Those Who Have Died
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- Christian Comfort For the Sorrowing
When a person near and dear to us departs from us, how can we not sorrow?
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself sorrowed and even shed tears when His friend Lazarus died. Yet a natural sorrow at someone's death should not cast a Christian into despondency or cause him to murmur against God. Death is not the destruction of a person, but only the temporary separation of the soul from the body. Since it is a temporary condition, the New Testament Holy Scriptures and the early Christian writings refer to death as "sleep" (Acts 13:36) or "dormition (falling asleep)," as in the name of the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Death is called sleep in relation to the body; the soul of the dead person continues its conscious life. Its mental and other spiritual faculties do not weaken after death; on the contrary, they receive greater lightness and mobility, not being constricted by the body.
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- Fate of Man After Death
Death is the inevitable end of all organic life on earth, including human life. A man's death, however, is not the annihilation of his identity, but only the destruction of his physical shell.
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- Regarding the Commemoration of the Dead
Often, parishioners pose questions regarding the eternal fate of the deceased, how and when they should commemorate the souls of the deceased, what affect our commemorations have upon them, and the symbolism behind specific days of commemoration.
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- The Necessity of Praying For the Departed
In order to appreciate the power of prayers for the dead, it must be understood that death interrupts only the physical contact among people; spiritual contact continues. This contact is realized through prayer. The Gospel teaches us that prayer, coupled with faith, has great power. In the words of our Lord, it can even move mountains. The Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles taught Christians to pray for one another.
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