Prayer for Holy Saturday

The women saw how his body was laid; and they prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:55,56

Holy Saturday (in Latin, Sabbatum Sanctum ), the 'day of the entombed Christ,' is the Lord's day of rest, for on that day Christ's body lay in His tomb. Ideally, Holy Saturday should be the quietest day of the year (although this is not so easy in a busy household with children or for those of us preparing sermons.) It is a time for quietness and meditation. In our full day of preparations, may we find time for meditation and quietness. Perhaps our sermons, liturgy, children's sermon, songs and prayers are the spices and ointments we prepare for Jesus. What spices and ointments are you preparing? How will you rest today? How will you find time for quietness and meditation?

Heavenly Father, I am silenced at the grave of Your Son. In justice You called for Him, who knew no sin, to be made sin for us. Yet You permitted Your Son to die in innocence. In love He came to us but He was rejected by hate. He taught us obedience but men rebelled against Him.

I confess that a great mystery confronts me at this tomb of sin and death. He was buried behind the great seal of my sin and my death. By faith I know also that He who died is the One who unlocked the great secret of Your love. His tomb is my tomb. He carried with Him to the grave my sin and my death that He might break their hold on me.

Trusting in the Lord’s promise that He would rise again on the third day, I come not to mourn Him but to confess the sin that He would leave buried. Have mercy on me O God! Have mercy on me. Amen. Scot Kinnaman

Here are also three meditations on Holy Saturday written by the Pope while he was still a Cardinal.
Here is an ancient Homily for Holy Saturday
Here are some interesting thoughts on Holy Saturday, "Uncomfortably Numb", posted by an English Dominican Seminarian