. The appearance of the Risen One to the disciples and the missionary mandate › Mark 16:9-15.

Posted on 10. April 2026 by Peter Prochac

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The Gospel of Mark concludes with some of the appearances of the Risen One. It recounts how he appeared to Mary Magdalene on Sunday morning, after Jesus had once cast out seven demons from her. She told the apostles about it, but they did not believe her. He then speaks of the appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus as they were traveling into the countryside. They returned and announced the event to the others, but they did not believe them either.

Finally, he presents himself to the apostles in appearance while they are sitting at the table. The Risen One reproaches them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, for not believing those who had seen him. The apostles recognized him and received from him the missionary command: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” The apostles believed and preached the Risen One. When the temple guards imprisoned Peter and John for preaching, both showed courage and eloquence, even though they were uneducated. Moreover, they were accompanied by a clear miracle. Proof of their courage is the healed man who had previously been lame. So the council released the apostles. 

After a meeting, they called them together again and forbade them to speak or teach anything in the name of Jesus. Even then, the two apostles showed fearlessness. They appealed to whom they should obey more: their men. For them, preaching the Risen One was much more important than fearing men. So the council had no reason to punish the apostles. They had to release them, because all the people also glorified God for healing the lame man. Psalm 118, a joyful song for salvation, enhances this celebration: “We give you thanks, Lord, God of mercy.”

Who should we listen to more—God or people? That is a question for us too. We are often tempted to prioritize ourselves and our reason over God, interpreting the Ten Commandments in our own way to avoid listening to Him. The example of the apostles should inspire us.

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The Miracle of Fishing

Posted on 9. April 2026 by Peter Prochac


Christ could have chosen his first disciples from any background. Yet, he chose fishermen, astonishing them at the beginning and end with miraculous catches. They understood his strangeness. They knew fish get tangled in nets at night, in the dark, not in the morning when the water is clear. Spreading and pulling in nets is not as easy as it might seem. It’s exhausting. Yet, it was all in vain until the catch was unexpectedly successful. This event clearly illustrates the problem of work and grace that theologians pose. On the one hand, we must work as if our efforts determine everything. But ending, Christ, on the other hand, God’s undeserved success is a gift of his grace, given according to his mysterious intentions. If this is true of all work, then it is especially evident in our efforts to win others to Christ and be fishers of men. Jesus appears to be telling us, “Strive, and I will reveal success to you when you least anticipate it.”

They could not draw the net because of the multitude of fish.
When we consider all that is being done in the Church—the work and money spent on promoting priestly and religious vocations, expanding Scripture reading, and increasing morality — we realize what priests often complain about. How much work is wasted! However, when we complain about this, we forget the other side of the same problem: how many good people in the Church deserve more attention! Unfortunately, we are too few; we cannot ‘pull out’ of those obligations. Occasionally, the question is naively asked: Are there more failures or successes in the life of the Church? This question cannot be answered because both failures and successes are part of the same whole. Christ’s success was achieved through the cross’s failure. The Church and all its works reflect this mystery throughout their existence.

Despite the large number of fish, the net did not break. In the technical world, everything has performance limits. For example, we know the maximum speed a car can reach, and the carrying capacity of a bridge is marked. Every person should know their limits, too. A hospital knows how many beds it has and how many patients it can treat. But how many people can a church accept? It is designed to save everyone. Some people often predict that Peter’s net will break during major changes in the world. They predict that the church won’t adapt to the new era and that many will leave it. However, our experience so far indicates that a large increase on one side immediately balances losses on the other side. Before his death, one militant atheist is said to have said: ‘Fear the Church!’ We will not be, and it will remain!” It’s a pity there was no one there to respond: ‘So do not be afraid to be caught in its net—you will be too.’

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Second Sunday of Easter—Divine Mercy Sunday Year A, John 20,19-31

Posted on 8. April 2026 by Peter Prochac

According to legend, when the German writer Heinrich Heine was dying on 17 February 1856, someone told him, in an attempt to comfort him, that God was merciful and would perhaps forgive his sins. Heine is said to have replied: ‘Of course he will; it’s his job.’ This is a cynical remark. This Protestant, liberal, and socialist was strongly armored against God’s grace, which truly wants to save everyone, even people like Heine and perhaps even those much worse than him. While Heine intended it as an ironic taunt against God, many of his followers have adopted it as their creed. They perceive God as a merciful craftsman who automatically approves of every human deed, no matter how reprehensible it may be. In contemporary secular circles, it is taken for granted that God is merely a mercy machine and has no right to do anything other than swallow every human evil and look nice and condescending while doing so. We often hear people in show business say that every deceased person is looking down on us from heaven. This distorted idea of God’s mercy, which is actually a reckless reliance on it, is often spread by many Christians. The clergy is also guilty of this. They believe that, in the race for secular popularity, it is necessary to catch at least the greasy, sticky hook hanging from the last carriage at the back. But that is not the solution. In this way, perhaps we can hold on for a while longer and please the pagans or secularised Christians who still have some awareness of ‘God’. However, to thinking people, such a concept of God is as ridiculous as a color-printed Santa Claus rocking an American child on his knee and asking what he would like for Christmas. God is not a senile fool whose job it is to forgive. He truly forgives, and he forgives often, but never automatically. He is alive, not a machine. As a living, supremely rational and free being, he makes decisions and can decide differently on the same matter. Because he loves people, he often rules in their favor and forgives them if they sincerely ask for forgiveness. It is unwise to take his love for granted, or to mock it. Love does not deserve to be abused or belittled. It is extremely important to us that God remembers our smallness and unreliability, and that he grants us forgiveness even after countless failures. However, he does not grant forgiveness so that we persist in failing, but so that we try with renewed strength and determination not to fail next time.

As we read in today’s Gospel on Mercy Sunday, the Lord Jesus empowers the apostles to forgive sins. He reminds us that while sins can be forgiven, they can also be unforgivable. This reflects what God can do: forgive, but also not forgive. He not only has the power to do so, but he also does so. He is too often willing to forgive, but he also has the option not to forgive. When does such an option come into play? God does not forgive when a person lacks the desire to be forgiven and does not ask for forgiveness. He does not forgive when a request for forgiveness is insincere, and there is no intention to change. God does not forgive when a person thinks they are entitled to forgiveness.

God can judge such cases; he sees into the human soul. However, he gives his Church the power to forgive or not to forgive. The priest in the confessional does not have God’s clairvoyance and cannot see into the human soul as clearly. Therefore, during confession, it is necessary to express regret and a desire to improve. You must also state the sin, how many grave sins, what kind, and the circumstances, as these can change how serious the act is. These circumstances can be mitigating or aggravating.

secularizedFortunately, God is extremely merciful, and, in his goodness, he gives people the gift of confession, an instrument of his mercy. In this way, he also shows that our salvation is in our hands. He has paid for it, and it is up to us whether we accept it. If we want to be saved, God is interested in our salvation. We have nothing to fear, and there is something to rejoice about. 

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Touch me and see for yourself! 

Posted on 7. April 2026 by Peter Prochac

By rising from the dead, Jesus showed that his body was destined for eternity. He is God in a material body. It was a body that the apostles could touch and eat with. This perfect God remains in a human body. However, it is not an ordinary body; it is a glorified body. Jesus passes through closed doors and appears to the apostles. His resurrection is not just a return to his former body; it is not merely a revival. It is not like the resurrection of Lazarus or Jairus’ daughter. It is something absolutely new. At the same time, however, the body remains material. This is where the value of our own bodies comes from. The same applies to everything material.

Everything that God created is good. We can see this in Jesus’ life. He healed the sick, raised the dead and helped people; he did not reject anything physical or material. He did not deny his humanity or his physicality. Christ took on human flesh. And God resurrected this flesh. Our flesh has a divine character. Jesus confirmed this with his resurrection. He does not escape his flesh; he remains in it forever. May this world discover the beauty and value of the human body and sexuality. The apostles understood this, too. So did Mary Magdalene, a former prostitute who prioritized the beauty and pleasure of her body.

She staked everything on her body, and in doing so lost everything. She lost her dignity, her sense of self-worth, and her beauty. It was only at the empty tomb that she understood this. She realised the value and beauty of Christ’s body. She also understood the value and beauty of her own body, and of every human body. Mary Magdalene realised that she had not valued her own body when she offered it to other men for their own satisfaction. The apostles understood this too. It was only at this moment, when they could touch it, that everything suddenly became clear. The intimate touch of two bodies helped them to discover the value and beauty of their own bodies, and of matter and sexuality. Touch Jesus’ body and wounds, and you will understand the value and beauty of your own body.

Go deep: Do you treat your body with respect? Do you recognize its divine value? Do you treat your girlfriend’s/boyfriend’s body with respect, rather than viewing it as a means of satisfying sexual lust? Do you pray for the gift of purity and strive to achieve it?

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Mary Magdalene and Jesus

Posted on 7. April 2026 by Peter Prochac

Today’s Gospel touched me. It invited us on a pilgrimage to an exceptional place. Together with Mary Magdalene, we made a pilgrimage to Jesus’s tomb. I must admit that I admire Mary Magdalene. Her heart was drawn to the tomb where Jesus had been taken from her. She could not forget what Jesus meant to her. I believe that, in addition to the love in her heart, she went there in pain, as evidenced by her tears. Why do I dwell on the pilgrimage to Jesus’s tomb? It is not a pleasant place.

Mary Magdalene did not find much hope in that place, and the apostle and evangelist John spent some time showing us the effect it had on her. She was consumed by her tears, pain, and sorrow, and did not notice the angels. She did not recognize the voice of her Lord behind her. She thought he was a gardener. I find this beautifully symbolic. How many times in our lives do we experience sadness? And we cannot see properly. This Gospel invites us on a journey of faith. Part of that journey is what happens when Jesus gently and tactfully pronounces Mary Magdalene’s name. ‘Mary!’ She hears her name as Jesus himself pronounced it. Then everything comes back to her. Suddenly, she realizes that Jesus is alive for her again. He has addressed her in an extremely personal way.

For me, this is an extremely rare moment of realization: how often in Scripture do we encounter God personally addressing a person? How little we believe that he could address us personally. We consider ourselves distant from God. Yet the opposite is true. This journey is intended to convince us that God wants to address us personally. He desires to personally address us and instill within us a renewed sense of faith and hope, despite the pain and sadness we may be experiencing in our lives. Let us acknowledge the pain and sadness that we have experienced over the last few years. How many of us have left churches because of the sadness brought about by the pandemic? How many of us still grapple with unanswered questions when we inquire about the reasons behind the current prevalence of wars? This sadness prevents us from believing. And yet Jesus endured all this to tell us: ‘Despite all this, I can overcome it and conquer it.’ The world needs this faith.

Please let God address us and give us the faith to bring to this world. Don’t talk to him about everything you hate, the hard things, or the things that are different from what you want. Let us be people who believe in Him. I was wonderfully surprised that the moment when Jesus and Mary recognize each other is so brief. The evangelist John doesn’t pause for breath before Mary Magdalene hears: ‘Don’t delay me! I must go to my Father.’ This reminds me of the moments in life when we feel as though we are holding God back. I believe her and sympathize with her desire to stay with Jesus and share his joy. But Jesus turns her eyes away when he tells her, ‘You know, I am traveling to my Father and your father. I would like you to travel with me.’ How many times in life do we allow ourselves to be stopped? Today, on the road, I found myself asking many times: ‘God, why is there traffic again? Why is the traffic light red again? Why do I have to take this detour when it’s harder? Why are these cars holding me back?” Then I asked myself: ‘And don’t you sometimes hold God back, too?’
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There are numerous great things that He desires to accomplish through you, yet you hinder His work! You want to cling to something you like. I remember opening the parish door some time ago to find a young mother standing there. She said she wanted her child baptized. I said, ‘Great! When will we do it?’ But she said, ‘I don’t want to baptize a child, I want to baptize myself.’ I paid closer attention and asked: ‘Can you tell me why you want to be baptized?’ Her answer has stuck in my memory: ‘You know, I’ve been watching the families in this parish very closely. I see how they live and how they raise their children. I really like it. I would like to have a family like that at home. I think it has something to do with the Lord God.’ At that moment, I was proud to have people in the parish who would not hinder this young mother’s journey to God. This is exactly what is needed. We must allow God to guide us to the heavenly Father.

In today’s Gospel, I was surprised by one more thing. Jesus does not stop, but tells Mary Magdalene, ‘Now you need to go to your brothers and sisters.’ They need to hear this.’ As Christians, we have a great privilege – we have been allowed to know God. I believe that we have experienced many beautiful things with God. Many people around us do not know this. Recently, I came across a sociological study from our environment and our country that says strange things. It says that although we are in an atheist country, two-thirds of people pray, even if they do not believe.

I once visited a mayor who declared himself an unbeliever and said, ‘Mr. Pastor, when difficult times come, I pray too.’ What surprised me more in that study was that one-third of people admitted that they knew Christians and had found the courage to talk to them about faith. But the other two-thirds never found the courage to do so. I thought: what an opportunity this is to be so open that someone could ask us about our faith! So that they could say: ‘Please, why do you believe?’ I need to know.’ Perhaps that’s what we owe to the world around us. Jesus asked Mary Magdalene for this openness. If I were to summarise today’s Gospel, I would say that we sometimes avoid places that seem difficult and don’t look for God there. Yet, in the most challenging of times, God wishes to be with us.

Like at the tomb with Mary Magdalene. Perhaps we are often happiest when life remains unchanged. When everything is settled and contented. Yet God invites us always to follow his Father so that we are not afraid to move forward. So that we don’t hold him back. Perhaps we are also ashamed to talk about our faith. We consider it a private matter and believe individuals should decide it. Yet so many people are waiting for us to hint at what we live by. We don’t need to use grand words; we can say, ‘You know, I feel this way.’ Sometimes, this is enough for our loved ones. I ask for the courage that Mary Magdalene had, for you and for me. I ask for the courage she had to allow herself to be drawn into by Jesus.

During Easter, we often hear about how Jesus wished for peace wherever he went. ‘Peace be with you.’ Today, I also ask you to bring peace to your families, workplaces, and schools. The world is in dire need of Christ’s peace. As his disciples, you must bring peace wherever you go. May God accompany you with his blessing. 

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What does it mean for us that the Lord rose from the dead? 

Posted on 6. April 2026 by Peter Prochac

Biblical text:
“For the love of Christ binds us together, because we judge this: that one died for all, therefore all died; and he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Reflection:
The Lord has risen from the dead! We have hope! We are filled with joy!
1. He is alive! We are certain that our sins have been forgiven.
We were heavily in debt, but our debt was canceled when it was nailed to the cross. Christ destroyed our debt note on the cross. It was full of our sins, transgressions, and moral failures. It was resolved there, on the cross. We are free. Christ was captured in the Garden of Gethsemane to free you from whatever holds you captive from selfish desires and egoistic motives. He set us free from everything that deforms our character.
2. The Lord is alive! He changes us internally.
The Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros painted a suggestive work entitled: Our Times. It depicts a man with his hands outstretched in front of him. However, this figure has an unhewn stone instead of a head. The figure is blind, cold, and helpless. His open arms and empty palms long to receive something. However, the stony face suggests that this man is unable to perceive the truth, the meaning of life, or the beauty around him. On Good Friday, the rocks cracked. On Easter Sunday, the stone was rolled away. In the presence of Christ, even the rocks move. He, the living Lord, can transform hearts and faces of stone. He demonstrates his power even when a person figuratively turns to stone.
3. The living Lord is with us and helps and heals our interior.
God is the “soul of our soul” and the “I of our I”, the “Heart of our heart.” He is closer to us than we are to ourselves. As a living Lord, He heals our insides, puts them in order, and gives us peace.
In 1915, a man in America bought a car. On the road between two cities, he suddenly had problems; the car wouldn’t go. The engine stalled. When he began to despair, another car appeared. The driver got out of the car and asked about the problems. He opened the hood, did something there, and finally said, “Now it’ll start!” The driver started it, and the car went. Then the miraculous repairman introduced himself to the driver: “I’m Henry Ford. I built this car myself, so I know what to do if something goes wrong.” Likewise, our God knows us well; He created us and heals us; He can “fix” us with His grace and forgiveness.
4. The Lord is alive! His word is alive and powerful among us.
One of Martin Rázus’s books has a beautiful title: The Legacy of the Dead. The content is wonderful. The message of past generations can certainly inspire us. However, the message of the dead may not be so powerful or inspiring. Jesus’s words are entirely different. It is the living word of the living Lord, speaking to you. To everyone, with different intensity. ‘God whispers in joy, speaks in problems, and shouts in our pain. ‘ (C. S. Lewis).
5. Even when our temporal life ends, the living Lord gives us a living and certain hope.
If He had not risen, our eternal home would be two meters underground. But Christ rose, and our home is in heaven. Even if our physical body is buried in the ground, one day He will raise us from the dead.
6. The living Lord brings life to the Church.
He rose and now cares for His Church. In the Lord’s Supper, Christ gives His body and blood so that we do not perish spiritually in this world of spiritual desolation. The Lord wants His Church to flourish. The apostle speaks of the result of this action: ‘But that we should not live for ourselves, but for Him who died for us and rose from the dead’ (2 Cor. 5:14–15). Amen.

Prayer:
Glory to You, Lord. As the holy angels gave glory to You, so may we also give glory and praise to You. And grant that we may give You glory forever.

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Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene. Joh 20,11-18

Posted on 6. April 2026 by Peter Prochac

Although the Slovak folk saying “After the war, every general is a general” is not very positive—it expresses criticism of those who did not put their hand to the work but know how to comment and criticize the actors—it nevertheless offers a reflection on the importance of looking back on a matter. After the war, we are best able to evaluate things, events, and decisions. Time thus plays in a person’s favor. It allows him to see things with perspective. A reasonable person uses this to penetrate events below the surface and understand them. Christ’s someone, Mary Magdalene, cries over the loss of her Master. The last “nail in the coffin” of pain is the loss of his body. The torture, crucifixion, and burial were not enough… someone also had to steal his body. She had nothing left to remind her of her Master. But Christ approaches her discreetly. Despite her sincere pain over the loss, she cannot recognize in the glorified Lord the one she is looking for. Who has changed? Christ or Mary’s view? Her gaze is still a gaze at the cross on which Christ dies; it is a gaze at the dead Christ, who is being taken down from the cross; it is a gaze into the tomb in which Christ’s dead body is being enclosed. Such a gaze cannot see the Risen Christ. Only Christ’s address to Mary by name opens her eyes to see the present. Jesus lives. His presence helps her to leave the world of memories and look at the present. Then follows, in her life as in the life of every disciple, a gaze into the past. The disciple makes the many moments spent with the Master present, but with a new gaze. Therefore, he can exclaim, “Rabboni!” and embrace the Master’s feet with joy and humility. We are invited to a life full of adventure that we did not dream of, did not plan, did not prepare for. It is a life that He has prepared for us. By addressing us from His side, we can look at this world with new eyes. A person redeemed by God and addressed by God is thus able to re-examine his life and then step into the new one that the Redeemer has prepared for him. After the war that the Master has fought for him, the disciple becomes his general

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Monday in the Octave of Easter Lk 24 13-35

Posted on 5. April 2026 by Peter Prochac

 They suddenly see that everything is different. They realize that Jesus was not defeated but conquered; that although he was dead, he is alive again; and that everything he said has impacted their lives. This is an amazing thing; this is true joy. But why is there this fear? They have touched on something that transcends us humans: something inexplicable, mysterious, and amazing. The moment they turn away, they encounter Jesus. It’s no longer about the empty tomb; it’s about a personal encounter with Christ. That is enough to make them joyful.
Jesus didn’t require an original quote for his tombstone, as the empty tomb itself conveys the message. The tomb is not the end but a transition. Its emptiness brings us joy and hope. This is the joy of Easter Sunday and the entire Easter season. In fact, we can say that Jesus did not need to roll away the stone because he is not dependent on matter. We needed the stone to be rolled away to know that he had risen. When he appeared to the apostles, he was not a ghost—it was really him.
Jesus didn’t need to create a unique quote for the tombstone; the empty tomb itself conveys the message. This fact—the tomb—is not the end but a transition. It remained empty, and this is a joy and a promise for us. This is the joy of Sunday and the whole of Easter. We can even say that Jesus did not need to roll away the stone; he is not dependent on matter. We needed to know that he had risen, and when he appeared to the apostles, he was not a ghost but really him.

Some wanted to keep Jesus’ resurrection a secret, but it could not be kept secret. Just as life in the form of a fragile dandelion breaks through asphalt, the truth will eventually manifest itself despite lies and fabrications. It occurs to me that what the leaders and soldiers invented was fake news of that time—a lie deliberately broadcast to the world. In many places, it took root, and people had no press, telephone, TV, internet, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Under these technical circumstances, it is easier and more dangerous to stumble upon something today. Remember that when someone questions our faith, our relationship with God, the Church, and the resurrection of Christ, they are questioning the most essential thing. St. Paul adds:

‘If Christ has been preached as having been raised, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is false, and our faith is false. We would be found to be false witnesses of God. We testified that God raised Christ, but if there is no resurrection of the dead, then God did not raise him. For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. If Christ has not been raised, then your faith is futile, you are still in your sins, and those who have fallen asleep in Christ are perishing. If we have hope in Christ only in this life, we are the most pitiable of all men. But Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep’ (1 Cor. 15:11). 12–20). 

If resurrection were not possible, then Jesus would not have risen. If he had died as an ordinary man, his death would have had no consequences for us. We would remain in sin, and there would be no hope. But Christ was resurrected in solidarity with others. Our sins were redeemed, and we have a chance. When we belong to Christ, we belong not to death and sin but to life. Whether in politics or in ordinary life—and even more so in matters of faith—let us not be complacent. Let us not fall for fake news. Let us search, think, and open ourselves to the truth. So many martyrs of the faith witness that truth: Jesus lives—with us and for us.g

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Easter Sunday, John 20:1-18

Posted on 3. April 2026 by Peter Prochac

In Christian churches, we sing joyful Alleluia again and feel elevated because Easter is here, bringing with it the event of the empty tomb of Jesus, who is alive and has set the whole world in motion before us.

We also find testimony to this event in today’s Gospel. Jesus has risen from the dead! The unprecedented event sparked considerable debate, and we can observe with the passage of time how the Jews, members of the chosen nation, reacted when they heard this news.

Some waved their hands and said: They have taken away his body, and now they are spreading the news that he has risen. He who is dead is dead, and that is all! However, some said, “Perhaps he was only half-dead, and when he got to the cold tomb, he woke up from the cold, and his disciples are now hiding him.” Others just shrugged their shoulders, because this event did not excite them in the least, and commented on it: If they took away his body, let them find it, show it, and the matter is settled. If he escaped from the tomb, then he is hiding somewhere and is recovering from his serious wounds. It will not be a problem to find him at all, because a seriously wounded man will not be able to run away, and he will be finished. But time passed, and neither Herod nor Pilate showed Jesus’ body; the soldiers did not find a place where he could recover from his serious wounds, and they did not find Jesus’ disciples hiding either. That was how it was in the beginning.

But everything changed on the day of Pentecost, when something was felt in the air, people were tense, and the time had come to resolve the incident with Jesus of Nazareth once and for all. Then something extraordinary happened. At a certain place in Jerusalem, there was a huge crowd of people surrounding a group of Jesus’ disciples, from which a strong, distinct voice rang out: “We are witnesses of all that Jesus did in the land of Judea and in Jerusalem.” But they hanged him on a tree and killed him. God raised him on the third day and granted him to be revealed – not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen in advance by God, to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he whom God has ordained to be judge of the living and the dead. To him, all the prophets testify that through his name, everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness for sins. Although they were from different nations, everyone understood this message. Here and there, some slipped away from the crowd and claimed that the apostles were drunk. However, those who continued to listen to Peter believed his words and were baptized.

Under such circumstances, the news of the empty tomb began to spread, dividing people into two groups: those who shrugged their shoulders and did not care, and those who continued to listen, which culminated in their baptism. And what about us? Do we want to stay? After all, how many temptations are around us! Will we be able to endure? Aren’t we tired of listening to what God says and does for his people? We too can leave, shrug our shoulders, but we will not do it, and the fact that we have come here today testifies that we take the news of the empty tomb of Jesus seriously, which, at the same time, we declare in our baptism.

The apostles met Jesus on a new level of life. These were great and profound encounters for them. Therefore, immediately after the Holy Spirit was sent, they began to talk about this great experience: “We are witnesses of everything that Jesus did…” Nothing could stop them. Neither prison, nor whipping, nor death. And although they had no temples, no religious orders, nor a press, they nevertheless turned the world of that time upside down.

Don’t we feel that we lack the fervor and enthusiasm of these witnesses? Nothing should threaten or stop our enthusiasm, which must persist as it did with Sister Vincentia. She was Chinese, a young and intelligent woman who joined the order during the nuns’ missionary work in China. However, the establishment of the Red government in China forced the missionaries to flee. The Americans solved the problem of transporting them to the USA. However, since Vincentia was Chinese, she had to stay at home and literally disappear. For many years, no one had any news of her. She wrote to her superior only in 1986, when the post office between the USA and China opened. She wrote: I have not seen a priest for over 30 years, I have not been to Holy Mass, and I have not received any sacrament.” The only thing that kept me going was what I learned from you. I secretly read the Holy Scriptures; I often renewed my holy vows, and later I managed to find three other nuns who had suffered the same fate, and together we recalled all the religious customs. And now, when I met a priest for the first time in a long time, I renewed my holy vows before the Church.

We ask what gave this religious sister strength?” It was love for Jesus! He was alive, glorified for her, and she accepted him. No agitator or threat could stop her enthusiasm. She lived with Christ. She was aware of the Apostle Paul’s prophetic words: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: For your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” But in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. And I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus sacrificed himself for our sins, and the heavenly Father accepted this sacrifice by raising him from the dead and by his ascension into heaven, showing that he truly accepts what was offered to him and, in Christ, accepts us as well.

The Easter ceremonies began with the blessing of the fire and the candle. The priest lit it, walked through the church, and sang: Christ, light of the world! The faithful then, with the help of assistance, lit their own candles from the Easter candle, thus expressing that the light of Jesus must spread throughout the world and to every place through the brave lives of the faithful, through their responsible work and noble behavior.

Let us also become spreaders of this light, not only during Easter, but throughout our entire lives!

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Explain and describe the rites of Holy Saturday

Posted on 3. April 2026 by Peter Prochac

Holy Saturday, the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, is a special moment in the Christian liturgical year, especially within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and some Anglican and Protestant traditions. The tone and specific rites differ by tradition, but the common thread is quiet reflection on Christ’s passion, death, and the anticipation of the Resurrection. Here is an overview of how Holy Saturday is observed in major Christian traditions and the key rites or practices associated with it.

Roman Catholic Church (Latin Rite)

General theme:
– Holy Saturday is a day of waiting, mourning, and preparation for the Easter Vigil. It commemorates the time Jesus lay in the tomb and the hope of the Resurrection.

Morning and daytime:
– Quiet, prayerful observance: Many Catholics observe the day with fasting and almsgiving, and some may attend private or parish devotions.
– Liturgy of the Hours: In some places, the Liturgy of the Hours (the canonical hours) is said or reflected upon in the morning or evening.

The Easter Vigil (Great Vigil of Easter) is the central rite of Holy Saturday, celebrated after sunset or at night, and it has four main parts:
1) Service Dogmatis (Vigil) Preparation and the Lucernarium (Blessing of the Light)
– The church is darkened. A new fire is lit outside the church, and from this fire the Paschal (Easter) candle is lit.
– The Paschal candle, adorned with the sign of the cross, the year, and five grain of incense, is processed into the dark church.
– The Exsultet (the Easter Proclamation) is sung, traditionally by the deacon or priest, praising God for the Resurrection and the light that Christ brings.

2) Liturgy of the Word
– A series of readings (often 7) from Scripture recounts the history of salvation, from creation to salvation through Christ. This includes readings from Genesis, Exodus, the Prophets, and the Gospels.
– Each reading may include a psalm, an exhortation, and a Gloria is sung only at this service (during the Easter Vigil, not on Holy Saturday daytime).

3) Liturgy of Baptism and Confirmation (and Eucharist)
– The catechumens (those preparing for baptism) are baptized, confirmed, and receive their first Eucharist during this vigil.
– The reaffirmation of baptismal promises is common for the congregation, often with Paschal water blessed and sprinkled on the people (the Aspersion or Renewal of Baptismal Promises).
– The Eucharist is celebrated with the distribution of Communion.

4) The Communion Rite and Concluding Rites
– After Communion, the priest blesses the faithful, and the Paschal joy is proclaimed.
– The ministers extinguish the candles, and the Mass ends with the Easter greeting and blessing.

In many parishes, Holy Saturday is also a day without the Eucharist in ordinary Mass for the daytime, reserving the “Easter Vigil” as the primary liturgical celebration.

Eastern Orthodox Church

– Holy Saturday (Lazarus Saturday is a different day, observed before Palm Sunday; within Holy Week, Holy Saturday is called the Saturday of Light or the Saturday of Holy Week) emphasizes the Tomb and the harrowing of Hades (Descent into Hades) and the burial of Christ.
– The primary rites occur during the Matins of Holy and Great Saturday, often in the morning, and the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great may be celebrated in the evening, or a divine liturgy might be celebrated at sunset on Holy Saturday or at midnight.
– The tomb and the iconography: The church is prepared with an epitaphios (a cloth icon), depicting Christ laid in the tomb, and the tomb is decorated. The service emphasizes Christ’s death and his descent into Hades with hymns of lamentation and victory.
– The Liturgy of St. Basil (or the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom) is celebrated on Holy Saturday evening, with the Paschal procession and the “Paschal Midnight Service” that leads into the Paschal Divine Liturgy of Easter with the “Christ is Risen” proclamation and the resurrection.
– The “Descent into Hades” motifs are spiritually enacted through hymns and readings.

Anglican Communion (Church of England, Anglican Catholic, etc.)

– Holy Saturday is observed as a day of reflection and mourning in many parishes, often with quiet contemplative prayers, Tenebrae (a service of darkness) or a “Stripping of the Altars” used in some places on Good Friday.
Some parishes may celebrate the Easter Vigil in darkness, although its observance is not as widespread as in Catholic or Orthodox traditions.
– Some communities hold a Prayer Book style “Holy Saturday” service focusing on contemplation of Christ’s death and the anticipation of the Resurrection, sometimes including a short service of readings, psalms, and a brief word of exhortation, followed by the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday evening or the Easter Day sunrise service.

Protestant traditions (some, e.g., Lutheran, Methodist)

– Holy Saturday is often a low-key day of reflection on the passion and the tomb experience.
– Some churches hold a Tenebrae service (Darkness Service) on Holy Week or Holy Saturday, where candles are progressively extinguished to symbolize the darkness of Good Friday and the waiting for the Resurrection.
– Easter Vigil: A few congregations celebrate a Pentacost-like Easter Vigil with readings, lighting of the Paschal candle, baptism or reaffirmation of baptismal vows, and the celebration of the Eucharist.

Practical notes and variations

– The exact times and formats vary by region, parish, and rite. The core idea across traditions is the transition from the sorrow of Christ’s death on Good Friday to the joy of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
– Sacramental emphasis: In Catholic and many Orthodox traditions, Holy Saturday culminates in the Easter Vigil, which is the most significant liturgical event of the year. In other traditions, Holy Saturday remains a day of solemn worship and preparation.
– Baptismal focus: The Easter Vigil is often the primary time for adult baptism and confirmation in Catholic and some Anglican and Orthodox communities.

If you’d like, tell me which tradition (Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, etc.) you’re interested in, and I can give a more detailed, step-by-step outline of the specific rites, prayers, and hymns used in that tradition.

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