As you may know, each day of the week has a special commemoration.
Sunday: remembrance of the Resurrection
Monday: remembrance of the Supreme Commanders of the Hosts of Heaven (Archangels)
Tuesday: remembrance of St. John the Forerunner and Baptist
Wednesday: remembrance of the Cross
Thursday: remembrance of the Holy Apostles
Friday: remembrance of the Cross
Saturday: remembrance of the Departed
These are the commemorations for every *day* of the week–in addition to the saints we celebrate on a particular *date.*
As you can see, Saturdays are set apart for us to remember those who have passed on and are now with Christ.
In fact, Saturday is the proper day to do memorials; though, because of “economia,” we move them to Sundays in our contemporary practice (fun fact, originally, memorials were forbidden on Sundays).
This Saturday is “Saturday of the Souls,” Ψυχοσάββατον. On this particular Saturday, we *especially* take the time to remember our loved ones who have passed on.
The epistle reading for this upcoming Saturday comes from Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. In it, he writes,
“For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord.”
This is a beautiful image. This epistle gives us comfort that we, along with our departed loved ones, will be with Christ when he comes again.
But, this passage is also very misunderstood.
Some theologians have used this passage to justify a theology known as “the rapture.” The idea is that Christ will come again and Christians will “disappear” to be with Christ in heaven while unbelievers will suffer torment here on earth.
It’s this idea of the rapture that the popular book series and movies, Left Behind, are based on.
But what an awful theology. Who wants to believe in a God who saves only a few people and leaves everyone else to suffer and die?
Thankfully, as Orthodox Christians, we don’t believe in the rapture. In fact, no Christian believed in the rapture until the early 20th century, which is when this idea first appeared.
So, if I Thessalonians isn’t about the rapture, what is it about?
Well, the passage is describing the Second Coming of our Lord. And, interestingly enough, Paul is drawing on his contemporary Roman world to help people understand what the Second Coming will be like.
He using something called the “parousia” to help people understand his expectation of a new, transformed, and transfigured world.
In the first century, at the time of Jesus and Paul, when Caesar or another state dignitary came to visit a town, everyone would go out beyond the city walls to meet this important person out in the countryside.
What’s important to note about this is that the cemeteries were also outside the city walls. So, practically speaking, the dignitary would first be greeted by the “departed,” those buried in the cemeteries, and then they would be greeted by the living inhabitants of the city.
This is what is happening when Paul wrote, “And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
The clouds represent the countryside, beyond the city walls.
Now, this next part is really important!
After the people of the city met the dignitary, they would then accompany him back into town. So, if Paul is using this image to describe us greeting Christ in the clouds, we should realize this isn’t us leaving earth but us welcoming Christ *to earth.*
In other words, we may meet him in the clouds, but then we come back to earth with Christ for its transformation.
This is precisely our hope as Orthodox Christians.
We believe in a resurrection of our bodies so we can inhabit a transfigured, new earth, not leave the old one behind. It’s in this vision that heaven and earth are linked: Christ rules this renewed world and there is no longer death, suffering, or pain.
So, this Saturday, as we remember our dear loved ones, we will also look forward to the Second Coming, and we look forward to meeting Christ in the clouds to welcome the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
very interesting.