Saturday, May 9, 2026

 

SACRED TRIDUUM

 

HOLY THURSDAY   25th March  2027 https://saintmichaelusa.org/tridium/
GOOD FRIDAY  26th March  2027 https://saintmichaelusa.org/tridium/
HOLY SATURDAY EASTER VIGIL  27th March  2027 https://saintmichaelusa.org/tridium/
EASTER SUNDAY  – 28th March  2027 https://saintmichaelusa.org/easter

 

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St Pius X Church

2821 Lowrey Ave,

Honolulu (Manoa) Hawaii
(808)943-7088  & (808) 988-3308

 

25th March 2027

Holy Thursday

 

Holy Thursday is otherwise called Maundy Thursday and falls on the Thursday before Easter. This is the 5th day of the Holy Week and preceded by Spy Wednesday and followed by Good Friday. This day is the commemoration of the institution of Eucharist by Jesus Christ Himself at the Last Supper. The Last Supper celebrated by Jesus with His disciples was actually the annual Passover feast celebrated by Jews commemorating their deliverance from slavery by God from the Egyptian Pharaoh.

Holy Thursday

The Beginning of the Sacred Triduum

Holy Thursday — also called Maundy Thursday — marks the start of the most solemn days of the Christian year. It commemorates the Last Supper, the institution of the Eucharist, the institution of the priesthood, and Christ’s mandate to love one another.

What Holy Thursday Commemorates

1. The Last Supper & Institution of the Eucharist

At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread and wine and gave them to His disciples as His Body and Blood. This moment becomes the foundation of every Mass.

2. The Institution of the Priesthood

When Jesus said, “Do this in memory of me,” He entrusted the apostles with the sacred ministry of celebrating the Eucharist.

3. The Washing of the Feet

Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, taking the role of a servant. This act reveals that true greatness is found in humility and service.

4. The New Commandment (Mandatum)

The word Maundy comes from mandatum — “command.”
Jesus gave His disciples a new commandment:
“Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)
This is why the day is sometimes called Maundy Thursday.

5. The Agony in the Garden

After the meal, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, accepting the Father’s will and preparing for His Passion.

How Holy Thursday Is Celebrated Today

The Chrism Mass

Usually celebrated in the morning by the bishop with all priests, blessing the holy oils used throughout the year.

The Mass of the Lord’s Supper (Evening)

  • Reenacts the Last Supper
  • Includes the optional washing of feet
  • The Eucharist is placed in a place of repose
  • The altar is stripped after Mass
  • The faithful are invited to silent adoration with Jesus in the garden

The Spiritual Meaning of Holy Thursday

Holy Thursday reveals the heart of Jesus’ mission:

  • Sacrifice (Eucharist)
  • Service (washing of feet)
  • Love (the new commandment)
  • Obedience (Gethsemane)

It prepares believers to enter deeply into the mystery of Good Friday and the Resurrection.

Come, O Jesus of the Eucharist

Jesus of the Eucharist! Come to us and be our Ruler! All that we have and are is Yours to command, for all that we have is Yours. If our hearts are poor, enrich them with Your grace. If they have been sinful and soiled, accept them pure and cleansed through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Suffering Heart of Jesus! to You we confide all the trials of our souls.
Sweet Heart of Jesus! to Your care we confide our weaknesses and ask You to accept our sincere repentance.
Compassionate Heart of Jesus! to You we confide our souls tormented by our suffering conscience.
Gentle heart of Jesus! we confide to You the peace and salvation of our families.
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus! the world, worried unto death, finds a refuge in Your Heart, where the lance once opened for us the source of Life.
Come, O Jesus! Be our brother in the pure joy of Christian love!
Come, O Jesus! Be our friend in the depths of this world’s sorrows.

Come, O Jesus! Be our friend in the depths of this world’s sorrows.

Litany of the Most Blessed Sacrament

Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us, Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us, Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

O Living Bread, Who from Heaven descended, have mercy on us.
Hidden God and Savior, have mercy on us.
Grain of the elect, have mercy on us.
Vine sprouting forth virgins, have mercy on us.
Wholesome Bread and delicacy of kings, have mercy on us.
Perpetual sacrifice, have mercy on us.
Clean oblation, have mercy on us.
Lamb without spot, have mercy on us.
Most pure feast, have mercy on us.
Food of Angels, have mercy on us.
Hidden manna, have mercy on us.
Memorial of God’s wonders, have mercy on us.
Super substantial Bread, have mercy on us.
Word made flesh, dwelling in us, have mercy on us.
Holy Victim, have mercy on us.

O Cup of blessing, have mercy on us.
O Mystery of faith, have mercy on us.
O Most high and venerable Sacrament, have mercy on us.
O Most holy of all sacrifices, have mercy on us.
O True propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead, have mercy on us.
O Heavenly antidote, by which we are preserved from sin, have mercy on us.
O stupendous miracle above all others, have mercy on us.
O most holy Commemoration of the Passion of Christ, have mercy on us.
O Gift transcending all abundance, have mercy on us.
O extraordinary memorial of Divine love, have mercy on us.
O affluence of Divine largess, have mercy on us.
O most holy and august mystery, have mercy on us.

Medicine of immortality, have mercy on us.
Awesome and life-giving Sacrament, have mercy on us.
Unbloody Sacrifice, have mercy on us.
Food and guest, have mercy on us.
Sweetest banquet at which the Angels serve, have mercy on us.
Bond of love, have mercy on us.
Offering and oblation, have mercy on us.
Spiritual sweetness tasted in its own fountain, have mercy on us.
Refreshment of holy souls, have mercy on us.
Viaticum of those dying in the Lord, have mercy on us.
Pledge of future glory, have mercy on us.

Be merciful, spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Lord.

From the unworthy reception of Thy Body and Blood, deliver us, O Lord.
From passions of the flesh, deliver us, O Lord.
From the concupiscence of the eyes, deliver us, O Lord.
From pride, deliver us, O Lord.
From every occasion of sin, deliver us, O Lord.
Through that desire, with which Thou desiredst to eat the Passover with Thy disciples, deliver us, O Lord.
Through that profound humility with which Thou didst wash Thy disciples’ feet, deliver us, O Lord.
Through that most ardent love, with which Thou instituted this Divine Sacrament, deliver us, O Lord.
Through the most precious Blood, which Thou hast left for us upon the altar, deliver us, O Lord.
Through those Five Wounds of Thy most holy Body, which was given up for us, deliver us, O Lord.

Sinners we are, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously preserve and augment the faith, reverence, and devotion in us towards this admirable Sacrament, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously lead us through the true confession of we beseech Thee, hear us.
our sins to a frequent reception of the Eucharist, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously free us from every heresy, falsehood, and blindness of the heart, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously impart to us the Heavenly and precious fruits of this most Holy Sacrament, we beseech Thee, hear us.
That Thou wouldst graciously protect and strengthen us in our hour of death with this Heavenly Viaticum, we beseech Thee, hear us.

O Son of God, we beseech Thee, hear us.
Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who taketh away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord.
Christ, hear us, Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us, Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy, Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.
Pray 1 Our Father and 1 Hail Mary
V. Thou didst furnish them with Bread from Heaven, Alleluia.
R. Having in it every delight.

Let us pray: O God, Who under a marvelous Sacrament has left us a memorial of Thy Passion; grant us; we beseech Thee; so to venerate the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, that we may ever perceive within us the fruit of Thy Redemption. Thou, Who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.

Prayers for Priests

1. O Jesus, our great High Priest, hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priests. Give them a deep faith, a bright and firm hope and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of their priestly life.
In their loneliness, comfort them. In their sorrows, strengthen them. In their frustrations, point out to them that it is through suffering that the soul is purified, and show them that they are needed by the Church; they are needed by souls; they are needed for the work of redemption.

2. A Prayer for Priests
By St. Therese of Lisieux
O Jesus, eternal Priest,
keep your priests within the shelter of Your Sacred Heart,
where none may touch them.
Keep unstained their anointed hands,
which daily touch Your Sacred Body.
Keep unsullied their lips,
daily purpled with your Precious Blood.
Keep pure and unearthly their hearts,
sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.
Let Your holy love surround them and
shield them from the world’s contagion.
Bless their labors with abundant fruit and
may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and consolation here and in heaven their beautiful and
everlasting crown. Amen.

3. A Prayer for Priests
By John Cardinal O’Connor
O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your sons who are close to you because of their priestly ordination and because of the power which they have received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs them so much. Be their comfort, be their joy, be their strength, and especially help them to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy.
Lord Jesus, we your people pray to You for our priests. You have given them to us for OUR needs. We pray for them in THEIR needs.
We know that You have made them priests in the likeness of your own priesthood. You have consecrated them, set them aside, anointed them, filled them with the Holy Spirit, appointed them to teach, to preach, to minister, to console, to forgive, and to feed us with Your Body and Blood.
Yet we know, too, that they are one with us and share our human weaknesses. We know too that they are tempted to sin and discouragement as are we, needing to be ministered to, as do we, to be consoled and forgiven, as do we. Indeed, we thank You for choosing them from among us, so that they understand us as we understand them, suffer with us and rejoice with us, worry with us and trust with us, share our beings, our lives, our faith.
We ask that You give them this day the gift You gave Your chosen ones on the way to Emmaus: Your presence in their hearts, Your holiness in their souls, Your joy in their spirits. And let them see You face to face in the breaking of the Eucharistic bread.
We pray to You, O Lord, through Mary the mother of all priests, for Your priests and for ours. Amen.

Prayer to the Shoulder Would of Jesus by St. Bernard of Clairvaux

O Loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God,
I a miserable sinner, salute and worship
the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder
on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross,
which so tore Thy Flesh and laid bare Thy Bones
as to inflict on Thee an anguish greater
than any other Wound of Thy Most Blessed Body.

I adore Thee, O Jesus most sorrowful;
I praise and glorify Thee and give Thee thanks
for this most sacred and painful Wound,
beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain
and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy Cross
to be merciful to me, a sinner,
to forgive me all my mortal and venial sins,
and to lead me on towards Heaven
along the Way of Thy Cross.
Amen.
Hail Mary… (3x)

St. Padre Pio’s Prayer to Jesus

O my Jesus, give me Your strength
when my weak nature rebels
against the distress and suffering of this life of exile,
and enable me to accept everything with serenity and peace.
With my whole strength I cling to Your merits,
Your sufferings, Your expiation, and Your tears,
so that I may be able to cooperate with You in the work of salvation.
Give me strength to fly from sin, the only cause of Your agony,
Your sweat of blood, and Your death.
Destroy in me all that displeases You
and fill my heart with the fire of Your holy love
and all Your sufferings.
Clasp me tenderly, firmly, close to You
that I may never leave You alone
in Your cruel Passion.
I ask only for a place of rest in Your Heart.
Amen.

St. Gertrude’s Prayer in Honor of Christ’s Passion

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, grant that I may aspire towards Thee with my whole heart, with yearning desire and with thirsting soul, seeking only Thy sweetness and Thy delights, so that my whole mind and all that is within me may ardently sigh to Thee, who art our true Beatitude.
O most merciful Lord, engrave Thy Wounds upon my heart with Thy most Precious Blood, that I may read in them both Thy grief and Thy love; and that the memory of Thy Wounds may ever remain in my inmost heart, to excite my compassion for Thy sufferings and to increase in me Thy love. Grant also that I may despise all creatures, and that my heart may delight in Thee alone.
Amen.

Psalm 22: 2-22

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why so far from my call for help,
from my cries of anguish?
My God, I call by day, but you do not answer;
by night, but I have no relief.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the glory of Israel.
In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted and you rescued them.
To you they cried out and they escaped;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm, not a man,
scorned by men, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they curl their lips and jeer;
they shake their heads at me:
“He relied on the LORD—let him deliver him;
if he loves him, let him rescue him.”
For you drew me forth from the womb,
made me safe at my mother’s breasts.
Upon you I was thrust from the womb;
since my mother bore me you are my God.
Do not stay far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is no one to help.
Many bulls surround me;
fierce bulls of Bashan encircle me.
They open their mouths against me,
lions that rend and roar.
Like water my life drains away;
all my bones are disjointed.
My heart has become like wax,
it melts away within me.
As dry as a potsherd is my throat;
my tongue cleaves to my palate;
you lay me in the dust of death.
Dogs surround me;
a pack of evildoers closes in on me.
They have pierced my hands and my feet
I can count all my bones.
They stare at me and gloat;
they divide my garments among them;
for my clothing they cast lots
But you, LORD, do not stay far off;
my strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my life from the grip of the dog.
Save me from the lion’s mouth,
my poor life from the horns of wild bulls.

Litany of the Passion

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, the eternal Wisdom,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, conversing with men,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, hated by the world,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, sold for thirty pieces of silver,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, prostrate in prayer,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, strengthened by an angel,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, agonizing in a bloody sweat,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, betrayed by Judas with a kiss,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, bound by the soldiers,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, forsaken by Your disciples,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, before Annas and Caiaphas,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, struck by a servant on the face,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, accused by false witnesses,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, declared worthy of death,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, spat upon in the face,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, blindfolded,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, smitten on the cheek,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, thrice denied by Peter,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, delivered up to Pilate,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, despised and mocked by Herod,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, clothed in a white garment,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, rejected for Barabbas,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, torn by scourges,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, bruised for our sins,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, regarded as a leper,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, covered with a purple robe,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, crowned with thorns,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, struck with a reed,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, demanded for crucifixion,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, condemned to death,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, given up to Your enemies,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, laden with the Cross,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, led as a lamb to the slaughter,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, stripped of Your garments,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, fastened with nails to the Cross,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, wounded for our iniquities,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, praying for Your murderers,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, reputed with the wicked,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, blasphemed on the Cross,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, reviled by the malefactor,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, giving Paradise to the thief,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, commending Saint John to Your Mother as her son,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, forsaken by Your Father,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, given gall and vinegar to drink,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, testifying that all things written concerning You were accomplished,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, commending Your Spirit into the hands of Your Father,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, obedient even unto death,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, pierced with a lance,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, made a propitiation for us,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, taken down from the Cross,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, laid in a sepulcher,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, rising gloriously from the dead,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, ascending into heaven,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, our Advocate with the Father,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, sending down the Holy Spirit,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, exalting Your Mother,
Have mercy on us.

Jesus, who shall come to judge the living and the dead,
Have mercy on us.

Be merciful,
spare us, O Lord.

Be merciful,
graciously hear us, O Lord.

From all evil,
deliver us, O Jesus.

From all sin,
deliver us, O Jesus.

From anger, hatred, and every evil will,
deliver us, O Jesus.

From war, famine, and pestilence,
deliver us, O Jesus.

From all dangers of mind and body,
deliver us, O Jesus.

From everlasting death,
deliver us, O Jesus.

Through Your most pure conception,
deliver us, O Jesus.

Through Your miraculous nativity,
deliver us, O Jesus.

Through Your humble circumcision,
deliver us, O Jesus.

Through Your baptism and fasting,
deliver us, O Jesus.

Through Your labors and watchings,
deliver us, O Jesus.

Through Your cruel scourging and crowning,
deliver us, O Jesus.

Through Your thirst, tears, and nakedness,
deliver us, O Jesus.

Through Your precious death and Cross,
deliver us, O Jesus.

Through Your glorious resurrection and ascension,
deliver us, O Jesus.

Through Your sending forth the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete,
deliver us, O Jesus.

On the day of judgment, we sinners,
we beseech You, hear us.

That You would spare us,
we beseech You, hear us.

That You would pardon us,
we beseech You, hear us.

That You would bring us to true penance,
we beseech You, hear us.

That You would pour into our hearts
the grace of the Holy Spirit,
we beseech You, hear us.

That You would defend and propagate Your Church,
we beseech You, hear us.

That You would preserve and increase all societies assembled in Your holy Name,
we beseech You, hear us.

That You would bestow upon us true peace, humility, and charity,
we beseech You, hear us.

That You would give us perseverance in grace and in Your holy service,
we beseech You, hear us.

That You would deliver us from unclean thoughts, the temptations of the devil, and everlasting damnation,
we beseech You, hear us.

That You would unite us to the company of Your Saints,
we beseech You, hear us.

That You would graciously hear us,
we beseech You, hear us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world;
spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world;
graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world;
have mercy on us.

Christ hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless You,
because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.

Gifts of Love & Healing

https://fullofgracedd.com?ref=saint_michael

26th March 2027

Good Friday Prayer

 

They brought Jesus to the house of the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate in the morning and charged Jesus with subverting the nation by His preaching and opposing payment of taxes to Caesar and also making Him the King of Jews. Even though Pilate wanted to release Jesus but due to the compulsion of the Jews and fearing that riots may happen if Jesus was released, Pilate washed his hands in front of the Jews telling that the sin of the blood of this Man was not on him, and handed over Jesus to the Jews for crucification. The Jews and the guards ill-treated Jesus and loaded the cross on His shoulders. Jesus carried His cross to the site of crucification called the place of the skull (Golgotha in Hebrew and Calvary in Latin). Jesus suffered on the cross for about six hours and gave-up His spirit at about 3.00 p.m. Some researchers say that the date of death of Jesus on the cross was April 3, 33 A.D. Jesus was buried in the tomb by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, both members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council that first convicted Jesus to death by following the Jewish burial customs.

Good Friday is a day of fast for the Catholic Christians. On this day they are permitted to eat one full meal and two small repasts together do not equal to one full meal and should abstain from eating meat. Why the day of the death of Jesus the Son of God is called Good Friday? What is good in this day instead of sorrow? The reason is that Jesus died for the absolving the sins of all the human beings. The benefits for the humanity due to the death of Jesus are good. No celebration of Eucharist and ringing of bells in the churches on this day. Baptism can be given only to persons who are in danger of death.

O Jesus, Who by reason of Thy burning love for us hast willed to be crucified and to shed Thy Most Precious Blood for the redemption and salvation of our souls, look down upon us here gathered together in
remembrance of Thy most sorrowful Passion and Death, fully trusting in Thy mercy; cleanse us from sin by Thy grace, sanctify our toil, give unto us and unto all those who are dear to us our daily bread, sweeten our sufferings, bless our families, and to the nations so sorely afflicted, grant Thy peace, which is the only true peace, so that by obeying Thy commandments we may come at last to the glory of heaven. Amen.

Good Friday

The Day Christians Remember the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ

Good Friday is one of the most solemn days of the Christian year. It commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ at Calvary — the moment at the heart of the Christian story of salvation.

It is observed on the Friday before Easter, forming the second day of the Paschal Triduum (Holy Thursday → Good Friday → Holy Saturday).

Why It Is Called “Good” Friday

Although the day remembers suffering and death, Christians call it Good because:

  • Christ’s sacrifice brought redemption and salvation.
  • The word “good” once meant holy or pious in older English usage.

Thus, the “good” refers not to the pain of the day, but to the goodness of what Christ accomplished through His Passion.

What Good Friday Commemorates

1. The Crucifixion of Jesus

Jesus willingly suffers and dies on the cross, fulfilling Scripture and offering Himself for the salvation of humanity.

2. The Hours of Darkness

From noon to 3 p.m., the Gospels record darkness over the land — the hours many churches mark with the Three Hours’ Agony service.

3. The Burial of Jesus

Good Friday ends with Jesus laid in the tomb, beginning the quiet waiting of Holy Saturday.

How Good Friday Is Observed

Across Christian traditions, Good Friday is marked by solemnity, silence, and prayer. Common practices include:

• The Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

A liturgy with:

  • Scripture readings of the Passion
  • Veneration of the Cross
  • Holy Communion (consecrated on Holy Thursday)

• Fasting and Abstinence

A day of penance and simplicity.

• Stations of the Cross

Prayed especially on Good Friday evening.

• Silence and Reflection

Many Christian countries even restrict public entertainment to honor the solemnity of the day.

The Meaning of Good Friday for Believers

Good Friday invites Christians to:

  • Contemplate Christ’s love shown through sacrifice
  • Recognize the cost of sin and the depth of God’s mercy
  • Prepare spiritually for the joy of Easter
  • Enter into the mystery of suffering transformed by love

It is a day of mourning — but also of profound hope, because the story does not end at the cross.

PRAYER MEDITATION FOR GOOD FRIDAY

My Most Glorious and Suffering Lord, it is Your Hour. It is the Hour by which You conquered sin and death. It is the Hour for which You came into this world, taking on flesh so as to offer Your precious life for the salvation of the world. May I be with You, dear Lord, in these moments of suffering and death. May I, like Your Mother, John and Mary Magdalene, stand at the foot of the Cross, gazing upon the perfect Gift of Love. My suffering Lord, may I see in Your Cross the most perfect act ever known in this world. May I see Love in its most pure form. May my eyes and soul look beyond the blood and pain and see Your Divine Heart, pouring forth Mercy upon me and upon the whole world. Today I kneel in silent adoration of You, my God. I sit quietly, beholding the great mystery of our faith. I behold God, beaten, bruised, mocked, tortured and killed. But in this act, I see all grace and Mercy flowing from Your wounded Heart. Bathe the world in Your Mercy, dear Lord. Cover us with Your grace and draw us to new life through Your death. I love You, dear Lord. I love You with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.

Gifts of Love & Healing

https://fullofgracedd.com?ref=saint_michael

27th March 2027

Holy Saturday

 

  It is the last day of the Holy Week. In this day Jesus body remained in the rock hewn tomb originally made for Joseph of Arimathea, member of the Jewish Council. Though a member of the council, he had not consented to the council’s purpose and deed (Luke 23:51) but also he did not supported Jesus during the trial in the council. Some legend says that this Joseph of Arimathea was an uncle of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Some say that the Sanhedrin should be convened only during the daytime to deal with criminal charges and also criminal charges should not be transacted during the Passover season. Moreover it must meet in the Hall of Hewn Stone for its decision to be valid. But these procedures were not followed. But the meeting was convened during the night and at the residence of the Chief Priest. The Jewish leaders in their haste to eliminate Jesus quickly did not seem to have followed their own rules about Sanhedrin. Holy Saturday lasts till dusk or 6.00 p.m. and after which the Easter Vigil is celebrated. The church service usually starts with the blessing of fresh fire and the lighting of the Paschal Candle. All faithful are required to renew their baptism vows and baptism administered to children and other new entrants to the Catholic Church.

 

Holy Saturday

The Day of Sacred Silence and Waiting

Holy Saturday is the quiet, solemn day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday, when Christians remember Jesus lying in the tomb and His descent among the dead. It is the final day of Holy Week and the bridge between the sorrow of the Passion and the joy of the Resurrection.

What Holy Saturday Commemorates

1. Jesus in the Tomb

After His crucifixion, Jesus’ body rested in the tomb. The Church keeps this day in silence, mirroring the stillness of the disciples who mourned and waited.

2. The Descent into Hell (Harrowing of Hell)

According to the ancient Christian belief expressed in the Creed, Jesus “descended into hell” — not the place of the damned, but the realm of the dead — to free the righteous who awaited the Redeemer.
This is the final phase of His saving mission.

3. The Great Sabbath

Many traditions call this day the Great Sabbath, because Christ “rested” from His redemptive work, just as God rested after creation.

How Holy Saturday Is Observed

A Day of Silence and Reflection

The Church refrains from celebrating Mass during the day. The faithful are encouraged to pray, fast, and meditate on Christ’s Passion and His rest in the tomb.

Morning Prayer / Office of Readings

Communities gather for Scripture and prayer, reflecting on the mystery of Christ’s descent among the dead.

The Easter Vigil (After Sunset)

The celebration of the Easter Vigil begins after nightfall and marks the transition from Holy Saturday into Easter. It includes:

  • The Service of Light (blessing of the fire and Paschal candle)
  • The Liturgy of the Word (salvation history)
  • Baptisms and Confirmations (an ancient tradition)
  • The First Mass of Easter

The Vigil is the high point of the entire liturgical year.

Names for Holy Saturday Around the World

Holy Saturday is known by many titles, reflecting its depth and universality:

  • Great and Holy Saturday
  • The Great Sabbath
  • Black Saturday
  • Easter Eve
  • Joyous Saturday / Saturday of Light (Coptic and Eastern traditions)
  • Hallelujah Saturday (Portugal, Brazil)

The Holy Fire (Jerusalem)

In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the ancient Holy Fire ceremony takes place — a tradition documented for nearly a thousand years. The Patriarch enters the tomb of Christ, prays, and emerges with a flame said to be miraculously lit, which is then shared among the faithful.

The Spiritual Meaning of Holy Saturday

Holy Saturday teaches believers to:

  • Wait in hope, even in darkness
  • Trust that God is working “in the silence”
  • Recognize Christ’s victory over death already unfolding
  • Prepare their hearts for the joy of Easter

It is a day of quiet expectation, where the Church stands at the threshold of Resurrection.

Holy Saturday Prayer to Be Joined with Christ in Death

O Lord, Your sorrowing Mother stood by Your Cross; help us in our sorrows to share Your sufferings. Like the seed buried in the ground, You have produced the harvest of eternal life for us; make us always dead to sin and alive to God. Shepard of all, in death you remained hidden from the world; teach us to love our hidden spiritual life with You and the Father. In Your role as the new Adam, You went down among the dead to release all the just there since the beginning; grant that all who are dead in sin may hear Your voice and rise to new life. Son of the living God, You have allowed us through baptism to be buried with You; grant that we may also rise with You in baptism and walk in newness of life.

Holy Saturday Prayers

All-powerful and ever-living God, your only Son went down among the dead and rose again in glory. In your goodness raise up your faithful people, buried with him in baptism, to be one with him in the eternal life of heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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