Parastas: what is it in Orthodoxy and what kind of service is it, how long does it last and when is it served?

Is the term found in Scripture?

The verb παρίστημι is used 135 times in the Greek Bible. As an example, let's take the following verse: The angel answered him: I am Gabriel, standing (ὁ παρεστηκὼς) before God, and was sent to speak with you and bring this good news to you (Luke 1:19). However, the noun “parastas” occurs only 1 time: And Athenovius, the king’s friend, came to Jerusalem, and when he saw the glory of Simon and the treasury with gold and silver utensils and the surrounding (παράστασιν) splendor, he was amazed and announced to him the king’s words. (1Macc.15:32)

What kind of worship is called parastas?

Parastas or the Great Requiem in its original sense appeared in the 17th century in Western Russian (Ukrainian and Belarusian lands). This term denoted an expanded funeral service, which differs from the usually performed requiem in that the immaculates (17th kathisma) and the full canon “Like on dry land” (placed in Octoechos, tone 8, on Saturday) are sung. Such a service can be performed in a church on special days of remembrance of revered people; Parastas can also be performed at home in a secular manner on memorial days (3rd, 9th, 40th, etc.).

Prayer beads

Such rosaries with beads according to the number of members of your clan (as in a family tree) are convenient in the practice of praying: you sort through the beads and at the same time read a prayer for each member of your clan (for some - for health, for others - for peace).

In the Vedic tradition, it is believed that for each special practice or worship of deities, one should have separate ritual objects - this allows the energy to more effectively achieve its purpose. A rosary can serve as such an item: every time you hold such homemade rosary in your hands, they will attune and connect you with your family.

To make rosaries, you will need beads of different colors and sizes: red beads for the men of the clan, blue beads for the women of the clan, different ones for the living and the deceased. They can be made of different materials so that you can distinguish by touch which ancestor you are reading a prayer for (man, woman, living or deceased). String one bead, different from the others, to represent yourself.

It is good to use natural materials: wooden or stone beads. It is considered favorable to use fragrant expensive varieties of wood or precious and semi-precious stones as beads: pearls, jade, rubies, agate, crystal, cachalong, carnelian. You can use iron, copper, bronze, silver and even ceramic (be careful: the beads may be fragile). In the Buddhist tradition, bodhi seeds are considered the best, in the Hindu tradition - rudraksha. It is undesirable to use bone rosaries, since they already have the imprint of the death energy of a living being. Plastics and other synthetic materials should be avoided.

For stringing, choose linen, hemp, cotton thread or waxed cord. Before you start creating the rosary, ask for blessings from higher powers, express your intention for what purpose you are making the rosary. Take care of a “home” for your rosary: it is good to store them in a bag made of opaque natural fabric.

But there are other meanings of this term, right?

Yes, and there are two such alternative meanings. Firstly, there is a sequence of the funeral all-night vigil, which was published in the 19th century in separate books; Similar books are still being republished. This sequence is called “Parastas, that is, the all-night vigil, sung for the deceased.” As the 20th century priest Afanasy (Sakharov) points out, this service is not among the statutory ones and therefore “if you want to definitely perform a funeral all-night vigil according to the indicated rite, it can be performed in a house, in a tomb, at a grave or in a temple, but not at the time set for the statutory worship service.”

Secondly, in everyday life parastas is often called funeral services on days of special remembrance of the dead, that is, services on 6 Saturdays: Meat and Trinity, Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th weeks of Great Lent; Dimitrievskaya Saturday. In the Typikon, such services do not have a special general name, so calling the Saturday funeral service “parastas” can currently be considered the main meaning of this word in church usage.

PARASTAS FOR THE DECEASED

In the name of the Unconditional Love of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and the Miracle-Working Mother! Amen!

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Mother of God and all the Angelic Powers and all the Saints of God!

Amen!

I call upon the Father-Mother, the One Creators of All That Is, my Mighty Divine Presence I AM, my spiritual guides, all the bright Angels and Archangels, all the Higher Forces of Light, all the Ascended Teachers, Archangel Michael and his legions of Blue Lightning Angels, Eloi Astrea and her legions Angels of the Circle and Sword of Blue Flame, Mother Mary and her legions of Angels of Unconditional Love, the Lord Jesus and his legions of Angels, and I command:

Come and help in carrying out the energy work “Parastas for the Dead” to help those who need deliverance from the torments of hell in the worlds of Gehenna, the toll-house zones, the worlds of Reflection and Retribution, in the abodes of the Transitional worlds, and those who suffer to be forgiven and liberated, and raised into The Heavenly World, in the Bright Womb of Mother Mary.

I call upon my Mighty Divine Presence I AM to envelop and seal my aura with a three-meter pillar of Violet Transmuting Flame and a six-meter pillar of Blue-White Protective Light.

I also call on Archangel Michael and his Legions of Blue Lightning to protect me and all Lightbearers during this work and during other lightworks, as well as on an ongoing basis - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

Archangel Michael! For help! For help! For help! (x3 times)

Mikhail is ahead! Mikhail is behind! Mikhail is on the right! Mikhail is on the left! Mikhail is at the top! Mikhail is below! Mikhail, Mikhail - EVERYWHERE I go!

I AM His Protecting Love HERE! I AM His Protecting Love HERE! I AM His Protecting Love HERE! Amen! (x3 or 9 times)

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God! I AM Your Light, Your Presence and Your Living Will!

God! Being the will of Thy Will, I possess the power of Light hidden in the innermost Presence of I AM, through the spoken command to open for a single moment the corridor between the worlds and to bring into the highest reality in the palaces of the universe those souls that are close to my soul, purifying them with the high Flame of Forgiveness, Mercy and Compassion.

Bless, Lord, all the intentions of the heart that are dictated by unconditional Love, allow me here to show the power of the inner Light and with its Purity to transform the planet and every creation in which the high Spirit of Presence is hidden!

By the strength and power of the inner Light, by the right of the Sacred Presence of I AM, conditioned by the Great Law, I command all Enlightened and Radiant Beings of the manifested Universe, responsible for the unification of the realities of the divine octaves, to open the Gates of the Worlds for the moment of creating the prayer, and to lead through the Gates those souls who by the mercy of the Great Law they have the right to find their salvation and ascend to the Mountain Reality of Holy Existence!

I AM! I AM Your Light, the One! I AM the fulfillment of the Law of Forgiveness and Mercy! I AM the embodiment of Your Will, Your Peace and Your Harmony! Beloved I AM! Beloved I AM! Beloved I AM!

Prayer that opens the Gates of the Worlds

Oh, our Heavenly Father, who by your will inspired every being to life, You AM the Supreme Justice, the Supreme Truth and the Infinite Mercy!

Oh, Great Mother, who with your love clothes the Sparks of the One Spirit in elemental forms, You AM our Hope, the Hope of the suffering soul and Eternal Forgiveness!

Oh, Great Unity of all Life - Father and Mother of the manifested worlds, it is Your Love that directs the currents of existence, it is Your Love that lights the stars in the heavens, it is Your Love that kindles the Flame of Inspiration in the heart, it is Your Love that opens the way to Infinity for us!

With high mercy to the Light from your Light, hidden in the hidden and true Presence of the God-born and God-created being of each, in fulfillment of the Laws of Forgiveness and Compassion, command your Radiant and Enlightened children to open the gates dividing the physical world with the Heavenly World in prayer, and lead them through them souls suffering for salvation and tired of suffering!

May the Hope of Resurrection and Eternal Life become for them the promised road, Love and Joy become a single reality, and the Heavenly World become the promised kingdom!

Amen, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

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The light of the Lord is before your eyes, O joy of the participants! The light of the Lord is before your eyes, the admiration of purified minds! The Light of the Lord is before our eyes, Thrones are opening! The Light of the Lord is before our eyes, the Mother of God stands in Glory - transfigured, fragrant, streaming myrrh throughout the entire Universe! The light of the Lord is before our eyes, a new man has risen from the old! The Light of the Lord is before our eyes, behold the flesh woven from the fan of the Mother of God and her Omophorion, behold the new man, the coming Glory of the Savior!

God, we will cry to You, we will call on Your mercy. Let the flowing fiery Word illuminate the Universe, so that all those who are faithful and those who are coming at the hour of Judgment will be saved by it. May all the departed arise, and call on Your Name, and repent, and be forgiven in the bright hour of the resolution of their fates. The angels will rejoice and trumpet the Glory of the Almighty, and the world will be saved by His Sacrifice. God, we call on Your name, we glorify You. Inexhaustible Source of grace, Sweet prayer in our hearts, Verb of fiery Love and Light, we call upon You, may Your Love and Mercy never depart from us forever and ever!

In the Fire of the Cherubic Prayer, may the souls of all the departed be sanctified before the Throne of Thy Glory, may they shake off the old and unworthy dust from their feet. Let them put on the garments of the righteous and put off the garments of sin. May they be led by You through the fiery crucible of Your Love and may they rest in the Kingdom of Spirit and Light forever according to Your Mercy.

Lord, Ineffable Love, remember Your departed children in the Bosom of Your Light Mother! Fly far, fly high, serve God and people!

Didn’t You create the world, and times, and destinies for good? Receive the departed to the Bright Abodes of Joy. Open the Father's arms to them, hear their petitions and inscribe their names in the Book of Lives, on the Immaculate Tablets.

Hear, Lord, the cries of the Gulag prisoners. Hear those who fell to the bosom and shed tears of repentance. Cry to them: “Your sins are forgiven!” Receive the Blessed and Light Ones into the Abode. Oh, Gracious Mother of Salvation, spread Your Royal Scepter and rest the departed in the Bosom of Eternity.

Lord, Ineffable Love, remember Your departed children in the Bosom of Your Light Mother! Fly far, fly high, serve God and people!

A merciful heart brings tearful prayers every hour; the world will be purified and preserved by them. We ask You, God, for the blind and defenseless. Forgive them, forgive their debts. Erase the marks of sins, lift up to the Light those who died in sorrow and did not know Your Love and Mercy.

Lord , Ineffable Love, remember Your departed children in the Bosom of Your Light Mother! Fly far, fly high, serve God and people!

Jesus, forgive their sins, come in the Primordial Light and grant salvation to everyone, so that the departed may come to life, crying out to You: Hallelujah! (3 times)

Quiet Light, Light of Jerusalem, declaring peace with love! From the cross you cried out about your enemies: “Father, forgive them.” We ask for the peace of our enemies. Don't judge them for slander and malice. Reveal to them Your mercy, may the Queen of Peace accomplish the sacrament of reconciliation for all with our prayer. Hallelujah! (3 times)

Remember those who died in grave torment. Remember those buried alive and covered with earth, consumed by waves and fire, tormented by beasts, starved by hunger and thirst, frozen in forests. Give them eternal joy for the sorrow of their death. And may the Light of forgiveness and liberation come to all who sing: Hallelujah! (3 times)

Comfort the grief of parents for their dead children. May all generations and generations rest in peace. Raise those who are numb from their beds. Stop those rushing around the world in madness. Deliver them from every harmful addiction and obsession. Free the tax collectors and open for them the radiant path to the Abode of All-Forgiveness. May their sins be removed from the scrolls of the Tempter and their names shine in the books of the Light Ones.

Lord, Ineffable Love, remember Your departed children in the Bosom of Your Light Mother! Fly far, fly high, serve God and people!

The earthly vanity was laid bare, and carnal passions subsided. The rebellious mind was humbled. Eternal truth has been revealed. Mary, the Mother of our Salvation, has come! They trembled and received their sight, turned to faith and cried out to Thy Mercy: Hallelujah! (3 times)

The dead have risen, the drowned have risen from the bottom of the sea. The cries of the martyrs of Gehenna ceased. They listened and froze. How sweet is the singing of Angels around the Throne of the Light Mother of Love!

Let us exclaim with them: Hallelujah! (3 times)

Have mercy, Lord, on those who died without repentance. Save those who have presented themselves in the darkening of their minds, so that the flame of their sin will go out in the sea of grace. May those who have seen the light not be tormented by doubts and suffering. Lord, Ineffable Love, remember Your departed children in the Womb of Your Mother! Fly far, fly high, serve God and people!

Trembling, they will stand under the spotless Veil of the silent Shema, the fiery Recluse of the prayer of Mary, our all-forgiving bright Mother, the Prayer Book for those suffering in hell. May our song, Savior, descend upon them as a cooling dew: Hallelujah! (3 times)

The days have passed and the hours have come. Time has ended and Eternity has come. Old books were erased and new ones were written. Lord, have mercy on those whose sins have not yet been forgiven in the Bosom of Your Light Mother Mary. Let Your Light shine, Jesus, for all those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, those who exist in hell and are unable to call on You.

Have mercy on those who are excommunicated. Summon the Forsaken. Give rest to those who are fierce and evil; they have sinned before Heaven and You. Their sins are grave, but Your mercy is immeasurable. Visit their bitter vanity and poverty, who out of ignorance have insulted Your Name. Your love is a scorching fire, like the coolness of heaven.