Holy Saturday greetings and blessings to all! I hope you had a blessed and holy Good Friday. I hope you got to spend a little time in prayer.

As we journey through these most holy days, let’s revisit Pope Francis’ Prayer:

O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, and the Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross, you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Salvation of All People, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial.

Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us: He who took our sufferings upon Himself and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.

We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. (Prayer Composed by Pope Francis)

Today, let’s embrace hope! After a long Lent and the gift of Love, which we call Good Friday, we wait in Hope on Holy Saturday. The elements of the Easter Vigil, which we will celebrate later today, all point towards the virtue of Hope.

On Holy Saturday night, we light a new fire, bless new water, and welcome people into the community of faith. It is a night of hope for us, for our church, and for the world.

As we retell the story of our creation and release from slavery, let’s remember that the most common one-liner in the scriptures is, “Do not be afraid.” Fear can be a crippling emotion, holding us back from seeing, experiencing, and proclaiming the Good News. The message of our Easter celebration is to not be afraid but to have hope!

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings a tune without the words and never stops at all!” (Emily Dickinson) Today, we wait…in hope!

Have a blessed Holy Saturday!