Today, Saturday, one day before Sunday of Carnival, is the first of the two “Saturdays of Souls’.
As with all Saturdays in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar, today is a traditional day of prayer for the dead. Especially, this Saturday, one day before Sunday of Carnival, is called “Sunday of Souls”, just like the one before Pentecost. During this day, memorial services are conducted for the souls of all Christians, from Adam to the present day.
So, it was decided by the Orthodox Church to commemorate our sisters and brothers, who fell asleep in the Lord. In addition, tomorrow, Sunday, it is the commemoration of the Second Coming of Christ. During the celebration of the Divine Liturgy, the relevant passage of the Gospel is read.
The faithful feel the need to ask the Righteous Judge to protect them as well as their living or reposed beloved ones from eternal hell. At the same time, they prepare themselves for the coming fasting period. It is known that the memory of death and the Second Coming provides an incentive for self-control and repentance.
Source: Church of Cyprus
