From today's Office of Readings, an ancient homily on Holy Saturday:
Something strange is happening – there is a great silence
on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps
silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still
because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who
have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and
hell trembles with fear.
He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a
lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in
the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam
and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them
bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the
sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in
terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ
answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised
him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ
will give you light.”
I am your God, who for your sake have become your son.
Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority
command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in
darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O
sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell.
Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my
hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place,
for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and
we cannot be separated. For your sake I, your God, became your son; I,
the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens,
descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the
sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For
the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a
garden, and I was crucified in a garden.
See on my face the spittle I received in order to
restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of
the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my
image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the
burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly
to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.
I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for
you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side
has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in
hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned
against you.
Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out
of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I
will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a
symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I
appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make
them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its
bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is
ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of
all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for
you from all eternity.
Praise God!!
