Holy Saturday as we await the Resurrection
Massimo Palombella
Holy Saturday is the third day of the Easter Triduum: it is a day of mourning and silence, on which the Church contemplates the mystery of Jesus’ burial and his descent into Hell.
This is the day on which Jesus fulfils God’s promise by redeeming the righteous of old from the realm of death: by breaking down the gates of Hell, he opens the gates of heaven forever for those who, through the waters of baptism and the witness of faith, unite themselves with him in his redemptive Passion.
Let us too contemplate the tomb, sealed and guarded by soldiers, as we await the joyful light of the Resurrection.
The text of the ninth and final responsory of Holy Saturday (in the Office of Darkness) is as follows:
Sepulto Domino
signatum est monumentum,
volventes lapidem ad ostium monumenti,
ponentes milites qui custodirent illum.
Accedentes principes sacerdotum ad Pilatum, petierunt illum:
ponentes milites qui custodirent illum.
When the Lord had been laid to rest,
the tomb was sealed
and a stone was rolled up against the entrance to the tomb:
soldiers were posted to guard the tomb.
The chief priests went to Pilate to ask for permission: soldiers were posted to guard the tomb.
The attached music is by Marc’Antonio Ingegneri. The live performance is by the Schola Cantorum Venerandae Fabricae at the concert “Vigilate et orate. The Responsories of the Officium Tenebrarum by Marc’Antonio Ingegneri’ at the Mahler Auditorium (Milan) on 30 March 2026.
