St. Symeon of Thessalonica notes that the last kiss emphasizes the community and unity of believers, living and dead. Since the Church Militant on earth is inextricably linked to the Church Triumphant in Heaven, we bid one another a brief farewell for physical separation. Kissing, as the Holy Father points out, is given "for the passage and separation from this life, as well as as a sign of our communion and unity, for although we die, we are not separated from each other." All of us, he continues, will follow the same path in order to reach a place where we will never again be separated, for there we will always be with the Lord (1 Thess. 4:17). Thus, kissing "signifies the union of the living in Christ with the dead" (832).

After the kiss, the priest (or bishop) concludes the Burial Rite with the words: "Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, save us and have mercy on us!"

The Rite of Burial, which we have considered very briefly here, is performed in relation to the laity, men and women. However, there are also special burial rites for monks, priests and infants. Of course, everyone is equal before God, and there is no distinction between kings, rulers, and ordinary citizens. In this case, we are talking only about ethical differences. Thus, the prayers, hymns, and passages of Holy Scripture included in these Rites relate to the life of monks (nuns) or priests. The life of a monk is different from the life of a priest. The life of a believer in a big city also has its own peculiarities. And is it possible to bury immaculate infants using words related to the life of a mature person?

{p. 371}

It should also be noted that it is not customary to perform this service during Paschal Week, on the very day of the celebration of Pascha, as well as on the Leaving of Pascha. Since our Church celebrates the triumph of the Bright Resurrection of Christ on these days, and everywhere we hear "Christ is risen," then instead of the usual Burial Rite, a special Burial Rite of Paschal Week is performed. In this Procession, the hymns "Christ is risen from the dead...", "The day of the Resurrection..." and "Having fallen asleep in the flesh...". From the usual Rite only the prayer is pronounced: "God of spirits and of all flesh...", followed by a dismissal with a mention of the Resurrection. Then, instead of "Give me the last kiss," we sing the joyful "Resurrection day...", and then again "Christ is risen from the dead...", repeated by the priest instead of "By the prayers of our holy fathers...".

Truly wise and beautiful are all the codes and prescriptions of the Holy Fathers, including the Funeral Rite, which is so exciting and beneficial for us.

"O earth, having received from thee that which has been created"

After the completion of the funeral service in the church, we accompany the deceased to the grave with the singing of the "Trisagion", glorifying our Triune God, as Symeon of Thessalonica writes [833]. Thus, the "Trisagion" here glorifies the Triune God, who favors our brother who is leaving this world. By singing the "Trisagion" we also emphasize the Orthodox faith of the departing one. If he has reposed in Paschal week, when special Paschal hymns are sung, as we have already said, we accompany him to the grave with the singing of "The Day of the Resurrection..." [834].

Once, during the carrying of the deceased to the grave, the verses of the Psalms were sung: "Honorable in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints" (Psalm 115:6); "Turn, O my soul, to thy rest, for the Lord is good to thee" (Psalm 114:6), or the verse of the wise Solomon: "The memory of the righteous with praise" (Proverbs 10:7), or "The soul of the righteous is in the hand of God" (Wis. 3:1). After all, all who believe in God, even if they die, are not dead, for, as the Lord said about the resurrection to the Sadducees, God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Matt. 22:32), "for all are alive in Him" [835].

When the body is carried out, a procession is formed. In front they carry the Cross – a symbol of the victory of Christ the Savior over death and hell; it is followed by candles, followed by a choir of singers and priests with censers. Then the coffin with the deceased is carried, which is accompanied by relatives and other believers. In ancient times, all of them unanimously sang the above verses from the Psalms at certain moments. In this way, psalmody was heard from end to end of the funeral procession all the way to the grave [836]. If the deceased was a martyr, the faithful in those days carried candles, palm branches, censers with fragrant incense in their hands [837]. All this was intended to symbolize the triumph of the heavenly victory of the martyr. "And the censer offered to God for propitiation is the repentance of his piety and Orthodox life, which is most fragrant, as pure" [838].

{p. 373}

Divine Chrysostom calls on believers to deeply feel the meaning of all this in order to find a source of consolation. He writes: