Parastas - a special memorial service at Matins, done it on Friday, anticipating the advent THE SATURDAY (Cheese-fare, on the eve of Lent, the second, third and fourth of weeks, Lent, Holy Trinity, before the birthday of the Church, memory descent of the Holy Spirit onApostles).Canonically established these five cases, when the Orthodox churches committed parastas.All of them, as can be seen, occur in the first half of the calendar year, from February to June.
"petition" in Greek
It is as difficult to understand the meaning of the neophyte.Parastas - is, in fact, a petition to God on behalf of the dead, proclaimed by the mouth of the Church.The main difference between a particularly soulful solemn Matins - priest reading the 17th Kathisma Psalms (in whole only 118 Psalm division articles).The content of this stihosloviya wrongly considered "purely mortuary" - confession of faith, sorrow derogation from the law of the Creator, a request for mercy and clemency to human weakness.Mindful of the fact that "there is no man, Who will live and not sin," and the faithful attending the service on its behalf, together with the chorus repeated chorus "O Savior, save me," and "Blessed art Thou, Lord."
deceased - does not mean lifeless
Christian tradition believes each person three birthdays: the first - the birth of the second, the main event - the Holy Baptism and the third - the transition from a vale of tears, full of sorrows and diseases,Eternal Life.Death, personified in the church hymns as underdogs Resurrection of Christ maid hell has no more power over those believers who moved to otherness through the Assumption."Death, where is your sting, Hell, where is thy victory?"- In this questioning lies the belief that "with God all are alive."No wonder the Christian holy days of remembrance falls on the date of the Assumption, the return "home" to our Heavenly Creator of a long earthly journey.
Why the dead need our prayers
love the Creator even sinned, departing from the true path of man touching displayed in the Gospel parable of the prodigal son.However, not all in the time to come back to life otchemu threshold to make the path of repentance, that is change for the better, go back to the prototype, the phenomenon of the God-man - Jesus.Others Death lost the undivided power, but has not lost power, it catches on the road.Parastas - it is an opportunity to continue the path to the eternal good of the prayers of the living for those who expect the last day of the Court, without being able to further repentance.Christianity asserts the possibility of changing to a better afterlife fate of man.The main tool for this becomes Proskomedia - roll commemoration at the Liturgy.The sacred bond of love allow us and committed acts of faith - charity, church and home to dedicate a prayer to God on behalf of the deceased.Parastas the Dead - this is one of the most effective means of helping our loved ones.
parastas particular importance for our deceased relatives
repeatedly hears the allegations far from Orthodox adherents of various cults: parastas - otmalivanie kind of goes back to ancient pagan practices and their substitutes.On what is based this assertion?In the Orthodox liturgy proskomedia name, prayer is offered for those of our family who is listed in the feed to the top of the service notes.Pious tradition to know and pass on from generation to generation the names of a kind many of us have long lost.Parastas - it is an opportunity to achieve enhanced congregational prayer of the depths of our family trees, the memory of which is not imprinted in our mind no, no family traditions.But the point here is not "a special kind of mysteries."The main strength of the church prayers - in her catholicity, in agreement with the words of the Savior: "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I with them" (Mf.18: 20).
