There's
no mass on Holy Saturday. Here's an ancient sermon on this day.
The
Lord's descent into the underworld!
Something
strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence
and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The
earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he
has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in
the flesh and hell trembles with fear.
He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly
desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has
gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the
son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won
him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck
his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.”
Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised
him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give
you light.”
I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and
for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in
bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are
sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be
held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead.
Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave
this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person
and we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the
Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended
to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I
became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who
left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a
garden.
See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I
once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to
refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the
scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See
my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your
hand to a tree.
I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise
and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My
sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has
sheathed the sword that was turned against you.
Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I
will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I
forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life
itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are
guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim
awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the
banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses
of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you
from all eternity.
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