Death is a natural process of ending the earthly life of any person, and therefore many are interested in the answer to the question of what happens to the soul of the deceased before 40 days.
People also wonder if the spirits of the dead see their living relatives and friends. Clergy gave answers to such questions.
What happens to the soul of the deceased in the first nine days? According to church officials, there are no special dogmas about the stages the soul goes through immediately after death and up to the fortieth day, but in Orthodoxy it is customary to separate the third, ninth and fortieth days after death.
Some people are convinced that it is during these periods that important milestones are reached for the soul of the deceased person.
Devout Christians also believe that during the first three days after death, a person’s soul wanders around his physical body, not far from relatives and friends. The soul also travels to places that were dear to it in earthly life. Clerics note that commemoration on the third day is necessary for the recognition of the mystery of Christ’s three-day resurrection. Jesus rose from the tomb exactly on the 3rd day.
The soul of the deceased remains in heaven until the ninth day. There he forgets his earthly sorrows and grieves over his sins, because after that he will have a long journey to hell. Does the soul of the deceased see his relatives from the forty-ninth to the fortieth day after death, the soul of the deceased lives in hell, where he is “acquainted” with his various divisions and trials of evil.
On the fortieth day, the angels pray to the Lord for the soul of the deceased, and He determines its next place – heaven or hell. At this time it is very important to support him with prayers. You can order a service in the temple.
The more people who remember the good deeds of the deceased and pray for him up to forty days after his death, the more likely the soul will go to heaven. Clergy also note that for this period, the relatives and friends of the deceased should get used to the separation and leave the fate of the deceased in the hands of the Almighty.
Most believers are sure that the soul of the deceased sees loved ones and relatives up to forty days after death, and after this period it flies away forever. Moreover, up to forty days, the spirit of the deceased can give secret signs and signals to loved ones.
For example, some reported that at that time they heard the quiet voice of a loved one, animals behaved unusually, or a bird accidentally flew into the house. In fact, it is not known whether these are signs of the presence of the soul of the deceased next to the living, but the belief in this helps many people to cope with the loss of a loved one.
