Trisagion Prayer for the Dead 7 THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF MEMORIAL SERVICES On memorial services in general 13 SCRIPTURAL AND OTHER EVIDENCE FOR THE IMPORTANCE AND VALUE OF MEMORIAL SERVICES Evidence from Holy Scripture A. From The Holy Bible The Old Testament 16 The New Testament 17 B. Evidence from the Church's Holy Tradition 1. The Church Fathers 18 2. The Holy Liturgies 21 3. The Diptychs of the Church 22 4. Church Testimnes: Mitrofanis Kritopoulos, Petros Mogilla, Dositheos, Patriarch of Jerusalem 24 5. The Lives of the Saints 28 WHEN ARE MEMORIAL SERVICES PERFORMED? 31 WHAT IS NEEDED FOR A MEMORIAL SERVICE? 35 ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES TO MEMORIAL SERVICES? 37 Are Memorial Services beneficial? 39 How are they beneficial? 42 Whom do they benefit and whom do they not benefit? 43 The Cases of the heavily sinful 45 The Benefits to the living 50