Why do you need a cemetery or the richness of the coffin will not surprise God

AUTHOR OF THE ARTICLE

Hegumen Fedor (Yablokov)

Conversation with Abbot Theodore (Yablokov) about the external decoration of the graves, Orthodox tradition and true benefit for the soul.

- Father Theodore, you’ve probably seen: monuments are often erected along roads, at accident sites, sometimes even with fences. How does this correspond to the Orthodox tradition?

The tradition of putting up crosses outside the cemetery, installing worship crosses at specially marked places, for example, at crossroads or at the entrance to a village, has been in Rus' for centuries. This was done so that a person, seeing the worship cross, would think and pray. Sometimes churches were built at the site of a tragedy. The Church has always tried to consecrate such places so that people would pray here with a special feeling, remembering the Lord and remembering the departed - their dead relatives. Apparently, installing crosses at the scene of death in an accident has the same meaning: so that, when passing the scene of the tragedy, a person would pray for the deceased, and at the same time simply slow down. This can save you from another tragedy. But, of course, it is not worth abusing such things and making duplicate cemeteries along the roads, because a grave cross should be installed at the burial site, rather than at the site of death. But what is completely inappropriate is when rudders, wreaths and all sorts of extraneous things that are not related to prayer are attached to poles.

- Is it right to lay wreaths in cemeteries?

It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. It all depends on what meaning is intended by those who bring wreaths. The ancient Romans had a custom in May to lay roses on the graves of their deceased ancestors. Unfortunately, this pagan practice is late XIX century came to our land, which led to the fact that the Holy Synod in 1889 was forced to ban wreaths and inscriptions on them at funerals. At the same time, a decision was made to prohibit secular music during burial. The Bolsheviks who came to power revived and strengthened the funeral tradition of the pagans, displacing the remnants of the Christian understanding of burial. For example, Lenin's funeral looked more like a flower and wreath show, despite the fact that it was winter, than a normal farewell to a deceased person.

The outwardly similar, but completely different in meaning, Orthodox tradition of seeing off and remembering the dead with flowers and ritual wreaths originates in early Christianity. The first followers of Christ, bringing fresh flowers and wreaths to the tombs of the dead, expressed hope for resurrection and eternal life, and also symbolically emphasized the Christian virtues of the deceased. Nowadays in special days commemoration of fallen soldiers His Holiness Patriarch, bishops and clergy lay wreaths on their graves with great feeling and prayer. But, firstly, it must be made of fresh flowers, and secondly, an obligatory element of the floral composition of the wreath is a cross. In fact, a cross of flowers is laid. And this has deep meaning- honoring memory and prayer.

But, alas, so far our modern tradition in this matter is far from Christian.

- You emphasized that the flowers should be fresh. But no matter which cemetery you walk through, all the graves are buried in artificial flowers and wreaths...

According to the established tradition, which has absorbed the spirit of living faith, living Church, living love, the flowers in the church must be alive. Artificial flowers are not allowed in the house of God. And the grave, as a kind of projection, as a small place of our prayer for the departed, according to the spiritual view, should also have only living flowers, living remembrances. You and I talk all the time about the fact that our faith is alive, and that our love must be alive. Because the faith of Christ is a living faith in fulfilling the commandments of God. And our living faith wants everything around us to be alive, including at the graves of the departed. From time immemorial in Russia, only fresh flowers, shrubs and branches of coniferous trees were used at mourning events. A special place in the mourning tradition was occupied by spruce, pine, and juniper - evergreen plants symbolizing eternal life. The custom of covering the path of the funeral procession with coniferous branches is still preserved in different regions Russia. And artificial flowers, wreaths, as well as wreaths without a cross, are already a legacy of the Soviet era. Plastic or rag flowers are a symbol of artificial existence, not living life.

- Or maybe it’s a plastic obsession on graves? - a consequence of our surrogate feelings? Everything around has become unreal, maybe because they put artificial wreaths because our feelings are also partly false, tuned to the external effect, and not to the inner essence?

I wouldn't say that. Usually people don’t even think about what flowers they should bring and what the point is. Firstly, they live without thinking, according to an established algorithm. If they were explained how to do it correctly, perhaps it would resonate in their souls.

Secondly, poverty may also be the reason, especially for the elderly. They carry those flowers that they have enough money for. Thirty rubles was enough for an artificial flower - the grandmother carries it. But she does it from the heart, although not entirely correctly from the point of view of Orthodoxy. But maybe she does acts of mercy and prayer for the deceased, which is much more necessary for his soul than a living flower.

But the main reason is that people are not enlightened, they are cut off from the Church and from the spirit of Orthodoxy.

- When and how should you visit a cemetery? And is there a need to frequently visit the burial site if relatives regularly commemorate the deceased in church?

Father Ulyan Krechetov, confessor of the Moscow diocese, once gave the following example: Saint Philaret of Moscow, after his death, appeared to his relatives and said: “Please come to my grave, put things in order there.” Thus, the deceased ask their relatives to look after their graves. That is, caring for a grave is an opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of the deceased and express your feelings. But this is far from the most important means, of course. The main thing remains prayer. First of all - in the temple, then - at the grave itself. Coming to the cemetery, our main task is to devote this time not to some fictitious conversation with the deceased. We can only talk in prayer for the deceased. If a loved one of the deceased enters into a direct “dialogue” at the grave, he begins a conversation with an unknown person. Sometimes this leads to illusions, because of which a person falls under demonic power.

Why is this happening? Yes, because, firstly, such a person has the wrong spiritual structure. He believes that the deceased is lost to him and is in some kind of isolation. But the Church says the opposite: one should not grieve for the dead, because death is birth in Eternity. It is no coincidence that the funeral service itself is conducted by priests not in black mourning clothes, but in white vestments. A sacrament such as Baptism is akin to a funeral service. Baptism is birth into spiritual Christian life, and funeral service is into eternal life.

We sinners cannot understand this, but the first Christians rejoiced when one of them died. Of course, the death of a loved one resembles a surgical operation: some part of the spiritual body is cut off from us, the living. And this division brings a lot of pain. But spiritual task a person who survived the death of a relative and remained in Church Militant, is the realization that spiritual ties with the deceased are not interrupted. Previously, here on earth, we talked with this man and prayed for him. No one prevents us from loving him even after death, praying for his soul and performing acts of mercy. The Holy Fathers say that alms and deeds done in memory of the departed bring them great consolation *. This is the real, true memory of the deceased, and not the luxurious arrangement of the burial site.

- But there are people who practically live in the cemetery: either the grave needs to be cleaned, then the monument needs to be put in order, or the fence needs to be corrected.

Grave - place resurrection of the dead on Judgment Day. And, of course, we must keep it clean. But there is no need to constantly go to the cemetery. Such preoccupation with a burial place can occur in people who do not separate soul and body. It seems to them that the person was buried entirely. Thank God, such distorted perception does not happen often. It’s bad if grieving people do not realize their dependence on visiting the cemetery and visit it almost every day. However, as a rule, they do not enter the temple! Such people do not need God, and the Church does not need. They only want their deceased relative. Passing by the temple, those grieving, oddly enough, categorically do not want to visit the place where they can directly help the soul of the deceased.

- Are there any rules for arranging graves?

It is best to place an icon of the Savior on the tombstone cross. And if you want a photograph of the deceased to be in the cemetery, then it is better to place it on the side of the fence. Then such an uncomfortable situation will not arise when the priest at a memorial service is forced to almost pray to the deceased instead of icons! A person needs to turn from contemplating the burial place to contemplating God, to prayer and communication with Him. After all, it is through prayer that we can bring comfort to the deceased.

A photograph of the deceased on a crucifix is ​​blasphemy. But even greater blasphemy is placing his photograph of the house in the icon row, next to the images! In fact, there should be a clear division: Christ, the saints of the Church of God and our relatives for whom we pray. There should also be an honorable place for them, but in a different place.

It happens that the parents of a deceased baby go to the other extreme: they bring toys to the child’s grave and, along with them, it turns out, part of his inner world. These things, which are not at all useful for the soul, are transferred not only to the cemetery, but also to own soul. They distract parents from the main thing - from prayer. Because when you come to a grave where there are a lot of toys, it is impossible to pray, everything reminds you of the loss. It is much more useful to place an icon, instead of bitter tears, bring the priest and pray. In fact, all the souls of infants are in the rite of funeral service and are called blessed, that is, already freed from suffering. Therefore, parents themselves are more in need of commemorating deceased babies.

The same can be said about expensive monuments and countless wreaths. When we come to the temple of God and bring fresh flowers to the icon, we show a normal religious feeling. It’s another matter when wealthy people spend huge amounts of money on mountains of artificial wreaths, in which the graves are literally buried. And the grave itself is not visible behind this “splendor” at the funeral service. But at the same time, there are beggars sitting nearby in the cemetery, cars with expensive wreaths driving past them and not stopping...

The Lord cannot be amazed by the rich decoration of graves, but he can be amazed by sacrifice and love for people in need and for the Church of God.

This should be realized by those people who, instead of helping the deceased with deeds of mercy, satisfy their own vanity, feed their passions, justifying themselves by the fact that in this way they show love for the deceased. In fact, they do not love the deceased, but themselves!

Those who arrange graves so that everything is respectable, expensive and prestigious only harm the soul of the deceased and drive themselves into sin. It is unfortunate when the last refuge of a loved one becomes a place of self-affirmation and pride for his relatives. - - There is a category of people who take care in advance about a comfortable place in the cemetery

closer to the exit or to the church, on the central alley, next to famous people. What should be the attitude towards choosing a place in a cemetery? If you understand that the grave is not the last apartment where the deceased lives, but the place of resurrection, then everything will fall into place. After all, God will resurrect from any place. Moreover, convenience, prestige, and rich decorations of graves will not have Last Judgment

We know examples of attitudes towards the burial places of many saints. For example, the great holy ascetic, the Monk Nil Sorsky, dying, left a will to his disciples in which he asked that his body be thrown into the forest to be devoured by wild beasts and buried without honor with the words: “For the body has sinned much against God.” We see that the saints cared much more about the fate of their souls than about the burial place. They understood that the meaning and essence are not in the burial place. But modern people are far from such high spiritual reasoning and, unfortunately, are often guided by vanity considerations and convenience.

- When is it customary to visit a cemetery?

Firstly, these are days of general church commemoration, on which you need to visit both the temple and the cemeteries: parents' Saturdays throughout the year (Radonitsa, Trinity and Dimitrievskaya parental Saturdays), as well as parental Saturdays associated with Great Lent (meat and Lenten parental Saturdays). Secondly, it is possible and necessary to remember the deceased on the day of his death, that is, on the day of his birth into eternal life. If we want to remember a person according to church rules, it is necessary on this day to go to the temple of God and invite a priest to the grave in order to pray more earnestly for the soul of the deceased. Memorable dates are also suitable for prayerful remembrance: birthday, Angel Day. On these days, it is also necessary to order a church commemoration and invite a priest to the grave. If the priest is not around, now, thank God, in many prayer books there is the rite of litia performed by a layman. You just need to take a prayer book and pray with all your heart. When it is not possible to visit the grave, you can read the litany and kathisma of the Psalter about the deceased at home in front of the prayer corner. All this will serve as a great consolation for relatives and for the deceased.

- What should a monument look like so as not to contradict Orthodox traditions?

Of course, it must be a cross. It can be wooden or stone. The cross reminds us of the cross that the deceased carried throughout his earthly life. It would be good if an epitaph with deep spiritual meaning was written on it. Nowadays, stone headstones are also allowed.

But no matter what the monument is, we must not forget that the souls of the deceased do not need tombstones and epitaphs, but our prayers. We are all here temporarily. Both grave crosses and cemeteries are not eternal. And the monument only makes sense for as long as people pray for the soul of the one whose ashes lie under it. Therefore, the burial place should be a place where it would be convenient to pray and where everything would be conducive to turning to God...

- And all these wonderfully beautiful cemetery sculptures in the form of angels - where did such a tradition come from? And how appropriate is it on a grave, unless, of course, we are talking about some famous person, whose resting place should be highlighted?

The striking sculptures and pantheons have been known since the Renaissance; they existed during the godless Soviet era, but they were especially popular in the 1990s. All this has nothing to do with Christianity, because the burial place is a place of prayer. As a rule, there is no place for sculptures in the Orthodox church tradition. If you look from a secular point of view, then for some people such sculptures give a certain individuality, some kind of association with the deceased. For example, on one monument in the cemetery next to our Church of All Saints in Klimovsk, a basketball basket with a ball is depicted. This has nothing to do with spiritual life, but for those close to the deceased, it probably means something.

- Do epitaphs on monuments have any meaning?

Epitaph is a wonderful and necessary tradition. This is not a bunch of words, as someone might think, it is written with meaning and should make you think. And it’s even better if this phrase responds with prayer, an ardent appeal to God. An epitaph generally makes sense only if it awakens prayer for the deceased. And if the words on the monument deify the deceased himself or serve as a message to the deceased: “We remember you” or “We remember. We love you. We are grieving,” then there is little sense in this. To whom in in this case are they applying? Will the deceased really get up and read what was written?

And there are also epitaphs of this kind: “I lived gloriously, well. Thank you everyone for your attention." And what is this for? Does such a text help to think about the soul? The epitaph with the words of the Gospel will certainly touch the soul of a person, and he will pray for the deceased, so that the Lord will grant him consolation. The purpose of the epitaph is to call people to prayer for forgiveness of the sins of the deceased.

- Do we really need a fence around the grave and a bench with a table? At the cemetery next to your temple, for example, they even offer “ritual shops.” How is that?

Just imagine: it’s a 3-kilometer walk from the city to our cemetery. People came to pray, to work, to weed something. Why not sit and relax on a bench near the grave? There's nothing wrong with that. And put something on the table at the same time, refresh yourself, eat. But, of course, this is not necessary in order to sit on a bench and arrange a libation at the grave, or leave food on the table for the deceased.

- Father Theodore, you probably paid attention to the coffin “splendor” of modern funerals - there are coffins almost with air conditioning, with rear-view windows. Is this the same unhealthy measure you were talking about?

For many, chic funeral attributes are an opportunity to show their level of wealth. They say, “I’m from such and such a society, and the coffin should correspond to my status.” That’s exactly what they call it - a Eurocoffin, like a European-quality renovation. It’s strange that they don’t order “European funeral services” for such coffins ( laughs).

Although traditionally in Rus' it was not customary to “show off” either coffins or other attributes at funerals. Even great saints were buried in simple, rough-hewn coffins made of wood. And monks are still buried according to this tradition.

-Where did all this come from? modern man? Don't you think that expensive funerals, luxurious coffins and monuments are to some extent echoes of paganism? The desire to “buy off” the soul of the deceased, to appease the deceased so that he does not bother him from the other world?

There are probably such representations, but I think not often. Sometimes the relatives of the deceased believe that if they did not give him something during his lifetime or offended him, now they can compensate for everything with an expensive monument or hearse. That is, in some cases these offerings are made out of guilt.

But in most cases this is done for vanity reasons: to show the level of wealth, to emphasize one’s social status. Moreover, the further people are from the Church, the more important this external side is for them.

- So what should we think about the funeral industry? After all, this is where this external part begins.

We Orthodox Christians dress in clothes made by industry, not by monks in a monastery. We use phones and cameras - this is also well-established production. But there is an industry that serves a good Orthodox cause, and there is an industry for the corruption of souls.

Why Orthodox person in a difficult situation, not to resort to the help of funeral agents or companies that can organize a funeral professionally and with dignity? But it is best to choose such companies based on recommendations from friends, so as not to fall for grabbers who will shamelessly profit from grief.

When preparing for ritual events, it is important not to go to extremes and vanity. In everything you need to know when to stop. After all, as the wise Russian proverb says: “You will not surprise God with the riches of the coffin.” For the soul of the deceased, first of all, the prayers of neighbors and the Church are important, as well as works of mercy and almsgiving. This should under no circumstances be forgotten. The spiritual is above the external and material.

51. The warmth of your soul remains with us.

52. You lived your life with dignity,
Leaving a memory for us forever.
In a silent world, sleep peacefully,
The person we love.

53. They don’t part with their loved ones, they just stop being close to them.

54. We regret, cry and mourn,
That you remained forever young.

55. The earthly path is short,
The memory is eternal.

56. To your untimely grave, our path will not be overgrown.
Your dear image, your dear image, will always lead us here.

57. I rested here as soon as I was born;
I am the one to whom I hurried so quickly
Death is like a soul whose flesh the grave has taken,
She barely noticed that there was no flesh.

58. No inscriptions are needed for my stone,
Just say it here: he was and he is not!

59. I am happy that I died young:
The torment of earth is worse than the grave.
Death has freed me forever
And she became my immortality.

60. How difficult it is to find words,
To measure our pain with them.
We cannot believe in your death,
You will be with us forever.

61. The earthly path is short,
The memory is eternal.

62. They don’t part with their loved ones,
They just stop being around.

63. Do not express grief,
Don't cry any tears
You took joy away from home forever.

64. Death chose you without asking us. How to live on and have enough
do you have strength? Our dad and husband, you were loved by us.
We remember you and mourn you in grief.

65. There is one less star on earth.
There is one more star in the sky.

66. Everything was in him -
Soul, talent and beauty.
Everything sparkled for us
Like a bright dream.

67. You passed away too early. Words cannot express our pain.
Sleep dear, you are our pain and wound. The memory of you is always alive.

68. You can’t forget,
It's impossible to return...

69. Love for you, dear son,
He will die only with us.
And our pain and our sorrow
Can't express it in words.

70. You have gone into the world of eternal dreams,
And forever your soul is calm,
And our grief and memory are limitless...

71. To whom were you dear during your life,
To whom I gave both friendship and love
For the eternal repose of your soul
They will pray again and again...

72. Dad! You left
And there is no return for you,
The more difficult is our loss.

73. Lived with dignity, sadness does not count,
Respect and honor remain in my memory.

74. You have always been an example to us,
As a person with a pure soul.
And the memory of you is alive
In the hearts of people and loved ones.

75. You flew through life like a comet,
Leaving behind a bright trail.
We love, we remember, we will not forget,
We are sad that you are not around.

76. You lived your life with dignity
Leaving a memory for us for a century.
In a silent world sleep well
The person we love.

77. How merciless life was to you,
So may the heavens be favorable...

78. Such pain cannot be expressed in words,
She is all in my wounded heart.
It's cruel how fate has dealt with us,
Not allowing the two of us to remain on the ground.
But in my loneliness I feel sad
Under the hot sun and when it rains,
I remember you, I love you
And I tell you: “See you later... Wait!”

79. He did not perish and did not die.
He left and somewhere nearby...

80. My heart is grieving,
Your death burned
What is the world to me without you,
And worldly affairs.

81. Only memory returns to us
taken away by fate...

82. In the days of sorrow of our orphan,
We will fall at the Feet of the Creator,
Heavenly Father will comfort us,
And in it we will find joy...

83. Sorry!
I'll see you again again

84. Dear angel, forgive me - it’s my fault,
That I was not next to you at the hour of death.

85. The flight of eagle wings did not save me from poverty,
No gift of song, no flame of heart!
Cruel! He only asked you for bread,
You gave me a stone.

86. I bequeath to live a more worthy life,
Don't rush to give it away quickly.
After all, it will be all the more calm for me here,
The longer I will wait for all of you.

87. It’s like I’m dead, but the world is a consolation
I live in the hearts of thousands of souls,
To all who love, and that means I am not dust,
And mortal decay will not touch me.

88. It’s not life that I feel sorry for, it’s the fire that I feel sorry for,
That, having shone over the whole universe,
He will disappear into the night, crying and mourning...

89. Dry sand is your bed,
Green turf is a blanket.
Sleep peacefully in eternal sleep
You are the one whose heart burned so much.

90. You died only for the light.
And in the memory of the family
A warm greeting with a smile
Your image lives dear.

91. Dad! You left
And there is no return for you,
But your life was not in vain...
The more difficult is our loss.

92. We parted.
The disease has struck you down.
You took it with you to the grave
Suffering, pain, hope and love,
And a bright mind, and kindness, and memory.
But the road ahead awaits you
To another life - without pain and suffering...

93. Life is vile and empty,
And there will be no happiness in her,
I'll burn myself down
And then let God judge.
Who's right and who's wrong
Some lived meanly, some honestly.
We judge at random
He knows everything.

94. Passerby! here lies the human philosopher,
He slept for a whole century,
To prove how right Solomon was,
Having said: “All is vanity! It’s all a dream!”

95. Like a heavy load, we carry the burden of loss
We will preserve love and memory for years to come,
Time has no power over memory,
And sorrow will never leave us.

96. The Lord granted me beauty,
My parent gave me only the body;
But if what God has given has decayed,
Well, a mortal will take flesh from death.

97. Here is the love that life gave me,
Here is the sadness that wisdom brought.

You don't have to be a believer to use a religious epitaph. Any religion treats favorably when referring to its spiritual postulates.

The letters of ancient philosophers from centuries-old tablets will fill the last message to the deceased with meaning and beauty. And partly the mystical meaning of spiritual themes will bring the presence of a lost person closer together.

Photo of the religious inscription on the monument

RELIGIOUS EPITAPHS

Religious epitaphs allow you to express in a few words love and all the best feelings for the deceased. The inscriptions on the tombstone will help express your feelings for the deceased in the form of quotes taken from holy scripture, the Koran, and Buddhist sayings.

Photo of religious epitaph

The essence of religious epitaphs.
In a financial sense, you cannot approach long or short lettering based on prices. The inscription may not be long. Two words of love will express no less feelings than a long verse containing the life path of the deceased.
The semantic combinations of religious epitaphs are hidden in the diversity of spiritual literature, and make it possible to make a single and unique inscription for a specific case.

The artistic font of the epitaph will decorate the surface of the tombstone with curly italics, Old Church Slavonic Cyrillic, or the script of Arabic texts. Words are often decorated with carved ornaments on the sides of the portrait, sometimes completely replacing the image or portrait, making the monument or tombstone in no way inferior in beauty to the generally accepted design of the grave.
It is believed that as long as we remember a person, he is alive. Monument, the very memory that will preserve the name dear person for a long time, for centuries.

The tradition of Christian epitaphs represents a simple but profound philosophy. Laconic texts tell about the pious life of the deceased, the attitude of the living towards him and submission to God's will.

What text can Christian epitaphs include?

A mandatory attribute of a tombstone is the name and surname of the deceased, indicated in accordance with the passport data. The rest of the text is formatted at the request of the relatives. The texts of Christian epitaphs may contain:
- relevant excerpt from the Bible (New Testament), and others holy books
- prayers of relatives for the repose of the soul of the deceased
- an appeal to the Lord on behalf of the deceased, with gratitude for help in earthly life and hope for eternal life
Christian church welcomes the brevity and modest design of the tombstone inscription. In addition, it should be simple, honest and carry a religious message.

Photo Christian epitaph

Hope as the main motive of Christian epitaphs

A little more detail about what idea can be embedded in the text of the epitaph. The expression of sadness in Christian inscriptions on monuments is quite natural. However, this sadness is not endless, since every person who lived according to God’s laws has the right to gain eternal existence in the Kingdom of God.
The main idea of ​​a Christian epitaph is hope and consolation for the loved ones of the deceased person. Earthly life is fleeting and full of suffering, but he who lives it with dignity will find rest and consolation after death.
The epitaph on the tombstone of a Christian brings an end to his stay on earth, which is only a short preface to eternal life with the Lord. It reveals the best aspects of the personality of the deceased, and speaks of the love of family and friends for him.

Records found: 65

Hello, please tell me, I want to make an inscription on the monument: “God rest, the soul of your departed servant,” but can it be written like this with the name - “Lord rest, the soul of your departed servant Vladimir”? And also, at the end of these words, which sign is better, an ellipsis? Thank you.

Julia

Yes, Julia, you can write it like that. God help you.

Priest Sergius Osipov

Father, hello. I will order a monument to my father with a cross on it. Crosses can be made in different ways - seven, three, five-pointed, which one is better?

Julia

Julia, at the grave Orthodox Christian it should be Orthodox cross. The rest is up to you.

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

Hello! I have a question: they buried my grandmother with my dad. If you stand facing the grave, then the father’s monument stands as usual (how he was buried - where to face, I don’t remember), and the grandmother’s cross was placed at her feet - it turned out to be opposite side from the monument. And if you stand facing the grave, you cannot see the cross with your face. Is it possible to move the cross next to the monument?

Olga

Hello Olga. The cross should stand at the feet of the deceased, lying facing east. If the grandmother is buried like this, it is better not to rearrange it. God help.

Priest Sergius Osipov

Hello, please tell me why passionate attachment to animals is a sin? Thanks for the answer.

Irina

First, I would like to hear from you, what do you consider “passionate affection for animals”? For example, I don’t understand cemeteries with monuments for them - this is a religious sin. But caring for the homeless, the wounded, feeding and caring for them is not a sin. This is fine. Of course, you can’t keep 100 cats in an apartment. It's not designed for that.

Archpriest Maxim Khizhiy

Good day! What is the significance of the images of saints on tombstones? In particular, the image of the Mother of God on the back side of the monument. Thanks in advance for your answer.

Svetlana

Christ is risen, Svetlana! Traditionally, Christians place a cross on a grave as a sign of our faith and that of the deceased. For the same reason, they began to depict icons on monuments. It is more logical to depict them not from the back, but from the front, but there is usually a photograph of the deceased there. God bless you.

Priest Sergius Osipov

Is it possible to mount a photograph on the monument?

Svetlana

Svetlana, the photo can be installed - but this does not give anything to the deceased. The most important and important thing on the grave is the Orthodox cross. And I personally don’t welcome monuments on graves at all.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Good afternoon and God help you. More than 6 years ago my mother died. She was cremated, like her grandmother. Both lie in the same grave, both baptized. Is it possible to erect a monument in the form of a Cross over their grave? Is it worth depicting Jesus on such a monument? It is difficult to find the canonical six-pointed Cross (I am not talking about wood, but about stone). Is it possible to install a four-pointed one? How important is this? Thanks in advance for your answers. God bless you!

R.B. Ksenia

Of course, you can erect a monument in the form of a cross; it is advisable to erect a traditional Orthodox eight-pointed cross (this form of cross is very popular, it is strange that difficulties arise with this). If you can’t put up an eight-pointed cross, put up a four-pointed one, with a crucifix or not - it’s at your discretion.

Deacon Ilya Kokin

A year since my father died. Today we were at the cemetery, I was sweeping snow from the monument, and the sign with the name and dates of birth and death broke in half. I can’t find a place for myself, was this a sign to me or was it just my mistake?

Oksana

Oksana, the sign broke because it is outdoors and exposed to atmospheric conditions (snow, rain). Order a new sign and stop inventing and worrying yourself with empty worries. But you must definitely pray for the departed - both at home and in church.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Bless, father! Hello. They say that a monument cannot be erected before a year. There must be a cross. But the year falls on a frosty time. Is it possible to set it on Parents' Day? My husband was buried in his homeland, very far from us, relatives, and we don’t have the opportunity to visit often. I think it’s not good until a year, but my brother wants it in the spring. Tell me what will be the right way? That's what we'll do. And he died on November 13th. Remember, for Christ's sake.

Maria

Mary, actually, according to the Orthodox tradition, there should be a cross, not a monument, on the grave of a Christian. The tradition of placing a monument on a grave only after the anniversary is not caused by church regulations, but rather by technical reasons for the installation. Therefore, you can decide the issue of installation timing at your own discretion.

Priest Vladimir Shlykov

Good afternoon. Please tell me, my husband died on November 15, 2013. Before Easter I want to erect a monument. They tell me that this cannot be done until one is a year old. Tell me what to do correctly. Thank you in advance for your response.

Olga

Olga, in general I am against monuments. On Orthodox grave there must be a tombstone cross. The cross can be made from stone. You can do a combination: top part- the Cross itself, and the lower part as a monument. I think this is best. They don’t install it for up to a year only because the soil has not completely settled and the stone may sag. If the soil is hard enough, then you can do it at any time and not wait a year.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Darina, it’s your choice, but I don’t really like the idea of ​​a monument. I don’t think that the city administration will support it - this is allocating a place, this is a project, etc. But hanging a creative banner is a different matter. You can always update it or move it to another location. Closer, for example, to abortion clinics.

Archpriest Maxim Khizhiy

Hello! Please tell me, my grandfather, Archpriest John, he passed away to God in August, we are now ordering a monument in the form of the Cross, well, everything is as he wished. But we don’t know how to make the inscription correctly - Archpriest John and the surname, or just the surname, Ivan Fedorovich, and should the font be Old Church Slavonic or is there no meaning? God bless you!

Anna

Anna, the font does not matter, but you must write that he is Archpriest John, and in brackets - his last name, first name and patronymic. It will be right.

Hieromonk Victorin (Aseev)

Hello! Bless me to ask a question to Abbot Nikon (Golovko). Thank you for your help and advice about family life. Now my question is on a different topic. How does the Orthodox Holy Church relate to history? Ancient Egypt, and specifically, to the Egyptian pyramids? Are they considered occult symbols or simply monuments of architecture and history, or is there some kind of scientific theory about their impact? Nowadays there is a lot of talk about the pyramids and their impact. Some manage to build them in houses and on personal plots, speaking about their healing, healing properties. They share the “miracles” that come from them. Help me figure out how I feel about the pyramids and the scientific arguments that are given about them? Thank you.

Lyudmila

Lyudmila, some specialized researchers conducted Orthodox theologians or priests in relation to the pyramids, I personally don’t remember. However, I can imagine why this topic is not much developed - it’s just that everyone is busy with their own salvation, the fight against sin and passions, and the question of the pyramids goes so far beyond the issues necessary for salvation that there is simply, apparently, no time to deal with it. It can, however, be said quite unequivocally that the pyramids were built, first of all, as religious buildings, and this cult was by no means divine, but satanic, demonic. Therefore, all the “miracles” that happen inside them must be attributed to demons - through these “miracles” they lure the souls of inexperienced people to the pyramids, distracting them from the thought of God and salvation.

Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)

Please tell me, is it possible to draw on a monument a deceased person who is laughing in the photo? This is a young guy.

Natasha

Natalya, in Christian tradition A cross is placed on the grave. Since you are erecting a monument, choose the image in agreement with your loved ones. God bless you.

Priest Sergius Osipov

Good afternoon. In our family, dad died at the beginning of September. The death was unexpected; he was only 52 years old. Literally 10 days before, my mother went to visit her mother for the anniversary of her death, and behind the monument she found 2 piles of earth wrapped in napkins. Even then this alarmed her. She was advised to try burning it. We did everything we could. And so, 10 days pass, and our dad dies... Before 40 days, my mother had a fire and a gas leak in her house. Thank God that everyone is alive and well, and the house was not seriously damaged. But both my mother and I are worried about those piles of earth in the cemetery, and the fact that there were exactly 2 of them. Tell me, what could it be and why did they do it?

valentine

Valentina, I cannot say where this earth came from, who could have placed it and why, however, I want to warn you that it is very unreasonable to believe such signs, panic about it, associate any events in life with these piles of earth. sinful. If a person believes in God and prays, if he confesses, has a clear conscience and takes communion, then nothing will harm him. And without God, man is afraid of every bush. Therefore, stop your fears, please thank God for saving you from troubles and go quickly to church, to worship, to communion, so that you can be with God and not upset Him by living differently than He expects from us.

Hegumen Nikon (Golovko)