Holy Week/Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday
Copyright 1891, by the Cathedral Library Association.
To understand the services of Holy Saturday it is necessary to recall the fact that for nearly a thousand years the discipline of the Latin Church forbade the offering of the sacrifice of the Mass on Holy Saturday as well as on Good Friday, in remembrance of the time when the body of Our Lord lay lifeless in the tomb. The offices which are celebrated on Holy Saturday morning were then performed during the night preceding Easter Sunday. With the relaxations in fasting came the anticipation of these offices, and about the 11th century the Mass was said on Holy Saturday instead of during the night. The object of the whole services on Holy Saturday is the baptism of the Catechumens, and all the ceremonies converge towards this centre.
The office comprises, first, the blessing of the New Fire and the incense; second, the blessing of the Paschal candle; third, the prophecies; fourth, the blessing of the Font; fifth, the Litanies; sixth, the Mass terminating with the Vespers.
The Blessing of the New Fire and Incense.
The lights having been all extinguished in the ceremonies at the preceding day, it is necessary to procure the means of again illuminating the desolate temple. Various means are adopted to this end. In some Churches the white candle of the Tenebrae was kept for the purpose of renewing the other lights; in others three large lamps were concealed, emblematic of the three days of the entombment, and other lamps were renewed from these as a symbol of the Resurrection. In other Churches light was produced by means of a burning-glass from the sun, as signifying the Orient on high; or were struck from a flint, typifying the rock, which is Christ. (I. Cor. X, 4.)
In Florence the fire is struck from flints brought from the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem in the time of the Crusades. In some Churches the New Fire was blessed on each of the three days, and the Roman Church was one of the last to adopt the ceremony of a special blessing for Saturday. Five grains of incense are also blessed for the purpose of being put into the Paschal Candle. The New Fire represents Christ the Light of the World, and the spark struck from the flint represents Our Lord rising from the Sepulchre through the stone that had been rolled against it. The putting out of all the lights in the Church symbolizes the abrogation of the old law, and the new fire represents the preaching of the New, whereby the Light of the World fulfilled all the figures of ancient prophecy. The five grains of incense represent the perfumes prepared by Magdalen and her holy companions for the embalming of the body of Jesus. The prayer said by the celebrant when blessing the incense shows a real connection between it and the light, and teaches us the power these several sacred objects have against the spirits of evil. The celebrants and attendants go in procession from the Sacristy to the vestibule of the Church, where the fire and incense are to be blessed as the holy women and apostles seeking the sepulchre go forth from the city. The prayers in the blessings contain beautiful allusions. After the blessing some of the fire is put into the thurible, when the celebrant incenses the fire and the five grains of incense, which have first been sprinkled with holy water. A candle is lighted from the blessed fire that the new light may be brought into the Church. The ministers have been vested in purple, but now the Deacon puts on a white dalmatic, and takes into his hand a triple branched candle resting on a rod. The rod signifies Our Lord's passion, while the three branched candle signifies the Blessed Trinity. The procession returns to the Church, and the Deacon lights at the entrance one of the candles; then kneeling, as do also the clergy and people, he sings "Lumin Christi" The Light of Christ, and all answer Deo Gratias, Thanks be to God. This represents the revelation made to us by Jesus of the Divinity of the Father. Midway up the Church the deacon lights a second candle and the same ceremonies are observed. This second lighting signifies the reception of the knowledge of the Divinity of the Son. At the Altar steps the third candle is lighted and the same ceremonies observed signifying the revelation of the Divinity of the Holy Ghost.
The first use of the new fire then is to proclaim the Holy Trinity. It is next to publish the glory of the Incarnate Word by lighting its glorious symbol.
II.— The Paschal Candle.
The blessing of the Paschal Candle is the principal feature of this ceremonial. The Deacon after begging the blessing of the celebrant proceeds to the Gospel side of the Altar, and from the book of the Gospels sings the beautiful prayer in which the blessing takes place, a Chant attributed with some degree of probability to the great Saint Augustin. This Exultet beautifully joins the two-fold object of the ceremony, for while it prays that this candle may continue burning through the night to dispel its darkness, it speaks of it as a symbol of the Fiery Pillar, which led the Israelites from Egypt, and of Christ, ever true and never failing Light. The fourth Council of Toledo says, that this ceremony is a symbol of the re-animation of the body of Jesus, and five holes made in the candle in the figure of a Cross, represent the five principal wounds inflicted on our Victim. The Deacon is vested in white as the angel announcing the Resurrection, while the others still clad in purple, show the grief and dread of the Apostles and Disciples. St. Augustin says, "That as by women the Resurrection was made known, thus it is a lower minister of the Church announces the fact to the superior orders of the clergy in the blessing of this candle, and as it was not the Apostles but the disciples that embalmed the body, so this Deacon places the five grains of incense as an embalming in the holes which represent the wounds."
During the canticle the candle is lighted from the triple candle, signifying the instant of Our Lord's Resurrection when the divine power restored His body to life. This Paschal Candle remains lighted at the principal services until Ascension Day, showing how Christ remained with His apostles and disciples.
III.—The Prophecies.
The Deacon having laid aside his white dalmatic vests in purple and returns to the celebrant. Then the prophecies, twelve in number, from the Old Testament, are read. This was the final preparation of the catechumens, and by prayers after each prophecy the Church impresses the lessons expressed in the preceding prophecy. Then follows
IV.—The Blessing of the Font.
The procession moves to the Baptistery, acolytes carrying the Paschal Candle while two others carry the Holy Chrism and the oil of the catechumens. With many solemn prayers the water which is to be the instrument of the divine work of regeneration is blessed. The celebrant divides it in the form of a cross to signify that it is by the cross that it receives the power of regenerating the souls of men. Then he places his hand upon it as the mere contact of the consecrated hand of Pontiff or Priest, produces a salutary effect as often as they act in virtue of the priesthood of Christ dwelling within them. He blesses it then with a triple blessing, so that the benediction of the Living, The True and the Holy God may descend upon it. Next he alludes to the four rivers watering the earthly paradise, and again dividing the water he sprinkles it towards the North, South, East and West, since the whole world receives the preaching of the baptism of Christ. Then he invokes the life-giving action of the Holy Spirit to express which the celebrant thrice breathes in the form of a cross over the water. Taking the Paschal Candle he dips the lower end of it into the font, thereby signifying the mystery of Christ's baptism in the Jordan, which sanctified the element of water. Then he breathes again upon the water in the form of the Greek letter upsilon, the initial of the Greek word for spirit. The people are then sprinkled with the blessed water, after which to signify the superabundant grace of baptism, he pours in first the oil of catechumens; then the oil of chrism, and finally both together, mixing the holy oils with the water that thus every portion of it may come into contact with this additional source of sanctification.
V.—The Litanies.
The procession again repairs to the Sanctuary, where the ministers having laid aside their outer vestments, lie prostrate at the foot of the Altar while the choir chants the Litanies praying for the neophytes who are this day added to the Church throughout the world. As the solemn Litany is drawing to a close, the ministers rise, proceed to the Sacristy, there put on the richest vestments symbolic of joy. As the choir has begun the closing invocation Kyrie Eleison, the procession comes from the Sacristy with all possible pomp and begins
VI.—The Mass.
During the Litanies the candles upon the Altar have been lighted and the Altar ornamented. In the Mass there is no Introit, because all have been for a long time present. The Mass proceeds as usual with the exception of the organ which is not played until the celebrant intones the Gloria in Excelsis. Then organ and bells peal forth the joyous tidings of the Resurrection. The purple Altar veil is removed, the statues and pictures areun covered. After the Epistle, a subdeacon goes to the throne, and addressing the Bishop, says, "Holy Father, I announce to you great joy, that is "Alleluia," when the celebrant repeats thrice the joyful "Alleluia" each time with an increase of gladness; all grief and sorrow is at an end, the tract bids us praise the Lord. The Deacon sings a gospel containing the first announcement of the Resurrection, but the Creed is omitted since the Church would have us bear in mind that the apostles who were to preach to the world the mystery of the Resurrection had not yet honored it by their faith. There is no Offertory since on account of the lengthof the services the usual offerings by the people of bread and wine for the sacrifice was omitted and consequently there was no need of a chant during that service. The kiss of peace is also omitted in this Mass because it was not until the evening of the day of His Resurrection that Jesus spoke these words to the disciples, and the church reserves them with the Agnus Dei for Easter. After the Communion, the office of Vespers is immediately begun, and consists of only one Psalm, followed by the magnificat. The Deacon turning to the people to dismiss them, adds a double Alleluia to the usual formula, to signify the joy of the Church at the Resurrection. The Mass concludes with the blessing of the celebrant and the Gospel of St. John.