Light a candle on March 11, on parental Saturday, to honor the memory of all departed relatives

On March 11, Orthodox Christians celebrate a very important event. The first Lenten Parent Saturday is approaching this year. You have to spend this day right. And how to do this, we will tell in today’s article. Little spoiler: prayer It is much more important than going to the garden.



According to the church statute, the remembrance of the dead takes place on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Saturday of Lent. At this time, believing Christians should reveal such traits as favor and mercy. This is what people want in response to God.

Once in the afterlife, sinners are deprived of the opportunity to pray to the Lord. Therefore, prayer for the dead is an obligatory deed for every living Christian. The souls of those who have passed away remain the only hope for those who are still on Earth.



Peels Parental Saturday has long been called so, since the first time on this day it is customary to commemorate deceased parents. This is considered the main prayer duty of all people. It is important to remember our grandparents who gave birth to our parents. They also pray for their relatives in straight and indirect lines.

The next parental Saturday will be March 11. On this day you need to bring food to the temple and leave them on a special table. They are used for the needs of the temple or given to poor people. It helps to honor the memory of the dead.



Prayer on Saturday is very important. Therefore, between going to the temple or to the churchyard, always choose the first. Your heart is closer to the Lord and your prayers for the dead come to you.

However, this does not mean that you can not go to the cemetery and remove the places of eternal rest of your loved ones. Especially since often everything around overgrown with grass and weed. You can bring flowers to marble slabs. Really, not all of them will do. I wrote a separate article about this earlier. I suggest you check it out!

March 11, 2023 You know that the doors of the church are always open to people. But especially waiting for parishioners will be on the eve of parent Saturday, Friday evening. At this time, a memorial liturgy will be held in the temple, which is called parastasis. The service will also take place on Saturday morning.



For those who try to attend church regularly, such days will not come as a surprise. Also, if you don’t know how to prepare for your parents’ Saturday, ask your father. The priest will explain in detail what to do, advise the necessary prayers and give appropriate instructions.

According to tradition, parishioners prepare notes commemorating the dead. They need to clearly write the names of people in the genitive case. However, we can only mention those who were baptized during life. The unbaptized are allowed to pray at home or on the churchyard. There are also restrictions related to candles. They are placed not at the icons, but near the crucifixion. In the temple, a special table is allocated for this - the eve.



On the eve put food: sweets, bread, vegetables and fruits, as well as flour (for prosphorus) and kagoras. It is forbidden to bring meat products to the temple. Remember that the dead cannot be remembered by drinking alcohol. It's considered a sin. In addition, the church condemns loud feasts during parental Saturdays.

If you can’t go to church, you can pray at home. But it is very important to remember the names of all the deceased, whose memory you want to honor. It is best to write down their names on a piece of paper and say them aloud while praying.

There are many different prayers, each of which is suitable for remembrance of the dead. We share the text of one of them below.

“Remember, O Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the life of your eternally lost servant, our brother (name), as good and lover of humanity, absolve sins and consume unrighteousness, weaken, forsake and forgive all his free transgressions and involuntary ones, deliver him from the eternal torment and fire of Geengo, and grant him the communion and enjoyment of your eternal good ones, prepared for those who love you: even from God and warmth the Trinity, not even after the Trinity, but after the Holy Trinity and Confession into the Holy One God, and the Trinity, and the Trinity, and the Holy Oneness into the Trinity, and the Holy Oneness of God, and the Trinity.”



Be merciful to him, and trust in thee instead of works of imputation, and with thy saints as generously rest: to bear a man who lives and does not sin. But you are one except all sin, and your righteousness forever, and you are one God of mercy and generosity and love of humanity, and we give glory to you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and ever. Amen.

Spend the approaching parental Saturday wisely. May God take care of you and your family.