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"For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison."

- 1 Peter 3:18-19

For our sake Christ was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again in accordance with the scriptures;

he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of ther Father.

- Nicene Creed

 

Holy Saturday is often felt to be a "lull" time in the Easter weekend, a quiet time of waiting and watching in between the mournful penitance of Good Friday and jubilant celebrations of Easter Sunday. Yet scripture, creeds, and tradition tell of this day as a day of triumphal activity! This is the day that Christ descended to the dead in order to preach to the spirits in prison. His victory over sin, death, and the devil took place on the cross; on Saturday, the day after the battle, he went to complete his victory by liberating humanity from the bondage of death.

An ancient homily, preserved in the Daily Office (the cycle of readings designated for each day of the year), pictures and dramatizes Christ's activity on Holy Saturday. It is a powerful reflection on the meaning of Christ's victory, filled with scriptural allusions and paradoxes. May it enrich your devotional life this year.

Pastor Kristian

 

Christ's Descent into Hell

from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday, author unknown

What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.

Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and Adam's son.

The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: ‘My Lord be with you all.’ And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And also with you.’ And grasping Adam’s hand he raises him up, saying:

‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.

‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.

‘I command you: Awake, sleeper; I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.

‘For you, I your God became your son. For you, I the Master took on your form, that of slave. For you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth. For you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead. For you, who left a garden, I was handed over from a garden and crucified in a garden.

‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own image.

‘See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one.

‘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 healed the pain of your side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked the sword which was turned against you.

‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.’

The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages.

 

Almighty, ever-living God, whose Only-begotten Son descended to the realm of the dead, and rose from there to glory, grant that your faithful people, who were buried with him in baptism, may, by his resurrection, obtain eternal life. Through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.