FEBRUARY 10 UNIVERSAL MEAT PARENT SATURDAY. On February 10, 2018, on Meat Passenger Saturday, the Church commemorates all "from the age of the departed Orthodox Christians, our father and our brethren" from Adam to the present day. Dedicating the Week to the meat-emptying remembrance of the last Last Judgment of Christ, the Church, in view of this judgment, has established intercession not only for its living members, but also for all those who have died from time immemorial, who have lived in piety, of all kinds, titles and states, especially for those who have died suddenly death, and prays to the Lord for mercy on them. As on other parental Saturdays, the funeral Divine Liturgy and memorial service are performed in the morning. The night before (FEBRUARY 9) a funeral service is served - Parastas, which is translated from Greek as "coming", "intercession" and reflects the meaning and significance of parental Saturdays for believers. The solemn church commemoration of the dead on this Saturday (as well as on Trinity Saturday) brings great benefit and help to our dead fathers and brothers, and at the same time serves as an expression of the fullness of the church life that we live. For salvation is possible only in the Church - a community of believers, whose members are not only those who live, but also all those who have died in the faith. And communication with them through prayer, their prayerful remembrance is the expression of our common unity in the Church of Christ. In the synaxarum for this day it is written “The Holy Fathers legalized to commemorate all the dead for the following reason. Many quite often die an unnatural death, for example, while wandering in the seas, in impassable mountains, in gorges and abysses; it happens, they die of hunger, in fires, in wars, they freeze. And who will reread all kinds and types of unexpected and unexpected death? And all such are deprived of the legalized psalm singing and prayers for the dead. That is why the holy fathers, driven by philanthropy, and established, based on the teaching of the apostles, to perform this common, universal commemoration, so that no one, whenever, wherever and however he ends his earthly life, would be deprived of the prayers of the Church. " On Saturday, and not on another day, before the Meat-Passing Week, a prayer for the repose of souls is due, because the Sabbath, as a day of rest, by its very meaning is the most appropriate for prayer - to repose the dead with the saints. In addition, with the present prayer for the repose of the departed, the Holy Church reminds us of the inevitable and for us end and the test that awaits us from the incorruptible Judge, in order, by frightening us, to make us more ready for the exploits of the approaching saving fasting. The establishment of the universal parental Saturday before the meat week (week) goes back to the apostolic tradition, which is confirmed by the Charter of the Holy Church, set forth in the 5th century by the Monk Sava the Sanctified on the basis of the most ancient tradition, and by the custom of ancient Christians to gather on certain days at the cemetery to commemorate the dead, which has been preserved written testimony of the IV century (St. John Chrysostom in Words 62 and 18). On this day, at the Divine Liturgy, you can submit notes with the names of those commemorated for the proskomedia - the first part of the liturgy, after which particles are removed from special prosphora, which are subsequently lowered into the holy chalice with a prayer for the forgiveness of sins. In the funeral litany on the meat-eating Saturday, it is called out: "We also pray for the repose of the souls of God's servants, forefather, father and brothers, who lie here and everywhere, Orthodox." At the same time, before the suppression of the monarchy in Russia in 1917, the deceased Orthodox pious emperors, tsars, grand dukes and pious empresses, tsaritsa, princesses were recalled by name according to the "Register of how to commemorate all the Highest persons at ecumenical memorial services". At the same time, in some churches it was put before Royal gates table, on the table is the Crucifixion and in front of it is a candle, and sometimes a kutia, while in other churches only a candle was placed on a large candlestick. PRAYER FOR THE GREATS Rest, O Lord, the souls of the departed Thy servant: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names), and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven. It is more convenient to read the names from the memorial - a small booklet where the names of living and deceased relatives are recorded. There is a pious custom of keeping family commemorations, reading which Orthodox people remember by name many generations of their departed ancestors. FUNERAL PANEL The pious custom of remembering the dead at a meal has been known for a very long time. But, unfortunately, many commemorations turn into an excuse for relatives to get together, discuss news, eat delicious food, while Orthodox Christians should pray for the dead at the memorial table too. Before a meal, a litiya should be performed - a short rite of a requiem that can be performed by a layman. In extreme cases, you need to at least read the 90th psalm and the prayer "Our Father". The first dish eaten at the commemoration is kutia (kolivo). These are boiled grains of cereals (wheat or rice) with honey and raisins. Grains serve as a symbol of the resurrection, and honey is a sweetness enjoyed by the righteous in the Kingdom of God. According to the statute, kutia should be consecrated with a special rite during the requiem; if there is no such possibility, it is necessary to sprinkle it with holy water. Naturally, the desire of the owners is to treat everyone who came to the commemoration more deliciously. But you need to observe the fasts established by the Church, and eat the permitted food: on Wednesday, Friday, during long fasts - do not eat the fast food. If the memory of the deceased happens on a weekday of Great Lent, then the commemoration is postponed to the next Saturday or Sunday before that. It is necessary to refrain from wine, especially vodka, at the memorial meal! The dead are not remembered with wine! Wine is a symbol of earthly joy, and commemoration is an occasion for intense prayer for a person who can suffer severely in the afterlife. You should not drink alcohol, even if the deceased himself liked to drink. It is known that a "drunken" commemoration often turns into an ugly gathering at which the deceased is simply forgotten. At the table, you need to remember the deceased, his good qualities and deeds (hence the name - commemoration). The custom of leaving a glass of vodka and a piece of bread at the table “for the deceased” is a relic of paganism and should not be observed in Orthodox families. On the contrary, there are godly customs worthy of emulation. In many Orthodox families, the first to sit down at the memorial table are the poor and the poor, children and old women. They can also distribute the clothes and belongings of the deceased. Orthodox people can tell about numerous cases of identity from underworld about the great help to the departed as a result of the creation of alms by their relatives. Moreover, the loss of loved ones prompts many people to take the first step towards God, to start living the life of an Orthodox Christian.

The first, of the year, Ecumenical parental Saturday falls on Meat Week. On this day, the Church remembers the departed and commemorates all those who died from the time of Adam. The service this Saturday is called:

"Commemoration of all of the departed Orthodox Christians from time immemorial, our father and our brethren."

All-church commemoration on the universal parental Saturday (and other memorial days) reminds us of the need to save all people - the living pray for dead brothers and sisters. With our concern for them, we serve to save their souls, with the same remembrance we help ourselves. After all, we are all brothers and sisters, we live in one world, in one Church, we have one Father.

The deceased people we pray for are dead, but only their bodies are dead, not their souls. Souls are alive, which means they still have time for repentance.
And we all, living and dead, have a time before Of the Last Judgment, but the truth is no one knows if it will be enough for repentance. With our earnest prayers, we can help the departed to wake themselves up and have time to repent. Miracles happen to us, because prayers slowly affect us, we ourselves imperceptibly cleanse ourselves of evil and begin to love people.

At the memorial meal, there is one obligatory dish - kutia.
Kutia or kolivo is cooked wheat mixed with honey. This dish symbolizes the Resurrection of the deceased.
In order for the grain to produce an ear, it must first decay. Likewise, the human body first decays in order to then rise up for the Hereafter. (1 Cor. 15: 36-38; John 12:24). Honey means the sweetness of blessings in the future life.

Cooking kutia: it is necessary to soak a grain of wheat (you can use rice or not crushed pearl barley), and then cook porridge from it so that each grain is separate. A filler should be added to the porridge, usually honey and raisins. You can also add dried fruits, but first they need to be steamed and chopped, and also nuts, seeds, poppy seeds, fruits, it all depends on your taste. Sugar syrup can be added instead of honey. All the ingredients must be mixed, put in a bowl and taken to the Church for a memorial service and there the kutia must be consecrated.

MEAT WEEK

Week is the old name for Sunday. It came from the combination of the words “not” and “to do”, on this day people rested and did nothing.
The last day of Meat Week is Meat Week (Sunday). On this day before, you can still eat meat products according to the Charter. We eat meat for the last time and "release" it. Hence the name - "meat-eating".
But the next day, strict fasting does not begin yet, for the whole next week, you can eat cheeses and dairy products - the Cheese Week, Maslenitsa begins.

Thus, the gradual preparation of a person for the strictest Great Lent is carried out, even on meat-and-meat week, on Wednesdays and Fridays it is no longer possible to eat meat, therefore this week was formerly called "variegated" among the people.
According to signs, it was impossible to play weddings in the "motley" week, at this time they begin to prepare for Maslenitsa, do housework, invite guests.

THE WEEK OF THE DREAD COURT

On meat-eating week (Sunday), the Last Judgment is remembered (Matt. 25: 31-46). The Church reminds people of their sins, that for the salvation of our souls we must not be careless, we must not forget that in the work of salvation we must rely on the mercy of God. The inevitability of the onset of the Last Judgment was confirmed by the Savior Himself:

“The time will come when all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God and come forth those who have done good into the resurrection of life, and those who do evil into the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5: 28-29).

All dead people will come to life, each will appear before the Lord, and will certainly answer for his deeds that he did during his earthly life.
If there are more good deeds, glory and blissful life awaits the soul of this person, and if there are evil deeds, eternal condemnation.

The first coming of the Lord to Earth was very modest. He showed us by His example what people should be - humble, meek and kind. That is why the Savior allowed Himself to be crucified so that no one during the Second Coming, at the Last Judgment, could reproach the Lord for injustice and prejudice towards him.
For each of the people, this day is really terrible, there are no people without sins. All secret, invisible actions and desires will become apparent, and we will have no one to rely on, everyone will receive according to their deeds.

During the Last Judgment, no one will ask about how we prayed, how we fasted, what spiritual books we read, how often and sincerely we confessed, etc. All this will be completely unimportant, compared to what we were people in relation to the people around us.

Gospel of Matthew, ch. 25, 31-46

When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy Angels are with Him, then he will sit on the throne of His glory, and all nations will be gathered before Him; and he will separate one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; And he will put the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left.
Then the King will say to those on His right side: Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to me.
Then the righteous will answer Him: Lord! when did we see you hungry and feed you? or thirsty, and made drunk? when did we see you a stranger and welcome you in? or naked and clothed? when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you? And the King will answer them: Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. Then he will say to those who are left side Depart from Me, you accursed ones, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you did not give me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger and did not receive me; I was naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and they did not visit me.
Then they will say to Him in response: Lord! when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not serve you? Then he will answer them: Truly, I say to you, since you did not do this to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me. And these will go into eternal torment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Ecumenical parental (meat-eating) Saturday

DAYS OF SPECIAL REMEMBER

The hour comes when the remains of the deceased are buried, where they will rest until the end of time and the general resurrection. But the love of the mother of the Church for her child, who has passed away from this life, does not dry out. On certain days, she prays for the deceased and makes a bloodless sacrifice for his repose. Special days of remembrance are the third, ninth and fortieth (the day of death is considered the first). The commemoration these days is sanctified by an ancient church custom. It is consistent with the Church's teaching on the state of the soul behind the grave.

The third day. The commemoration of the deceased on the third day after death is performed in honor of the three-day resurrection of Jesus Christ and in the image of the Most Holy Trinity.

For the first two days, the soul of the deceased is still on earth, passing along with the Angel accompanying her through those places that attract her with memories of earthly joys and sorrows, evil and good deeds. Soul, loving body, sometimes wanders around the house in which the body is laid, and thus spends two days like a bird looking for its nests. The virtuous soul walks to the places in which it used to create the truth. On the third day, the Lord commands the soul to ascend to heaven to worship Him - the God of all. Therefore, the ecclesiastical commemoration of the soul, presented before the face of the Just One, is very timely.

Ninth day. The commemoration of the deceased on this day is in honor of the nine ranks of the angels, who, as servants of the Heavenly King and intercessors to Him for us, intercede for mercy on the departed.

After the third day, the soul, accompanied by an Angel, enters the heavenly abodes and contemplates their unspeakable beauty. She remains in this state for six days. During this time, the soul forgets the grief that it felt while in the body and after leaving it. But if she is guilty of sins, then at the sight of the pleasure of the saints, she begins to grieve and reproach herself: “Alas for me! How much I got bored in this world! I spent most of my life in carelessness and did not serve God as I should, in order for me to be worthy of this grace and glory. Alas for me, poor! " On the ninth day, the Lord commands the Angels to again present their souls to Him for worship. The soul awaits with fear and trembling before the throne of the Most High. But even at this time, the holy Church again prays for the deceased, asking the merciful Judge to settle the soul of her child with the saints.

Fortieth day. The forty-day period is very significant in the history and tradition of the Church as the time required for preparation, for the acceptance of the special Divine gift of the grace-filled help of the Heavenly Father. Prophet Moses was honored to converse with God on Mount Sinai and receive from Him the tablets of the law only after forty days of fasting. The Israelites reached the Promised Land after a forty year journey. Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself ascended into heaven on the fortieth day after His Resurrection. Taking all this as a foundation, the Church established that commemoration should be commemorated on the fortieth day after death, so that the soul of the departed ascended the holy mountain of Heavenly Sinai, was worthy of the sight of God, attained the blessedness promised to her, and settled in heavenly villages with the righteous.

After the second worship of the Lord, the Angels take the soul to hell, and she contemplates the cruel torments of unrepentant sinners. On the fortieth day, the soul ascends for the third time to worship God, and then its fate is decided - according to earthly affairs, it is assigned a place of stay until the Last Judgment. That is why they are so opportune church prayers and commemoration on this day. They atone for the sins of the deceased and asks his soul to be placed in paradise with the saints.

Anniversary. The church commemorates the dead on the anniversary of their death. The reason for this establishment is obvious. It is known that the largest liturgical cycle is the annual circle, after which all fixed feasts are repeated again. Death anniversary loved one always marked by at least a heartfelt commemoration of his loving family and friends. For an Orthodox believer, this is a birthday for a new, eternal life.

UNIVERSAL PANIKHIDS (PARENT SATURDS)

In addition to these days, the Church has established special days for the solemn, universal, ecumenical commemoration of all fathers and brothers who have passed away in faith from time immemorial, who have been vouchsafed a Christian death, as well as those who, being caught by sudden death, were not admonished to the afterlife by the prayers of the Church. The requiems performed at the same time, indicated by the charter of the Ecumenical Church, are called ecumenical, and the days on which commemoration is performed are called ecumenical parental Saturdays. In the circle of the liturgical year, such days of general remembrance are:

Meat Saturday. Dedicating the Meat-Passing Week to commemorating the last Last Judgment of Christ, the Church, in view of this judgment, established intercession not only for its living members, but also for all those who have died from time immemorial, who have lived in piety, of all kinds, titles and states, especially those who have died a sudden death. , and prays to the Lord for mercy on them. The solemn all-church commemoration of the dead on this Saturday (as well as on Trinity Saturday) brings great benefit and help to our dead fathers and brothers, and at the same time serves as an expression of the fullness of the church life that we live. For salvation is possible only in the Church - a community of believers, whose members are not only those who live, but also all those who have died in the faith. And communication with them through prayer, their prayerful remembrance is the expression of our common unity in the Church of Christ.

Saturday Trinity. The commemoration of all dead pious Christians was established on the Saturday before Pentecost in view of the fact that the event of the descent of the Holy Spirit completed the economy of man's salvation, and the departed also participate in this salvation. Therefore, the Church, sending prayers at Pentecost for the revival of all living by the Holy Spirit, asks on the very day of the feast, so that for the departed the grace of the all-holy and all-sanctifying Spirit of the Comforter, which they were honored during their lifetime, was a source of bliss, since by the Holy Spirit “every soul lives ". Therefore, the eve of the holiday, Saturday, the Church devotes to the remembrance of the dead, to prayer for them. Saint Basil the Great, who composed the touching prayers of Vespers of Pentecost, says in them that the Lord especially on this day delights in accepting prayers for the dead and even for "those who are held in hell."

Parental Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th week of Holy Forty days. On the Holy Forty Day - the days of Great Lent, spiritual exploits, exploits of repentance and goodness to others - the Church calls on believers to be in the closest union of Christian love and peace, not only with the living, but also with the dead, to make prayerful commemorations of those who have departed from real life on the appointed days. In addition, the Saturdays of these weeks are appointed by the Church for the commemoration of the departed also for the reason that on the weekdays of Great Lent there is no memorial service (this includes litanies, litanies, memorial services, commemoration of the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death, magpie), since every day there is no complete liturgy, with the celebration of which the commemoration of the departed is associated. In order not to deprive the dead of the salvific intercession of the Church in the days of the Holy Forty-ness, the indicated Saturdays are allocated.

Radonitsa. The basis for the general commemoration of the dead, which takes place on Tuesday after Thomas week (Sunday), is, on the one hand, the memory of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell and His victory over death, combined with St. after Passionate and Bright weeks starting with Fomin Monday. On this day, believers come to the graves of their relatives and friends with the joyful news of the Resurrection of Christ. Hence the very day of remembrance is called Radonitsa (or Radunitsa).

Unfortunately in Soviet time the custom was established to visit cemeteries not on Radonitsa, but on the first day of Easter. It is natural for a believer to visit the graves of their loved ones after fervent prayer for their repose in the temple - after the funeral service served in the church. During the Easter week, there are no funerals, for Easter is an all-encompassing joy for those who believe in the Resurrection of our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, throughout the entire Easter week, the funeral litany is not pronounced (although the usual commemoration is performed at the proskomedia), and the requiem service is not served.

CHURCH REMEDIES SERVICES

It is necessary to commemorate the deceased in the Church as often as possible, not only on the designated special days commemoration, but also on any other day. The main prayer for the repose of the departed Orthodox Christians is performed by the Church at the Divine Liturgy, bringing a bloodless sacrifice to God for them. To do this, before the beginning of the liturgy (or the night before), notes with their names should be submitted to the church (only baptized Orthodox Christians can be entered). At the proskomedia, particles for their repose will be removed from the prosphora, which at the end of the Liturgy will be lowered into the holy bowl and washed with the Blood of the Son of God. Let us remember that this is the greatest benefit that we can provide to those who are dear to us. Here is how they say about the commemoration at the liturgy in the Epistle of the Eastern Patriarchs: “We believe that the souls of people who fell into mortal sins and did not despair at death, but who repented even before being separated from real life, only did not have time to bear any fruits of repentance (such fruits could be their prayers, tears, kneeling during prayer vigils, contrition, consolation of the poor and expression in actions of love for God and their neighbors) - the souls of such people descend into hell and suffer punishment for their sins, without losing hope of relief. They receive relief by the infinite goodness of God through the prayers of priests and beneficence performed for the dead, and especially by force bloodless victim, which, in particular, is brought by the clergyman for every Christian for his loved ones, and in general for everyone is brought daily by the Catholic and Apostolic Church. "

At the top of the note is usually an eight-pointed Orthodox cross... Then the type of commemoration is indicated - "On repose", after which the names of those commemorated in the genitive case are written in large, legible handwriting (to answer the question "who?" schema-abbot Savva, archpriest Alexander, nun Rachel, Andrey, Nina).

All names must be given in the church script (for example, Tatiana, Alexia) and in full (Michael, Lyubov, not Misha, Lyuba).

The number of names in the note does not matter; it is only necessary to take into account that the priest has the opportunity to read not very long notes more attentively. Therefore, it is better to submit a few notes if you want to remember many of your loved ones.

By submitting notes, the parishioner makes a donation for the needs of a monastery or temple. For the avoidance of confusion, remember that price differences (registered or plain notes) only reflect differences in donation. Nor should you be embarrassed if you have not heard the mention of the names of your relatives in the litany. As mentioned above, the main commemoration takes place at the proskomedia when removing particles from the prosphora. During the funeral litany, you can take out your memorial and pray for your loved ones. Prayer will be more effective if the one who commemorates himself on that day participates in the Body and Blood of Christ.

After the liturgy, you can serve a panikhida. The requiem is served before the eve - a special table with a crucifixion and rows of candlesticks. Here you can leave an offering for the needs of the temple in memory of the deceased loved ones.

It is very important after death to order a magpie in the church - a continuous commemoration during the liturgy for forty days. At the end of it, the magpie can be ordered again. There are also long periods of commemoration - six months, a year. Some monasteries accept notes for eternal (while the monastery is standing) commemoration or for commemoration during the reading of the Psalter (such is the ancient Orthodox custom). The more temples prayer is offered, the better for our neighbor!

It is very useful to donate to the church on memorable days of the deceased, to give alms to the poor with a request to pray for him. On the eve, you can bring sacrificial food. You can't just bring meat and alcohol on the eve (except for church wine). The simplest type of sacrifice for the deceased is a candle, which is placed on his repose.

Realizing that the most that we can do for our deceased loved ones is to submit a note of remembrance at the liturgy, we should not forget to pray for them at home and perform deeds of mercy.

Remembrance of the Deceased at Home Prayer

Prayer for the departed is our main and invaluable help to those who have departed to another world. The deceased does not need by and large, neither in a coffin, nor in a grave monument, and even more so in a memorial table - all this is just a tribute to traditions, albeit very pious. But the eternally living soul of the deceased feels a great need for constant prayer, for it cannot itself do good deeds with which it would be able to propitiate the Lord. Home prayer for loved ones, including the dead, is the duty of every Orthodox Christian. Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, says this about prayer for the departed: “If the all-perceiving Wisdom of God does not forbid praying for the dead, does this mean that it is still allowed to throw the rope, although it is not always reliable enough, but sometimes, and perhaps often, salvific for souls who have fallen away from the shores of temporary life, but have not reached the eternal abode? Saving for those souls who hover over the abyss between bodily death and the last judgment of Christ, now rising by faith, now immersed in deeds unworthy of it, now rising by grace, now descending by the remains of damaged nature, now ascending by divine desire, now entangled in rough, not yet completely stripped off the clothes of earthly thoughts ... "

Home prayer commemoration of a deceased Christian is very diverse. One should especially earnestly pray for the deceased in the first forty days after his death. As already indicated in the section "Reading the Psalter for the Dead", during this period it is very useful to read about the deceased Psalter, at least one kathisma a day. You can also recommend reading the akathist about the repose of the dead. In general, the Church commands us to pray every day for departed parents, relatives, known people and benefactors. For this, among the daily morning prayers the following short prayer is included:

Prayer for the dead

Rest, O Lord, the souls of the departed, Thy servant: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names), and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is more convenient to read the names from the memorial - a small booklet where the names of living and deceased relatives are recorded. There is a pious custom of keeping family commemorations, reading which Orthodox people remember by name many generations of their departed ancestors.

Memorial Meal

The pious custom of commemorating the dead at a meal has been known for a very long time. But, unfortunately, many commemorations turn into an excuse for relatives to get together, discuss news, eat delicious food, while Orthodox Christians should pray for the dead at the memorial table too.

Before a meal, a litiya should be performed - a short rite of a requiem that can be performed by a layman. In extreme cases, you need to at least read the 90th psalm and the prayer "Our Father". The first dish eaten at the commemoration is kutia (k € olivo). These are boiled grains of cereals (wheat or rice) with honey and raisins. Grains serve as a symbol of the resurrection, and honey is a sweetness enjoyed by the righteous in the Kingdom of God. According to the statute, kutia should be consecrated with a special rite during the requiem; if there is no such possibility, it is necessary to sprinkle it with holy water.

Naturally, the desire of the owners is to treat everyone who came to the commemoration more deliciously. But you need to observe the fasts established by the Church, and eat the permitted food: on Wednesday, Friday, during long fasts - do not eat the fast food. If the memory of the deceased happens on a weekday of Great Lent, then the commemoration is postponed to the next Saturday or Sunday before that.

It is necessary to refrain from wine, especially vodka, at the memorial meal! The dead are not remembered with wine! Wine is a symbol of earthly joy, and commemoration is an occasion for intense prayer for a person who can suffer severely in the afterlife. You should not drink alcohol, even if the deceased himself liked to drink. It is known that a "drunken" commemoration often turns into an ugly gathering at which the deceased is simply forgotten. At the table, you need to remember the deceased, his good qualities and deeds (hence the name - commemoration). The custom of leaving a glass of vodka and a piece of bread at the table “for the deceased” is a relic of paganism and should not be observed in Orthodox families.

On the contrary, there are godly customs worthy of emulation. In many Orthodox families, the first to sit down at the memorial table are the poor and the poor, children and old women. They can also distribute the clothes and belongings of the deceased. Orthodox people can tell about numerous cases of certification from the afterlife about the great help to the departed as a result of the creation of alms by their relatives. Moreover, the loss of loved ones prompts many people to take the first step towards God, to start living the life of an Orthodox Christian.

Thus, one living archimandrite tells the following incident from his pastoral practice.

“It happened in the difficult post-war years. A mother, who was crying with grief, comes to me, the rector of a village church, at whom her eight-year-old son Misha drowned. And she says that Misha dreamed about her and complained about the cold - he was completely without clothes. I say to her: "And what is his clothes left?" - "Oh sure". - "Give it to your friends Mishin, they will probably come in handy."

A few days later she tells me that she again saw Misha in a dream: he was dressed in exactly the same clothes that were given to his friends. He thanked him, but now he complained of hunger. I advised to make for the village children - friends and acquaintances of Misha - a memorial meal. No matter how difficult it is in a difficult time, what can you not do for your beloved son! And the woman, as she could, treated the children.

She came the third time. She thanked me very much: "Misha said in a dream that now he is warm and satisfying, only my prayers are not enough." I taught her about prayers, advised her not to leave the works of mercy for the future. She became a zealous parishioner, always ready to respond to requests for help, as much as she could and helped orphans, the poor and the poor. "

04 / 03 / 2005

Universal parental Saturday - what date does it fall on in 2018? What is the history of its establishment and the meaning in life Orthodox Church? The answers are here!

On certain days of the year, the Church commemorates all the departed fathers and brethren by faith. The requiems performed at the same time, indicated by the charter, are called ecumenical, and the days on which commemoration is performed are called ecumenical parental Saturdays. The first universal parental Saturday is on Meat Week, before the start of Shrovetide, which prepares believers for Great Lent.

Why is universal parental Saturday celebrated a week beforeGreat Lent? The Sunday before Shrovetide is dedicated to remembranceThe last judgment: although everyone is still preparing for the festive joy of Shrovetide, the solemn and repentant mood of the beginning of Great Lent is gradually joining this joyful joy. “Remember the hour of death and you will never sin,” they said in ancient times, therefore the fun of Shrovetide should not be a crazy orgy, but should be a time of joyful communication with neighbors.

The history of the establishment of the Universal Parental Sabbath

The establishment of the meat-and-mouth parental Sabbath dates back to the apostolic tradition, which is confirmed by the charter of St. Church, set forth in the 5th century by the Monk Sava the Sanctified on the basis of the most ancient tradition, and the custom of ancient Christians to flock on certain days to the cemetery to commemorate the dead, about which a written testimony from the 4th century has been preserved.

The basis for the establishment of this commemoration was the fact that on Sunday of the week of meat-eating St. The Church commemorates the second coming of Christ, and therefore - on the eve of this day, as if on the day preceding the terrible judgment of Christ, and - moreover - bringing St. Forty days, when we must enter into the closest union of love with all members of the kingdom of Christ - both the Saints and the living and the dead, the Church intercedes for all, from Adam to this day, who have fallen asleep in piety and in the right faith, our forefathers, fathers and brothers of every kind. : from the clan of kings, princes, monastics, laity, youths and elders, and all ... - who suddenly died and were left without legalized burial, - intercedes, begging, the Righteous Judge to show them His mercy on the day of impartial retribution to all.

The meaning of the Universal Parental Sabbath

Why "parental"? After all, we remember not only our parents, but also other people, often not related to us by any kind of ties? For different reasons. First of all, not even because parents, as a rule, leave this world ahead of their children (and therefore, too, but this is not the main thing), but because in general our primary prayer duty is for our parents: of all people whose temporary earthly life is over, we first of all owe those through whom we received this gift of life - our parents and forefathers.

In the synaxarum for this day it is written “The Holy Fathers legalized to commemorate all the dead for the following reason. Many quite often die an unnatural death, for example, while wandering in the seas, in impassable mountains, in gorges and abysses; it happens, they die of hunger, in fires, in wars, they freeze. And who will reread all kinds and types of unexpected and unexpected death? And all such are deprived of the legalized psalm singing and prayers for the dead. That is why the holy fathers, driven by love for mankind, established, based on the teaching of the apostles, this common, universal commemoration, so that no one, whenever, wherever and no matter how he ends his earthly life, would be deprived of the prayers of the Church. ”

It is not often, but one hears from people: “Why pray for the dead, because the Lord Himself told us:“ Wherever I will find, in that I judge ”, what is the meaning of such a prayer?”.

Indeed, if these Christ's words attributed to the moment of human death, then the funeral prayer has no meaning. But do we understand these words correctly?

This phrase does not refer to Scripture, but to the agraph recorded by the martyr Justin the Philosopher. It is consonant with the word of the Scripture: "So, stay awake, because you do not know at what hour your Lord will come" (Matthew 24: 42). This means that we are not talking about the fact that the Lord will find us with our death at one moment or another, but in a completely different one, in the fact that one should not indulge in carelessness. It is clear that the deceased can hardly be careless in the face of Eternity.

After death, according to the words of the holy fathers (St. John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Ignatius Brianchaninov and many others), the soul meets the angelic world (here both God's angels and demons begin to fight for the soul). This is the moment of contact of the soul with Eternity, but it is not the end yet.

The soul goes through ordeals, it takes some time. A private judgment comes for the soul, but this is not the final definition for a person, otherwise there would be no Last Judgment at the Second Coming of Christ. The Lord gives time to the human soul for correction, but that is the whole sorrow, that the soul is not the whole person. It may be more difficult to sin without a body, but it is also more difficult to reform without a body. But there is a way out of this!

The Apostle James commands us: "Pray for one another to be healed" (James 5:16).

But after all, it is not so much the body that needs healing as the soul, because the source of all our diseases is concentrated in it - sin. Therefore, the prayer of the Church for the departed is also effective, because it is a prayer for deliverance from the root cause of suffering - sin.

Our deceased relatives are not yet quite human, because man is a threefold being. Only then is a person - a person when the spirit, soul and body are alive. The dead are dead in body, although they are alive in soul, which means they have time to repent. And we can help them, their still living relatives, loved ones, neighbors, just brothers in Christ. Earnest prayer, generous charity can work, truly, miracles. And the main miracle - the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of the soul occurs imperceptibly for us, but from this it does not lose its importance. After all, prayers for the repose of our souls will soon be very, very important for us.

Features of worship on the Ecumenical parental Saturday

In the funeral litany on Saturday meat-emptying, it is called out (proclaimed): "We also pray for the repose of the souls of God's servants, forefather, father and brethren, here lying and everywhere, Orthodox Christians." In other churches, at the same time, a table is placed in front of the Royal Doors, on the table is the Crucifixion and in front of it is a candle, and sometimes a kutia. In other churches, only a candle on a large candlestick is placed in front of the Royal Doors.

From the service on Saturday meat-eating. Stichera on "Lord, Cry": "Faithful! Remembering all the departed from the beginning of the world who lived piously, let us sing praises to the Savior and the Lord, earnestly asking that they can give an answer in the hour of judgment to Him, our God Himself, the Judges of all who live on earth, so that they, joyful, deserve to be at the right hand ( on right hand) He, on the side of those who pleased Him, received participation (fate) with the saints, in the light and eternally blessed His Kingdom of Heaven. "

"Savior! You, who redeemed people with your blood, delivered us by your death from bitter death and by your resurrection giving us eternal life - rest, Lord, all those who have fallen in piety, wherever whoever ends his life: in the deserts or cities, in the sea or on land, all - kings, priests, bishops, monks and the worldly, of all ages, and honor them with Your Heavenly Kingdom. "

“Christ! Through Your Resurrection, death no longer possesses those who have died in piety. Therefore, we pray to You diligently: rest Your servants in Your blessed dwelling place, where Abraham dwells - all, from Adam to this day, who have served You faithfully, our fathers and brothers and friends and relatives, who have moved to You in various ways. God! Honor them all with Your Heavenly Kingdom. "

“I weep and sob when I think about death and see how our beauty, created in the image of God, lies in the graves - ugly, inglorious, no longer having a look. Oh, miracle! What kind of sacrament is being performed on us? How do we indulge in corruption? How did you submit to death? Truly by the command of God, as it is written, giving rest to the dead. "

Troparion. "The One Creator, with the depth of wisdom who lovingly manages everything and gives everyone useful things, Lord, rest the souls of Your servants, because they have placed their hopes on You, the Creator, Provider, and our God."

From the canon sung on meat-eating Saturday: “Water is even covered, and abuse is reaped, the coward is still embraced, and murderers, and fire, even the faithful have fallen, Mercifully, in the part of the righteous teachings” (Canto 1, Troparion 4).

"Even kill the sword, and take the horse, hail, snow and a multiplied cloud, even a snake plinth or dust of dust, Christ our Savior, rest" (Canto 4, Troparion 4).

“Those who died in vain (suddenly) from cases, from the cry of the evil (strong cry), swift current and choking, strangulation from the sincere (sincere - every person. - Ed.), And kicking (here - from a dream), Lord glory, by faith to those who have fallen asleep, weaken (forgive) forever ”(Canto 8, Troparion 4).

"The deaths by God's forgiveness (here - punishment): all mortal thunders from heaven carried away, the earth ripped apart, the sea will make a noise, all faithful, Christ, rest" (Canto 9, Troparion 3).

Cooking kutia on Ecumenical Parental Saturday

Kutia, in other words - kolivo (that is, boiled wheat mixed with honey), supplied both during the celebration of the funeral litiya and the requiem, serves as a reminder of the Resurrection of the deceased. Just as a grain, in order to form an ear and give fruit, must be put into the ground and decay there, so the body of the deceased must be buried in the ground and experience decay, in order to then rise up for the Hereafter (1 Cor. 15: 36-38; John 12 , 24). Honey marks the sweetness of the blessings of the future life.

Cutia is perhaps the only obligatory dish of the memorial meal. We prepare it, remembering the words of the Savior: John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it will bear much fruit. "

Grain can be called our relatives of the departed, and their fruit is in us many sinners, in our memory of them, in our deeds, accomplished thanks to their goodness of life. With this in mind, we will cook.

Soak the grain for several hours, preferably wheat, but since it is not always at hand, uncrushed pearl barley or rice will do. Let's cook porridge from it, moderately boiled, so that the grains are separate, but not tough. We prepare filler ingredients, there is room for your imagination: raisins and honey are traditionally added, but any dried fruits, nuts of all kinds, peeled seeds, poppy seeds, fruits, marmalade are quite suitable, this is already a matter of taste of the hostess. If there is no honey, season with sugar, preferably in the form of a syrup.

Steam dried fruits, raisins, dried apricots (large ones can be chopped). Nuts can also be crushed, but not into a categorical powder, let there be pieces and a smaller mass. Mix all the prepared products. We put it in a comfortable dish - and in the church, at the requiem, to consecrate, having prayed for the dead.

V Orthodox faith there are special days when it is necessary to remember the deceased relatives. On these days, a service is always held in the church, to which people can come to pray for their loved ones. In the evening, they arrange memorial meals, observing Orthodox traditions.

What is parental Saturday in Orthodoxy?

Two main Ecumenical Saturdays, when it is customary to commemorate all Christians who were baptized: Myasopustnaya and Trinity. They are necessarily accompanied by important divine services - ecumenical or general requiems. There are other six parental Saturdays: Radonitsa, Dimitrievskaya, Commemoration of the departed soldiers and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Great Lent. To understand what Meat Parental Saturday means, it should be said that meat is prohibited on this day, and it was named parental because of the need to remember close relatives, in the list of which parents are in the first place.

By Orthodox rules on these days it is allowed to pray for people who died a natural death, were killed and even disappeared without a trace and were not buried. The Ecumenical Meat Passenger Saturday is an ancient holiday when all the dead Orthodox Christians who suffered for their faith in the Lord are remembered. It is believed that the living have a chance to help the dead through their prayers.

It is important to understand what the Ecumenical parental Saturday is and what needs to be done and what is not, since this day is very important for every Orthodox believer. In addition, many signs of ancient traditions are associated with it. Many are interested in why the departed are remembered on Saturday, and not on another day, and so, according to the Gospel, on this day of the week Jesus Christ was laid in the tomb and mourned.

Parent's Saturday - what should you do?

The most important thing on such days is attending a church service and the obligatory reading of prayers for deceased relatives. Finding out what to do on parental Saturday, one should also mention the tradition of believers to visit the cemetery on this day to lay flowers on the graves. Priests believe that it is more important to defend the service than to go to the grave, but if you cannot do either one or the other, then you can just pray at home. Great parental Saturday is an occasion to gather in a quiet atmosphere with loved ones and remember the dead.

What to do on parental Saturday at church?

The day before, the great funeral service is held in the temples, but already in the morning Divine Liturgy for the peace and a common memorial service. People who come to church have the opportunity to submit notes with the names of the dead and read. Many are interested in what to carry to church on parental Saturday, and so according to the old church traditions You can take food from home, but only lean ones, and wine for the liturgy. After the consecration, the food is distributed to all comers. When leaving the church, it is necessary to give alms to the poor, so that they pray for the departed.

How to remember on parental Saturday?

More and more often commemoration for modern people turn into a feast where people enjoy treats and talk about different topics, but in fact, into Orthodox traditions it is necessary to pray at the memorial table. Before you sit down at the table, it is customary to perform the litiya, or, as a last resort, you should read the prayer "Living help" and "Our Father". Great Saturday for parents is a time to attend church services and pray, remembering loved ones. You cannot remember the dead with wine, since this drink is a symbol of earthly joy.

What to cook for the Universal Parental Saturday?

On this day, relatives gather at the table to remember their relatives. They put them on the table, and the obligatory treat is kutia - a dish intended for commemorating the dead. It is considered a symbol of the burial of all people who were not interred, so their spirit rushes about and does not know how to leave the earth. If there is a meat-and-mouth parental Saturday ahead, then be sure to prepare wheat grains, which should first be soaked for several hours. Dried fruits, nuts, seeds, poppy seeds, honey, syrup or marmalade are used as a dressing.

What cannot be done on parental Saturday?

Many of the prohibitions concerning this day are fictitious. Although there is a widespread belief that on this day you can clean up and work, the main thing is to first visit the church and read prayers, and the rest of the time can be spent as you see fit. There are other prohibitions regarding this day:

1. Universe parental Saturday implies compulsory attendance at church and there many begin to commemorate people by having snacks and drinking alcohol. The Church considers these traditions to be pagan and prohibits them.
2. You cannot leave alcohol on the grave of deceased relatives, especially if they often drank during their lifetime, since this can only aggravate the situation of his soul.
3. Understanding what the Ecumenical parental Saturday is, what needs to be done on this day, and what is prohibited, it is worth pointing out that one should not be sad, quarreling, swearing and speaking badly about the deceased.
4. You cannot organize lavish banquets and prepare many dishes. Only lean dishes should be on the table.
5. Parental funeral Saturday meat-passing prohibits the use of meat and meat products.

Prayers for parental sabbath

On this day, prayer appeals are mandatory, and you can ask for both loved ones and distant relatives... They help souls find peace and find their way in another world. The living cannot help their deceased relatives in any other way. Prayer on parental Saturday for the departed helps sinners to be cleansed. You can ask for people who were killed, died in an accident, and so on, since all people are one before God.

Folk omens on parental Saturday

Many superstitions are associated with this day, which have been formed over the years. Believe in them or not, the decision of each person.

1. Many omens and superstitions on parental Saturday are associated with a feast, so on this day, after the evening meal, you cannot remove anything from the table and wash the dishes, since it is believed that deceased relatives will come to eat at night.
2. On this day, it was customary to bake pancakes, and the first one was necessarily placed separately for the deceased. If the first pancake fell on the floor during frying, then before picking it up, you must read the guardian prayer. Otherwise, death may occur.
3. Marriage on this day foretells trouble.
4. Finding out what the Ecumenical parental Saturday is and what needs to be done, it should be mentioned that the weather conditions on this day were used to judge what the spring would be like. If the weather is clear, then the spring will be fine too. When there was thunder, they listened to the first rumbles, so if they were from the north side, it means that the spring will be cold, and if from the east, then warm and dry.

Ritual for money on parent's Saturday

They are considered ideal times to reach out to deceased relatives and ask them for help. There are simple conspiracies on Ecumenical Parental Sabbath to attract financial well-being. A simple ritual will help enlist the help of the spirits of the clan, who will help throughout the year.

1. Purchase sweets during the day to be placed in the alms basket at the church.
2. When you leave, buy six candles and set them up for the repose of six of your relatives.
3. Putting down each candle, ask the Lord for the repose of the soul of the deceased, calling his name.
4. After that read funeral prayer, and behind it a conspiracy.