March 26, 2026
Thought and Prayer for the Day
by
Rev. Dr. Gary Gannon
We find ourselves now at the time known as Passiontide. Traditionally, it is when we commemorate the suffering of Jesus Christ during the two weeks prior to Easter Sunday. Certain days during this period are more familiar to many of us – for example, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. But what about Holy Saturday – that day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday? I’ve been recently thinking about this question.
Holy Saturday marks the day Jesus lay in the tomb after his crucifixion. In that original pause between his death and resurrection, his disciples were apprehensive about what their future might bring and whether they could continue to have faith in the person they had been following for several years. These apostles were unsure whether to believe that Jesus would rise from the dead, as he said he would.
Anglican, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Reformed, Oriental Orthodox (Coptic, Ethiopian, Syriac) and Moravian churches all observe Holy Saturday with various practices. In the Anglican tradition, this day (also called Easter Even or Low Saturday) is a time of transition and quiet anticipation. There is no celebration of the Eucharist during the daylight hours of Holy Saturday. It is a solemn time when we await the Resurrection of Jesus following his suffering and death on the cross on Good Friday. The church remains this day in a state of watchful waiting and prayer.
Many churches today offer an Easter Vigil after sunset on Holy Saturday. Congregations often gather around a fire outside a darkened church, from which the Easter (Paschal) candle is eventually lit and brought inside. This depiction of new life and light represents Jesus’s resurrection on the first Easter morning. Parishioners then light their own candles from this Easter candle to symbolise their own coming into new life as followers of Jesus.
I highly recommend to you, (1) Read Psalm 27 – (particularly v. 14) which in this year’s Lectionary is part of Evening Prayer on Holy Saturday; and (2) Watch the following YouTube video The World Holds Its Breath: An Easter Vigil message from Bishop Andrew Asbil, recorded by our own Bishop Andrew Asbil, of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto: .
Prayer
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
–The Anglican Compass
