Holy Saturday
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Savior of the World died a cruel death upon the Cross. His broken body was laid in the tomb. His disciples scattered and were fearful that they would be next. But our Blessed Mother kept vigil in the perfect hope that her Son would soon rise.
Traditionally, Saturdays within the Church year are dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This ancient tradition developed in part due to the belief that, as others were filled with fear and confusion, Mother Mary kept vigil on Holy Saturday in prayerful anticipation of Jesus’ resurrection. She knew her Son would rise. She had hope beyond hope. Her faith was certain. Her love kept her vigilant as she awaited the return of her Son.
For many centuries, it has been suggested that the first person to whom Jesus appeared after His Resurrection was His own mother. Pope Saint John Paul II believed this. Saint Ignatius of Loyola believed it. And many others throughout the centuries shared this belief.
For these reasons, Holy Saturday is an ideal day to ponder the pondering heart of our Blessed Mother. There are several times in Sacred Scripture where we are told that Mother Mary pondered the mysteries of her Son’s life in her heart. She was one of the few who stood by Him in His agony and death. She stood before the Cross and prayerfully pondered His perfect sacrifice. The Blessed Mother held His dead body in her arms and pondered where His spirit had gone. And today she keeps vigil, pondering His imminent return to her.
Ponder her pondering heart. Try to unite your own heart with hers. Try to understand what she was thinking and hoping. Try to feel what she felt this sorrowful day. Try to experience her faith, her trust and her joyful expectation.
So many people in this world walk in despair and confusion. So many have lost hope in the new life that awaits them. So many have their own form of interior death without allowing God to draw them into His Resurrection. So many people today need the hope that was so alive in the heart of our Blessed Mother that first Holy Saturday.
Ponder the reality of Holy Saturday in silence this day and allow the glorious heart of our Blessed Mother to inspire you and draw you more deeply into her life of faith, hope and love.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
EMPTY
“He is not here.” —Luke 24:6
I am sitting in my parish church on Holy Saturday morning, awaiting the recitation of Morning Prayer. The tabernacle is empty, with its doors wide open. The altar is likewise empty and stripped. No Easter flowers are visible; the statues are covered over. The sanctuary candle is not lit.
I know in my heart and mind that this evening, the Church will be beautifully decorated for the glorious Easter Vigil. Yet this morning’s emptiness is an essential component of the Triduum.
This morning we experience starkly the first half of the Easter proclamation by the angel in the Garden: “He is not here” (Lk 24:6). However, we have not yet experienced the second part of that proclamation, “He has been raised up” (Lk 24:6).
This morning we experience the emptiness before the glory. In a way, our life on earth can be compared to Holy Saturday morning. We are not yet with Jesus in eternity. We are waiting in vigil. We know by faith that eternal life is awaiting us, yet Jesus no longer walks on this earth as a man. And so, in emptiness, we wait for His fullness.
Let this morning’s emptiness be a rich part of your day today. Be emptied of this world’s desires (1 Jn 2:15-16). Be emptied of the desire for mammon, the things of this world (Mt 6:24). Be empty, so Jesus can give you life “to the full” (Jn 10:10).
Prayer: Father, soon Jesus’ tomb will be empty and we will rejoice with exultation. Until tonight, I will embrace in hope the emptiness of a day without Your Son’s Eucharistic presence, rather than running to the empty pleasures of this world.
Promise: (none)
Praise: (none)
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
The silence of Holy Saturday will end in the triumph of Easter. The dying Jesus and his descent to the dead marks the beginning of a new history for us. In all of the Gospel accounts, mention is made of the huge stone rolled away from across the entrance of Jesus’ tomb. The Resurrection of Jesus is the declaration of victory over all the terrible powers that hoped to entomb God’s goodness. In Jesus’ victory, that stone is effortlessly rolled away. The Resurrection is the unique message which is at the centre of Christianity. The Good News is that the dark cloud that has brooded over our lives, turning us in on ourselves and outward in violence, has passed over. With Paul, we can declare: "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
Prayers
Dearest Mother Mary, on that first Holy Saturday, you kept vigil for your Son. You allowed the divine gift of hope to grow within you, and you allowed that hope to be your strength in the midst of the horror of the Cross. Pray for me that I may ponder your beautiful heart this day so that I, too, may be filled with hope as I endure the challenges of this earthly life. Give me a heart of joyful anticipation as I await the grace of new life our Lord so deeply desires to bestow upon me. Mother Mary, pray for me. Jesus, I do trust in You.
Lord Jesus, you died that I might live forever in your kingdom of peace and righteousness. Strengthen my faith that I may I know the power of your resurrection and live in the hope of seeing you face to face for ever.
Click on the link below for 9 Days of the Divine Mercy Novena
https://theblessedpeace.blogspot.com/2020/04/nine-days-divine-mercy-novena.html
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