Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil

What happens to Jesus between Good Friday and Easter morning? 

Some clues from 1 Peter:

Christ died once for our sins.

An innocent person died for those who are guilty.

Christ did this to bring you to God,

when his body was put to death

and his spirit was made alive.

¹⁹ Christ then preached to the spirits that were being kept in prison. ²⁰ They had disobeyed God while Noah was building the boat, but God had been patient with them. Eight people went into that boat and were brought safely through the flood.

²¹ Those flood waters were like baptism that now saves you. But baptism is more than just washing your body. It means turning to God with a clear conscience, because Jesus Christ was raised from death.             –1 Peter 3:18-21 (CEV)

Christ suffered here on earth. Now you must be ready to suffer as he did, because suffering shows that you have stopped sinning. ² It means you have turned from your own desires and want to obey God for the rest of your life. ³ You have already lived long enough like people who don't know God. You were immoral and followed your evil desires. You went around drinking and partying and carrying on. In fact, you even worshiped disgusting idols. ⁴ Now your former friends wonder why you have stopped running around with them, and they curse you for it. ⁵ But they will have to answer to God, who judges the living and the dead. ⁶ The good news has even been preached to the dead, so that after they have been judged for what they have done in this life, their spirits will live with God.            –1 Peter 4:1-6 (CEV)

The Church created the Vigil of Easter as a time to contemplate all that God has done, since the beginning of Creation, to restore us to the fullness of love and life that was intended all along.

It’s a time to celebrate the passage from darkness to light, from death to life, to tell the stories of God’s persistent, unrelenting love for us, to baptize and/or renew our baptism, and then to share the meal that gives Christ’s life to us over and over until we are fully reunited at his coming again.

What a holy night! -- P/T