On Holy Saturday

The Holy Sabbath§1

1On the holy Sabbath, the discourse of Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium, for the holy Sabbath. Today we celebrate the epitaphios feast of our Savior.

And while He is the one near the dead below death, loosening the bonds and filling Hades with light and awakening those who have fallen asleep, we dance, imagining the resurrection upon the earth, and we have not surrendered to corruption, lest it overpower incorruptibility. For He says, 'You shall not see your Holy One see corruption' (Acts 2:27). And perhaps Jews and Greeks laugh at our philosophy; some awaiting a different Christ, others having entrusted their hopes to tombs, concerning which the prophet appropriately says: 'Their graves will be their homes forever' (Ps 16:10). But while those laughing groan—for they will groan later seeing Him whom they stretched out and insulted—let us, weeping, receive the passion with joy.

Death seized the Lord Christ, but it shall not keep life with itself. It swallowed Him in ignorance, but He will vomit out many with Him. Though He is currently held, after having plundered Hades this day, He rises. Yesterday, having been crucified, He darkened the sun, and while it was midday, night came; today death is loosed, having received a strange dead man.

Yesterday creation mourned, seeing the madness of the Jews, and the darkness clothed itself in mourning garments; today the people sitting in darkness saw a great light (Isa 9:2). Yesterday the earth rejoiced and was counseling about flight, and threatened to depart from those dwelling in it, and the mountains were being cut and the rocks were being split; and the temple was naked, as if having torn the garment through which it breathed and suffered.

The Paradoxical Suffering of Christ§2

2He shows how the holy things were profaned. The soulless consequences of the audacity were felt, but those committing these things had souls without feeling. The elements were enraged and left the order of the small things behind, and he worked a confusion of all, unless one knew the will of the Creator, that he was not acting out of malice or insolence.

Oh, of these new and paradoxical things! By wood he is stretched out, tearing the heaven with his word, and he is surrounded by bonds, the one who bound the sea with sand, and he is given gall to drink, he who granted the springs y, and he is crowned with thorns, he who crowned the earth with flowers, and his head is struck with a reed, he who struck Egypt with the ten plagues and covered the head of Pharaoh with the waters, and his face is spat upon, whom even the cherubim cannot bear to see. And suffering these things, he prayed for those crucifying him, saying: 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing' (Luke 23:34).

He overcomes evil with goodness; he justifies those who kill Christ for their own salvation by catching them in a snare; he dissolves the crime by blaming ignorance; he does not grow angry at their rebukes, becoming a plaything; he receives the drunkenness and calls through philanthropy toward repentance. What more is needed to say? Having not stripped away the goodness, they enclose him in a tomb in which nothing of the living can fit, and they place signs upon us, guarding the salvation and fearing the resurrection, they station soldiers as guards at the tomb. Who has seen a dead man being guarded? Rather, who has seen...

The Futility of Fighting God§3

3Is it a dead war being fought? Who has heard the end being thrown back and forth and causing dread to those who labored? Who did not stop against an enemy, having taken away the soul? Who did not end enmity, having been satisfied by the death of the enemy? Why do you consume that which you did with cowardice, O Jew? Why do you fear that which you killed? Why do you tremble at the one who was moved? Why are you afraid of the one who was taken away? Why do you struggle over that which you crucified? You have safety from the slaughter.

Take courage: if the one having died is a mere man, he does not rise; if a mere man, you well nailed the cross; if a mere man, he does not speak the truth, 'Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up' (John 2:19); if a mere man, he is held by death; if a mere man, why do you seal the tomb, you foolish onesWait for the third day and you shall see the refutation of his own madness.

Stop meddling and see the outcome of the things; stop grieving against the truth; stop warring against God and in warring destroying yourself; stop insulting the sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2) and thinking those rays are to be extinguished; stop approaching the fountain of life through contention; stop bothering the rulers and discussing about the guard; stop using falsehood and stirring up the soldiers. Do not grow weary being ignorant, do not consume things in impiety, do not imagine victory against God, do not give wages to soldiers.

The Unstoppable Resurrection§4

4To say other things instead of others: do not let the crowd be lulled to sleep by the tomb, and do not be emboldened by weapons. Resurrection is not hindered by weapons, nor is it obstructed by seals, nor is it barred by soldiers, nor is it stolen by money.

But are you unbelieving? Did you not see Lazarus of old, having cast off death like sleep? I saw how the dead followed the command and the bond did not prevent him. I saw how he walked out of Hades hearing with those waxen strips. I saw how the voice joined what death had dissolved. He who was able to do that and these things—he who raised the servant—himself raises much more; he who gave life to the decayed will not leave himself a dead man.

But indeed the blindness of the Jews is great, and seeing the wonders, one does not see; they have eyes and do not see, they have ears and do not hear. For the God of this age has blinded their hearts so as not to shine the gospel of righteousness to them. But let us leave those entirely to their unbelief, while we speak, mentally re-enacting for ourselves the tomb of the Savior with those concerning the faithful Mary: He was our Lord and we did not know what they did to Him. To Him be the glory with the spotless Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.