If you see that the time of death is nigh, it is of course essential to read Psalm 118, "Blessed are the blameless in the way," the 17^th Kathisma of the Psalter. If a priest is present, you should ask him, or someone close to you, to read Canon for the Departure of the Soul. It is better for a priest to read it, for there are special priestly prayers which are extremely helpful. In the event that one falls into extreme agony, a different prayer is read; if one's suffering is prolonged, you should again call a priest. Even if he is unable to visit, he can read the prayer at home; the Lord hears his prayer.

I once happened to be called to visit a certain dying woman. I had heard her Confession about a month and a half earlier, when I was serving in Yasenovo. I came to see her at 9:00 PM. As you know, a dying person is communed whether they have eaten or not. That is entirely unimportant; people on their deathbeds are communed in any case. The proceedings of the First Ecumenical Council spoke of this. Whether you have eaten or not is completely unimportant. If one is of the Orthodox Faith, he is to be communed.

I arrive, and see the following awful picture: She is lying in bed, her eyes literally bulging from their eyesockets, the eyelids not at all visible. Her arms flailing at something right and left, she cries out "I am afraid, afraid, afraid." I say, "Nadezhda, do you want to receive Communion?" "I do," she says, and falls silent. That was in fact the last thing she ever said. I communed her of the Body and Blood of the Lord, and she immediately calmed down, smiled, and reposed. This was an attack by the demons of the toll houses, followed by a demonstration of God's mercy. We need to pray about that.

What if the Person is Unconscious?

When someone is unconscious, you need to pray for him and to read the canon for the departure of the soul from the body. However, no Mystery of the Church is to be performed over one who is unconscious, except for the Mystery of Holy Baptism, should the person have expressed the desire to have it done. Holy Communion is not given to, nor Holy Unction administered over, people who are unconscious.

Remember, a stroke does not mean a loss of consciousness. One may lose the ability to speak, but if he is conscious, he can be communed as long as he consents - with his eyes or some other sign. Again, as I have been saying, if he had striven to live according to the Law of God, God grants him the honor of Holy Communion. If someone has lived an uninhibited life, the Lord ordinarily does not give him the opportunity to have Holy Communion.

A woman was unconscious, but the priest decided to peform Holy Unction. The rite of Holy Unction began, and just as he began to read the Gospel, she came out of her coma and said, "I repent." She received Holy Communion, and died the next day.

Here is what this means: according to the canons of the Church, such a person cannot receive Holy Unction. What are you supposed to do in such case?

I have done the following myself. Ordinarily, you start with a Moleben for the sick. There is such a Moleben. God willing, the person regains consciousness. However, someone who is comatose is not granted any Mystery other than Holy Baptism. Baptism is not simply performed in every case, but only if the person had earlier expressed the desire to be baptized, but for some reason had not yet been able to act on that wish. In such cases, he is baptized by triple ablution.

Now, as to the moment of death. When people come to the point of death, the differences between varying spiritual levels among different people become apparent. As the Scriptures say, "the death of sinners is evil..."(Psalm 33: 21). And remember, the Lord said regarding the foolish rich man, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee..." Literally, will be dragged out with instruments of torture. "Then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" (Luke 12: 20). Truly, a certain spirit actually appears to people in the form in which he is depicted - as death with a scythe, or some other weapon. That spirit is the angel of death, who slays people, depriving them of life. Why are such things necessary? In order to cut off our attachments to the earth.

If someone is not attached to the earth, if he believes on Christ the Savior, he will not see death in the literal sense of the word. When the Lord said that "He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."(John 5: 24). He said something literal, not indirect or allegorical. Do you understand? This is why those who die a righteous death do not see death. They see the Angels of God, or Christ Himself. You know the famous story of the man who was visiting Alexandria at the time a certain schema-monk considered by the people to be an ascetic struggler was dying. Demons came to the schema-monk and tortuously wrenched his soul from his body. Then the Voice of God said that this person had not given Him a moment's rest. That was despite the fact that outwardly, he was considered a righteous man.

Near him, a homeless man was dying. He lay in a canal, and God sent the Archangel Michael to take his soul. The Archangel Michael arrived, and the homeless man said, "I don't want to go." Then the Archangel went to God and said, "Lord, he does not want to go." Then David began to sing such an angelic song that the soul in wonder left the body and went up to the Heavens. Actually, we pray about, and ask for, just that. The Lord spoke about this. Do you remember? He said, "I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." (John 10: 9). Will enter what? The Church.

And through Christ, will come out of this world, and will find eternal pasture in Paradise, in the same place which is called a lush place. Lush in what sense? The word "lush" refers to an abundance of grasses, an abundance of greenery. Therefore one who has properly prepared himself in fact does not see death, and his death is easy. Therefore, it is not even called death. What is it called in the Scriptures? Departure. The Apostle Paul said, "...I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better. Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you."(Philippians 1: 23-24). Normally, that kind of death is in fact the desirable one - to die in order to leave this world through Christ, in Christ's presence, so that God's love might fill the person to overflowing at the moment of death, so that his prayer might bring him to the point of dying with God.