On Holy Saturday

1Today we celebrate a funeral feast for our Saviour. He is below among the dead, loosening the bonds of death, filling Hades with light, and waking those who have fallen asleep, while we dance above the earth, imagining the resurrection. We do not fear that decay will prevail over incorruption, for the prophet says, “You will not let your holy one see decay” (Psalm 16:10). Perhaps the Jews and the Greeks laugh at our wisdom: the Jews because they wait for another Christ, the Greeks because they have shut up their hopes in tombs. Of them the prophet rightly says, “Their tombs are their houses forever” (Psalm 49:11). But those who laugh will groan—later they will groan when they see the one they pierced and insulted. As for us, let us mix the passion with pleasure as we weep.

Death seized the master Christ, but it will not keep life with itself. It swallowed without knowing, but it will vomit out many along with him. Christ is held willingly now; after this day he will strip Hades and rise. Yesterday, when he was crucified, he darkened the sun, and night came in the middle of the day. Today death is undone, having received a strange corpse. Yesterday creation mourned when it saw the madness of the Jews and put on darkness as a garment of grief. Today the people sitting in darkness have seen a great light (Isaiah 9:2).

2Yesterday the earth was shaken and was deliberating about flight, threatening to split apart for its inhabitants. The mountains were being struck, and the rocks were being split. The temple was naked, just as a living being having torn its garment, showing through what it suffered that the holy things had been profaned. The lifeless things perceived the outrage, but those who dared it had unfeeling souls. The elements were indignant; they almost abandoned their order and worked confusion upon everything, had they not perceived the will of the Creator—that he was not being insulted unwillingly.

O strange and paradoxical events! The one who by a word stretched out the heaven is stretched out on wood. The one who bound the sea with sand is wrapped in bonds. The one who gave the springs of honey is given gall to drink. The one who crowned the earth with flowers is crowned with thorns. The one who struck Egypt with the ten plagues and covered the head of Pharaoh with the waters is struck on the head with a reed. The face that the cherubim cannot bear to look upon is spat upon.

And while suffering these things, he prayed for those who were crucifying him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). He conquers evil with goodness. He speaks in defense of those who killed Christ, saving them. He dissolves the charge by attributing it to ignorance. He is not angry at becoming the plaything of their drunken violence. He accepts the drunkenness and in love for humanity calls them to repentance.

Why say more? Having gained nothing from his goodness, they shut in a tomb the one whom nothing that exists can contain. They place seals, guarding our salvation for us, and fearing the resurrection they set soldiers as guards at the tomb. Who has ever seen a corpse under guard?

3Or rather, who has ever seen a corpse being warred against? Who has heard of an end being disputed, striking fear into those who accomplished it? Who has not taken his enemy's soul? Who has not ended the hatred, satisfied with the death of the hostile one? Why do you fear the one you have destroyed, O Jew? Why are you afraid of the one you killed? Why do you tremble at the one who has departed? Why do you dread the one you put to death? Why are you in anguish over the one you crucified? You have security from the slaughter. Take courage: if the dead man is a mere man, he does not rise. If he is a mere man, you did well to set up the cross. If he is a mere man, he does not speak truly when he says, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it" (John 2:19). If he is a mere man, he is held by death. If he is a mere man, why do you seal the tomb, you fool? Wait for the third day and you will see the proof of your own madness. Cease your meddling and you will behold the outcome of events. Cease redeeming according to the truth. Cease warring against God and wounding yourself by the war. Cease insulting the sun of righteousness and thinking you can quench those rays. Cease striving to dam up the spring of life. Cease troubling the rulers and discussing the guard. Cease buying falsehood and stirring up the soldiers.

4Do not labour to no profit. Do not spend what is yours on impiety. Do not imagine victory against God. Do not pay soldiers to say one thing instead of another. Do not make the crowd sleep beside the tomb. Do not trust in weapons. Resurrection is not hindered by weapons, is not blocked by seals, is not barred by soldiers, is not stolen with money. But do you not believe? Did you not see Lazarus long ago shaking off death as if it were sleep? Did you see how the dead man obeyed the command and the binding did not hinder him? Did you see how he walked with his grave-cloths still on when he heard "Come out" (John 11:43)? Did you see how the voice fitted together the one dissolved by death? The one who had power for those things will have power for these things too. The one who raised the servant will himself rise far more. The one who gave life to the rotting man will not leave himself dead. But the blindness of the Jews is great, and seeing the wonders they do not see. They have eyes but do not see, ears have they and do not hear (Isaiah 6:9-10). For the god of this age has blinded their hearts so that the gospel of righteousness may not shine upon them (2 Corinthians 4:4). But let us leave them for now in unbelief, and let us say with the women around Mary, shaping for ourselves in thought the tomb of the Saviour: "They have taken away our Lord and we do not know what they have done with him" (John 20:2). To him be glory with the undefiled Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.