A Day Called Holy

15713541721_7c602781e0_zToday is Holy Saturday. How many of us busy this day with stuffing Easter baskets, painting eggs and preparing hams? I know I often do.

And yet, Holy Saturday is where we live.

We know how the story ends, right? We know God triumphs over death; Christ rises. Faith, hope and love win the day.

But the apostles didn’t know that. Mary the mother of God didn’t know that. Mary Magdalene didn’t know that. No one knew it in the moment. All they knew was that their good friend, Jesus, was put to a bloody, terrible death — and they buried him.

The sun set; the sun rose. They began again. They began to make sense of the tragedy. They began to put their lives together and look to the future. Their faith had been tested and for many was found wanting. But tomorrow was another day.

This is where we live, right? We all have our faith tested. We are all found wanting. We disappoint ourselves and others. And others disappoint us, too. Things don’t work out as we hope. And death creeps around the corner.

And it is against this backdrop that we are constantly called to live in joy. To live for God and neighbor. We live in Holy Saturday.

But tomorrow is Easter. God wins. Christ rises. Death may creep around the corner, but something greater and bigger still comes — we know we can count on that. Our faith points to something, even if we cannot see it.

Today shouldn’t be that forgotten moment of the Easter Triduum. Today should be celebrated as the day that points to every other — the day that reminds us of where we are called to dwell.

We know how the story ends, don’t we? And yet, we often forget. We need to be reminded every year. Light disperses the darkness. It’s not just a few lines of scripture; it’s our very lives. Easter is tomorrow; Easter is always tomorrow. That’s what the joy of the Gospel is all about.

This isn’t a James Bond movie or a Garth Brooks song — tomorrow does come. That’s what we’re called to preach. That’s why we go to the margins. That’s why we’re an Easter people. Ours is a God of joy that delights in all people.