Funeral
Service
The death of a Christian not only affects the
family, but also the entire Church, for we are
all part of the Body of Christ. The Orthodox
Funeral Service, which expresses this fact,
is not to be seen primarily as an opportunity
to extol, in a sentimental way, the virtues
of an individual. Rather, the various prayers
and hymns emphasize the harsh reality of death,
as well as the victorious Resurrection of Christ
through which the power of death is conquered.
The Funeral Service comforts those who mourn;
it is also the means through which the Church
prays for one of its members who has died in
the faith of Christ. Orthodoxy views the end
of physical existence only as the termination
of one stage of life. God's love is stronger
than death, and the Resurrection of Christ bears
witness to this power.
The Orthodox Funeral consists of three Services.
First, there is a Vigil Service after death,
which is usually conducted at the time of the
wake. This service is called the Trisagion Service.
The Church prays to Christ "to give rest
with the Saints to the soul of Your servant
where there is neither pain, grief, nor sighing
but life everlasting." While the Church
prays for the soul of the deceased, great respect
is paid to the body. Orthodoxy believes the
body of the Christian is sacred since it was
the Temple of the Holy Spirit.
The body will share also in the final restoration
of all creation. The Funeral Service is continued
at the Church, where the body is brought on
the day of burial. Ideally, the Divine Liturgy
is celebrated. After the Funeral Service, the
congregation offers its farewell to the deceased.
The Trisagion Service is repeated at the graveside.
Memorial Service
Death alters but does not destroy the bond of
love and faith which exists among all the members
of the Church. Orthodoxy believes that through
our prayers, those "who have fallen asleep
in the faith and the hope of the Resurrection"
continue to have opportunity to grow closer
to God. Therefore, the Church prays constantly
for her members who have died in Christ. We
place our trust in the love of God and the power
of mutual love and forgiveness. We pray that
God will forgive the sins of the faithful departed,
and that He will receive them into the company
of Saints in the heavenly Kingdom.
The Orthodox Church remembers the departed in
the prayers of every Divine Liturgy. Besides
this, there is a Memorial Service in which the
Church also remembers the dead. According to
tradition, the Memorial Service is offered on
the third, ninth, and fortieth day after a death,
as well as on the yearly anniversary of the
death. In addition to these times, the Memorial
Service is always offered for all the faithful
departed on four "Saturdays of the Souls."
These are: the two Saturdays preceding Great
Lent; the first Saturday of Great Lent; and
the Saturday before Pentecost. In the United
States the Service is also offered on Memorial
Day. When the Memorial Service is offered, it
is customary for the family of the deceased
to bring a dish of boiled wheat to the Church.
The boiled wheat is placed on a table in the
center of the nave during the Service. The wheat,
known as kollyva, is a symbol of the Resurrection.
When speaking of the Resurrection, our Lord
said: "Unless the grain of wheat falls
into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but
if it dies it bears much fruit." (John
12:24)
Source:
http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article7113.asp
For more information on arranging a Funeral
or Memorial Service in the Greek Orthodox Church,
please
contact us.
Article:
Death,
the Threshold to Eternal Life