“The main thing is not to judge”: Mother Irina explained the death of Lydia Shukshina on Dmitrievskaya Saturday

“The Kingdom of Heaven to the newly-deposed servant of God Lydia,” said Mother. “The main thing is not to judge anyone,” says Mother Irina. The dead should be remembered only with a kind word, he needs it. The death on the day of a holiday or a special commemoration as today is often perceived by loved ones with a special feeling, says Mother. In grief, it is natural to seek solace and notice circumstances that support hope. In church history, there are cases when saints died on great feasts. Saint Tikhon, Patriarch of All Russia, died in the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, Saint Theophan the Recluse in Epiphany. Such coincidences may be perceived as a special consolation, but the most important thing for a Christian is a pious life in Christ. The date of death itself does not allow us to judge the posthumous fate of a person. We are not open to his whole inner life, and we cannot confidently explain why his earthly path ended on this very day. Therefore, the words of God’s mercy here may be an expression of faith and hope, but not a statement that we know God’s judgment. For a close believer, such a date can be an occasion for consolation and hope. In the event of a loss on the memorial day, the awareness that the Church is now especially praying for the dead can be supported, and one can join one’s own prayer in this common prayer.

- Mother Irina, how to help the deceased and support loved ones?

Care for the burial, grave and memorial meal has its place, but the main thing for church commemoration is an appeal to God with a request to forgive the sins of the deceased and rest his soul. And those who are experiencing loss need participation, patience and simple human help.

Demetrius Saturday reminds us that love for a person continues even after his death - in prayer, grateful memory and deeds of mercy. Without knowing what is hidden, we can entrust the dead to God and keep hope in His mercy. The main content of the Dimitri Saturday, on which Lydia Nikolaevna rested, is prayer. On the eve of the funeral service, on the very Sabbath - Divine Liturgy and commemoration of the dead. You can submit the names of deceased Orthodox Christians for church commemoration and pray for them in the church. Such assistance is needed not only on established memorial days. When a loved one dies, they pray for him at home, turn to the temple for funeral service and further commemoration, submit notes for the liturgy, order a memorial service. Prayer is a prayer for those who have died.

Dimitriev’s Parental Saturday: What is remarkable about this day?

- In the church calendar there are days when prayer for the dead unites especially many people. One of them is the Dimitri Parent Saturday. In 2026, it falls on November 7. This is a special memorial day when the Church prays for the dead Orthodox Christians. Although Saturday is called parental, it commemorates not only parents, but also other relatives, friends, all deceased co-religionists.

The name is associated with the memory of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Solun, which is celebrated on November 8 in a new style. The remembrance is made on the preceding Saturday. If it coincides with certain church holidays, it is moved to an earlier Saturday.

- Mother Irina, please tell us how the tradition of commemorating the dead on Dmitrievskaya Saturday developed?

- The origin of the Demetrius Sabbath is not known in detail by historians. A common tradition connects its establishment with Prince Dimitri Donskoy and the commemoration of soldiers who died in the Battle of Kulikovo. However, in early sources, a direct connection between this commemoration and the Demetrius Sabbath was not found. This version became widespread only in the XIX century. One of the first surviving mentions of Demetrius Saturday as the day of commemoration of all the dead is found in the Novgorod collection of the XV century. Monastic documents of the XVI-XVII centuries testify that on this day they prayed for the deceased brothers. Outside of the monasteries, the commemoration also had a general character: in the Moscow Assumption Cathedral, a memorial service was held for all Orthodox Christians the day before. Presumably, this tradition is associated with a Christian rethinking of the ancient autumn days of ancestral memory. There were similar memorial days among different peoples. The church content of this memory is prayer for the dead, love and care for them, replacing fear of the dead. Prayer was accompanied by acts of mercy. In the monasteries, a meal was arranged for the brethren so that the assembled prayed for the dead; in the world they fed the hungry and needy. Thus, the memory of a person continued in a good deed done for his sake.

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