Psycho Saturday before Apocreo Sunday
The Holy Saturday before Ascension Sunday has the following meaning: The next day is dedicated to the Second Coming of the Lord. That terrible day when we will all stand before the throne of the great Judge. For this reason, with the commemoration of the fallen, we ask the Lord to have mercy and show his sympathy and long-suffering, not only to us, but also to our departed brothers, and to place us all together in His Heavenly Kingdom.
The Saturday before Palm Sunday is called - "Saturday of Souls" or Psycho Saturday. It is the first of the two Holy Saturdays of the year (the second takes place on the Saturday before Pentecost Sunday).
The reason our Church instituted it, despite the fact that every Saturday is dedicated to those who have fallen asleep, is the following: Because many at times died young or in the wilderness or at sea or on the mountains and slopes or even some, due to poverty, were not claimed of the ordered commemorations, "the divine Fathers, acting in a philanthropic manner, instituted this commemoration in favor of all Christians who have reverently passed away through the ages".
Because on Apocreos Sunday we commemorate the Second Coming of Christ and our sleeping ones have not yet been judged, we remember them today and, invoking His infinite mercy, we ask God with the memorial service we are doing, to rest them. At the same time, remembering death and "moving to repentance...".
Every Psychosaturday, the Church's memorial services are held for the fallen "in hope of eternal life resurrection, devoutly orthodox, kings, patriarchs, high priests, priests, hieromonks, hierodeacons, nuns, nuns, fathers, forefathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, parents, spouses, of our children, brothers and relatives from the beginning and until the end".
The order of the day is found in the Standard of the Church.
The establishment of Psychosabbat is a reminder that the body will be resurrected at the Second Coming of the Lord, to be united with the immortal soul according to the teaching of the Orthodox Church.
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