Holy Saturday 2016

Silence

Observances

By tradition, the faithful spend the day after Good Friday "silently" awaiting the Resurrection. We remember the time Jesus spent in His tomb, and we acknowledge the Harrowing of Hell.

Mass is not celebrated on Holy Saturday, and the sacraments may only be administered to the dying.





At sundown (approximately), Holy Saturday ends and the Easter Vigil begins. It is at this service that a parish's catechumens are baptized into the faith, and the congregation renews its baptismal vows after being sprinkled with holy water by their priest using an aspergillum. This practice dates back to the 9th century.

The Easter Vigil marks the conclusion of Holy Week, and the beginning of Eastertide.

"Does this mean there's a chocolate binge coming soon?"

It is possible that it does, yes....

The Latest Islamist Outrage

From the pen of Chip Bok, whose editorial cartoons you should read often, as I do.

[It is well for Christians to remember that the sort of barbarity practiced by the Romans in Jesus's time no longer belongs exclusively to antiquity.]

Until Next Time...

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was one of the foremost composers of sacred music during the Italian Renaissance. He spent virtually his entire career in Rome, thanks largely to the patronage of Pope Julius III. After his death in 1594 he was buried beneath the floor of the basilica at St. Peter's, in recognition of the hundreds of compositions he contributed to the liturgical repertoire.

Like most liturgical composers of his time, Palestrina composed a musical setting for  
The Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet, which have traditionally been a part of 
Holy Week services since the 9th century.

The Tallis Scholars is a British vocal ensemble dedicated to preserving, recording, and performing historically significant a cappella sacred music.

The group's particular specialty is the sort of Renaissance polyphony of which Palestrina's music is considered to be the pinnacle.
The group has produced several recordings of Palestrina's work,
and has contributed significantly to its renewed popularity in liturgical settings as well as in concert.


Today's send-off is the group's stirring 1998 recording of Palestrina's "Lamentations for Holy Saturday, Lesson 3." Enjoy...