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Saturdays of the
Souls
Although every Saturday is
dedicated to our departed brothers and sisters in Christ, four
Saturdays throughout the year are especially dedicated to praying
for them, called Saturdays of the Souls. After the Divine
Liturgy, those who have departed for eternal life are commemorated
by the Priest in a memorial service. People usually come to Church,
preparing kollyva as an offering.
Called kollyva (κόλλυβα),
the family brings these offerings to Church for
memorials for the departed,
and remind us of the
Resurrection.
In Orthodox theology, people that have passed away are referred to
as “departed”, and not as “dead”, buried in a
κοιμητήριον (that is, “a place
of sleep”) and not in a
νεκροταφείον
(that is, “a place for the dead”). The Church gives us an
opportunity to pray for our loved ones and bring comfort to our own
souls.
Prayers are usually offered
on
the 3rd, 9th, and 40th day after a loved one passes away, as well as
on a yearly basis, the family usually holds "memorial services" in
our Churches. Yet, there are certain days of the year (which are
called “Saturdays of the Souls”) that everyone comes to Church to
pray for the departed.
These days are
determined by the date of Pascha, so they differ every year. You can
see the corresponding Saturday of the Souls days on the
sidebar for this year.
If you would like to make kollyva
for your departed loved ones, here’s how:
What you need
1C hulled wheat ( lb.), 4 C
water, 1/2-3/4 C chopped nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.),
1/2-3/4 C raisins, golden or regular, 1/4 C chopped fresh parsley or
mint (optional), 1 tsp. cinnamon.
For the topping:
1 C fine crumbs of zwieback or graham crackers, 1 C
sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 - 1/2 lb. white Jordan Almonds
(sugar-coated almonds.
The day before the Memorial Service:
Rinse and drain the wheat.
Cook it as you would rice, for about 1 hour. Do not overcook so that
the grains explode. Since there is more water in the cooking than
there would be for rice, check the wheat as it's cooking for
doneness. Pour the hot wheat into a large or two smaller colanders.
When drained, put the wheat into a large bowl. Cover the wheat with
very cold water to stop the cooking. Allow the wheat to drain
overnight.
The morning of the Memorial Service:
In a large bowl mix
the wheat with the cinnamon, nuts, raisins, and parsley or mint.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl to be taken to Church. Place a
piece of waxed paper on top of the mixture and flatten the top so
that it is evenly distributed. Sprinkle the zwieback or graham
cracker crumbs evenly over the wheat mixture. This keeps the
moisture from the powdered sugar layer. Sift the powdered sugar atop
the crumb layer. Use the Jordan almonds to form a cross atop the
powdered sugar. The edge of the bowl can be lined with Jordan
almonds if desired.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
Plan to be at Church before
Liturgy begins so that you can give the bowl and your list of names
of your deceased family and friends to the priest. A candle is often
placed in the bowl and lit during the memorial service.
May our Lord remember all
the departed in His Kingdom.
Αιωνία η
Μνήμη! May their memory be eternal!
