Clergy Reflection: Saturday Of The First Week

Saturday of the First Week

Today, in all of our parishes, we celebrate the life of Christ in the Divine Liturgy even as we remember our departed loved ones. Known as the Saturday of Souls, or Psychosavato, this is the third and last Saturday of remembering those who have gone on to eternal rest. Remembering and praying for the dead is an impor- tant aspect of the Christian life because, in a very real way, we believe they are not truly dead. Our Church uses the language of sleep rather than death just as Jesus did to remind that, while the body is asleep in the tombs until the General Resurrection, our souls remain very much alive. In fact, these three Saturdays of prayer for the deceased are here to remind us of the fact that we should not be taking this Lenten journey alone. We do not want to be praying alone or worshipping alone but, rather, join- ing our voices to the voices of those whose praises never cease, the Church Triumphant in heaven. Whether or not you attended liturgy today, take a moment now and ask God to embrace the souls of your loved ones—remembering them by name—and pray that their memory will truly be eternal among His Saints in heaven.

Fr. Christopher Stamas