The ninth and fortieth days are of particular importance for the afterlife of the deceased. This is the time before the soul before God. Therefore, relatives are required to fulfill their religious duty, preserving the memory of the deceased, especially these days. What is the semantic meaning of commemoration at this time and what the soul has to test - a Christian doctrine gives a clear answer to this.
The meaning of remembrance in the Orthodox tradition
When a loved one has not yet crossed the threshold of eternity, his relatives are trying in every possible way to give signs of attention, offer their feasible help. This shows the duty of fulfilling the love of one's neighbor, imputed to be a mandatory responsibility by Christian doctrine. But man is not eternal. For everyone there comes a moment of death. However, this transition from one state of personality to another should not be marked by the abandonment of the memory of the deceased. A man is alive as long as he is remembered. The religious duty of a Christian is the organization of funeral dinners in memory of the departed for all who knew the latter during his lifetime.
The semantic meaning of 9 days after the death of a person
According to the Orthodox doctrine, the human soul is immortal. This thesis is confirmed by the practice of commemoration of the departed in the Christian tradition. Church Tradition teaches that for the first three days after death, the soul dwells on the earth in those places that she especially loved. Then she ascends to God. The Lord shows the soul the heavenly abodes in which the righteous are blissful.
The personal self-consciousness of the soul is touched, it marvels at what it sees, and the bitterness from leaving the earth is no longer so strong. This occurs within six days. Then, with angels, the soul again ascends to worship God. It turns out that this is the ninth day on which the soul sees its Creator for the second time. In memory of this, the Church establishes commemoration, at which it is customary to gather in a narrow family circle. A commemoration is ordered in temples, prayers are offered to God for mercy on the deceased. There is a statement that there is not one who lived and did not sin. Also, the semantic meaning of the number nine is the memory of the Church about the corresponding number of angelic ranks. It is the angels who accompany the soul, showing it all the beauties of paradise.
The fortieth day is the time of the private court of the soul
After nine days, the hellish cloisters are shown to the soul. She observes the horror of incorrigible sinners, feels fear and awe of what she sees. Then, on the fortieth day, he again ascends to God for worship, only this time there is also a private trial of the soul. This date is always considered the most important in the afterlife of the deceased. There is no tradition of transferring commemoration, no matter what day they come.
The soul is judged for all the deeds committed by man during his lifetime. And after that the place of her stay is determined until the second coming of Christ. It is especially important these days to pray and give alms in memory of a relative or acquaintance who has left this world. A person asks God for mercy, the possibility of bestowing a blessed fate on a dead person.
The number 40 has its own meaning. Even in the Old Testament it was prescribed to keep the memory of the deceased 40 days. In New Testament times, one can draw semantic analogies with the Ascension of Christ. So, it was on the 40th day after His resurrection that the Lord ascended into heaven. This memorial date is also a memory of the fact that the human soul after death again goes to his Heavenly Father.
In general, the commemoration is an act of mercy for living people. Lunch is offered, as alms in memory of the deceased, other rituals are performed, testifying to a person’s faith in the immortality of the soul. It is also a hope for the salvation of each individual person.
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