The Lord's descent into hell
A reading from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday
"What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great
silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was
in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the
ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.
Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to
visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the
prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and
Adam's son.
The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When Adam,
the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out
to all: 'My Lord be with you all.' And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And
with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O
sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.
‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your
descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth,
and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.
‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner
in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man,
work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go
hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.
‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your
form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under
the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead;
for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and
crucified in a garden.
‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order
to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my
cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own
image.
'See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load
of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for
a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil
one.
`I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept in
paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your
side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked
the sword which was turned against you.
‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of
paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of
heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am
united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would
slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.
"The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and
waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting
houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been
opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages."
A reading from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday
Prayer
Almighty, ever-living God, whose Only-begotten Son descended to the realm of
the dead, and rose from there to glory,
grant that your faithful people, who were buried with him in baptism, may, by
his resurrection, obtain eternal life.
(We make our prayer) through our Lord.
(Through Christ our Lord.)
(We make our prayer) through our Lord.
(Through Christ our Lord.)
