Service for the Departed - The Funeral Service

The Funeral Service for the Orthodox Church is an ancient burial service that has been celebrated for close to 2000 years. It is based on the Burial and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As such, the Church looks for the resurrection of all people in the end times. The service itself is divided into three parts. The first is the memorial for the departed served the night before the burial. The second part is served on the day of the burial and is the longer service based on the theme of the Resurrection. The final part is done at the cemetery where the departed is interred into the earth.

It should be noted that the Orthodox believe strongly in the resurrection of all at the end times and as such the focus of the funeral service is on the life hereafter rather than on the life of the departed. Each hymn is meant to explore the mystery of death and resurrection in our Lord Jesus Christ so that we may follow the path He opened to all of us. As such He is the great example that we all should follow. The service also gives us the opportunity to weep and grieve and give our final farewells to the beloved departed this life before us.

The Panakhida (Memorial Service)

The evening service is a short memorial to the departed. It begins with the standard Trisagion prayer (Three Holy) which is a commemoration to the Trinity. There is the funeral tropar (hymns) which speaks of the departed being with the Holy Ones departed before us all. There are various hymns which remind us of the grieving and consolation of the family. Included are Litanies (responded verses) which prayer for the world and the departed. Finally there is an Epistle and Gospel reading which speak of the soul of the departed. The service ends with the familiar song “Memory Eternal” which reminds us all to remember the departed.

The Funeral Service

The funeral service itself is a longer service based around Psalm 119 which in the Orthodox Church is the Resurrectional Psalm. After the usual beginning, the priest chants verses from Psalm 119 which are interspersed with refrains such as “Have mercy on Thy servant who has fallen asleep.”

Following the Psalm, the choir will sing various hymns which relate to the departed interspersed with litanies. Following this, there is the chanting of the Canon, which is a longer poetic hymn based on Biblical themes. This particular Canon is used during the Easter service and talks about the resurrectional prefigurement found in the Old Testament. There are some more hymns and litanies.

Following the Canon there is the famous hymns written by St. John of Damascus which speaks about death and give exhortation to those living to follow a righteous life. It is often said that the priest speaks for the departed to those living. Following this, there is the Beatitudes which shows the living on how to live their lives. This is followed by the Epistle and Gospel reading which is much more resurrectional in its tone. The service now begins to end as the priest brings the people forward for what is called “The Last Kiss” as the family and friends bid farewell to the departed. The priest reads a famous hymn about saying farewell.

The service is concluded with the priest offering absolution to the departed, anointing them with holy oil and closing the casket. As the casket is moved from the Church, the choir and people sing “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us” as a sign of remembrance to the power of God.

The Burial

The funeral service is completed at the cemetery where the departed is interred. There is a short service similar to the first one and the priest prayers for the departed one last time. The ground is blessed and the people take their final farewell. The priest then shovels dirt onto the casket and empties the censor repeating “ashes to ashes and dust to dust” and saying “The earth is the Lord’s and all they that dwell therein.” The casket is lowered with the final singing of “Memory Eternal.”