Black Saturday: The Silence That Speaks of Hope
Black Saturday, the day that lies hidden between Good Friday's agony and Easter Sunday's glory, is one of the most theologically rich and spiritually profound moments of the Paschal Triduum. It is a day of apparent divine silence, stillness in the tomb, and mourning suspended in the hope of fulfillment. Yet, in this seeming emptiness, we find the fertile ground for the mystery of salvation to unfold. It is the holy Sabbath of the Lord, when creation rests, and redemption is wrought in the grave's hidden depths. The Church does not celebrate the Holy Eucharist on this day. The tabernacles are empty, the altars stripped, and the bells remain silent. The world appears bereft of divine presence. And yet, it is on this day that the ancient proclamation in the Apostles’ Creed takes on deepest meaning: “He descended into hell.” This descent is not a journey into damnation but the triumphant entry of the Crucified into the realm of the dead, to shatter the bonds of death and libera...