HOLY SATURDAY

Easter Vigil

Suddenly Jesus met them.”Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. – Mathew 28:9

       My mom came home for a vacation last holiday season. It was the best holiday ever! Many of our relatives from abroad also came back to the country to celebrate with us. We had parties, overnights, camping trips and several reunions. Indeed, it was the most wonderful time of the year.

       But after a few days, my mom was bidding us farewell and on her way back to UAE, where she works. It was time to say goodbye soon. We wanted to make her feel special by giving her gifts as remembrances of her time with us. We even hosted a fun despedida party, which many friends and relatives attended.

       This made me think about how Jesus, before His coming death, bid farewell to His disciples. Jesus walking with the crown of thorns towards His crucifixion was not exactly a despedida  party. It was such an unceremonious ending to a very meaningful visit of this special Man, the Messiah.

       This Holy Saturday, let us prepare ourselves to celebrate His return. Like Mary and Mary Magdalene, let us clasp His feet and worship Him for He has risen! Erika Mendoza (epaulmendoza@gmail.com)

Reflection: “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5)

Lord, thank You for visiting us and changing our lives forever. Blessed Luchesio and Buonadonna, pray for us.

In this very ordered and structured account of Creation that comes from what the scholars have called the Priestly Source, it is emphasized that God is the creator of all things. There is no accident about Creation; it is not a random event — God had a goal in mind and He achieved it — namely the creation of man and woman in His own image and likeness. Here begins the Church’s reflection upon redemption, in the original goodness and blessing of creation that ultimately leads to our redemption. In and through Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection, the Church teaches us that redeemed humanity is better than that before the Fall.

Genesis 1:1—2:2 (or Genesis 22:1-18; Exodus 14:15—15:1; Isaiah 54:5-14; Isaiah 55:1- 11; Baruch 3: 9-15, 32—4:4; Ezekiel 36:16-28)

1 In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Thus evening came, and morning followed — the first day. 6 Then God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.” And so it happened: 7 God made the dome, and it separated the water above the dome from the water below it. 8 God called the dome “the sky.” Evening came, and morning followed — the second day. 9 Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear.” And so it happened: the water under the sky was gathered into its basin, and the dry land appeared. 10 God called the dry land “the earth,” and the basin of the water he called “the sea.” God saw how good it was. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it.” And so it happened: 12 the earth brought forth every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it. God saw how good it was. 13 Evening came, and morning followed — the third day. 14 Then God said: “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night. Let them mark the fixed times, the days and the years, 15 and serve as luminaries in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth.” And so it happened: 16 God made the two great lights, the greater one to govern the day, and the lesser one to govern the night; and he made the stars. 17 God set them in the dome of the sky, to shed light upon the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw how good it was. 19 Evening came, and morning followed — the fourth day. 20 Then God said, “Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky.” And so it happened: 21 God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw how good it was, 22 and God blessed them, saying, “Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth.” 23 Evening came, and morning followed — the fifth day. 24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds.” And so it happened: 25 God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. God saw how good it was. 26 Then God said: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground.” 27 God created man in his image; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, saying: “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.” 29 God also said: “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; 30 and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food.” And so it happened. 31 God looked at everything He had made, and He found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed — the sixth day. 2: 1 Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. 2 Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work He had been doing, He rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken.

Psalm 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23 (or Psalm 104 or Psalm 16; Exodus 15; Psalm 30; Isaiah 12; Psalm 19; Psalm 42 or Psalm 51)

R: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. 2 Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” (R) 16 The right hand of the Lord has struck with power; the right hand of the Lord is exalted. 17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. (R) 22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes. (R)

3 Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. 5 For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him, so that our sinful body might be done away with, that we might no longer be in slavery to sin. 7 For a dead person has been absolved from sin. 8 If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. 10 As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. 11 Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

When we gaze at the cross, we need to ask ourselves, “What happened when that Man died on the cross?” When we reflect upon the resurrection, we need to ask ourselves, “What happened when that Man rose from the dead?” If we can answer these two questions, we will be on our way to discovering God’s will for us. They will tell us what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and how we can live out this call daily. If we follow this, we will discover our path to holiness.

1 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. 3 His appearance was like lightning and his clothing was white as snow. 4 The guards were shaken with fear of him and became like dead men. 5 Then the angel said to the women in reply, “Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.” 8 Then they went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

think:  Celebrate during the Easter vigil the goodness of God.

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Leviticus 25-27

LOOKING FOR JESUS

There are no Masses or any liturgical gatherings in churches today. This is to remind us that during the first Holy Week, this day is properly “Black Saturday.” The Blessed Mother, the Eleven, and the women disciples — after burying Jesus in a borrowed tomb — could have spent this day in sorrow, in blank stares, lost in mixed emotions of pain, loss, anxiety, senselessness and suspended anticipation for what is to come. In a way, we, the disciples of today, are more blessed for we know that this day ends in victory, in the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection. In fact, many would spend this day, no longer in silence and sober solemnity, but in celebration. Some would go to the beaches to enjoy the cool and fresh waters. Others, like music ministers and sacristans, would be busy rehearsing for the Easter Vigil tonight.

       One thing binds us both. The story of Mary and the disciples in suspended anticipation, and the preoccupations now of contemporary Christians: all these underscore how the presence of Jesus alive is the essence of our lives. Our lives revolve around Jesus. Mary and the first community of believers were “looking for Jesus” in their grief and loss. On our part, we “look forward to Jesus” in our preparations to celebrate the liturgies of Easter.

       The Christian Creed, formulated by Fathers of both the Western (Roman Catholic) and the Eastern (Orthodox) Christians, makes us aware of another important reality of this day. Amidst the silence and loss that the first disciples had as they “looked for Jesus” in their sorrowing hearts, the fact is — Jesus, in His spirit, was alive! His body laid in the tomb, but His Spirit “descended to the dead” to visit all the souls who had died before He came for the mission of salvation. This day, as the living are “looking for Jesus,” Jesus has gone looking for all who have died. To them, He communicates the gift of salvation and He opens the entrance of the heavenly kingdom. His saving sacrifice on the Cross was the key needed to do all these. Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

REFLECTION QUESTION: What are your plans for today? As we anticipate Easter, and we confess today Jesus’ descent to the dead, take the time to intercede for family members, relatives and friends who have died within the year.

Today, Lord, let me lift up to You all my family members, relatives and friends who are still in purgatory, awaiting for their time to be admitted into Your Kingdom.