Holy Saturday – Easter Vigil

Gospel – Mark 16:1-7

Waiting and Hoping

Roadside Tomb, Galilee

Jesus’ Tomb, Church of Holy Sepulchre

Today is Holy Saturday, one day after Jesus’ crucifixion and death on Good Friday and one day before Easter Sunday, Jesus’ Resurrection. 

We are caught in this awkward in-between time.  Between the sorrow and pain of Good Friday and the sheer joy and happiness of Easter Sunday!  And yet, if you think about it, that is exactly what life is about – moments of pain and sorrow and moments of happiness and joy.  And if you really reflect on it, you would realize that most of our entire life is Holy Saturday moments, not Good Fridays or Easter Sundays! Yes there are days of pain and days of happiness.  But most of our days are perfectly normal, average days, days not full of intense emotion, days spent in-between sorrow and joy, days spent in waiting or anticipation.   Of course, even our ‘normal’ days can be filled with anxiety and fear, worry and stress.  So, as Christians, let’s just take a moment to remember all that has happened during Holy Week, all that we believe in as Christians!

One of Jesus’ hand-picked Apostles betrayed and sold Him out – and yet Sunday is still coming

3 of His Apostles couldn’t even stay awake and ran away when the guards came, and yet Sunday is coming.

Jesus is arrested, convicted of blasphemy, and put in a jail cell, and yet Sunday is coming.

He was condemned, whipped, jeered at and crowned with thorns, and Sunday is still coming

He was forced to carry his own cross, nailed to it and hung there for hours, and Sunday is still coming.

He died on that cross and was buried in secret in a borrowed tomb, and yet Sunday is coming.

Good Friday brought us sadness and grief but tomorrow Easter Sunday brings us joy and salvation!  We are all in this in-between time as Christians.  But even in moments of sadness, and worry and stress, we still have FAITH!  We still have HOPE!

That is why we gather on Holy Saturday – to celebrate, to re-affirm our faith in God, our love for Jesus who sacrificed Himself for us on the cross and rose from the dead, and our hope of joining Him in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The tomb is empty!  But our hearts are full, filled with faith and hope in the Risen Lord!  Alleluia

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