11th April 2020
Holy Saturday
For today’s Gospel reading click the link below
Mass Readings
“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15: 21-25
Holy Saturday is marked by profound silence. Holy Saturday (in Latin Sabbatum Sanctum), “the day of the Entombed Christ”, is the Lord’s day of rest, for on that day Christ’s body lay in his tomb. We recall the Apostles’ Creed which says “he descended to the dead”. Ideally, Holy Saturday should be the quietest day of the year (although this is not so easy in our busy world or household as it might be in a convent or monastery).
It is a day of suspense between two worlds, that of darkness, sin and death, and that of the Resurrection and the restoration of the Light of World.
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 the Spirit of Joy which overflows.
During the Easter Vigil, the Church reads the account of creation as a prophecy. In the resurrection, we see the most sublime fulfillment of what this text describes as the beginning of all things. God says once again: “Let there be light!” the resurrection of Jesus is an eruption of light. Death is conquered, the tomb is thrown open. The Risen One himself is Light, the Light of the world.
Waiting for the great event of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians persevere with Mary in praying and meditating.
Nightfall on Holy Saturday is a time for joy and greatest expectation because of the beautiful Liturgy of the Easter Vigil, often referred to as the mother of all vigils, or the great service of light.
The Easter Vigil was restored to the liturgy in 1955, during the Liturgical Reform which preceded Vatican Council II. During the day, preparation at home which must be made for Easter day are appropriate, because they keep our attention fixed on the holiness and the importance of the most central feast of the Church.
This holy night is the most solemn memorial, in the entire year, of the central mystery of our redemption: Christ’s saving death and glorious resurrection.
With gratitude and joy we should take part in it to the best of our ability. It may be presumed that reception of Holy Communion will constitute our most intimate sharing in the feast.
The vigil has four parts:
1) The Service of Light
2) The Liturgy of the Word
3) The Liturgy of Baptism
4) The Liturgy of the Eucharist
At the heart of the night, the Paschal candle, the symbol of Jesus Christ in glory, is lit from the new fire. Jesus Christ, the light of humanity, dispels the darkness of heart and mind and illuminates every human being who comes into the World. All the faithful gathered join in procession back to the main sanctuary.
The Priest carries the Paschal candle, lifting it three different times and chanting: “Christ our Light”. The people respond by singing: “Thanks be to God”. All people in the Church light their candles from the Paschal candle and then they process into the sanctuary.
The Service of Light
Blessing of the Fire
In a suitable place outside the church, “a blazing fire” is to be prepared so that the people may gather around it and experience the flames dispelling the darkness and lighting up the night. Thus do the beauty of the fire, its warmth and its light, draw the liturgical assembly together. Once the people reach the flame the celebrant priest blesses the fire with these words:
“…sanctify this new fire… that… we may be so inflamed with heavenly desires…”
The passage from death to life is signified first of all by the change from darkness to light. In their march toward the Promised Land, the Hebrews were led by a luminous cloud.
Christ rose at the moment when dawn was beginning to dissipate night’s darkness. The Paschal Vigil, leading to baptism or the renewal of our baptismal commitment, begins with a liturgy centering around fire.
Paschal Candle
The Easter candle represents our risen Lord shining in the light and splendour of his resurrection. He is the new “pillar of fire” leading redeemed Israel out of the bondage of sin into the promised land of heaven.
Preparation of the Candle
An outline of the Cross, together with the first and last letters of the alphabet and the numerals of the current year, is inscribed on the candle to teach us that the risen Christ, the Lord of all ages, should shine in our lives during this current year of grace.
Christ yesterday and today
the Beginning and the End
the Alpha
and the Omega
All time belongs to him
and all the ages
To him be glory and power
through every age forever. Amen.
By his holy and glorious wounds
may Christ the Lord guard us and protect us. Amen.
Lighting and Distribution
“Christ our light; Thanks be to God” at the fire, at the church door, at the sanctuary.
Good Friday – Behold the wood of the Cross
Way of the Cross – Christ falls 3 times under the weight of our sin.
In contrast the Risen Lord now emphasizes New Life in him having conquered sin and death.
EXSULTET
The proclamation of the history of salvation by God for His people. This song, praising the risen Christ, is one of the finest jewels in the Church’s treasury. This poetic text captures the whole Easter mystery placed within the context of the economy of salvation (Through one man Adam, sin and death entered the world. Through one man Jesus Christ new life and salvation entered the world).
(Rom 5:12-21)
Then, the Exsultet is sung by the deacon or cantor. It is a hymn of praise to God for the light of the Paschal candle from 4th century, from the time of Saint Ambrose. It is a beautiful song of light and glory:
The Easter Vigil affirms that Christ is truly Risen and death has no power over Him. By his death he has conquered evil forever and has given to all humans the very life of God.
The Liturgy of the Word
One of the unique aspects of the Easter Vigil is the recounting of the outstanding deeds of the history of salvation.
These deeds are related in 7 readings from the Old Testament chosen from the law and the prophets and 2 readings from the New Testament, namely from the apostles and from the Gospels.
Thus, the Lord beginning with Moses and all the prophets (Luke 24:27-45) meets us once again on our journey and, opening up our minds and hearts, prepares us to share in the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the cup.
The faithful are encouraged to meditate on these readings by the singing of a responsorial psalm, followed by a silent pause and then by the celebrant’s prayer.
The Scripture readings selected for the Solemn Vigil recall for us how God saved his people throughout history and in the fullness of time, sent his own Son to be our Redeemer.
From the ancient time, the Easter Vigil was also the celebration for adult converts to be baptized and enter the Church. The catechumens received the Sacrament of Baptism and all faithful renewed their baptismal promises.
The Liturgy of Baptism
Blessing of Water
The Priest blesses the baptismal font which is filled with water which will then be used for the Baptism Rite
The blessing of the baptismal water is a sign of purification and of baptism. Water that has been ceremonially blessed is a sacramental.
Salt is added during the blessing to represent a spiritual symbol of wisdom which preserves our faith.
It leads up to the actual administration of baptism, followed by the renewal of baptismal vows by the baptised faithful, who resolve to live with Christ.
After the renewal of baptismal vows Holy Water is sprinkled as a reminder of our own baptism.
The third part of the Easter Vigil centers around the mystery of baptism – by which the Light of Christ was first given to us. Through holy baptism we died to sin to rise with Christ, going down into the font in death in order to come up cleansed from sin and alive unto God.
The reading of the lessons showed this transformation by recounting Old Testament events which foreshadowed it; in the Litany of the Saints we call upon those into whose company baptism admits us.
During this prayer, we join with the Communion of Saints and the Community of the faithful to pray for those who are about to be baptized.
The Litany of Saints can be accompanied by a procession with the priest carrying the paschal candle leading the elect. This symbolizes the Old Testament people who left the slavery of Egypt for the Promised Land being led by the pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. It symbolizes the New Testament people leaving the slavery of sin and death and passing into new life following the Light of Christ.
By baptism each of us has entered the great Easter mystery: Christ’s death to sin and rising to a new life became our death and new life. By assisting at the baptism of new members of Christ’s family, we realize anew how great is the gift of our own re-birth, and we welcome the new members as our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The Celebration of Baptism
1. Water
The water which brought death during the great flood of Noah’s day now brings new life to the baptized.
2. Chrism
Being anointed with the Oil of Chrism brings us into a threefold role as Christians which is Priest, Prophet, King so that the newly baptized may live as a members of the Body of Christ sharing everlasting life.
3. White Garment
It signifies that the newly baptised has become a new creation and clothed in the dignity of Christ.
4. Baptism Candle
Reminds us of our Baptism into the death and resurrection of Christ experienced when we went down into the Waters of Baptism and rose up to new life and now walk the earth as the Light of Christ.
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
“And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.”
Matthew 28:20
Reflection
We don’t contemplate being dead. With death, life ends. Breathing stops, and in an instant, the life of this person has ended.
Death is our ultimate fear. This fear is responsible for so much of all that we chase in this material life. It comes to nothing at the end. It’s one thing to push your potential to the highest but another thing to be obsessed about achievements and possessions. It comes to nought. We will all die.
In Life the only certainty is death. The day, time or hour no one knows. To contemplate Jesus’ body in that tomb, is to look our death in the face.
This is the story of our salvation – how God prepared to rescue us from the power of sin and death. The God who created us, who led a chosen people out of slavery, raised Jesus from death. We can rejoice that death has no final victory over us. We can celebrate our faith that we have been baptized into the death of Jesus, so that we might be baptized into his life.
As we behold the body of Jesus in the tomb today, and as we contemplate the mystery of our death, we realize that in death life has not ended but changed and changed for the better. The only thing that matters then is our spiritual life. If we have everything but don’t have a relationship with God than we have nothing at the time of death.
“The only thing that matters then is our spiritual life.”
Our reflection on this holy Saturday, and our anticipation of celebrating the gift of life tonight and tomorrow, can bring immense peace and joy, powerful freedom and vitality to our lives.
Only if we have the spiritual life (relationship with God) then death holds no true power over us. We can walk each day in the grace being offered us, Pandemic or no pandemic! – Go in peace glorifying the Lord by your life.