Holy Saturday

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k8Thiel

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Hello all,

My mother-in-law has suggested celebrating Easter on Holy Saturday this year, as it may be the only day when we can get the whole family together. I don’t know the church’s teaching (if there is one on this matter), but I hestiate because I feel we are still to be in waiting for our Lord at this time, and it would be innapproproate to celebrate His resurrection before Easter Sunday. However, I do not want to cause any hard feelings if I don’t have to, so insight would be appreciated.

Thank-you!
 
k8Thiel said:
Hello all,

My mother-in-law has suggested celebrating Easter on Holy Saturday this year, as it may be the only day when we can get the whole family together. I don’t know the church’s teaching (if there is one on this matter), but I hestiate because I feel we are still to be in waiting for our Lord at this time, and it would be innapproproate to celebrate His resurrection before Easter Sunday. However, I do not want to cause any hard feelings if I don’t have to, so insight would be appreciated.

Thank-you!
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After dusk on Saturday would be the joyous time; then the Mass may be celebrated for the Resurrection. Otherwise Saturday represents the time of Christ in the tomb.
 
The Easter Vigil is the IDEAL time to celebrate, even beyond Easter Sunday in my opinion. It is during this night that Christ passes from death to resurrection, and we are there, recounting the story of God’s creation and the redemption of His people. We welcome new members of our faith family through baptism, profession of faith, and confirmation. We renew our own baptismal promises, and join in the Lord’s passover. The Vigil is the summit of our entire liturgical year!
 
I always enjoy Holy Saturday as a day of contemplation; the deep sorrow of Good Friday has passed, but we are still affected and waiting for the full joy of Easter (whether it be the vigil or the next morning!)

I am still wondering, though, if it is wrong to celebrate with my family before the sun goes down on Saturday. I want to be able to handle the scheduling of this as lovingly as possible; if it is wrong, I am not afraid to love God first by denying the invitation, but if it isn’t wrong, I don’t want to snub my family out of my own preference of the day in which we celebrate.
 
If one of my family called and invited me to dinner on Good Friday or Holy Saturday I would, unfortunately, not be available and hope my schedule demands would be at least as important as theirs in planning family get-togethers. I would be dreaming, but no, those are definitely not celebration days for me. I would not explain, excuse or condemn, but neither would I go. It is not a matter of personal preference, it is simply not appropriate and while I wish even the nominally Catholic members of my family would see this, I simply would not go. they already know this so they would not ask me in any case.

that being said, here and many Latin American areas (not all, some) Holy Week in general is the celebratory time, and festivities on Holy Saturday would not be considered out of place. Look to your own culture and traditions for guidance.
 
k8Thiel said:
I always enjoy Holy Saturday as a day of contemplation; the deep sorrow of Good Friday has passed, but we are still affected and waiting for the full joy of Easter (whether it be the vigil or the next morning!)

I am still wondering, though, if it is wrong to celebrate with my family before the sun goes down on Saturday. I want to be able to handle the scheduling of this as lovingly as possible; if it is wrong, I am not afraid to love God first by denying the invitation, but if it isn’t wrong, I don’t want to snub my family out of my own preference of the day in which we celebrate.
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The Lord may be giving you an opportunity to step outside of yourself and offer witness, in charity, to the wonders of this day. Christ went to those He loved. You should also. What better way to show your love for Him.
 
JM3 said:
The Lord may be giving you an opportunity to step outside of yourself and offer witness, in charity, to the wonders of this day. Christ went to those He loved. You should also. What better way to show your love for Him.
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Thanks everybody! I really believe that God can make good out of any situation, and came up with (was given?? ;)) the idea to suggest a new tradition to the family: if we must have our celebration on the Saturday, why not keep with the sentiment of Holy Saturday and have a sader supper as the disciples would have been doing at that time? We can still have all the family together for a meal, but we can experience (and learn) a new way of “processing” Holy Week together. I am quite looking forward to this opprotunity to witness and discuss God in a different way with my in-laws! Not only will we tap into Jesus’ heritage, we can speculate/discuss what Jesus’ disciples must have been feeling during that particular Passover meal.
 
When I was child (1940’s) the Easter Vigil Mass finished about 1 PM. We took our food (ham, boiled eggs, fresh onions, horseradish, red radish, milk-bread) in a basket to the church, where it was blessed. There was a Resurrection process with the Holy Eucharist outside the Church about 5 PM, and we celebrated Easter after that process.

From the second half of the fifties, the Easter Vigil mass was moved to afternoon (usually starting at 5 PM), so the Easter diner was after that.

Next week we will have the Easter diner about 4PM, after that wewill go to the Liturgy and Mass starting at 8PM, and when it is finished about 11 PM we will go to bed.

I liked the previous custom, in any way in Jesus time an place the Sunday started at 6 PM, and since Jesus was eagerly waiting to bring the fullness of the Salvation He probably was risen at the beginning of that day, regardless that for practical reasons it was discovered only on the following morning.
 
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