Trinity Parent Saturday: meaning and traditions

      Trinity Parent Saturday is the second Universal Saturday after Meatfare, when prayers are offered not only for one's parents and loved ones but "for the repose of all the servants of God who have departed, all the previously departed Orthodox Christians."

      In Kirov

      As reported by the Vyatka Diocese, on May 30, a Divine Liturgy and memorial service will take place at the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Kirov. The service will begin at 8:00 AM. The service will be conducted by Metropolitan Mark of Vyatka and Slobodsky. On this day, a special universal memorial service titled: "The Memory of All Orthodox Christians Who Have Departed from the Beginning" is performed in churches.

      Why Saturday and why Universal

      Every Saturday in the Christian tradition is a special day of remembrance. According to the biblical narrative, creation was completed on Saturday, and it became "a day of rest." As theology candidate Yuri Ruban writes, "on this same day, Christ, who had fallen asleep in the flesh the day before, completed the recreation of this 'worn-out' - Old Testament - world and, descending into hell, proclaimed the beginning of new life." Trinity Saturday is called Universal because, as Bishop Athanasius (Sakharov) noted, the Church calls believers "to temporarily divert from natural, but somewhat selfish, blood love and pray 'for the repose of all the servants of God who have departed, all the previously departed Orthodox Christians.'" Saint Theophan the Recluse wrote: "The prayer for the departed is strong in its community - it comes from the whole Church."

      Why the commemoration takes place on the eve of Trinity

      The Feast of Pentecost is the birthday of the Church of Christ, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. Before this celebration, according to Yuri Ruban, "the Church gathers all its children - both the living and the dead - into its embrace." Pentecost is "the feast of the union of the heavenly and earthly, the living and the departed." "For God, the Church is one, as are its inhabitants, for the true God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to Him" (Luke 20:38).

      How Trinity Parent Saturday and Trinity differ

      These two days have different meanings, but they are inseparably connected.

      Trinity Parent Saturday (May 30) is a day of remembrance for the departed. It is one of two Universal Parent Saturdays in the year when the Church prays "for all Orthodox Christians who have departed from the beginning." On this day, believers come to the church for the liturgy and memorial service, submit notes with the names of deceased loved ones, and pray for their repose.

      Trinity, or Pentecost (May 31) is a great feast of the twelve. On this day, the Church remembers the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. It is the birthday of the Church of Christ. Believers rejoice, churches are adorned with greenery, and the service is conducted especially solemnly. This is not a day of mourning, but a day of triumph.

      Why do they follow one another? The connection is deep. Pentecost is the feast of the unity of the Heavenly and Earthly Church, the living and the departed. As Yuri Ruban writes, "for God, the Church is one, as are its inhabitants, for the true God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to Him" (Luke 20:38). Therefore, on the eve of the birthday of the Church, Christians prayerfully remember all their deceased brothers and sisters - those who are already in the Heavenly Church.

      About prayer and what is more important

      The main thing on Trinity Parent Saturday is prayer in the church. It is the communal church prayer that brings real help to the departed. On this day, it is customary to submit notes with the names of the departed for the prosphora.

      Visiting the cemetery on this day is not mandatory - there is no such tradition. If there is a need to tidy up graves, it can be done after the service. In the Christian tradition, it is not customary to hold memorials at the cemetery or to leave food and especially alcohol on graves. All of this is pagan rituals.

      What can and cannot be done on Trinity Parent Saturday

      Can:

      Come to the church for the Divine Liturgy and memorial service, submit notes.

      Bring food for the canon (memorial table) - bread, sweets, fruits, grains, wine.

      Pray for the departed at home.

      After the service, if desired, visit the cemetery.

      Cannot:

      Turn the day into a "party with drinking and debauchery."

      Follow superstitions: believe that on this day "one cannot work, wash, sew, clean," or fear mermaids and forest spirits. The Church does not bless such pagan prejudices.

      Engage in divination - a Christian should not resort to divination, which is sometimes mistakenly considered a "tradition" of the holiday.

      Get irritated, quarrel, hold grudges.

      What else is important to know

      About the service. According to the church statute, the memorial service on Trinity Saturday is performed on the evening before, on Friday. However, in different churches, the schedule may vary, so it is better to clarify the time in a specific parish. The main memorial service of this Saturday is the great panikhida, during which the Church prays "for all who have departed from the beginning" Orthodox Christians.

      About fasting. There is no fasting on Trinity Saturday. However, immediately after the Feast of Trinity, the Apostolic Fast follows. It begins a week after Pentecost. This is a time of preparation for the day of remembrance of the chief apostles Peter and Paul.

      About almsgiving. Saint John Chrysostom said that acts of mercy "stand before the Throne of God, interceding for the repose of the departed." Therefore, on Parent Saturday, it is customary to donate food for the canon, as well as to give alms to those in need with a request to pray for the repose.

      About home prayer. If it is not possible to get to the church, one can pray for the departed at home - read the memorial prayers from the prayer book or remember loved ones in one's own words.