Holy Saturday in the Christian Year commemorates the Sabbath Rest Day of all Sabbaths, in which Jesus Christ – God-Become-Man – rested in the Tomb of Death for our sakes.
Ancient Christian understanding of this day emphasizes what is called the ‘Harrowing of Hell’: That Jesus descended into Death to preach and bring his salvation to all who had died before him [such as the Old Testament figures of old, and those who perished in the Flood of Noah’s time], and to drag them back out of Death to Life in his Resurrection, destroying Death from the inside out.
This is typified by the beautiful icon of The Resurrection in which Jesus is reaching his hand down to Adam to raise him up again from his Fall in Eden at the very beginning of all things.
Many historically-rooted liturgical churches (including Anglicans, and my own parish of Saint Francis in Stockton) usher in the celebration of Easter Resurrection with the Great Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening; if you have never attended this service, you are in for a treat, as it is a quite unique undertaking and much ‘audience participation’ is encouraged!
The Vigil begins outdoors, where the Paschal Fire is kindled and the Paschal Candle lit. The faithful process in candlelight around the church proclaiming ‘The Light of Christ – Thanks Be to God’ as we model Jesus’ light of eternal life entering the darkness of sin in us and our world.
We then proceed into the church to sing the Exsultet, a 5th-century hymn extolling the virtues of The Resurrection.
From there, we read and hear from Scripture and Psalmody of all of the major Old Testament events leading to this great and ultimate event of God’s rescuing of his world.
As this concludes, the candlelit darkness of the church is fully lit-up as we officially enter the Easter season with the singing of the Great Easter Acclamation (‘Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen indeed, Alleluia!) and the biblical hymn of the angelic host, ‘Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to his people on Earth…’
The Easter Homily of Saint Chrysostom (the ‘golden-tongued’ 4th-century Archbishop of Constantinople) is read as we proceed into the Easter Eucharist, which invites its listeners to stomp on Death and enthusiastically respond to the glorious truth that Death has forever been EMBITTERED.
Our Baptismal Vows are renewed together with the sprinkling of Holy Water around the church (and the people!) to remind us that we all have been buried with Christ in his death, dying to our own sin, and raised again with him to new, eternal life.
Baptisms can-and-do take place during the Vigil as well! Here is one of ours from the Vigil of 2023:
The Vigil culminates finally in the celebration of Easter Holy Communion, in-which we share in Christ our Paschal (Passover) Lamb at the eternal feast of Heaven.
Don’t miss it!
Luke Childs 