Holy Saturday
On Holy Saturday we remember the day that Jesus Christ lay in the tomb after His death on the Cross. During this day Mary and the loyal followers of Jesus - His disciples - were full of sorrow and sadness as they remembered the cruel suffering Jesus had endured.
The altar in the church is left bare, and the sacrifice of the Mass is not celebrated on this day (until after sundown). It is during the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday (after sundown on the Jewish Sabbath) that the Easter Vigil is celebrated. Traditionally the service would begin around ten pm, so that that the Solemn Vigil Mass couold start at midnight. Only after the solemn vigil during the night, does the Easter celebration begin, with a spirit of joy that lasts for the following period of fifty days.
