Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday follows Good Friday, the "anniversary" of the day we killed God. for many people this makes Holy Saturday a very sad day, the day when among that small band of discipleship everything seemed just a little darker. for us today we may think of this day as a dark day, but truly that is only because we could not see what was happening.

in the apostle's creed it states that he (Christ) descended into hades, then on the third day he rose. so on this holy Saturday we remember that Christ died and went down into hell and started Fucking shit up. (an apology to those of my readers who disprove of strong language, nothing but strong language would convey the event which takes place on this day). during holy Saturday Jesus won the war and reminded all those silly little fallen angels and Satan himself who was in charge of this world. He claims victory over death and the grave, he breaks the chains of sin, and takes back what was his from the beginning. and in the end wail he stands over the devil he first asks "is that all you've got?" then when there is no answer Jesus asks another question, "you had enough yet? you remember now why I'm God and you are not?"

So in celebration and in memory of that great victory which is remembered on this day, Holy Saturday, I give you St. John Chrysostom's Easter homily:

Let all pious men and all lovers of God rejoice in the splendor of this feast; let the wise servants blissfully enter into the joy of their Lord; let those who have borne the burden of Lent now receive their pay, and those who have toiled since the first hour, let them now receive their due reward; let any who came after the third hour be grateful to join in the feast, and those who may have come after the sixth, let them not be afraid of being too late; for the Lord is gracious and He receives the last even as the first. He gives rest to him who comes on the eleventh hour as well as to him who has toiled since the first: yes, He has pity on the last and He serves the first; He rewards the one and praises the effort.

Come you all: enter into the joy of your Lord. You the first and you the last, receive alike your reward; you rich and you poor, dance together; you sober and you weaklings, celebrate the day; you who have kept the fast and you who have not, rejoice today. The table is richly loaded: enjoy its royal banquet. The calf is a fatted one: let no one go away hungry. All of you enjoy the banquet of faith; all of you receive the riches of his goodness. Let no one grieve over his poverty, for the universal kingdom has been revealed; let no one weep over his sins, for pardon has shone from the grave; let no one fear death, for the death of our Saviour has set us free: He has destroyed it by enduring it, He has despoiled Hades by going down into its kingdom, He has angered it by allowing it to taste of his flesh.

When Isaias foresaw all this, he cried out: "O Hades, you have been angered by encountering Him in the nether world." Hades is angered because frustrated, it is angered because it has been mocked, it is angered because it has been destroyed, it is angered because it has been reduced to naught, it is angered because it is now captive. It seized a body, and, lo! it encountered heaven; it seized the visible, and was overcome by the invisible.

O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? Christ is risen and you are abolished. Christ is risen and the demons are cast down. Christ is risen and the angels rejoice. Christ is risen and life is freed. Christ is risen and the tomb is emptied of the dead: for Christ, being risen from the dead, has become the Leader and Reviver of those who had fallen asleep. To Him be glory and power for ever and ever. Amen.

Death is Dead! Love has Won! Christ has Concord and risen from the dead!