Prayer of the Third Day for the Deceased
Question:
We have previously addressed a question about the third-day prayer, which stated:
Is it true that the prayer on the third day is for casting out lingering, rebellious evil spirits that refuse to go to their place, and that the priest drives them out as unclean spirits are cast out? And is it true that these spirits take on ghostly forms and disturb people in the darkness? And for this reason, people light a lamp or candle in the room of the deceased so that his spirit does not trouble them?
Answer:
It is good to refer back to the first part of our response to this question, published in the first issue of January (7/1/1977), where we addressed these ideas from a theological perspective. Among what we said is that these ideas have no basis in the Holy Bible, and may instead be influenced by ancient pagan religions and books related to spiritism. We explained their theological invalidity.
In this second part of the answer, our reference will be the Church rites. We will see how the prayers of the Church on the third day do not support these ideas at all, but rather refute them.
It is clear from the prayers of the sacrament of Baptism that all evil spirits—demonic spirits—are rebuked and driven away by the power of the Lord and His Cross from the water of Baptism. The Church prays that God may grant grace to the baptismal water so that no evil or unclean spirit descends into it with the baptized. The priest says concerning these evil spirits: “Rebuke them by Your great power, and let them be crushed before the sign of Your Cross and Your holy Name.”
He also says: “Prepare this body… let it be freed from all demons and from all impurities… and let all darkness flee from this body.”
Then comes the rite of renouncing Satan. The priest breathes into the face of the baptized and says: “Come out, O unclean spirit,” meaning the spirit of Satan.
In the rite of the Myron, he says to the anointed: “Receive the Holy Spirit… receive the Spirit of God… receive the Comforter.”
But in the rite of the third-day prayer, there is absolutely no rebuke of a lingering or rebellious evil spirit, nor is there any prayer asking for the expulsion or casting out of a spirit. None of the prayers or readings mention anything of this sort.
We know that the Lord Christ rose on the third day. On the third day, we commemorate the Resurrection—the resurrection of the body—so that the family of the deceased may be comforted in the hope that he will rise.
It is stated in the Apostolic Canons:
“Remember the departed on the third day, because on the third day Christ rose from the dead.”
Therefore, we find that the Gospel reading in the third-day prayer is chosen from the passage of the raising of Lazarus, the beloved of Christ (John 11).
The family hears the words “Lazarus, come forth,” and they are comforted. They also hear the Lord’s words to Martha: “Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?” Through their faith in the Resurrection, they are comforted and are not like the rest who have no hope.
They are also comforted when they hear in the Gospel litany: “Those who have fallen asleep before, O Lord, grant them rest,” and when they pray with those present in the Trisagion: “Our fathers and our brethren who have fallen asleep, O Lord, repose their souls.”
They also hear prayers as if spoken on behalf of the departed, asking for mercy, such as the psalm verses and the Gospel psalm:
“Give me life, O Lord… deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live… open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things… I am a stranger on the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me… hear me according to Your salvation and deliver me… do not forsake me, O my Lord and my God.”
Such prayers can never come from a rebellious, wicked, lingering soul that refuses to go to its place!!
However, the family of the deceased may be troubled by doubt regarding his eternal destiny—perhaps he was a sinner and unworthy of the Kingdom.
The Church comforts them with a passage from the Epistle of Paul (Romans 5:6–16), that Christ “while we were still weak, died for the ungodly” and reconciled us to God.
They also hear—for their consolation—the Apostle’s words that God “demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
All these are comforting and reassuring words that the family hears when the priest enters their home—very different from saying that the spirit of the deceased is rebellious and lingering, and that the priest has come to drive it out by force like unclean spirits!
Likewise, the hymn (Ipsali) that says “This soul for whom we have gathered today,” and the concluding prayer, are all petitions from the priest for the soul of the departed: that “the Lord may open to it the gates of Paradise and receive it according to His great mercy,” and also, “We ask You, our King, to keep the deposit of Your servant (N.), grant him a heavenly reward, a good share in Your Kingdom, and sustain and comfort those he has left behind.”
It is unreasonable that the priest would ask for Paradise, a good share in the Kingdom, and a heavenly reward for a rebellious, lingering soul!
Thus, the prayers of the third day include a remembrance of the Resurrection, petitions for the departed that the gates of Paradise may be opened to him, comfort for the family, and a request that God sustain them.
And if some relatives of the deceased—because of their grief—remain at home and do not go to the church, the Church goes to them to comfort them.
It prays in the house, offers incense, and sprinkles blessed water. The priest even begins with the Prayer of Thanksgiving to teach them a life of surrender, and he relieves their sorrow by reading to them about the Resurrection.
This is the teaching and consolation of the Church—not to frighten them with spirits that take on ghostly forms and disturb people in the darkness…!
An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – in El-Keraza Magazine – Year Eight (Issue Six) 11-2-1977
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