Saturday of Glory
Holy Saturday or Holy Saturday is celebrated on the Saturday of the week in which the first full moon of spring falls. It is also called the third day of the Easter Triduum, which ends with Easter Sunday and Holy Week. This day commemorates the laying of Jesus in the tomb and his descent into hell. To better understand the rites celebrated on this day, it is important to know more about the rites of christianity and saints of santeria. You can also delve deeper into the meaning of holiness in this context.
Liturgies of Holy Saturday
This day commemorates the death of Jesus, his descent into hell, and his subsequent ascent to Paradise in the Catholic religion around the world. Among them are the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Church of England, each of which has its own way of performing its liturgy or celebrating its masses.
Catholic Church
For Catholics, this day is a day of mourning, sadness, and pain, during which silence is required and no Eucharist or Mass is celebrated. It is also a day of celebration of the Solitude of Mary, since the body of her son is taken to the tomb and she has remained in the company of the Apostle John, who has welcomed her into his home. Churches display images of Christ crucified or in the tomb in their aisles, where the allegory of his descent into hell is made, which is what is called the mystery of Holy Saturday. This day is fundamental to understanding the and is also related to the women of the Bible who were present at the moments of the Passion.
The Eucharist is not celebrated, just as it is not celebrated on Good Friday. On that day, no other services are performed in the church, nor are any sacraments administered, except for the Anointing of the Sick and penance. The church doors remain open, the lights are turned off, and priests administer the sacrament of confession. At night, an Easter Vigil is usually held, where the water and fire are blessed, recalling the importance of the sacrament. water in baptism.
It was called Holy Saturday until Pope Pius XII carried out the liturgical reform in 1955. On that day, the celebration of the Resurrection used to be held in the morning hours of Saturday, since a fast had to be done in preparation for the Sacramental Communion that begins at midnight. Because a fast used to be observed on Friday, extending it for another day seemed excessive. For this reason, Pope Pius XII, through the Decree Dominicae Resurrectionis of February 9, 1951, allowed the vigil to be held on Saturday night and to be like a day of waiting for the celebration of the resurrection of the Lord that corresponds to the following Sunday.
The blessing of the new fire
Once all the lights have been turned off, a brazier with a stone fire is lit outside the church. This brazier is prepared by the sacristan before the day's work begins. He must have the utensils on hand to take the embers and put them in the censer. This blessing is traditional in French Gaul, where it was customary to extract fire by striking a stone, which is the representation of Christ, or the cornerstone that, due to the blows received on the cross, covered us with the Holy Spirit, in a similar way to how it is spoken of in the Tabernacle of God.
It is called the new fire because it represents the Lord's coming resurrection, a divine light that has been extinguished for three days and appears at Christ's tomb on the day of the Resurrection. It is a new fire because Christ is emerging from his tomb. In the early centuries of Christianity, the ceremony was already known, and among the Romans, it was customary to light a lamp to illuminate the nights.
The blessing of the baptismal font
The priest blesses the water as a way to begin and remember the wonders God has accomplished through water. The water is then divided into four parts, like purified water, and drops from the four cardinal points are poured into it. In the baptismal font, the Paschal candle must be dipped three times. This candle represents the power of regeneration that the resurrected Jesus possessed, and through which we can participate in the Paschal Mystery, the process by which we die in sin and are resurrected again by the grace of God. This ritual is closely linked to those used during the sacrament.
A little of the oil of the catechumens and a little of the Holy Chrism are also placed on it. This water should be used to perform the sacrament of baptism throughout the year and is sprinkled on the faithful on Saturday night. After it is blessed, the entire procession returns singing the Litany of All Saints. When they reach the altar, the ministers should meditate on the death and burial of Jesus.
Orthodox Church
For this Church, it is called Great Saturday, and it is observed to commemorate Christ's repose in the tomb, his descent into hell, and his ascent to heaven. In the Orthodox Church, a liturgy is usually held in the Basilica of St. Basil the Great, where everyone remains silent and meditates while the Eucharist is celebrated.
Anglican church
In the Anglican Church, a ritual very similar to that of the Catholic Church is performed, but unlike the latter, the mantle used to cover the altar, instead of being white, is changed to black, as a sign of mourning for the death of Jesus Christ our Lord.
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