The night is over; the stone was rolled away. In Jesus’ case then there is also the insult of a shameful death. EASTER VIGIL. Please download one of our supported browsers. It’s not possible to contemplate “his face”, but—as has happened to Moses (Ex 33:18-20)—it can be seen “from the back,” when he has passed, contemplating a life that springs forth on the footprints of his steps. It is easy to neglect the fact that, while Christ’s body lay in the tomb, His soul descended into hell. They walk in the night: it is still dark outside but it is dark especially in their hearts. Commentary on the Readings. ... Saturday, April 3rd, 2021 Holy Saturday. However, as soon as he mentioned the subject of the resurrection of the dead, it unleashed hilarity: some made fun of him while others said: “We must hear you on this topic some other time" (Acts 17:32). Wait. by Blessed Meditations from desktop or your mobile device The tomb has been sealed, the guards stand watch, the disciples likely hide in confusion, fear, and devastation. Holy Saturday is the day when God remains hidden, we read in an ancient homily: “What has happened? The urgency of a new life can be understood only by those who are no longer afraid of death because, with the eyes of faith, “he saw” the Risen One and cultivates in the heart the expectation that soon the day dawns and the morning star rises (2 P 1:19). He even says he received this "from the Lord." A Holy Saturday psalm. And they were so afraid that they said nothing to anyone” (v. 8). The work is done. Commentary on Genesis 1:1-2:2; Exodus 14:15-31,15:20,1; Isaiah 55:1-11 Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10. As Jesus died, He called out, “It is finished!”. Those of cruciform shape recall for the baptized the gift of life; they were invited to join the Master and to offer themselves to the brothers and sisters. I again say to you what I have already said: those who do these things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. This is the rite Paul refers to in the reading from the Letter to the Romans. ", Users who reposted Holy Saturday: A Meditative Commentary on Bishop Melito's "The Lord's Descent into the Underworld. This causes dizziness; it scares to the point that one is caught by anxiety, by fear of announcing the shocking message. He begins by presenting three women who, early in the morning, after buying the spices, go to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. Aware of the difficulty to make the paschal mystery understood and welcomed, Mark chose an original way to present it: unlike the other evangelists, he does not recount any appearance of the Risen. To be united with the Risen One’s fullness of life, he must first die to the “old man” in all his evil ways. From that taper, some with their candles, have timidly begun to tap the spark of light that they immediately offered to neighbors. Soon they came to feel the need to dedicate a special day to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, a founding event of their faith. Holy Saturday is the delay; the space between injustice and vindication; the place where God’s people have been throughout their history; the occasion for singing those Psalms that cry out in anguish and question God and his promises. It is the last attempt of people to rebel against their fate, to go beyond the limits of the time imposed by nature. The young man dressed in white entrusted the task of announcing one’s own faith experience not only to women but to every true believer. But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy and peace, patience, understanding of others, kindness and fidelity, gentleness and self-control" (Gal 5:19-23). Some Christians recognize Holy Saturday, the seventh day of Holy Week, as the day on which Jesus “rested” from His work of providing salvation. For the Evangelist, this light is the sign of a new day, a prelude to the unexpected and shocking discovery of the empty tomb. It is one of those pictures where reproductions do not really prepare you for the real thing. “It is finished,” says Jesus, and rests. Now we understand Mark’s catechetical: the “Galilee” which the heavenly messenger refers to is every place where the Gospel is announced, where a community of believers leads a completely new life, where goods are shared and reconciled people live around the table on which the Eucharistic bread is broken. We began with the story of creation. These feasts, in fact, are based on historical events, on facts that everyone was able to verify and that they had Jesus, a Galilean, born at the time of Herod and executed during the reign of Tiberius, as a protagonist. Today Paul quotes another source in the tradition that was handed to him upon his conversion. Today I am hanging in the balance. She observes silence in order to learn from the Master, contemplating his bruised and battered body. They introduced the gesture of covering the neophytes with a white robe, a sign of the completely new and spotless life they commit themselves to living. They tried to put it into practice in their lives and gradually enriched the ritual with other symbolic and eloquent gestures. Holy Saturday: A Meditative Commentary on Bishop Melito's "The Lord's Descent into the Underworld. The women “came to the tomb just after sunrise” (v. 2). The vigil is divided into four parts: Service of Light, Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of Baptism, and. He was referring to his “immersion” in the waters of death, from which he would then resurface on Easter Day. Holy Saturday Holy Saturday is a relatively “quiet” liturgical day until the start of the vigil, but it does carry profound theological meaning. She was erroneously considered a sinner by tradition. Because this was ostensibly Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, Jesus’ family and friends stayed away from the tomb that day. “Every moment of our life is illuminated by the light of the Risen One.”. Tonight is a celebration of life. Women can’t do anything but resign themselves to the common destiny which ruled that the life of every person—even of the righteous—ends in a tomb. I have conquered the world." It is what cannot be made sense of, what we have lost and is now beyond our reach. And the Savior lies lifeless, having surrendered all to save his people from their sins. He calls them by name: they are Mary Magdalene, Mary of James, and Salome. The last page of his Gospel (Mk 16:9-20), in fact, although belonging to the sacred text, was not made by him, but is a later addition. Mark insists on such fear and ends his Gospel with a somewhat enigmatic annotation: the women “went out and fled from the tomb for terror and amazement had seized them. The Apostles’ Creed says, “[He] was crucified, died, and was buried. Holy Saturday is the day of New Creation. Gestures full of meaning! Commentary on Genesis 1:1-2:2; Exodus 14:15-31,15:20,1; Isaiah 55:1-11 Romans 6:3-11; Matthew 28:1-10. The evangelists use these images to introduce the revelation of God, the message that the women—and with them, all of us—are invited to welcome: Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified One, is alive. Jesus cured her and she became a disciple. Holy Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath before Easter, and a day to be observed during Holy week. Commentary: New Testament, Vol. The Christian, as Paul explains, is called to follow the same path as the Master. But embalming a corpse is a pathetic gesture. Holy Saturday is the day the Church remembers the burial of Jesus, the finality and void before the surprise of Resurrection. We began with the story of creation. Holy Saturday is the day when God remains hidden, we read in an ancient homily: “What has happened? The Historical Situation: Passion (Palm) Sunday's Lector's Notes spoke of how the great Christological hymn, Philippians 2:6-11, predated Paul's conversion. The signs of its passage can be checked: the boulders of death removed, the joy that flowers love, reconciliation, and peace that spread. One of the most arresting images in Christian art in my opinion, this is the "Lamentation over the Dead Christ" by Andrea Mantegna. In the second part (vv. 8-11), Paul introduces a positive theme, the entrance into life: “If we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him.” We pass through death, but the ultimate destiny is life. They are the same ones who, on Calvary “watched from a distance” while Jesus was crucified (Mk 15:40-41). From the historical point of view, their silence is unlikely, but, from the theological point of view, it has a deep meaning. ... Holy Saturday is the day of the tomb, and today, … Isaiah 54, Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary was written by the Thomas Coke, one of the founders of the Methodist Church in the United States. DO NOT LOOK FOR THE LIVING AMONG THE DEAD. What distinguishes the Christian from other people is not a heroic moral life. . 1, 160) ... HOLY SATURDAY Study Notes for the Christian Layperson by: Rev. Paul succeeded to captivate the admiration of educated listeners. Image: "Christ in Limbo" by Fra Angelico at the Museo Nazionale di San Marco, Florence (Wikimedia Commons). When you start this passage, put yourself in the place of God. . The shape of these tanks was also acquiring symbolic meanings. However, as soon as he mentioned the subject of the resurrection of the dead, it unleashed hilarity: some made fun of him while others said: “, He begins by presenting three women who, early in the morning, after buying the spices, go to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. Commentaries on Holy Week | Holy Saturday Today is a day of silence in the Church. “He is not here,” says the young man dressed in white. 34 THE HOLY SATURDAY EXPERIENCE brought to prayer, to community. Jesus is identified as the “Crucified.” When he walked along the streets of Palestine he was “the Nazarene”, “the rabbi”, “the son of David.” Now he is and will forever remain “the Crucified.” Calvary is the clearest manifestation of his love, the culminating moment, the symbol of his life entirely given. At the beginning of the Easter Vigil, the candle—a symbol of the light of the risen Christ that illuminates every night (the night of sorrow, remorse, sin and its tragic consequences)—made its solemn entry into the church, where, the assembly of believers “wrapped in darkness” awaited it in silence. What the Romans had called the “day of the sun” became the “Lord’s day,” in Latin: He exhorts them with a rhetorical question: One day, Jesus, too, used the image of baptism: In the Letter to the Galatians, Paul explains this passage from death to life with a dramatic contrast between the “works of the flesh” and “the fruit of the Spirit”: The first part of the passage focused on the negative aspect and on death to sin. As always, God intervened discreetly; no one has seen it. You're supremely confident, but you're talking to Moses, whose credulity has been getting more and more strained. LCA Worship Resources, Holy Saturday, includes liturgy, hymn suggestions, notes on the readings, visuals, drama, "Talking with Children," etc. Stream Holy Saturday: A Meditative Commentary on Bishop Melito's "The Lord's Descent into the Underworld." Share: Facebook. On Christmas Eve, the feast of the Holy Family, and Good Friday, it is challenging but not particularly difficult to prepare a homily. Thus, what the Passover considered “the Sunday of Sundays,” “the feast of feasts,” the queen of all festivals, of all Sundays, of all the days of the year, was born. The Risen One is not to be found at the place of death. Celebrating the Word of God Celebrating the Word of God 18 March 2021 Hits: 385. Prayer to Our Lady of Solitude holy vigils.” Though the new order for the Vigil Service is shorter than in past year, the recent modifications and simplifications have made the meaning of this holy night shine forth more clearly. She was instead a woman with serious psychological problems. Amidst songs of joy, the community welcomed these new children, reborn into divine life from the water and the Spirit. DAILY GOSPEL COMMENTARY: "I HAVE CONQUERED THE WORLD" (Jn 16:29-33). What the Romans had called the “day of the sun” became the “Lord’s day,” in Latin: dies Dominica. The world expects from Christians a moral life consistent with the Gospel. Third Reading, Exodus 14:15-15:1 Proclaiming It: This passage begins rather abruptly, but its context was set for us Holy Thursday.Refresh yourself by re-reading that night's Exodus selection, if necessary. What no one was able to do, the Lord did, annihilating the power of death. You need to enable JavaScript to use SoundCloud, "The Lord's Descent into the Underworld." Noble gestures of love are also made by non-believers who, without realizing it, are moved by the Spirit of Christ. He writes for those who have not personally met Jesus of Nazareth. I simply want to ponder the traditional interpretation that Christ went to the place of the dead to preach the gospel to Old Testament saints that he might set them free for the full experience of heaven. Holy Sepulchre, Holy Saturday. The first person to meet the light of the Risen One immediately communicates to others the gift he received.
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