From the many testimonies that exist in the Bible, but also above all in our ecclesiastical history and Tradition, we are informed that there is mutual spiritual communication and support with love and prayer for each other between the members of the heavenly and earthly Church.
The memorial services of our Church are based on this relationship and this book analyzes the testimonies about them, but also the benefit they give to the living and the dead.
(From the publisher’s presentation)
CONTENTS
Trisagion Prayer for the Dead
THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF MEMORIAL SERVICES
On memorial services in general
SCRIPTURAL AND OTHER EVIDENCE FOR THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF MEMORIAL SERVICES
A. Evidence from Holy Scripture
From The Holy Bible
- The Old Testament
- The New Testament
B. Evidence from the Church’s Holy Tradition
- The Church Fathers
- The Holy Liturgies
- The Diptychs of the Church
- Church Testimnes: Mitrofanis Kritopoulos, Petros Mogilla, Dositheos, Patriarch of Jerusalem
- The Lives of the Saints
WHEN ARE MEMORIAL SERVICES PERFORMED?
WHAT IS NEEDED FOR A MEMORIAL SERVICE?
ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES TO MEMORIAL SERVICES?
Are Memorial Services beneficial?
How are they beneficial?
Whom do they benefit and whom do they not benefit?
The Cases of the heavily sinful
The Benefits to the living