Is Holy Saturday merely a breathing-space between intensely emotional Good Friday highlighting the murderous degeneracy of our human nature — and the Resurrection joy of Easter Sunday?

No. Holy Saturday has a unique message of its own.

* * *

Holy Saturday is a day to spend, if possible, in recollection and silence in the presence of Our Lord’s lifeless body in the tomb.

A day to remember that Christ’s willingness to die, and the way he died, was a victory in itself — even before he rose victoriously from the grave.

A spiritual victory:

 *  remember how, amidst the worst that the devil and his greedy, power-crazed human servants could do — he had forgiven.

 *  Our Lord forgave his executioners — also his cowardly denier, Saint Peter.  

 *  he would willingly have forgiven his betrayer — but Judas was already dead.

 *  although surrounded by so much evil, Jesus had still thought of others — especially his mother.

* * *

From the gospels:

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him . . . and Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.”

When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold thy son.”  Then he said to the disciple, “Behold thy mother.”

* * *

 O good and gentle Jesus, you gave yourself to us as a ransom for our redemption . . . .

 Grant that we, unworthy though we be, may come to resemble you in your grace, your forgiveness and your love.