On Holy Saturday the earth waits in stillness
for the Resurrection of the Lord.
Every time Catholics say the creed, they note
that Jesus "descended into hell." Holy Saturday is the day that
commemorates this event.
1. On earth, Jesus' disciples mourned his death
and, since it was a sabbath day, they rested.
Luke notes that the women returned home
"and prepared spices and ointments. On the sabbath they rested according
to the commandment" (Luke 23:56). At the tomb, the guards that had been stationed
there kept watch over the place to make sure that the disciples did not steal
Jesus' body.
2. What happened to Jesus while he was dead?
According to the Catechism of the Catholic
Church: Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went
down, “hell” - Sheol in Hebrew or Hades in Greek - because those who are there
are deprived of the vision of God.
Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the
damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just who had gone
before him. The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to
complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission,
a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the
spread of Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for
all who are saved have been made sharers in the redemption.
3. How do we commemorate this day?
According to the main document governing the
celebrations connected with Easter, Paschales Solemnitatis:
Meditate on his passion and death, and on his descent into hell, and awaiting
his resurrection with prayer and fasting.
It is highly recommended that on this day the
Office of Readings and Morning Prayer be celebrated with the participation of
the people (cf. n. 40).
Where this cannot be done, there should be some
celebration of the Word of God, or some act of devotion suited to the mystery
celebrated this day.
Fasting is also encouraged, but not required, on
this day.
4. Are the sacraments celebrated?
On this day the Church abstains strictly from
the celebration of the sacrifice of the Mass. Holy Communion may only be given
in the form of Viaticum.
The celebration of marriages is forbidden, as
also the celebration of other sacraments, except those of Penance and the
Anointing of the Sick.
5. What is the Easter Vigil?
A vigil is the liturgical commemoration of a
notable feast, held on the evening preceding the feast.
From the very outset the Church has celebrated
that annual Pasch, which is the solemnity of solemnities, above all by means of
a night vigil. The resurrection of Christ is the foundation of our faith and
hope, and through Baptism and Confirmation we are inserted into the Paschal
Mystery of Christ, dying, buried, and raised with him, and with him we shall
also reign.
The full meaning of Vigil is a waiting for the
coming of the Lord.
6. When should Easter Vigil be celebrated?
Paschales Solemnitatis explains: "The
entire celebration of the Easter Vigil takes place at night. It should not
begin before nightfall; it should end before daybreak on Sunday."
7. What happens at the Easter Vigil?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis:
81. The order for the Easter Vigil is arranged
so that the Holy Church meditates on the wonderful works which the Lord God
wrought for his people from the earliest times
8. What happens during the service of light?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis: In so far
as possible, a suitable place should be prepared outside the church for the
blessing of the new fire, whose flames should be such that they genuinely
dispel the darkness and light up the night – and be of sufficiently large size
so that it may evoke the truth that Christ is the light of the world.
9. What happens during the Easter Proclamation?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis: The deacon
makes the Easter Proclamation which tells, by means of a great poetic text, the
whole Easter mystery placed in the context of the economy of salvation.
10. What happens during the Scripture readings?
According to Paschales Solemnitatis: The
readings from Sacred Scripture constitute the second part of the Vigil. They
give an account of the outstanding deeds of the history of salvation, which the
faithful are helped to meditate calmly upon by the singing of the responsorial
psalm, by a silent pause and by the celebrant's prayer.
ADAPTED: Dr. Sven Ljungholm
Easter Sunday: Dr. John Sullivan
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