Posted on

The Whole Earth Keeps Silence

Holy Saturday, according to Epiphanius of Cyprus.

Something strange is happening … there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying, “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” . . .

You can read the rest by clicking here.

4 thoughts on “The Whole Earth Keeps Silence

  1. This is the non-Scripture reading in the Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours for Holy Saturday! 4th century

  2. We don’t celebrate Holy Saturday well. It is a dual celebration, of joy and sorrow. Jesus’ first followers didn’t fully comprehend what was going to happen next, and they were stunned, desperate, grieving, silent. The radiant joy of the released captives of Sheol/Hades takes place beyond our earthly eyes but has more eternal impact for all of us than anything that happens on earth. May we all remember the greatness of Holy Saturday.

  3. ^ It looks like I’m posting annually on this page. Ha!

  4. I was just telling my wife earlier how much I enjoyed this reading at our Tennebrae service and had no idea where it came from. Now, thanks to you, Brother Mike, I do. Thanks.

Comments are closed.