(Reflection for Black Saturday)
Gospel:
After the Sabbath, at the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene went to visit the tomb. Suddenly, there was a violent earthquake: an angel of the Lord descending from heaven, came to the stone, rolled it from the entrance of the tomb, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning and his garments white as snow. The guards trembled in fear and became like dead men when they saw the angel. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him; then go at once and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead and is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, this is my message for you.”
They left the tomb at once in holy fear, yet with great joy, and they ran to tell the news to the disciples.
Suddenly, Jesus met them on the way and said, “Peace”. The women approached him, embraced his feet and worshiped him. But Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to set out for Galilee; there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:1-10)
Reflections:
All the people who died before Jesus Christ had not been yet entered into the paradise of heaven. Due to the sin that was committed by our first parents, Adam and Eve, we became unworthy of heaven. That was one of the consequences of sin. So, on this day, we commemorate the descending of Jesus to the Dead (Hell):
“Holy Saturday celebrates the mysterious statement of the Apostles’ Creed of “descending to hell.” The Creed understanding of ‘hell’ has nothing to do with our understanding of hell as a place of eternal punishment. ‘Hell’ here needs to be understood as the Jewish Sheol or the Greek Hades, a place of a shadowy existence. Thus, “he [Christ] descended to hell” means robbing hell of its inhabitants by setting them free for a new existence: “and the earth shook, and the rocks were split; the tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.” (Matthew 27:51-53)”[1]
When the Father sent his Son Jesus, He is not only concerned for saving those who were living at that time. He wants to save the whole humanity including those who have died before Christ, those who were living on his time and all the people of the generations to come. The sin that was committed by Adam and Eve was not only a personal sin. That was a sin of the whole human race. As the first parents, they have the full responsibility of making the will of God be obeyed. With all the graces that were given to them, still they were fallen to the temptation of the devil. At that time that they are the only people, they composed the whole human race. Thus when they sinned, it was the human race who sinned. All the offspring after them, therefore, have the stain of sin on their soul.
As human, we cannot save ourselves because who whom we sinned is so much above from us. God so loved us that he wants us to be worthy again of heaven, so he redeems us through also his own effort by sending his Son. We can be saved alone by the “Being” who is also divine in nature as God. But God does not want us to be saved in a simple act. In simple prompting of his marvelous attributes, he can save us immediately but he does not want to do that. He wants us to know him more not just higher “Being” who is so far from us. He wants that salvation becomes so personal act. So by sending his Son, he makes us to realize our much value as human because though his Godness, he let himself to take the form of human. By doing so, he does bless the humanity itself. He sends also Jesus for us to hear the divine message in a personal way. He wants us also to feel the love of God though the manifestation and living voice of Jesus – his living Word. What Jesus teaches us are the principles of life for us to live a happy (blessed) life and that will lead us into our salvation. Salvation means being with him on this life and after life.
Jesus is the center of the works of salvation. He saves us all from those of Adam’s time up until now. Jesus descended to hell to free those who were captives in shadowy existence for them to see the light of heaven. By the blood of Jesus, heaven is opened again to humanity. Jesus is the hope of the dead, the living, and the generations to come.
May we not waste the redemption and the saving act of Jesus. May we realize that love of God is much glorious and meaningful than sinning against him. May we see that we, too, have the part in our salvation. Jesus done his part, it is also proper for us to make our own effort to save us. Salvation is not a one-way act. Salvation is done by Jesus and must be continued by our own personal commitment to it.
Let us take also our own crosses and help Jesus in saving the world.
[1] Reflection for April 23, 2011 (Holy Saturday), Bible Diary 2011 (Philippines: Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc., 2010)
