A Day Late: Saturday-All the Saints and the Departed

Well, Saturday morning, unfortunately, is still a dead zone at our house when it comes to prayer. I'm learning to go hide and pray by myself, but this week I didn't even do that. So today I realized I'd forgotten to post on what Saturday stands for in the course of the week.

It fits in with the rest of the theme of "community". Saturday is for all the Saints and the Departed.

Troparion to All Saints: O Apostles, Martyrs, and Prophets, Hierarchs, Monastics and Righteous Ones; ye that have accomplished a good labour and kept the Faith, that have boldness before the Saviour; O Good Ones, intercede for us, we pray, that our souls be saved.

Troparion for the Departed: O Thou Who by the depth of Thy wisdom, out of love for man kind, dost provide all things, and grantest unto all that which is profitable, O only Creator: Grant rest, O Lord, to the souls of Thy servants, for in Thee have they placed their hope, O our Creator and Fashioner and God.

Kontakion for the Departed: With the saints give rest, O Christ, to the souls of Thy servants, where there is niether sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting.

Kontakion to the Martyrs: To Thee, O Lord, the Planter of creation, the world doth offer the God-bearing martyrs as the firstfruits of nature. By their intercessions preserve Thy Church, Thy commonwealth, in profound peace, through the Theotokos, O Greatly-merciful One.

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And finally, dear readers, I would like to refer you over to the words of Father Stephen Freeman on the subject of the Saints. He says it much better than I could. Please follow this link and read what he's written on why the intercessions of the saints is a dogma.

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