Quintessence of Religious Doctrines - Malankarasyriac Voice

58On the Prayer for the Departed 115S.O.C. affirms that intercession becomes effective, even inthe case of a person of venial sins, provided he or she has acontrite heart, steadfast hope and obdurate faith in thecompassion of Christ.Theme No: 21On Fasting andEucharistic Celebration etc. for the Dead1. Besides praying for the parents, brothers and sisters who havedied in Christ, observing fast for them, soliciting grace throughEucharistic celebration are good.Ref: (a) 1Sam. 31:13. Then they took the bones and buriedthem under the tamarisk tree in the town and fastedfor seven days. (G.N.B.)(b) 2Sam. 1:12. They grieved and mourned and fasteduntil evening for Saul and Jonathan and for Israel,the people of the Lord, because so many had beenkilled in battle. (G.N.B.)CommentHere is an instruction to the survivors of the dead ones. Theyare asked to observe fasts along with saying of prayers forthe sake of their relatives who are dead and gone. The intentof these religious exercises must be the spiritual ameliorationof the departed, who are still living in Christ. This clause is apointer to the eschatological dimension of the Church. Toput it differently, it expresses the unity of the living and thedead in the fold of the Ecclesia, which is the mystical body ofChrist.2. Celebrating the Eucharist for the dead ones,Ref: (a) Deut. 33:6, op. cit Ref. 6 of Theme 20.(b) 2Macc. 12:42-43. op. cit Ref. 6 of Theme 20.CommentNot content with the above-mentioned instruction, the S.O.C.asks Her followers to arrange Eucharistic celebration for thesake of the dead. It is because, in the Eucharistic celebration,the unity of the dead with the living is effected and hallowed.