Saturday, April 19

Holy Saturday

Vigil of Easter: 8:30 pm

Rom. 6:3-11; John 20:1-18

From a sermon by St. Epiphanias of Salamis:

Something strange is happening - there is great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.

The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh, and has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began.

God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear. God has gone in search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep.

Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, God has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, He who is both God and the son of Eve.

The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of Him Adam, the first man God had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: "My Lord be with you all." Christ answered him: "And with your spirit."

He took him by the hand and raised him up saying: "Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light."

• Visit someone. Take them some hot cross buns for their Easter feast.
• Bring a votive candle in a canning jar to church to take home the new fire of Easter.