven in joint prayer. After visiting the church and the cemetery, the relatives of the deceased arranged a memorial meal, to which not only relatives were invited, but mainly the needy: the poor and the needy, that is, the commemoration is a kind of Christian alms for those gathered. Ancient Christian memorial meals gradually transformed into modern commemorations, which are held on the 3rd day after death (the day of the funeral), the 9th, 40th days and other days that are memorable for the deceased (six months and a year after death, birthday and day Deceased Angel).

Unfortunately, modern commemorations bear little resemblance to Orthodox funeral meals and are more like pagan feasts that the ancient Slavs held before they were enlightened by the light of the Christian faith. In those primeval times, it was believed that the richer and more pompously the deceased is seen, the merrier he will live in the other world. In order to actually help a soul that has departed to the Lord, it is necessary to organize a memorial meal in a worthy way, in the Orthodox way:
1. Before a meal, one of the relatives reads the 17th kathisma from the Psalter. Kathisma is read in front of a lighted lamp or candle.
2. Immediately before eating, they read "Our Father ...".
3. The first course is kolivo or kutya - boiled wheat grains with honey or boiled rice with raisins, which are consecrated at a memorial service in the temple. Seeds serve as a symbol of resurrection: in order to bear fruit, they must be in the ground and decay. So the body of the deceased is given over to the earth in order to decay and during the general resurrection to rise incorruptible for the future life. Honey (or raisins) marks the spiritual sweetness of the blessings of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. Thus, kutia is a visible expression of the confidence of the living in the immortality of the dead, in their resurrection and blessed, through the Lord Jesus Christ, eternal life.
4. There should be no alcohol on the memorial table. The custom of drinking alcohol is an echo of pagan feasts. Firstly, Orthodox commemoration is not only (and not the main thing) food, but also prayer, and prayer and a drunken mind are incompatible things. Secondly, on the days of commemoration, we intercede before the Lord for the improvement of the afterlife of the deceased, for the forgiveness of his earthly sins. But will the Chief Justice listen to the words of drunk intercessors? Thirdly, “drinking is the joy of the soul” and after drinking a glass our mind dissipates, switches to other topics, grief for the deceased leaves our hearts and quite often it happens that by the end of the commemoration, many people forget why they have gathered - the commemoration ends the usual feast with a discussion of everyday problems and political news, and sometimes even worldly songs. Meanwhile, the languishing soul of the deceased waits in vain for prayer support from their loved ones. Eliminate alcohol from the memorial dinner. And instead of the common atheistic phrase: "May the earth rest in peace to him," pray briefly: "God rest the soul of your newly-departed servant (the name of the rivers), and forgive him all his sins, free and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven." This prayer must be performed before proceeding to the next dish.
5. No need to remove the forks from the table - this makes no sense. There is no need to put a cutlery in honor of the deceased, or even worse - to put vodka in a glass with a piece of bread in front of the portrait. All this is the sin of paganism.
6. If the commemoration is performed on fast days, then the food should be fast.
7. If the commemoration fell on the time of Great Lent, then on weekdays the commemoration is not performed, but is transferred to the next (forward) Saturday or Sunday, the so-called counter commemoration. This is done because only on these days (Saturday and Sunday) are the Divine Liturgies of John Chrysostom and Basil the Great celebrated, and behind the proskomidia, particles are taken out for the dead and memorial services are performed. If the memorial days fell on the 1st, 4th and 7th weeks of Great Lent (the strictest weeks), then only the closest relatives are invited to the commemoration.
8. Memorial days that fell on Bright Week (the first week after Easter) and on Monday of the second Easter week are transferred to Radonitsa - Tuesday of the second week after Easter, on the days of commemoration it is useful to read the Easter canon.
9. The memorial meal ends with a universal thanksgiving prayer "We thank Thee, Christ our God ..." and "It is worthy to eat ...".
10. Wake on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days are arranged for relatives, relatives, friends and acquaintances of the deceased. At such a commemoration, in order to honor the deceased, you can come without an invitation. On other days of commemoration, only the closest relatives gather.

And the most important thing. On this day, you should visit the temple, if possible, and file a commemoration. Prayer is the most valuable thing we can give to the soul of our loved one after death.

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"Kingdom of Heaven to him" - it is customary to say in our society to the deceased. This refers to the wish that the soul of the deceased would certainly end up in the Kingdom of God. Let's see what Scripture says about the Kingdom of God. Where is it and how to get there?

Jesus Christ before the crucifixion said to the disciples: "I'm going to prepare a place for you. And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2, 3).

The truth about Heaven makes it one of the most amazing places imaginable. According to the testimonies of Jesus and the apostle John, the capital of the future glorious Earth will be the new Jerusalem being built in Heaven. Here's what the Bible says about it: “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).

At present, the Lord is preparing monasteries for all faithful Christians. The day will come when this luminous white city will descend to earth to become an eternal home for the saved here, and the earth itself will become part of the Kingdom of Heaven. The streets of New Jerusalem will be so pure and beautiful that John compares them to pure gold.

The saved believers there will have real bodies of flesh and blood: “Our residence is in heaven, whence we also look forward to the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our humble body so that it will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20, 21). How exciting it is to know that our present physical corruptible nature will be changed to incorruptible.

Jesus said that “Many will come from the east and the west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11). This indicates that we will be able to recognize these Old Testament heroes. We will forever be united not only with those whom we loved on earth, but also get acquainted with these majestic giants of the spirit, who inspired us from the pages of the Scriptures.

Most people love evenings of meetings and memories. What a joy it is to meet old friends or relatives after many years! The sky would not give joy if we could not recognize each other there.

In one of his visions, the apostle John was shown the glory of the New Jerusalem. The city shone with such a dazzling brilliance that the prophet was completely stunned. In the New Jerusalem, God Himself will dwell with the saved, and the saved will live both in the city and on the renewed earth. “And I will build houses, and dwell in them, and plant vineyards, and eat their fruit” (Isaiah 65:21).

The Lord will meet us and lead us through the Holy City. The saved will pass along the streets of gold, along the river of life, they will see the tree of life, which every month will bear new fruit, and its leaves will heal the nations. And all this splendor will be available to us only because the Son of God Jesus Christ once did not spare His life and gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins on Calvary. Through His death and resurrection, our sins will be forgiven. Before us will be a clean and beautiful new world. There will be no more sin in him. Animals will frolic freely on the lawns, in the forest, by the river: “Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox will be together, and the little child will lead them. And the cow will graze with the bear, and their cubs will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like an ox” (Isaiah 11:6, 7).

It will be a world in which there is no grief and tears. IN Revelation 21:3, 4 says, “And I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them; they will be His people, and God Himself with them will be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death; there will be no more mourning, no outcry, no sickness, for the former has passed away.”

The Bible says that there will be children in the land of the saved, they will play everywhere and in complete safety. “And the streets of this city shall be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets” (Zechariah 8:5). Isn't that wonderful!?

With bodies that never tire, we will be able to explore the fabulously great city of God. The entire universe will be open to our contemplation and exploration. To visit the billions of extraordinary planets, star systems and galaxies that have never been defiled by sin, probably, even eternity is not enough. But we can go there.

Unimaginable beauty and happiness await us in the Kingdom of God. The Bible says: “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Now let's ask ourselves a question, the answer to which is yours: "When the saved enter the kingdom of heaven, will I be among them?" Every person has the right to become residents of the Kingdom of Heaven. The main thing is that you have time to use this right while living here on earth.

Know God, repent of all the sins you have committed, and obey His Word. Come to Him, our Advocate, bow down, humble your heart and trust your life to the Lord. He will accept you, forgive you, transform your sinful heart, and when the great Day of Salvation comes, you will be able to unite with the saved people of all ages, so that you can enter together with them into this beautiful city, New Jerusalem, and settle there forever. Don't miss this opportunity. God bless you!

Prepared by Viktor Bakhtin