If in Holy Thursday is dominated by the solemnity of the institution of the Eucharist and on Good Friday by sadness, pain and penance for the Passion and death of Jesus, with his burial; on Holy Saturday, however, silence, meditation and meditation predominate for Jesus who lies in the tomb before the joy of Easter Sunday with the announcement of the Resurrection.
Starting from the 4th century in some places, on this day the candidates for Baptism (catechumens) made their public profession of faith before being admitted into the Church, a rite which then took place during the Easter Vigil.
Around the 16th century, it began with an anticipation of the Christmas Eve on the morning of Holy Saturdayperhaps because it was not advisable to stay away from home at night, in any case this anticipation of Saturday morning lasted until the late fifties of the twentieth century: around 10-11 am on Saturday morning the bells were “untied” from the ties placed on the evening of Holy Thursday for the announcement of the Resurrection
Then with the Conciliar liturgical reform, everything has returned to its origins and Saturday has regained the meaning of the day of meditation and penance; the darkness in the churches is total, there are no liturgical celebrations or Holy Masses; it is the only day of the year that Communion cannot be received, except in the case of Viaticum for the seriously ill.
All is silence while waiting for the event of the Resurrection. How long was Jesus buried in the tomb? They were three non-full days, from the evening of Friday until dawn on the day after the Jewish Sabbath feast, which today is Easter Sunday, but which for the Jews was the first day of the week; in total it lasted about 40 hours.
It must be said that with today’s liturgy, the “Easter Vigil” is scheduled in most of our churches and cathedrals, starting around 10pm on Saturday; but the Easter Vigil, mother of all the Vigils celebrated by the Christian liturgy, although starting in the last hour of Saturday, in fact belongs to the solemn Liturgy of Easter.
During the “Vigil” the fire, the “Paschal candle” and the baptismal water are blessed; trying to make the singing of “Gloria” coincide with the ringing of the bells, around midnight. In other areas the “Vigil” begins around midnight and then the Eucharistic liturgy continues into the early hours of the night
