Toward Easter - Daily Readings & Meditations for Lent 2025 - Day 46 / Holy Saturday

The sacred stillness of Holy Saturday holds a unique place in our spiritual journey - that profound pause between the Crucifixion and Resurrection, where we are invited to contemplate the mystery of Christ's rest in the tomb. Through ancient liturgical texts and thoughtful meditation, we explore this day not as empty waiting, but as fertile ground where the seed of Resurrection quietly germinates.

"Today I am plunged in anguish, but tomorrow I will break my bonds." This powerful antiphon sets the tone for our reflection on what appears as defeat but secretly harbors victory. We join Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus at the hasty burial of Jesus before walking through the profound symbolism of the Easter Vigil ceremonies—the blessing of new fire, the lighting of the Paschal candle representing Christ risen, and the gradual illumination of darkness as this light spreads throughout the congregation.

The beautiful paradox of Holy Saturday emerges as we contemplate both loss and anticipation. "The sleep of death will be of short duration, followed by a glorious triumph," reminds us that beneath apparent defeat, God's redemptive work continues unseen. We offer practical spiritual resolutions for the day: spending time in recollection with Mary, seeking confession, praying for catechumens awaiting baptism, and remembering souls in purgatory. If you're journeying with us through Lent toward Easter glory, join our community in prayer for those entering the Church tonight, and prepare your heart for the magnificent celebration of Resurrection that awaits us all tomorrow.

Chapters

• 0:00 Holy Saturday Introduction
• 4:07 Meditation on Hope and Christ's Rest
• 5:35 Thoughts from Saints and Resolutions
• 7:34 The Liturgy of Holy Saturday Explained
• 12:03 Blessing of Water and Baptismal Symbolism
• 17:57 Final Reflections and Prayer Requests

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:50

Sancte. Sancte Amare morti. Decadastros In tes per avert. Good morning everyone and welcome to Holy Saturday here. Tomorrow is Easter, but first we have to get through today. So I assume, if you're watching by now, that you've seen these before. So I'm not going to explain too much today. So we're going to get right into our reading and meditation here for Holy Saturday. So, without further ado, here we go. Holy Saturday Hope. Hope From the first antiphon for Vespers for today, which is Psalm 115, verses 1 and 6. Today I am plunged in anguish, but tomorrow I will break my bonds.

Speaker 1: 2:18

On Good Friday, the fall of evening marked the beginning of Sabbath rest. Under the eyes of the attentive holy women, two men hurriedly performed the basic rites of burial. These were Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. They did the best they could. Nicodemus bought the myrrh and aloes. Joseph the shroud, joseph's own tomb, carved out of the rock, was offered for receiving the body of Jesus hastily buried. Joseph had only the time to roll the large stone before the entry of the tomb and then he left. Henceforth.

Speaker 1: 2:58

A profound silence reigns over this tomb, which will hold its secret until Easter morning. Jesus is the grain of wheat thrown into the earth for the future harvest. The silence and the immobility of his body are fecund like the silence and immobility of the host in the tabernacle or in our hearts. Yes, the body of Jesus must not deceive us. The sleep of death will be of short duration, followed by a glorious triumph.

Speaker 1: 3:41

May this Saturday, day of transition between the anguish of Good Friday and the glory of the resurrection, be a day of recollection and prayer at the feet of the lifeless body of Jesus. Let us open wide our heart, let us purify it in his blood so that, renewed in charity and purity, our soul may contest the role with the new sepulcher in offering to our Lord a place of rest and peace. Let us think also of our dear departed Lord Jesus. Grant us the grace to be so inflamed with heavenly desires during these approaching feast days of Easter that we might one day come to the eternal feast of heaven, where we will rejoice unendingly in thy vision, the source of our happiness for eternity. And now, as a prayer, we make an act of hope in the name of the father and the son and the holy ghost amen, my god. I hope with firm confidence thou wilt give to me, by the merits of jesus christ, thy grace in this world and, if I observe thy commandments, eternal happiness in the other.

Speaker 1: 4:56

Our first thought of the day is from St Teresa of the Child Jesus. Our first thought of the day is from St Teresa of the Child Jesus. We can never have too much confidence in our good God, who is so powerful and merciful. We obtain from him as much as we hope. And our second thought is from St Padre Pio, reborn by baptism. Let us correspond to the grace of our vocation. Let us imitate the Immaculate, for she is our mother.

Speaker 1: 5:47

We have four resolutions today. The first to pass the day in recollection in company with the Blessed Virgin, even if we have to work in order to prepare ourselves to renew the promises of our baptism in the best state of mind. Number two to go to confession, if we have not already. 3. To pray for the catechumens who are going to receive baptism. 4. To pray for the solace in the delivery of the souls in purgatory. Okay, we also have a reading here on the liturgy for Holy Saturday, so let me bring that up.

Speaker 1: 6:47

Holy Saturday Explain to the children that Holy Saturday is the most silent day of the year. The divine body of Jesus rests in the tomb. The church is deprived of her spouse, she can only express her mourning. There is no Mass today. There is only the divine office where sadness and hope are mingled. The soul of Jesus is in limbo, where it brings joy to the souls of the just who have been awaiting the promise to Savior since original sin. In a few hours it will return to the sepulcher to be once more united to this body which it left three days before in the anguish of agony. The evening will bring the faithful back to the sanctuary to celebrate Easter night. It is good for children who are old enough to accompany their parents. If the prayers and ceremonies are well explained ahead of time, then they will be inspiring for the children.

Speaker 1: 7:46

The office of the vigil prepares us for the mass of Easter night. It has two parts the Easter message and the baptismal rebirth. The Easter message and the baptismal rebirth. The celebration begins with the blessing of the new fire. The priest lights the paschal candle from its flame. The candle represents Christ risen again. The five grains of incense which are fixed into the candle symbolize the five transfigured wounds of Jesus risen.

Speaker 1: 8:15

The triumphal entry of the paschal Candle into the darkened church is a striking moment in the ceremony. The procession halts three times on its path Each time the priest raises the Paschal Candle, singing Lumen Christi, the light of Christ, in a more and more powerful voice and on a higher note. On their knees, the faithful respond Deo gratias, thanks be to God. The clergy, then those in attendance, gradually light their taper with the fire of the paschal candle. The entire nave of the church is thus, little by little, illumined. This light which guides the people of God is Christ, prefigured by the column of fire which guided the Hebrews in the desert. When it has been brought to the middle of the sanctuary, the paschal candle is settled in its stand and the priest intones the chant of the exultant, which calls to mind the figures of the Old Testament foretelling this great day of resurrection.

Speaker 1: 9:21

Now that these figures have been realized, the priest exclaims Let the angelic choirs of heaven now rejoice, let the divine mysteries rejoice and let the trumpet of salvation sound. Forth the victory of so great a king. Let the earth also rejoice, enlightened with the brightness of salvation. Sound forth the victory of so great a king. Let the earth also rejoice, Enlightened with the brightness of the eternal king. Let it know that the darkness of the whole world is scattered. Let our mother, the church, also rejoice, adorned with the brightness of so great a light. This is the night in which, destroying the chains of death, christ arose victorious from the grave. For it availed us nothing to be born unless it had availed to be redeemed. O inestimable affection of love. To redeem a slave, thou didst deliver up thy son. O happy fault that merited to possess such and so great a redeemer. O truly blessed night which cleanses sin, restores innocence to the fallen and gladness to the sorrowful. Four readings from the Old Testament, commented by admirable prayers, call to mind the great designs of God in the work of our redemption and proclaim our rebirth in Christ.

Speaker 1: 10:34

The litany of the saints next precedes the blessing of the baptismal water. The rites which we are about to follow go back to the times of the apostles. It is the water of baptism that gives life. Let us be attentive to the ceremonies and follow the prayers that accompany these very expressive rituals. With his hand outstretched, the priest divides the water by tracing a cross in it. He shows by this sign that it is by virtue of the cross that the waters have acquired the power to regenerate souls. It is the blood of our Lord, with the power of the Holy Ghost that works in the soul through the water. Then the celebrant asks God to chase far from these waters the influence of evil spirits. Extending his hand over the water and touching it, the contact of this sacred hand operates by virtue of the priesthood that resides in him. He next blesses the water three times by making three times over at the sign of the cross. Then he calls to our mind the four rivers which fructified the earthly paradise, as he once again divides the water with his hand and sprinkles the four points of the compass, showing thus that the whole earth should receive the preaching of holy baptism.

Speaker 1: 11:51

At that moment, using a slightly simpler tone, he invokes on the water the fructifying action of the Holy Spirit, whose name means breath. He is the divine breath, that violent wind which was heard in the upper room on Pentecost. The priest expresses this divine character of the third person in breathing three times on the water in the form of a cross. He asks the Holy Spirit to bless this water himself, so that it might receive the power to purify souls. Next, taking the paschal candle three times, he dips the lower end of it in the font, more deeply each time, chanting each time in a higher tone. May the virtue of the Holy Ghost descend into all the water of this font. Of it in the font, more deeply each time, chanting each time in a higher tone. May the virtue of the Holy Ghost descend into all the water of this font.

Speaker 1: 12:38

This rite expresses the mystery of the baptism of Christ in the Jordan. The water receives on this day the power promised by the action of the two divine persons. Before removing the candle from the water, the priest once more leans over the font and breathes again on the water, no longer in the form of a cross, but in tracing the greek letter sigh, which is the first letter of the word spirit in greek. He does so in order to unite in a visible symbol the power of the holy ghost and the power of christ. Then he withdraws the candle from the water, saying here may the stains of all sins be washed out, that all who receive the sacrament of regeneration may be born again, new children of true innocence, through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who shall come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire, amen. At this point, a little of the water is set aside to be used for sprinkling those in attendance after the renewal of the baptismal promises. Next, the celebrant pours into the water, in the form of a cross, the oil of catechumens, then the holy chrism in the same way. Finally, taking the chrism in his right hand and the oil of catechumens in his left, he pours both of them at the same time and says, as he performs the sacred libation which expresses the overabundance of the baptismal grace, may this mixture of the chrism of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, be made in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen. Of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter be made in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.

Speaker 1: 14:18

If there are baptisms, they are performed at this time. The clergy goes in procession to the baptismal font to bring the water there and singing the canticle Secret Service. As the heart panteth after the fountains of water, so my soul panteth after thee, o God. My soul hath thirsted for the living God. Then they returned to the sanctuary for the renewal of the promises of baptism, during which all of the faithful hold their burning taper in their hand. At the end, the celebrant sprinkles them with holy water. While the choir takes up again the rest of the litany of the saints, the candle is placed on its stand on the gospel side, a symbol of Jesus risen again. It will be lit at every Mass until Ascension Day. The altar candles are then lit while the celebrant and his ministers return to the sacristy to vest in the white vestments of the mass and thus ends the season of lent. And there we are.

Speaker 1: 15:31

That was a rather long reading there in the liturgy, so I do not have much to add other than I hope you have a blessed Holy Saturday today. Let's just go back over our resolutions real quick. So we remember those. So we remember those. So resolutions for today are to pass the day in recollection with the company of the Blessed Virgin, to go to confession, if we haven't already. To pray for the catechumens who are going to receive baptism and to pray for the solace and the delivery of the souls in purgatory.

Speaker 1: 16:14

So if you are, if any of you who watch or listen to this on YouTube or Rumble or audio podcast, if any of you are a catechumen and are going to be brought into the church tonight, one, we're all praying for you to be brought into the church tonight.

Speaker 1: 16:30

One, we're all praying for you. Two, let us know in the comments on YouTube or Rumble or on audio podcasts. In the description there should be a link where you can text us a message. It won't give us your phone number, so don't worry, it's anonymous. But if you're a catechumen who's coming to the church tonight, let us know so we can pray for you by name. But if you are someone coming into the church, congratulations, and we are so happy to have you and we'll be praying for you. But for everyone else, thank you for joining me on this 46-day journey through Lent. We are going to continue these through the Easter octave, but if you're listening to this today, then we made it through Lent. So I hope everyone has had a blessed Lent and let's all spend the day in silence and recollection and preparation for Easter tomorrow. So thank you all so much. I hope you have a blessed Holy Saturday and I'll see you all again tomorrow on Easter Sunday. Thank you.