Met. Tikhon: 'Prayer for the Dead is One of the Great Acts of Christian Love'

Met. Tikhon. Photo: OCA

OCT. 25, 2025 — His Beatitude Met. Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) has put out a brief word on the Memorial Saturday of St. Demetrius as part of his ongoing "Reflections in Christ" series. 

Originally published on the OCA website, it is published in full below for the edification of UOJ-USA readers.

According to the practice that the Orthodox Church in America has inherited from the Russian Orthodox Church, this day, known as Demetrius Saturday, is a universal commemoration of the departed. Though the Church sets aside several Saturdays in particular as memorial Saturdays, the departed are remembered every Saturday. Indeed, we should remember the faithful departed - by name and in general - in our prayers every day of the year. Prayer for the dead is one of the great acts of Christian love and charity. The dead can no longer help themselves, but we can help them through prayer. Likewise, we hope that those come after us will offer us the aid of their prayers when we have departed this life.

Grant rest eternal and blessed repose, O Lord, to all thy servants, the hierarchs, clergy, monastics, and faithful of the Orthodox Church in America, who have departed this life in the Orthodox faith and the hope of life everlasting, and make their memory to be eternal!

Previously, UOJ reported that Met. Tikhon made an archpastoral visit to St. Vladimir Church in Trenton, N.J., to preside over the parish’s 110th anniversary celebrations.

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