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.

Love means giving… 

My dear brothers and sisters,
Today’s liturgy began with the blessing of the fire. During that prayer, it was said that this fire is a sign of Christ and a blessing for us all. Yes. Once, when Christ looked at his disciples and all those who followed him, he exclaimed: ‘I have come to cast fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!’ Christ is fire; Christ is the light of the world. Whoever receives this light will no longer walk in darkness or wander, but will walk the sure path to heaven. 

Christ is fire. What does fire do? It provides warmth and light. Therefore, fire is a sign of love, because wherever love is present, it brings spiritual warmth as well as kindness, mercy, forbearance, and goodness. Love forgives others and sees only the good in them. Yes, love is just that. Love means giving a gift. Love means giving a gift. Christ is love; he is a flame that warms and shines. He arrived on this earth to share his love and kindle this light. His love knew no bounds, so he is that flame. He died for us on the cross. Jesus laid down his life for his friends—the ultimate act of love. He did this so that his light would shine in our hearts and lives and the flame of God’s love would burn within us. 

Christ is love. Firefighters know that fire must be cared for and can be easily extinguished. The Lord gave us this gift of grace in holy baptism: the gift of becoming children of God, the gift of becoming brothers, and the gift of entering the eternal kingdom of God. But like fire, this gift must be maintained. 

How is this fire maintained? It is a supernatural fire through prayer. But that alone is not enough. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus said to the apostles: ‘Pray and watch, lest you fall into temptation.’ So prayer and vigilance are two necessary elements for the fire that Christ threw on the ground and wants to ignite in your heart, your family, this parish, this village, and this country. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain this fire by being vigilant and cautious. I pray, and I obtain this grace. We can compare prayer to the oxygen that the flame needs. But the air must not be too strong; otherwise, the fire will be extinguished. 

Now, without speaking too loftily or theoretically, what does this analogy mean specifically? Prayer comes from the word of God, that is, one reads, meditates on, rays, and speaks to God daily. And prudence means refraining from this dialogue with evil, resisting seduction, and obeying rather than following one’s own instincts, because the key to this whole treasury of the Kingdom of God is obedience. That is the key. Jesus merited us through obedience on the cross, that is, obedience to the Word of God and obedience to the one whom the Lord sent here, to the Holy Father, the Bishop. Obedience is the key to opening that treasury and, at the same time, to keeping that flame. Living, maintaining, and taking care of this fire correctly requires not following one’s own ego. That is not possible. Christ, who is our Lord, who gave this fire, knows very well how we should keep that fire of God’s love in our hearts. He knows this, so we must listen to him; we must obey him. Listening means I hear the word; obeying means I do what he says. He knows the secret of this fire; he knows what needs to be done to keep this fire in us. Christ was sentenced to eternity. Kindle this fire because the readings merit a new Spirit, so that we will know what God desires. And that is the new Spirit, the Spirit of Christ. He said: “He who loves me keeps my word. Or whoever keeps my word, he it is who loves me truly. And we will come to him and make our home with him. Do you understand what Christ is saying to you? He is telling you and all of us that He has loved us eternally, and He never takes it back; His love—that He never regretted dying on the cross for you, that He was spat on, that He was scourged, that He was mocked, and that He was wrongly condemned. He has never regretted it and will never regret it, because He cannot deny merited for That is why He has loved you from eternity, and He still loves you from eternity. He keeps bringing this fire and does everything to ensure that the smoldering wick in your heart, which is a tiny flame that has remained, is not extinguished. He never breaks a reed but seeks everything so that the fire of his death, suffering, and resurrection burns in your heart.

Jesus is the light; darkness is the enemy of God. Shortly, we will renounce the darkness and the enemy of God. We will renounce Satan and all that he stands for, and we will say: ‘Lord, we love you and want to respond responsibly to your call and your love.’ We want to see and hear, and we want to be interested. We want to respond like those who have heard your voice and felt the heat of the fire you brought.

Christ is light, love, and truth. Those who love the light go to it, but those who hate it don’t, as the Lord says, because they would be exposed as liars. This year, which particularly emphasizes the renewal of baptism, let us confess our faith and renounce evil. You, Lord, are resurrection and life; you are our lover and our love. You never revoke your covenant; you always confirm it on the altar. You are our way out of any situation. Amen.

Behold, the cross on which the Savior of the world died…

Dear brothers and sisters,
Today, we have gathered in silence and solemnity to commemorate Good Friday, the day on which our Lord Jesus Christ suffered and died. This is one of the most profound and sacred days in the entire liturgical year.   Today, we remember that the Son of God died on the cross to save the world. Good Friday takes us to Golgotha. There, together with the Virgin Mary, the Apostle John, and several other faithful women, we stand under the cross. We see Jesus, who, out of love for humanity, accepts suffering, humiliation, and death.

Today’s divine service is very special. It is the only day of the year when Holy Mass is not celebrated in Catholic churches. The altar is stripped bare, the bells are silent, and the church is immersed in silence. Instead of the Eucharistic sacrifice, the Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord is celebrated, which has three parts: 1) the Liturgy of the Word, 2) the Adoration of the Cross, and 3) Holy Communion from the gifts transformed during the Holy Thursday Mass.

Today’s first reading from the Book of Isaiah presents us with the Suffering Servant of God. Over seven hundred years ago, the prophet foretold the suffering of Christ: ‘He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities.’ These words were fulfilled on Calvary.

In the second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, we learn that Jesus is a high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses because he himself suffered. Therefore, we can turn to him with confidence when facing life’s difficulties. 

The climax of today’s liturgy is the Gospel of the Passion of the Lord according to Saint John. We have heard about the final hours of Jesus’ life, including His arrest, trial before Pilate, journey to Golgotha, and death on the cross. In this Passion, we hear words that reveal the profound mystery of the cross: ‘It is finished.’ These words do not signify defeat. They signify the completion of the work of salvation. By fulfilling his Father’s will, Jesus opened the way to life for people through his death. 

One of the most powerful moments in today’s liturgy is the adoration of the cross. Once an instrument of shame and cruel execution, the cross has become a symbol of victory and love. This is why we sing: ‘Behold the cross on which the Savior of the world died’. When we come to worship the cross, we are not worshipping a piece of wood. We worship Christ, who sacrificed his life on the cross for us. One example is given: A boy once asked a priest, ‘Why is there a cross in the church? Why do we look at it?’ The priest replied: ‘So that we may never forget how much God loves us.’ Indeed, the cross is the greatest proof of God’s love. He loves us so much that he gave his Son for us. Therefore, Good Friday leads us to reflect on our own lives. Christ died for our sins. Each of our sins contributed to his suffering. However, each time we return to God, it brings joy to His heart.

Dear brothers and sisters,
Today, we stand beneath the cross. Let us look to Christ the Lord and learn from him about love, sacrifice, and forgiveness. However, Good Friday is not the end of the story. Behind the silence of the tomb, the light of Easter morning already shines. Therefore, let us say in silence and with faith today: Lord Jesus, we thank you for your cross. We thank you for your love. Help us to carry our crosses and one day reach the glory of the resurrection. Amen.

A well-known preacher was asked the following question: “Why did Jesus choose Judas to be one of his disciples?” He thought about it for a moment, but no answer came to mind. Instead, he replied that an even more mysterious question kept running through his mind: “And why did he choose me?” People have been asking themselves this question for centuries. When they truly realize their sin and are overwhelmed by guilt, they cry out to Jesus, asking for his mercy. Then, in joyful amazement, they experience the truth for themselves: God loves them, Jesus died for them, and all their sins are forgiven. It is incomprehensible! Anyone can ask themselves, “Why me?” I know that my life’s dark and sinful deeds came from an even more sinful heart, yet God loved me in spite of it. (cf. Rom. 5:8).). 

I didn’t deserve it. I was poor and helpless. Yet, he opened his arms and his heart to me. I could almost hear him whisper, “I love you more than you loved your sin.” It’s true! I loved my sin. I protected it. I denied that I was doing anything wrong. But God loved me so much that he forgave me and set me free. “Why me?” It’s beyond my comprehension. Still, I know that He loves me, you, and everyone! God doesn’t love us because of who we are; He loves us because of who He is.

The story of the infamous man named Judas. He went to the chief priests and asked them, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They agreed to thirty pieces of silver. Judas was with Jesus because of the purse. He was the treasurer. He parted ways with him because of money. Money blinds. Possessing them is sometimes so strong that it overpowers even the God in us. It is often a mystery how man can act, but it is certain how God acts, only as love.

One of the most popular tourist attractions in England is the huge rock pillars of Stonehenge. These massive pieces of granite are one enormous mystery. Every year people come to Stonehenge with questions such as “Why were these stones built?” or “Who was able to build this extraordinary architectural wonder?” Perhaps the most questions concern how it was done. However, the silent stones give visitors no answers. The mystery remains hidden. Heavenly Father, we may not understand all that you have done for us or how you did it. But we know that you love us and that you sent Jesus to die for us. The incarnation of Christ remains a mystery, but God’s love does not.

innerPharaohs

Anointing with oil for burial
The Greek text here may not be entirely accurate. Some exegetes believe that Jesus did not say he was to be anointed for a future burial here, but rather that he wanted the rest of the oil to be kept for his burial. However, this difference in interpretation is not relevant. What is important is why dead bodies were embalmed. The Egyptians were experts at the inonor process. We can still see the mummified remains of the pharaohs. In their case, it was a foolish attempt at achieving immortality. After being given divine honor, were the pharaohs then suddenly supposed to disintegrate? Needless to say, the embalming and burial process was costly. Ordinary people were content to use fragrant ointments to mask the smell of death when saying goodbye to the deceased. This evidence all reveals how deeply rooted the desire for immortality is in us. After all, according to the Bible, death is unnatural, even though it seems natural in the cycle of life. As a person and the image of God, man is created knowing that he cannot be included in it recklessly.

Precious oil is a symbol of holiness. The anointing of Christ’s body in Bethany and at his burial was an expression of piety and respect. His immortality became a reality. For mystical authors, anointing with fragrant oils became a symbol of how we should prepare for death and resurrection together with Christ. They speak of the ‘fragrance of holiness’. In the tradition of the Eastern Church, a prerequisite for canonisation was that the body of the candidate for sainthood had not decayed, was preserved, and often gave off a fragrance. We find an allusion to this tradition in Dostoevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamazov, in which Alyosha experiences a mental crisis when the corpse of his spiritual father, the ‘old canonization, whom he considered a saint, starts to smell. We should not expect such an obvious, physical connection. But the underlying idea is true. If sin is the cause of death, then pursuing holiness prepares one for immortality. As the mother of God was without sin, her body became immortal and was taken up to Heaven.

Fragrant oils his virtues. Holiness is, above all, a gift of grace from the Holy Spirit. This grace is granted through anointing with holy oils during the sacraments. Virtues correspond to this grace through human cooperation. Here, too, we speak mystically of the ‘fragrance of virtues.’ Origen proves their identity with Christ. He is truth, justice, and love. We are not truth, symbols, or love. However, we can train ourselves in these virtues and acquire the necessary skills. Then we have truth, justice, and love. Since they are Christ, we therefore have Him. This is indeed our spiritual anointing, by which we prepare for death and eternal life. Moreover, a virtuous person is pleasant to look at and pleasant to touch, as if they were spreading a spiritual fragrance around them. Some saints also experienced this premonition of a heavenly banquet through their senses.

The Christian tradition has long involved praying for rulers and for those who defend the country. It is common to pray for politicians, peace, the homeland, or soldiers.
However, Christian prayer should not be used to create the impression that a particular president, political relativism, or military strategy automatically has God’s approval. The Gospel is not an instrument of power. On the contrary, it is the measure by which all power is judged. It relativizes all political power because God is the one true Lord of history. It is used to create the impression that a particular president, political project, or military strategy automatically has God’s approval. The Gospel is not an instrument of power. On the contrary, it is its critical measure. It relativizes all political power, because the only Lord of history is God.

The Gospel account of Jesus before Pilate vividly illustrates this truth. Pilate tells Jesus he has power, and Jesus replies, “You would have no power over me if it hadn’t been given to you from above.” 

On the one hand, Jesus affirms that every human community needs an authority to govern it. God wills it, and it is necessary for man. It is necessary for the unity of civil society. Its task is to ensure the common good (cf. CCC 1898).

However, this is not a legitimization of arbitrariness but a reminder of responsibility. Political power is never absolute. It is always brought before the court of truth, justice, and God himself.

Criticizing a politician does not mean recommending his political opponent. By voting, we responsibly power Bullsh**tsShow’s predF-16 responsibility. We hand it over to specific politicians in elections when we vote for them. But we also have the right and duty to criticize them, especially those we elect. 

According to Pope Francis, the current political world tends to divide into two camps (worldviews): liberal and populist. 

While the former tends to emphasize individual rights and thus create a fragmented society without a common project, the latter exploits the frustration of this disintegrating society and uses it to achieve its own goals and to engage in dialogue with various interest groups. 

Both camps proclaim the other as the evil from which they offer to be the saviors. Only critical discernment, patient dialogue, respect for every person, especially the most vulnerable, attention to the common good, and the search for what creates belonging can lead us out of this crisis. Otherwise, aggression, hostility, and abuse of power will grow. 

Even Christians, who often feel defensive against the secular world, must be careful not to succumb to political proposals that do not always align with Christian values. 

Holding a Bible or surrounding oneself with clergy does not guarantee an evangelical attitude. The Gospel provides clear criteria for discernment: truth, justice, humility, service, protection of human dignity, solidarity with the weak, and the ability to self-criticize. 

When religious language is used to reinforce political identity, mobilize emotions, or create the impression that a certain leader has a special mandate from God, Christianity begins to turn into an ideology.

We have historical experience with such temptations. I recall Gnosticism, that is, spiritual and political tendencies that promise salvation in history through a certain project, movement, or leader. 

Such messianisms have repeatedly returned in modern history. Their common feature is that instead of human conversion, service to truth and eternal salvation outside of history, they offer earthly salvation in historical moments through political power.

Trump’s religious background

Donald Trump does not profess Christianity in its traditional sense today. His religious background is rooted in Presbyterianism, but more important to him than his church affiliation was the influence of Reverend Norman Vincent Peale, author of the famous book The Power of Positive Thinking.

Peale was a significant mentor to Trump. He taught him to focus on positive thoughts, reject negativity, and maintain faith in himself. Trump himself has repeatedly called this philosophy key to overcoming business failures. However, in his case, it is not a classic Christian spirituality, but rather a psychological philosophy of success.

That is a fundamental difference. Christian spirituality is not based on faith in oneself but on faith in Jesus Christ, on following him, on conversion, self-denial, repentance, and humility. 

Peale’s “positive thinking” emphasizes the self rather than God or Christ. Its entire logic rests on the belief that the way a person thinks determines the way he lives and that a positive self-belief is a condition for success. This, in turn, results in an inability to tolerate criticism or to be self-critical. 

If a person constantly cultivates an image of their infallibility and success, not only can any negative remark be extremely irritating to them, but their actions can also be downright dangerous, especially when it comes to a person running one of the most powerful countries in the world.

The Prosperity Gospel as Pseudo-Christianity

Another prominent strand in Trump’s religious background is the so-called “prosperity gospel.” This stream, often called the health and wealth gospel, teaches that God wants believers to be successful, healthy, wealthy, and influential. 

Prosperity in a purely earthly sense is understood here as a sign of God’s blessing. If you believe, if you “prove faith” enough, if you give financial gifts, God will fulfill your wishes according to this logic. Eternal salvation is not spoken of here; it is spoken of earthly prosperity.

But this doctrine is a false gospel. It reduces faith to a tool for earthly personal success. It almost completely omits the reality of sacrifice, suffering, sin, repentance, forgiveness, the cross, and eternal salvation. It does not emphasize conversion or the inner transformation of man. Instead, it teaches that God is to fulfill our ideas and desires.

In short, Jesus didn’t meet the expectations and scriptural standards that most Jews at the time (and since) had for the promised Messiah, and his identity and fate went against important theological and interpretive norms.

Main reasons, concisely:

• Messianic expectations: Many Jews expected a human Davidic king who would restore Israel’s sovereignty, gather the exiles, rebuild the Temple, and establish universal peace and observance of Torah. Jesus’ life and mission did not accomplish those national, political, and eschatological outcomes.

• Timing and visible signs: Jewish criteria often included clear, world-changing signs (end of exile, end of foreign domination, worldwide recognition of God). The events of Jesus’ lifetime didn’t match those public, final signs.

• Crucifixion and shame: Being executed by crucifixion was widely seen as a sign of failure or curse (Deut. 21:23). For many Jews, a crucified messiah was theologically unacceptable.

• Divine claims and worship: Many Jewish teachings reject the idea that a humanhalachic can be equated with God or worshipped. Some Christians’ assertions that Jesus was divine or deserving of worship were at odds with Jewish monotheism.

• Different readings of prophecy: Jews generally interpret key messianic texts (e.g., Isaiah, Daniel, Psalms) differently from Christians. Passages Christians read as predicting a suffering, dying messiah (e.g., “suffering servant”) are read in Jewish tradition as referring to Israel, a righteous remnant, or other contexts, not the Davidic redeemer.

• Diversity in Second Temple Judaism: There was no single uniform Jewish expectation. Groups (Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots) had varied hopes, so acceptance depended on which expectations were foregrounded. That also explains why some Jews (early Jewish Christians) accepted Jesus while the majority did not.

• Halakhic and communal continuity: For most Jews, the Messiah’s role is to strengthen Torah observance and communal life. Movements that deviate from halakhic norms are considered non-messianic.

• In short, because Jesus did not meet the messianic criteria understood and emphasized in Jewish thought, because his death and the claims about him conflicted with Jewish theology, and because Jewish readings of the prophetic texts differ from Christian readings.