Eastern Orthodox Christianity: Praying for the Reposed/Koliva

[sprinkleeninow]

Tradition~

Prayer for the dead is well documented within early Christianity, both among prominent Church Fathers and the Christian community in general. In Eastern Orthodoxy Christians pray for "such souls as have departed with faith, but without having had time to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance".

Although it is not possible, as a rule, to name dates for the exact words used in the ancient liturgies, yet the universal occurrence of these diptychs and of definite prayers for the dead in all parts of the Christian Church, East and West, in the 4th and 5th centuries shows how primitive such prayers were. The language used in the prayers for the departed is asking for rest and freedom from pain and sorrow.

A passage from the Liturgy of St James reads:

Remember, O Lord, the God of Spirits and of all Flesh, those whom we have remembered and those whom we have not remembered, men of the true faith, from righteous Abel unto to-day; do thou thyself give them rest there in the land of the living, in thy kingdom, in the delight of Paradise, in the bosom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our holy fathers, from whence pain and sorrow and sighing have fled away, where the light of thy countenance visiteth them and always shineth upon them.


Eastern Orthodox Praxis~

The various prayers for the departed have as their purpose to pray for the repose of the departed, to comfort the living, and to remind those who remain of their own mortality. For this reason, memorial services have an air of penitence about them.

The Church's prayers for the dead begin at the moment of death, when the priest leads the Prayers at the Departure of the Soul, consisting of a special Canon and prayers for the release of the soul. (Then the body is washed, clothed and laid in the coffin.) After which the priest begins the First Panikhida (prayer service for the departed). After the First Panikhida, the family and friends begin reading the Psalter aloud beside the casket. This reading continues and concludes until the next morning, in which usually the funeral is held, up until the time of the Orthros.

Orthodox Christians offer particularly fervent prayers for the departed on the first 40 days after death. Traditionally, in addition to the service on the day of death, the memorial service is performed at the request of the relatives of an individual departed person on the following occasions:

Third day after death
Ninth day
Fortieth day
First anniversary of death
Third anniversary (some will request a memorial every year on the anniversary of death)


Koliva~

A dish of Koliva made from wheat berries, pomegranate arils, almonds, chopped parsley raisins, honey, cinnamon, chopped walnuts and confectioners' sugar is traditionally offered during Orthodox memorial services.

For the memorial service, Koliva (a ritual food of boiled wheat) is often prepared and is placed in front of the memorial table or an icon of Christ. Afterwards, it is blessed by the priest, who sprinkles it with holy water. The Koliva is then taken to the refectory and is served to all those who attended the service.

The Slavic Orthodox are known to substitute barley for the grain in Koliva. (I make it with barley. It's easier and the result is quite nice.)

While recipes may vary widely, the primary ingredient is wheat kernels which have been boiled until they are soft, they are drained very well and spread on a cloth to be just moist, and then sweetened with honey or sugar. Koliva also contains some or all of the following: wheat, sesame seeds, almonds, ground walnuts, cinnamon, sugar, pomegranate seeds, raisins, anise and parsley. Romanians decorate the Koliva with crosses of cocoa, chocolate or candy.

The practice of offering Koliva is traditional in Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Russia and Balkan countries, and among Christians in the Middle East. When served, the mixture, which looks like earth, is shaped into a mound to resemble a grave. The whole is then covered with powdered sugar and the initials of the deceased are outlined on the top. Decorated with Jordan Almonds or silver or gold edible leafed ones. A candle, usually placed in the center of the Koliva, is lit at the beginning of the memorial service and extinguished at its end. After the liturgy, those attending share in eating the Koliva as they speak of the deceased and say, "May God forgive him/her."

Some Orthodox parishes have a designated individual charged with making the Koliva. This is in part due to the health risk of fermented wheat if the Koliva is not prepared correctly.

Sometimes Koliva is made with rice or barley instead of wheat. This custom began as a practical response to a famine that occurred in Soviet Russia, when the faithful did not have wheat available for Koliva, so they used rice instead. Some communities continue to use rice for their Koliva to this day. In the Japanese Orthodox Church where rice is mainly eaten, Koliva is commonly made from rice sweetened with sugar and decorated with raisins.

(Most of this from Wiki. Then I added here and there.)