Rector of the church: express love for the deceased - pray for him

Vladimir Sheydak, Archpriest and Rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Logoisk, Radunitsa is a special day of the year, when even the smallest rural cemetery becomes a site of mass pilgrimage. This is both a tribute to tradition and a deep spiritual meaning—the deceased seem to unite families, reminding all loved ones of the importance of preserving their family lineage. Many superstitions and traditions are associated with Radunitsa. Archpriest Vladimir Sheydak, Rector of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Logoisk, spoke to a BELTA correspondent about the church's meaning, what is especially important to do on Radunitsa, and what should be avoided.

"Father Vladimir, on the eve of Radunitsa, it certainly makes sense to remind you what this day is and why it is celebrated on the tenth day of Easter. And can Radunitsa be considered a holiday?

" "Radunitsa (or Radonitsa) is more of a tradition than a canon for commemorating the dead. I should note that this tradition is not universal." The Church Charter does not prescribe any funeral hymns on this day. However, according to the Charter of Divine Services, the public commemoration of the departed ends on the Thursday of Holy Week before Easter (notes are read inside the altar during the proskomedia). There is no public commemoration of the departed on Easter itself or throughout Bright Week. Only on Tuesday of the second week after the Bright Resurrection of Christ can the fullest commemoration be performed. It seems that the notes, which had accumulated over more than ten days, were read aloud during the service on this day. Hence the name Radunitsa—a day of joy for the departed, when we can pray for them with the full rite. And in this sense, it is a feast for the departed .

Could it be said that Radunitsa has a deeper, sacred meaning, uniting different generations?

I'd like to point out right away that commemoration isn't just a ritual of going to church and lighting a memorial candle. It must be, above all, conscious. The Old Testament contains a commandment: "Honor your parents, and it will be well with you, and you will live long upon the earth." According to this commandment, we must support and help our parents and loved ones during their lifetime, and not abandon them. But the time comes when they leave this world. And the commandment remains in effect. We pray for the departed and thereby show our love for them, because love is not only a feeling but also a verb. If we love someone, we want to do something for them, to give them something. And what does the soul of the deceased need? Only prayer. And at the same time, this prayer must be combined with our pious lives. Holy Scripture says: the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Our departed watch with hope as we walk our path in life, awaiting our prayers, which can justify them.

From generation to generation, life is corrected before God. ChildrenThey must be purer and brighter than their parents, and, with God's help, overcome their hereditary predisposition to sin. And this is how piety in a family is formed. It is a complex, progressive process. I work on myself, I struggle with sin within myself, and at the same time I hope that if I have not overcome something in myself, my children , raised in the faith, will pray for me. And because of their prayers and pious life, the Lord will have mercy on me too. This is the law of generational change.

- But there are other, no less significant, memorial days in the church calendar, aren't there?

- The greatest thing we can give to the departed is our pious life and our prayers for them. Throughout the year, we have special days of remembrance for the departed. The most significant are Meatfare Parental Memorial Saturday (a week before the beginning of Great Lent) and Holy Trinity Parental Memorial Saturday before the Feast of Trinity, which is celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter.

Next in importance are such memorial days as the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of Lent (except when church holidays overlap these days). Also, September 11th is the Day of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, the Saturday before November 8th is St. Demetrius's Memorial Saturday, and in some places, the Saturday before the Feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, celebrated on November 14th.

Father Vladimir, what is the correct way to spend Radunitsa Day? Should I clean the cemetery, or is it most important to attend church services?

The correct approach would be to clean the graves first during Lent, before Easter. Regarding church attendance, as is well known, a new church day begins with the evening service. Therefore, you can attend the evening service on the eve of Radunitsa, submit prayer lists, light candles, pray, and then visit the cemetery the following day. There will likely be a priest at the cemetery on this day who will bless the graves. I've had occasion when, when I visited cemeteries in remote villages, I'd conduct a memorial service there, during which I'd read notes submitted by local residents. And then I'd sprinkle the graves.

It's no secret that there's a tradition of bringing food to the graves, such as colored eggs, Easter cakes, and candy. Some even pour it into shot glasses.ALCOHOL , leaving it at the cemetery. How do clergy view this tradition?

- I've been a priest for 28 years and I've seen that this tradition does exist. I don't like to judge, but any food in a cemetery is bait for stray animals, and alcohol will attract those with a penchant for alcohol. Why cultivate and propagate this? Even from a practical standpoint, it's wrong. When people start feasting and drinking right in cemeteries, it's a remnant of paganism—a funeral feast that has nothing in common with Christianity. If we want to do something for the benefit of the deceased, then it's best to give alms in their name, feed someone, clothe someone, or buy medicine . Even traditional memorials for the deceased on the ninth, 40th, and anniversary days used to be conducted in exactly this way. In some places, those who had prayed in church for the deceased and were present at the service that day were invited to the funeral meal on these days. If the commemoration took place in a monastery, the monastic brethren were also invited. These people gave the deceased spiritual gifts, for which they received gratitude from their loved ones.

- At what age can children be brought to the cemetery?

- From infancy, I don't see any age limit. These are all family matters, and a child learns about life in their own family, adopting the traditions of their relatives in order to uphold them later. This is also part of their upbringing, and the presence of children should further discipline us, because they look to us as an example. Our loved ones, even the deceased, unite us all.

- Father Vladimir, what do you think about the idea of ​​bringing plastic flowers and store-bought oil lamps to the cemetery on Radunitsa?

- A candle bought in a church is your donation to the church. Prayer is needed for the deceased. As for flowers, I'll answer with the words of Metropolitan Filaret, who said, "What's alive is alive." If we believe that the souls of our departed are alive, then we bring living flowers.

BELTA.