Read today’s reflection by Patty Mayer, Director of Adult Faith Formation at Our Lady’s:
On Holy Thursday we walk through the Last Supper, Jesus shares so many beautiful words with his disciples and then bends down and washes their feet, knowing that the events of the next few days will test their faith. We end the evening Jesus praying in the garden.
On Friday there is a lot of noise and activity as Jesus is condemned to death and carries his cross, then the earth quakes, the veil is torn, and He dies crying out “It is finished.” We end the day in silence.
Saturday is silent.
Jesus is in the tomb.
Mary grieves for her Son.
Peter grieves his denial and the death of his Lord.
The disciples grieve their own weaknesses and the death of their Master.
Witnesses to his crucifixion sit in silence trying to comprehend what they experienced – “was this truly the Son of God?”
Followers of Jesus silently pondering what’s next.
Does anyone really understand what will come? Or do they believe this was the end?
All is silent.
When we read the creed we know that in this silence something amazing is happening that no living person was even aware of.
“Even if everything seems to be silent. Christ is at work. In fact, according to ancient tradition, on this day, Jesus descended into the realm of the dead to save man and take him along with Him to heaven, where He precedes us and where He awaits us with open arms.
In the realm of the dead. Jesus meets Adam, the first man who here symbolizes the whole of humanity, shakes him out if his slumber and proclaims His salvation from which no one is excluded. In fact, Jesus creates a bridge between the tomb and the Kingdom of God. He carries the infallible weapon of the cross because with death he conquers death”
~(The Silence of Holy Saturday with Mary, Vatican News April 20, 2019)
As dusk falls we enter the darkness of Saturday evening, the eve of the new day. It is only then that we gather for the Easter Vigil. We begin in silence and darkness, the light of Christ symbolized in a simple flame. We listen to the stories of creation, Moses, Israelites and the Red Sea, we hear from the prophets. The light of Christ bursts through the darkness as we exuberantly exclaim Glory to God! This is the night we welcome in newly baptized adults to join us in living lives dedicated to Jesus!
Without the silence of Saturday, we may miss the absolute praise and glory of the resurrection! Darkness is overcome by light, silence is filled with singing and rejoicing! The void has been filled!
When we know the end of the story it’s easy to forget the pain, the sorrow, the despair of Mary and the disciples while Jesus laid in the tomb.
Many of you know I went through a divorce six years ago. As I journeyed through that first year after my divorce was final I entered into a time of emotional darkness. One day my Spiritual Director asked me to tell her about the darkness. As I intentionally explored the darkness I came to realize I knew I was not alone, and I was not afraid. She asked me to use my senses to explore the darkness.
As we walked through this exercise I found myself sitting against a wall that I could lean back against – I was supported. The floor felt like dirt, firm but not hard – I was grounded. As my eyes adjusted to the lack of light I noticed I was in a small intimate space with rock walls. There was a stone bench beside me. On the bench someone was quietly laying, I wasn’t alone. Jesus turned His head to look at me and said, “We can go whenever you are ready, all in your time.” I stayed in that darkness, knowing that when I was ready I would be able to step out, but in the darkness and in the silence much healing was happening inside of me.
Over the weeks that followed the stone slowly moved away and Jesus and I walked out together. Every year since then I imagine myself back in that tomb, sitting with Jesus, knowing that there is work to be done in my heart as I sit with Jesus in the silence of Saturday.
Each year I meet with our elect on the morning of Holy Saturday. We have brunch and a time of reflection and conversation about the journey they have been on. There is great sharing about our faith journeys and how each of us have ended up where we are today. There is a brief walk through of the events of the evening. Then I encourage them to hold the quiet of the day. To break from normal routines and busyness, to find stillness before they return in a few hours for the Easter Vigil where they will enter into the waters of Baptism and emerge from the waters a new creation in Christ.
Once the building is quiet again, I sit in the silent empty church filled with hope. I know the rest of the story and place my trust in it. What about those who don’t know who Jesus is? What about those who lose their faith? What about those who give up on Jesus because they think He gave up on them? What about those whose faith became lukewarm? I pray for all of them. I pray for you. I pray for those who will be baptized. I pray that each of us come to know Jesus in a way that when He feels far away we can trust in the silence of Saturday – Jesus is here with us making things happen we don’t even know about. Trust Jesus in the silence.
How will you spend today? Will you sit with Jesus in the tomb? Will you enter into silence and contemplate all that Jesus did for you?