{"id":45718,"date":"2014-04-19T00:07:25","date_gmt":"2014-04-19T05:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=45718"},"modified":"2014-04-19T11:42:17","modified_gmt":"2014-04-19T16:42:17","slug":"holy-saturday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/04\/holy-saturday\/","title":{"rendered":"Holy Saturday"},"content":{"rendered":"

What\u2019s so holy about it? It\u2019s after Good Friday and before Easter Vigil. At first glance, it seems like an ordinary day that the Church forgot about and just stuck \u201cHoly\u201d in front of to make it seem legitimate. Nice try, but wrong.<\/p>\n

We pray today.<\/p>\n

Do you remember the ear of Elijah that listened for the silence<\/span><\/a> of God\u2019s presence (1 Kings<\/i> 19:9-18)? Meditate on that. Do you believe that God can speak in silence? That He can speak in what \u201cfeels\u201d like desolation and dryness? St. John of the Cross writes about the nakedness <\/i>and emptiness<\/i> of the spirit. This is necessary so that we may become full of grace, full of life (Lk\u00a0<\/i>1:28; Jn<\/i> 10:10). Holy Saturday is an opportunity to \u201clet go and let God,\u201d to be still and know that He is God (Ps<\/i>\u00a046:10a).<\/p>\n

Today we ponder. Do you remember Mary keeping in her heart the life of Christ (Lk<\/i>\u00a02:19, 51)? Read the first passage (vv<\/i>. 8-20<\/span><\/a>). In verses 17 and 18, as you just read, the shepherds reported all the things the angels spoke to them about the child. Those who heard of the shepherd\u2019s report were amazed; they wondered at these things. What did Mary do? She \u201ckept\u201d those things and pondered them in her heart.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s that about? Well, have you ever been in a conversation when someone announces new news or changes? Except, you knew about this news or change beforehand? You may have observed the reaction of the different people and contemplated within yourself the facts and truth of the matter which you already knew about. Were you silent during this \u201cnew\u201d news? Did Mary<\/i> already know this, whatever was spoken of her son? She pondered these things. She didn\u2019t freak out or overreact, nor did she draw attention to herself. She let that word and truth dwell richly within her, just as we should let the Word of God richly dwell within us (Col<\/i>\u00a03:16).<\/p>\n

Look at the second passage (Lk<\/i>\u00a02:41-51<\/span><\/a>). Now that you\u2019ve read it, you see that Mary was not picky with what the Lord gave her. She wasn\u2019t bitter or sinfully stubborn. Even in the anxiety of losing the child Jesus, she ponders the event, the moment. How often do you or I receive even the distress of an unplanned event? How often do I believe that even a \u201cbad\u201d happenstance is a divine communication? Why, Mary? Why are you so docile? Why are you so loving, caring, and willing to receive all that the Lord has in store for you? Why do you trust in God so easily and so fully?<\/p>\n

One might say, it\u2019s better not<\/em> to have loved than to have loved and lost. Not so with Mary, nor Jesus, nor the saint. What I mean to convey is: to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints (Rom\u00a0<\/i>8:28). Mary lived this, knowing that she loved God. She knew that He works all things unto good for those that love Him… and those that love Him are called to be saints!<\/i><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at one more \u201cMarian\u201d passage. In Luke 2:22-38<\/span><\/a>, Jesus is presented in the temple, according to the law. Simeon says something to Mary after<\/i> he speaks about Jesus with Messianic language. A sword shall pierce through her soul so that thoughts out of many hearts<\/i> may be revealed. Hmm. Pause for a moment. Do you think she received this too? Do you think she was obedient and gave a \u201clet it be done unto me according to thy word\u201d kind of response? Well, she certainly understood that \u201csword in the soul\u201d meant pain.<\/p>\n

\"OL<\/a><\/p>\n

Here lies the crux. Here is the fork in the road, the crossroad, the half-way mark, the \u201clast chance\u201d to turn around. Sure, Mary was there for the shepherds to worship the new born babe. Sure, she found Jesus in the temple. But, would she be there in his pain<\/i>? Would she be there in his death<\/i>? Would she be willing to enter deeper into the life of Christ… even his death? So it seems. Just as Jesus was obedient even unto death on a cross (Phil<\/i>\u00a02:6-11), so too Mary is obedient even unto suffering for her son, for her children (those reborn in baptism).<\/p>\n

Her soul was pierced so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed<\/i>. Somehow, she teaches us how to pray. Somehow, she teaches us about ourselves. Have you ever learned something about yourself from you mother?<\/p>\n

Somehow, she can help us today. She can guide us. Can you imagine the pain of emptiness for her on that Saturday following His crucifixion? What was that nakedness of spirit like? What was it like to be without Him who knew her so well and loved her so perfectly? She can teach us how to carry within ourselves the death of Jesus (2 Cor<\/i>\u00a04).<\/p>\n

How did we get to this conclusion? By the quiet receptivity of Elijah, by the quiet pondering and contemplation of Mary. We too must enter even more deeply into our own life; we must \u201cponder within our spirit\u201d (Ps<\/i>\u00a077). Let us draw near<\/i>, just as the letter to the Hebrews writes. Be not afraid of the cross, for on the cross hung our salvation. Let us be baptized (immersed) into the death of Christ so that we might rise to new life (Rom<\/i>\u00a06; 2 Cor\u00a0<\/i>5:17). Have a Holy Saturday.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What\u2019s so holy about it? It\u2019s after Good Friday and before Easter Vigil. At first glance, it seems like an ordinary day that the Church forgot about and just stuck \u201cHoly\u201d in front of to make it seem legitimate. Nice try, but wrong. We pray today. Do you remember the ear of Elijah that listened… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[90],"tags":[699,101,700],"class_list":{"0":"post-45718","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-faith-blog","7":"tag-holy-week","8":"tag-mary","9":"tag-triduum","10":"entry","11":"has-post-thumbnail"},"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":395003,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/04\/7-contemplative-gazes\/","url_meta":{"origin":45718,"position":0},"title":"The 7 Contemplative Gazes","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"April 23, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Peter constantly gazed at Our Lord but like most of us listened poorly. \u00a0The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains how \"gazing\" at Jesus is a form of contemplation by stating, \u201cContemplation is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus.\u201d \u00a0(2715) \u00a0Contemplation is the highest form of worship, and it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/transfiguration-large-icon-550x309.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/transfiguration-large-icon-550x309.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/transfiguration-large-icon-550x309.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":448480,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/08\/pilgrimage-jerusalem-ps-845\/","url_meta":{"origin":45718,"position":1},"title":"Pilgrimage to Jerusalem (Ps. 84:5)","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"August 5, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cEvery year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover.\u201d (Lk.2:41) Jesus went on pilgrimage to the \"Holy City\" (Mt. 4:5) from infancy until His death. \u00a0We don\u2019t often think of Jesus on pilgrimage to the \"City of David,\" (1Chron.15:1) but Jesus' parents would make pilgrimages three times\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Events"","block_context":{"text":"Events","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/events-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/The_Western_Wall_and_Dome_of_the_rock_in_the_old_city_of_Jerusalem-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/The_Western_Wall_and_Dome_of_the_rock_in_the_old_city_of_Jerusalem-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/The_Western_Wall_and_Dome_of_the_rock_in_the_old_city_of_Jerusalem-550x367.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":567614,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/12\/important-prayer-cataclysmic-event-part-ii\/","url_meta":{"origin":45718,"position":2},"title":"The Most Important Prayer in a Cataclysmic Event (Part II)","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"December 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"While the Act of Contrition prayer is the most important prayer for someone facing imminent death in a cataclysmic event, it is also the most important prayer for a survivor. During cataclysmic events like the current California fires, Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Maria, and the 7.1 earthquakes in Mexico,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/image5-550x293.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/image5-550x293.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/image5-550x293.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":147630,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/09\/chaplet-child-mary\/","url_meta":{"origin":45718,"position":3},"title":"Chaplet of the Child Mary","author":"Shawn Rain Chapman","date":"September 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 The Chaplet of the Child Mary (to be prayed on ordinary rosary beads) written by me in honor of Our Lady's Birthday Make the sign of the cross and pray the Sh'ma, a prayer the little Mary would have grown up reciting every day with her Jewish family and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"photo Shawn Chapman","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/476622_3665381757608_1810148288_o-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/476622_3665381757608_1810148288_o-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/476622_3665381757608_1810148288_o-550x367.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":993175,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2018\/07\/crowd-funding-hail-marys\/","url_meta":{"origin":45718,"position":4},"title":"Crowd Funding Hail Marys","author":"Shawn Rain Chapman","date":"July 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"After a week of losing sleep over the suffering of little children taken from their parents at the border, many days of speaking out and also of sending what money I could to organizations trying to help these separated families, I texted to one of my sisters in Carmel, still\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/36470683_2019920664715679_3544778840310022144_n-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":102203,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/04\/ancienthomily-holysaturday\/","url_meta":{"origin":45718,"position":5},"title":"From an ancient homily for Holy Saturday: The Lord’s descent into the underworld","author":"Rita Suva","date":"April 2, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Our Catholic faith is incredibly rich. So instead of writing a new reflection, I'm sharing one of my favorite things to read during the Triduum. This is a from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday, date and homilist unknown. 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