Children in France and Belgium are told that church bells fall silent after Mass on Holy Thursday because they have flown to Rome. They come back on Easter night, loaded with chocolate. Holy Saturday is the day their absence is felt the most: no bells, no Mass during the day, bare altars and an open, empty tabernacle. For a Holy Saturday emoji, that is quite a brief: drawing silence.
This is the day the Church keeps watch by the tomb. An ancient homily, read that day in the Office of Readings, speaks of “a great silence on earth today.” Christ has descended to the dead, and Eastern tradition shows him breaking down the gates of hell to take Adam and Eve by the hand. Meanwhile, in parish churches, people quietly get ready for the Vigil: the new fire, the Easter candle, the flowers hidden in the sacristy until nightfall.
A Holy Saturday emoji would be a paradox: showing a wait. A tomb sealed with a heavy stone, a bell flying off on little wings, a candle just snuffed out with a curl of smoke, a night 🌙 just before the dawn 🌅. Send us your version of this silence; the form is right below.
Amen !by AI Generator
Amen !by AI Generator
This post is also available in: Français (French) Italiano (Italian) Español (Spanish) Português (Portuguese (Brazil))
Leave a Reply