On Great and Holy Saturday, the Orthodox Church commemorates the burial of Jesus Christ and His descent into Hades. This solemn day falls between the Crucifixion of our Lord and His glorious Resurrection, embodying a time of transition and anticipation.
The Liturgy of Great and Holy Saturday
The Divine Liturgy celebrated on the morning of Great and Holy Saturday is that of Saint Basil the Great. It begins with Vespers, followed by the chanting of the evening hymn O Gladsome Light. A series of Old Testament readings follows, recounting pivotal events and prophecies related to humanity’s salvation through the death of the Son of God.
- The first reading, from Genesis, describes the creation of the world.
- The sixth reading recounts Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea and Moses’ song of victory over Pharaoh, with the refrain: For He is gloriously glorified.
- The final reading tells of the Three Youths in the fiery furnace of Babylon, with their song of praise and the refrain: Sing praises to the Lord and exalt Him above all forever.
The Epistle reading reflects on how, through Christ’s death, we too shall rise to new life. Following the Epistle, the choir chants a call to the sleeping Christ: Arise, O Lord, judge the earth, for You shall inherit all the nations. The deacon then carries the Book of the Gospels and proclaims the first message of the Resurrection from the Gospel of Matthew.
As the Vespers portion of the service transitions to Pascha (Easter), the burial hymns of Saturday blend with Resurrection hymns, infusing the service with Paschal joy. After the Epistle, the priest scatters laurel leaves, proclaiming: Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You shall inherit all nations. The Cherubic Hymn of the day, Let all mortal flesh keep silence and stand with fear and trembling, is a profound expression of adoration and awe. The Divine Liturgy concludes with the Communion Hymn: The Lord awoke as one asleep, and He has risen to save us.
Commemoration of Holy Saturday
Great and Holy Saturday centers on the mystery of Christ’s descent into Hades, the realm of the dead. Here, death—humanity’s ultimate enemy—is defeated from within. As the Liturgy of Saint Basil proclaims: He gave Himself as a ransom to death, by which we were held captive, sold under sin. Descending into Hades through the Cross, He loosed the bonds of death.
The focus of this day is the Tomb of Christ, which is no ordinary grave. Far from a place of decay and defeat, it is life-giving—a source of power, victory, and liberation. Great and Holy Saturday is a day of watchful expectation, where mourning transforms into joy. It embodies xarmolipi—the Greek term for joyful-sadness—that has characterized the services of Holy Week.
The Church’s hymnography captures this profound mystery through a poetic dialogue between Jesus and His Mother, the Virgin Mary:
- Christ: Weep not for Me, O Mother, beholding in the sepulcher the Son whom you conceived without seed in your womb. For I shall rise and be glorified, and as God, I shall exalt in everlasting glory those who magnify you with faith and love.
- The Mother: O Son without beginning, I was blessed at Your wondrous birth, spared all travail. But now, beholding You, my God, a lifeless corpse, I am pierced by the sword of bitter sorrow. Arise, that I may be magnified.
- Christ: By My own will, the earth covers Me, O Mother, but the gatekeepers of hell tremble as they see Me, clothed in the bloodstained garment of vengeance. For on the Cross, as God, I have struck down My enemies, and I shall rise again and magnify you.
- Christ: Let creation rejoice exceedingly, let all born on earth be glad, for hell, the enemy, has been despoiled. Women, come to meet Me with sweet spices, for I am delivering Adam and Eve with all their offspring, and on the third day, I shall rise again.
(9th Ode of the Canon)
Great and Holy Saturday is a day of pre-eminent rest. Christ observes a Sabbath rest in the tomb—not in inactivity, but in fulfilling the divine plan for the salvation of humankind and the cosmos. The One who created all things now makes all things new. Through His incarnation, life, and death, Christ has re-created the world, opening a path for all to rise from the dead. As Saint Paul writes: God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19).
Eternal life penetrated the depths of Hades, and Christ, the Author of Life, destroyed death by His death. The Church joyously sings: All things are filled with light: heaven, earth, and the depths below (Paschal Canon). The Church, as the eternal reality where Christ’s presence triumphs over Satan, hell, and death, celebrates this victory.
The solemn observance of Great and Holy Saturday reminds us that, despite the struggles of history and the presence of sin in human hearts, life has been liberated. Christ has shattered the power of death.
Hymns of Holy Saturday
Resurrectional Apolytikia
- When the honorable Joseph took down Your immaculate Body from the Cross, he wrapped it in a clean linen shroud with spices and laid it for burial in a new tomb.
- When You descended to death, O Lord, who Yourself are immortal Life, You struck down Hades with the radiance of Your Divinity. When You raised the dead from the netherworld, all the Powers of heaven cried out: O Giver of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!
- The angel at the tomb cried to the myrrh-bearing women: Myrrh is fitting for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption.
Prokeimenon
Arise, O God, judge the earth, for You shall inherit all the nations.
Source: Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOARCH)