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AKATHIST FOR THE ROPOSE OF THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP..

A cyber friend ask me this question -
Is this an orthodox sentiment and is it possible for our prayers to illuminate the infernal caverns?

It is from this Akathist and the second kontakion:

Enlightened by the illumination of the Most High, Saint Macarius heard a voice from a pagan skull: �When you pray for those suffering in Hell, there is relief for the heathen.� O wonderful power of Christian prayer, by which even the infernal regions are illumined! Both believers and unbelievers receive comfort when we cry for the whole world: ALLELUIA.

This is the link
http://users.sisqtel.net/williams/akathist-repose.html

Any thoughts?
Pani Rose

Romans 14: 7-15: "For if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's."

We are His possession now. While we live, we live to please the Lord. And when we die, we go to be with the Lord. So in life and in death, we belong to the Lord. The sentiment is, "We are entirely his, having no authority over our life or death." No part of our life or death, not even our seemingly insignificant opinions about matters of indifference, is outside the boundaries of our responsibility to our Lord.

What happens after we die? Does prayer pierce the darkness? Can certain prayers shed light in that darkness? These are questions that no one is certain of the answer. Some Fathers think that we DO bring some light (the Light of Christ) amidst the darkness...others are not of that opinion. When we are not sure, it would seem to tell us that we should should pray and leave the rest to the MERCY of God. For He is never to be found wanting or lacking either of mercy or anything!

Repent NOW for the Kingdom of God is at hand!

In His great mercy,
+Fr. Gregory

Fr. Gregory, I am in agreement with you. I would rather pray on the chance that it might help, than not do so. Asking God to be merciful doesn't seem capable of being harmful. At least, God might appreciate my good intentions.

I agree completely!

Practice Righteousness ( James 5:16-18)
The prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Do you ever feel like your prayers don't seem to make it past the ceiling? As if you can pray and pray for an outcome and God isn't listening? There is a lot to do with being righteous. Of course, not all prayers that are heard by God come from 'righteous' people. If you had to be perfectly righteous, God would never hear any prayers.

There are examples of righteous people in the Bible who earnestly prayed for situations. Again, these prayers were in line with the will of God, but their prayers were certainly helpful. Elijah was such a person - and he prayed intensely. This wasn't a halfhearted prayer, but one that was intense. Admittedly, most of our prayers don't follow this pattern, if we are honest. Only on rare occasion do we intensely pray to God. Perhaps this has something to do with our perception of unanswered prayers at times.

The prayer of Elijah was not your ordinary prayer. He prayed for a drought. We generally consider a drought to be lack of rain for a number of days. However, this lasted for three years and six months. And, then he prayed again and the sky poured rain.

The Fathers tell us that when we pray for the departed, we should pray as if we were standing in hell...and beg to get OUT!

May we always pray in this manner and may we strive to pray as righteous men and women!

In Him Who calls us to prayer...and in His Holy Mother,
+Fr. Gregory

Father Gregory,

When you speak, my heart hears and melts with the love of God.

Thank You,
Pani Rose

Dear Pani Rose,

Sometimes I think Fr. Gregory just fell down here from heaven!

Alex

Amen Alex Amen!

I expected this topic would have caused much more controversey. Western christians I showed this quote to seemed to be somewhat angry at the idea that souls in hell could be relieved of their sufferings.
For me it is one of the most wonderful things I have ever seen in christianity.

I have always suspected that to serious Calvinists, the thought that others are getting their just desserts in Hell is a pleasing thought. That's a dour religion, and misery loves company. You would ruin their day with the idea that God could be merciful to the souls in Hell. You are right, it is a wonderful thing. Both because of the wonder of God's mercy, and the fact that he values our prayers highly enough to act on them.

Dear Dwight,

One reason Eastern Christians believe this is that they don't believe that what happens to souls after death now is unchangeable.

In other words, what is unchangeable is what happens after the Final Judgement at the Second Coming of Christ.

At the Council of Florence, the Greek Orthodox had trouble understanding how the Latins could have up to four defined and immediate "places" or "states" of the soul after death.

And Charles' comment on Calvinism is . . . a good one!

Alex

Have you read C.S. Lewis' wonderful book, "The Great Divorce"? It's about a group of people from Hell who are allowed to travel to the outskirts of Heaven, and are given various choices which would allow them to stay. At one point, the narrator is told that those who choose to remain may, if they like, call the place they left "Purgatory" instead of "Hell".

Happy New Year Dolly!

St Peter Mohyla of Kyiv wrote in his "Orthodox Catholic Catechism" that even if we see someone committing serious sins before they die, it is incumbent upon us to pray to God for them to ask God not to punish them as they deserve but to be merciful toward them as God is.

Alex

Western Christians do seem to take a great delight in the idea that people who commit sins they dont like personally are burning in hell.
I had no idea there was this difference between the orthodox and catholic churches in this matter. No wonder union is elusive, this is a very essential difference.

Many years ago I had read a book written by an Evangelical who had an after death experience. I cannot recall everything in the book, (it was so long ago), but as time went on, I was amazed at how true and understandable what she wrote was. .

This women first stated her experiences in life, and how one day she decided to commit suicide. When she did, she found herself in a place with many, many people. After stating so many things that she had seen, she said it was obvious that the all the people there had commited suicide as she did. She then stated how everyone was in misery and just seemed to be staring. It was obvious that they were in some form of agony.

Most of them were teenager's, and she recalled how one one of them wore a white sheet reminiscent of the clothes at the time of Christ.

She then began to recall her childhood, and a story she was once told of Jesus. Immediately Jesus appeared, and she began to return back to life. It was surprising to her, and she asked Him why her and not the others.

He responded that by remembering Him, she opened her heart and He was able to come in and free her. (Or at least something to that effect).

She came back to life, and wrote the book.

Zenovia

Dear Zenovia,

This is why we should be remembering Christ always, especially through the Prayer of Jesus, so that, at the moment of our death, whenever that happens, He will be close to us with His consoling and saving Grace!

Alex