Sorokoust: what is it and what is it for?

In church usage there is often such a notion as sorokoust. What is this and what is this rite for? This question is often asked by believers who are not sufficiently informed about the prayers. The answer must be known to all Orthodox Christians in order to seek help from God through the priest during special periods of life.

Sorokoust: history

The number of "forty" is special in Orthodoxy. Thus, it was such a number of years that the Israeli people, led by Moses, wandered in the desert before setting foot on the promised land. The same prophet prayed and fasted for forty days so that the Lord would give him his commandments. The same time it took the Son of God to spend in the desert before going out to public service to people. Forty days - so much has passed since the Resurrection of Christ to his Ascension. It's not for nothing that the disciples of the Lord set the same deadline for the commemoration of the soul of a new person. Subsequently, this custom has passed and in relation to living people. Often it is used to ask for the seriously ill.

Sorokoust: what is it?

This rite is a daily prayer for a certain person for forty days. Often immediately after the death of a person order sorokoust. What this is, can be seen from the very specifics of the understanding of bodily death in Christianity. It is believed that the soul of the newly departed for forty days is on the earth, and only the last of this number appears on the Judgment Day of God. In this case, people associate this ritual with the concealment of the sins of the deceased before God in order that he may enter paradise. It is not necessary to order sorokoust just for the new one. You can make these prayers at any time after death. In addition, the death condition is also not mandatory. It is also practiced to perform this ritual in relation to living people for the solution of their problems, the redemption of sins, instruction on the true path. Often for prayers for the severely ill order forty sorrows. What it is? This prayer is a request to God for healing from the illness of the person named. Sorokoust is performed by the priest before the service of the liturgy or during it, while reading the hymnals and at the prayer services. At the same time, a special procedure is carried out on the proskomedia - a piece is taken from the prosphora for each of the people who ordered the sorokoust. Then, at the Liturgy, all the pieces are immersed in the Blood of Christ, and the priest utters a special prayer in which he asks God to release all sins to these people. Thus, there is a constant strong prayer for a certain person. There are no restrictions for this ordinance. Unless only baptized people can take part in it.

How to order the sorokoust

This action is carried out in every Orthodox church, without exception. Therefore, if you want to order the sorocaust, you should go there. To perform this ritual, only the name of the person to whom it is meant is required. How much does it cost to order a sorokoust, you can find out only in a certain church, and there is no single price for this rite. The approximate amount in Russia is 350 rubles.