The Gospel of Mark is silent on this day. He says nothing about the sabbath day. Jesus is dead. Buried in the pit of a tomb. In one aspect, what is there to say? What words would be appropriate for such a deep sadness and loss of hope?
In some Christian traditions, Saturday is the day where Jesus descends into the depths of hell to lead out those within. It is a beautiful image that reminds us that no matter how far we are from God, whether by choice or not, God wants no part of our separation. God wants to be near to us.
For those of us who don’t know what to do on Holy Saturday, perhaps we can light a candle. Say a prayer. Mourn for those who have lost loved ones. Mourn for the losses we have faced. Mourn for the hopelessness of what this day means. There are times in our lives when God feels as good as dead. Today is one of those days. Though we know that God is merely working on yet another miracle of life, on Holy Saturday, we are unaware of the blessings to come. And that is okay. We don’t always have to know what God is up to…but we do know that God is always up to something. And that something is good…it is for us all…it is full of life.
Let us shed our tears and pray:
O God
On this Holy Saturday,
We don’t know what to do.
We don’t know what to say.
We have lost our footing and we can’t find a place to land our deepest yearnings and hopes.
Our Lord is gone.
The sting of death still hurts.
So we humbly ask
That you sit with us.
Carry us through our tears and our fears.
Hold us in the silence of the pain
When it becomes too loud to bear.
May we light a candle to hope
In the hopelessness
That death brings.
It stings.
It hurts.
It is suffocating.
But we know,
Because of who He was
That you’ve got us.
You’ve got us.
Amen.
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