Holy Week

Great and Holy Saturday

Christ in the tomb and the descent into Hades

Icon: Great and Holy Saturday
Entombment of Christ by Rublev's workshop (1425–7, T.S.Lavra) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

When: Saturday of Holy Week.

Holy Saturday is the blessed Sabbath when Christ’s body rested in the tomb, while His soul descended into Hades to free those held there. It is a day of quiet expectation between the Cross and the Resurrection.

The morning Vespers with the Liturgy of St Basil includes fifteen Old Testament readings about God’s saving acts; during it the dark vestments are changed for white, and the first proclamation of the Resurrection is made.

Many prepare Paschal foods to be blessed, and the Midnight Office leads directly into the Paschal service.

Written for this app in our own words from the Gospels and long-standing Church tradition. All Great Feasts & Holy Week · Calendar