The secrets of the Intercession Parents' Sabbath: What happens if a bad person writes the name of a living person in a memorial note?

Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday is one of the important Orthodox days dedicated to the commemoration of the deceased. In 2025, it falls on the first half of October. On this day, believers not only remember their loved ones, but also try to observe special traditions. Special attention is paid to the submission of memorial notes — prayer petitions for the repose of the deceased. But sometimes there are situations when, by mistake or malice, the names of living people with a request for repose get into the notes. Izvestia reports in more detail what to do if there is an error in the memorial note.

Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday in 2025: date and traditions

In 2025, the Parents' Intercession Saturday falls on October 11, before the great feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is celebrated on October 14. The exact date changes every year, as it depends on which day of the week the Snow falls.

The tradition of commemorating the dead on this day appeared back in the XVI century after the capture of Kazan in 1552. St. Hermogenes, Archbishop of Kazan, proposed to establish a memorial day for the soldiers who died in this event. In 1592, Patriarch Job issued a decree on holding memorial services on this day for all Orthodox soldiers who fell near Kazan. Over time, the tradition spread to neighboring regions, becoming an important memorial day.

On this date, believers visit churches to participate in funeral services, bring notes with the names of the deceased and pray for the forgiveness of their sins and eternal rest. On the eve of the evening, a great memorial service is served in churches, and on Saturday morning itself, a requiem Divine Liturgy with a general memorial service.

In addition to prayers, it is customary to set a memorial table. Lean dishes are specially prepared for it, such as kutya porridge with honey and raisins, pancakes, pies and compotes. There are also popular prohibitions on this day — you can not clean, visit, make appointments and make serious life decisions. These superstitions are related to the fact that October 11 is considered a day when evil spirits are especially active.

Day of Prayer for the Dead: when is the Intercession Parents' Saturday in 2025

Believers honor their ancestors in the temple and at home, continuing the ancient customs of commemoration.

Why do they write memorial notes?

Notes on the commemoration of the dead are an important part of the Orthodox prayer tradition, which is a request from believers to the clergy to offer prayers for specific people during the divine service. This is a way to combine your prayers with those of the entire church, expressing concern and love for your loved ones, both the living and the deceased.

There are two main types of notes:

— about health — for prayer for the living, requests for health, help and prosperity;

— for the repose — to commemorate the deceased, asking for the forgiveness of their sins and the granting of eternal rest.

It is customary to submit notes in churches and monasteries before divine services, in particular at the Divine Liturgy. During the proskomedia, the priest removes the particles from the prosphora with the names written in the notes and places them in a bowl symbolizing the sacrifice of Christ. This custom helps believers realize the continuity of life, as well as the importance of prayer commemoration as an expression of spiritual solidarity and love.

How to write a memorial note correctly

Writing a memorial note is an important and responsible step, which involves observing certain rules so that the prayer is accepted and read at the divine service. An eight-pointed cross must be depicted at the top of the sheet, under which the inscription "On the repose" is written in large and legible letters.

The names in the note should be written in the genitive case, that is, in the form when they answer the question "who?" — for example, not Ivan, but John; not Sveta, but Svetlana. It is very important to use the full names given to a person at baptism, rather than abbreviated or diminutive forms. For children, the child status is indicated by age — an infant (under 7 years old) or a teenager (from 7 to 14).

One note usually contains from 10 to 15 names. If more people need to be remembered, several notes should be submitted to make it easier to read during the service. Surnames, patronymics, nicknames, titles and degrees of kinship are not written, it is enough to specify only the first name.

Before the name of the deceased, you can add words reflecting their status or time from the day of death, for example, "newly deceased", "murdered", "warrior" or "ever-memorable". It is customary for clergymen to indicate their rank and name, for example, "Archbishop Jerome" or "Priest Peter."

It is forbidden to indicate in notes the names of people who have not been accepted into Orthodoxy: unbaptized, suicides without a blessing, atheists, representatives of other faiths. If forbidden names were written by mistake, it is necessary to contact the priest with a penitential petition.

A well-written note makes it easier for the clergyman to read prayers and helps believers receive spiritual help for their loved ones at the right time.

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What should I do if a living person is recorded in a memorial note?

If by mistake or malice the name of a living person is written in the note of repose, do not panic or be afraid of negative consequences. In Orthodoxy, it is believed that God, as an omniscient judge, knows perfectly well who is alive and who has passed away. He accepts each prayer according to its true meaning and directs it for good.

The priests note that the submission of a note with the name of a living person for the repose, committed out of ignorance, does not harm either the one who wrote it or the one who submitted this note. If evil is wished to a person through such an action, Orthodox teaching does not allow magical effects through prayer for the repose of the living. Any attempt to harm in this way is directed primarily against the person who did it.

If a mistake is realized, it is recommended to contact a priest to receive a blessing to commemorate the name of this person "for health" and correct the situation. Sometimes they hold special prayer services and recite prayers for the restoration of spiritual health.

It is important to remember that the main power of prayer lies not in the form of notes, but in the sincerity of a person's faith and repentance, in prayerful unity with the church and God. One should avoid superstition and trust in the mercy of God, who loves everyone without exception.