Holy Saturday: The Harrowing of Hell

Something strange is happening - there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness because God has died in the flesh and and hell trembles with fear... He has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve... He took them by the hand and raised them up, saying ... ”I order you , O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. RIse from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we from only one person and we cannot be separated... Rise..”      Excerpted from
an ancient homily on the holy and great Sabbath