The 15th of November of each Autumn - according to the Tradition of the Orthodox East - marks the beginning of the 40-day Lent of Christmas... but also the 1st Liturgical day, from the beginning of the Christmas 40-day liturgy, which is proposed as a period of our spiritual preparation for the upcoming Great Feast of Christianity...
The souls of our deceased, whom we often remember with such anguish… live (where they have been led after their departure…) in a spiritual state of existence… unknown to us, which they themselves ‘built’ with their way of life on earth. Unable, however, to change their unchanging meta-biological (any) spiritual state, to which they have fallen, there on the ‘other side’ of existence, they expect us… who they left behind, to ‘pull threads’ towards their repose! We must, therefore, be interested in their ‘fate’, begging ‘strongly’ Christ for their forgiveness, through various ways of dealing with it…
The ways of these 'interventions', indicated by the Saints of our Church, are: the Divine Liturgies, the Memorials, the Trisagion and alms in the name of those we wish to benefit...! Individual Liturgies are generally celebrated daily, throughout the entire liturgical year. However, forty Liturgies (i.e. 40 consecutive Divine Liturgies) are celebrated especially during the periods of fasting, which precede the Great Holidays of Orthodoxy... such as that of Christmas, which begins tomorrow, 12/15 (tomorrow's Divine Liturgy will be the 1st of 40 consecutive ones of this period).
If we truly love our ancestors who have departed for heaven, and especially those who departed spiritually unprepared… let us be concerned about their salvation and the rest of their souls, as they themselves cannot do anything about it… since “In Hades there is no repentance…”! The 40th Liturgy is an act of love… which offers us the opportunity: to benefit both our beloved deceased (but also the living)… and to rest our souls deeply, through the joy that our heart receives when it prays for those in need, living or deceased…!
Because, in the Manna-Church's invitations to participate in the 40 Liturgies being celebrated, the special spiritual benefit that the deceased receive from them is emphasized, it is mistakenly believed that their celebration is intended only for the souls of our deceased... but this is wrong! Every Orthodox Divine Liturgy (and much more so the 40 Liturgy, which is 40 Divine Liturgies consecutively daily, as handed down to us by the Holy Fathers as an act of atonement par excellence...) is a powerful PRAYER to the God of Mercy, for... A RAIN OF MERCY upon the 'drought' that plagues the souls of all our loved ones, living and deceased!
This HEAVENLY RAIN OF MERCY and DEW OF REFRESHMENT… may our Christ be pleased to penetrate everywhere (on earth… in heaven… even in the depths of Hades…) and to refresh to the full and to refresh every thirsty and parched soul that He meets, wherever it may be… in whatever metaphysical state it may be trapped in because of its choices…! Therefore, let us NOT hesitate to REFRESH all our loved ones, living and deceased, who are waiting for us to care for them and to benefit them… by enrolling them in the 40th liturgy that is beginning. Furthermore, let us also REFRESH ourselves from this HEAVENLY RAIN of Grace!
And in support of the above, we convey the enlightened thoughts of a beloved newly appeared Saint of the Orthodox East, who left a strong spiritual 'imprint' on Greek society and on Ecumenical Orthodoxy: "The Liturgies and memorial services are the best 'defense lawyer' in the judgment of God, for the souls of our deceased (and not only)! These holy means, from Christ, have the spiritual power even to bring souls out of hell! The most important and soul-beneficial thing we could do for a deceased relative or friend of ours is a Liturgy for his soul... and if we can, combine it with some alms to the poor of God..." (Saint Paisios of Mount Athos, "Family Life", Volume IV).
