Holy Saturday is the quietest of all the days in Holy Week. On this day, the hopes of Jesus’ followers were waiting silently in the tomb. There was no triumphant ride on a gentle donkey, no palms waving, no busy preparation of the meal, no breaking of bread, no more crowds yelling, “Crucify Him!” and no more unfathomable violence. Jerusalem was a city with its breath held…in anticipation that God would deliver. The disciples longed to see if their Savior, sealed behind a stone, would rise.
Is modern Portland at all like ancient Jerusalem? Are we willing to enter into the silence? Are we hoping that our faith will be awakened soon to the miracle of Jesus’ rising? Are we working at opening our minds and hearts to the joy that awaits us? Will we fill this day with busy and loud things, or be content to pray that our hopes may lie silent in the tomb, too? Can we begin to imagine the awe and amazement that the Lord will offer us, in abundance, on Easter Sunday?
Let us pray. “Lord God, on the Sabbath, Jesus rested. He was in the grave. He had finished His work. To most people’s eyes, it looked as if it were all over. He was dead and buried, but only as a seed dies when it is planted in the earth, not to decay, but to rise to new life. Teach us to take refuge in you when we are afraid or restless. Teach us that death is not our end. Teach us to hope always in you and in the Resurrection, the making of all things new. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
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An enlightening talk from Mark Hart on the importance of Holy Saturday: https://youtu.be/Jci_Z34eCdM
