Holy Saturday. A day of watchful waiting. The silence of the tomb. Jesus has descended Into Hell. For His mercy endures forever and wherever. For this holiest of Saturdays, I felt it would be fitting to reflect on Death, ours, and that of Jesus. A tough ask, and a tad overwhelming, so I drew on a couple of trusty guides for help. St. Francis De Sales (Introduction to a Devout Life). And Msgr. James Shea (How Do We Respond to Death, YouTube/Focus Catholic). I have liberally drawn from the wellspring of their wisdom.
Death
For God formed us to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made us. But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world, and they who are allied with him experience it. Wisdom 2:23-24
St. Francis de Sales has us imagine lying on our deathbed, with no hope of recovery. Consider then how the world is at an end, as regards self. Consider the painful farewell that the soul must take of all its earthly attachments of this lower world: wealth, vanity, amusements, friends, neighbors, parents, children, husband, wife, everything earthly. Finally, it must part from the body, leaving it pale, sunken, forsaken, hideous, and vile. And what of the soul? Which way will it go? To the right or the left? St. Francis answers: whichever way we chose during our life.
We would do well to consider the weight of our sins. Think of God’s mercies (abused), God’s inspirations (despised), God’s good impulses (neglected), Sacraments (received with poor or no preparation). Do we deserve anything but Hell? Only God’s mercies will preserve us from eternal damnation.
Why Did Jesus die?
Jesus died to conquer death. How? St Ephrem the Syrian (306-373 AD) in a homily on the Cross of Christ explains:
Death could not devour our Lord unless he possessed a body, neither could hell swallow him up unless he bore our flesh; and so, he came in search of a chariot in which to ride to the underworld. This chariot was the body which he received from the Virgin; in it he invaded death’s fortress, broke open its strong room and scattered all its treasure.
There on the Cross, God and the ancient enemy are engaged in hand-to-hand combat on the crucifix, and Lucifer falls like lightning from the sky.
Everything Jesus touched during life was transformative: He healed leprosy, restored sight, cured the sick, raising the dead to life. During His passion, all of His transformative power is brought to a crescendo. Every cruel blow, every taunt, every weapon the devil inflicts, is turned against his assailant. Jesus experienced the full gamut of the human anguish, and He redeemed it. Death towers over Him and just when it tries to devour Him, in a sudden reversal, is swallowed up “like a tiny snowball in a volcano” and forever vanquished.
Hail, O Cross, Our Only Hope
The world asks: where is God in the midst of so much depravity: wars, cruel dictators, addictions, mental illness, injustice, and inhumanity. God in silent eloquence is at the heart of it all. For we are precious in His sight, and He will not suffer His loving children to suffer corruption.
The Cross is the glorious instrument that will shine brighter than the Sun on Judgment Day, when Our Sovereign Judge will separate the good from the bad, both companies instantaneously and forever separated. The bad are thrust into the infernal abyss, plunged into an eternity of despair, rage, torment and woe. But the good are beckoned into life with the loving-kindness that is God almighty. Benediction of benedictions!
Thank God for giving us the time and means to audit our consciences, discern corrective measures, hasten Confession, and apply needful remedies. The time to tremble is now. Let us abhor our sins, which alone can destroy our soul on that fearful day. Let us daily pick up our own cross and follow in the footsteps of our Lord.
