Holy Saturday
Saturday is a Solemn Day. BEFORE THE DAWN and Celebration of tomorrow must come the darkness and desperation of Saturday.
READING
Read and pray through the burial of Jesus
“62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.”
Matthew 27:62-66 ESV
“Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.”
Luke 23:56 ESV
REFLECTION
Imagine the inner turmoil and angst that the disciples must have been experiencing on this day. The unsuredness and fear even that they would be next to be crucified. Today as we look to close out the Lenten season and embrace the heart of the disciples today, let us treat it as a day of mourning, solemnity, contemplation, and silence. Hell roared loud on Friday, The celebrations of the heavens shouted on Sunday, but today…SATURDAY…was silent.
RESPONSE
Recommendations: Turn off electronics, limit activities, and imagine a day without Jesus. Experience the deep grief of the disciples who thought Jesus was gone forever and didn’t yet understand the prophecy.
Finish your Lenten fasting strong, or if you did no fasting prior to today, make today a special fast commemorating the suffering that disciples must have been enduring in this day without Jesus.
Things you might consider doing today other than electronics….large-portion of scripture reading, creative works, presence focus, pilgrimage, and book-sharing. If it helps let your social media connections know you will be silent for a day or just simply unplug. If the disciples can endure without Jesus for a day, your family, friends, and followers will be just fine as well.