Holy Saturday
On Holy Saturday the Church waits at the Lord's tomb, meditating on his suffering and death. The altar is left bare, and the sacrifice of the Mass is not celebrated. Only after the solemn vigil during the night, held in anticipation of the resurrection, does the Easter celebration begin, with a spirit of joy that overflows into the following period of fifty days.
Holy Saturday is sacred as the day of the Lord's rest; it has been called the "Second Sabbath" after creation. The day is and should be the calmest and quietest day of the entire Church year, a day broken by no liturgical function. Christ lies in the grave, the Church sits near and mourns.
After the great battle, He is resting in peace, but upon Him, we see the scars of intense suffering....Jesus' enemies are still furious, attempting to obliterate the very memory of the Lord by lies and slander.
Mary and the disciples are grief-stricken, while the Church must mournfully admit that too many of her children return home from Calvary cold and hard of heart. When Mother Church reflects upon all of this, it seems as if the wounds of her dearly Beloved were again beginning to bleed.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, as she waits near the Lord's tomb, as she is represented in Christian tradition, is an icon of the Virgin Church keeping vigil at the tomb of her Spouse while awaiting the celebration of his resurrection. There are no liturgies celebrated this day, unless the local parish priest blesses the food baskets.
It is during the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday that the Easter Vigil is celebrated.
Come join us at 11:00 am for the "Blessing of the Easter Food" and at 8:00 pm for the Easter Vigil.