Saturday, April 3, 2010

Holy Saturday: Waiting for Grace

We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death. - Romans 6:4

Today we experience the painful waiting between the death of one ideal and the rebirth into something new. The Scriptures have little to say about the thoughts of the disciples that day, but I imagine they were confused and disillusioned. They had ideas of what the Messiah would do, but Jesus was killed before accomplishing them. On this day I see all my shattered expectations and doubts about God. It is my Holy Saturday today. Like the disciples, I am fearful and lonely.

While we feel forsaken, Matthew’s Gospel says, “the earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.” Christ went to the place of death, could not be contained, and freed the dead to follow Him into paradise. The sadness of Christ’s death becomes mingled with joy over the Resurrection of the dead. The disciples could not know that, far from abandoning them, God had transcended death on their behalf so that he might be with them forever. They must wait for grace until morning.

We come to the Easter Vigil and are met by Christ’s resurrected presence on earth. I need to allow for the death of my own expectations so that I can rest in the presence of God. Sometimes I am too impatient and I see the silence of Holy Saturday as God’s answer. In reality, He is making way for something far greater than I could ever imagine.

God, help me to bury my selfish desires to make way for Your new life. I pray for a cleansed heart. I pray to trust patiently that God is working in my life, even if I cannot see it right now.

reflected by Jen Horan

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