Easter Saturday

The seventh day of the gladdest of weeks has risen upon us, bringing with it the memory of the Creator's rest, after the six days of creation. It also reminds us of that other rest, which this same God took in the tomb; like a warrior, who, when sure of the victory, calmly reposes before the final combat with the enemy. Our Jesus slept His rest in the sepulchre, after permitting death to vanquish Him: but when He awoke by His Resurrection, what a victory over the tyrant! Let us, today, visit this Holy Sepulchre and venerate it: it will speak to us of Him we love, and make or love the warmer. Here, we shall say to ourselves, here rested our dear Master, after He had died for us! Here was the scene of the glorious victory, when He arose again, and this, to, for us!

We think about this sepulchre today and every day, and the prayers for today sum it up for us.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre--Jerusalem


The CAPITULA:

O Christ, the Son of God, thou rest of our souls, Who didst observe the repose of the Sabbath by resting in the tomb, that thou, Who on this day didst heretofore rest from all the work of thy creation, mightest also on the same rest in the sepulchre; hereby truly keeping holy that day, whose evening is the beginning of our first day of the Sabbath, which is likewise the eighth day; that thou, Who commanded light to shine forth out of darkness, mightest, by thy Resurrection, appear in the flesh: so direct the course of our lives in the path of all holiness, that in these seven days of the world's duration, on each of which the Lamb is slain and the Pasch is celebrated for us, we may live in such wise as to secure our salvation, and may daily be found worthy to celebrate the true Pasch, pure from the leaven of malice: that thus, by a holiness pleasing to thee, we may so rest on this day from all our works, that we may deserve to receive the glory of the Resurrection, on the eighth, that is, the eternal day.


I also found in the propers of this day another hymn concerning the Holy Sepulchre, comparing it to the Virginal womb of our Blessed Mother:

Be glad, my soul, and sing the wonders of the glorious sepulchre, whence came thy Christ, as, heretofore, from the womb of His Virgin Mother. Thus was it foretold by the truthful prophets.

He was conceived in the pure womb of a Virgin Mother; so, too, He was buried in a tomb, wherein no other man had been placed; from both He comes the glorious Jesus, as Infant first, and then as man.

The Mother, after long ages of hope, brings Him forth created in mortal Flesh; the tomb, though none had hoped it, restores Him clad in immortality: Mary wrapped Him in swathing-bands; the sepulchre held Him in the winding-wheet.

He is born, for the world's salvation, from the womb of His Mother; He rises from the tomb, after our salvation has been wrought: the Mother nursed Him for the Cross; the tomb, for glory.

O thrice holy sanctuary! beautified with the Blood of the Lamb of God! let earth, and sea, and heaven, venerate thee. How strange to call that a sepulchre, whence life was born!

Glory and honour be, for ever, to the most high God! To the Father, Son, and Holy Paraclete, one praise and power, for everlasting ages. Amen.



And, lastly, let us turn to the Blessed Mother, for this is her day. Let us congratulate her upon the Resurrection of her divine Son, in the words of this devout sequence, taken from the ancient missals of the churches of Germany:

Give praise, O Mother, to thy risen Jesus, Who reigns triumphant over the prince of death. Cease thy mourning:for Jesus, the fruit of thy womb, is restored to life, and visits thee.

His death was thy cross; His Passion, the sword that cruelly pierced thy Heart: but now, sing a hymn of joy, and be glad, because of His Resurrection.

He was crucified; but now He is risen from the tomb, and has taken thee to His heavenly court: pray to Him for us, we beseech thee, that we may rise from our sins to everlasting joy. Amen.