Holy Saturday Reflection with Canon Robin Gibbons

Gotland Dalhem Kyrka Glasmalerei

April 4th 2026

Holy Saturday is an odd day for many of us, whilst we know that this day is one in which we remember Christ's descent to death in the tomb, that journey to the last long sleep we all have, nevertheless it is also a day of anticipation, for we know the resurrection already permeates every aspect of our human lives and the life of the whole world. Yet it is good to push a pause button in our lives, to make this day a day of quiet silence. This isn't easy as the world outside the Church crowds in with holiday activities, travelling to places for days out, shopping and the preparation for Sunday and the feast we all enjoy. This is all the more reason for those of us able to take some quiet time to do so,in order to let the earth, nature, people speak to us in a deeper communication beyond words. I know its difficult but even an hour of contemplative silence, doing nothing except listening in stillness will help us.

For the Church this day is a time when all sacramental acts, except those connected to the sick and dying, cease, no Eucharist, no baptism or confirmation, the Church descends spiritually into great silence. It is only when we allow ourselves to let go of activities and preoccupations on this day, that the eloquent silence of death begins to speak, we begin to discern a waiting, a closed door we cannot as yet go through, but still a portal of hope which Christ will smash in his rising.

Let us try to enter into this silence, make a space for it as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of Christ's light at the great vigil of Easter. Let us allow the darkness of Christ's death to cover us gently, moving us to hear the stillness and the voice of the One who loves us all more than we can ever know. Perhaps the passage of the Lord's passing from the book of Kings might be a focal text today when we like Elijah let the Lord ask us why we are here!

"1 Kings 19:11-13

New International Version

The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

A very suitable hymn to sing to ourselves or let the words take us deep into the mystery of death is an ancient 3rd century one from the Liturgy of St James, sung as the cherubic hymn, the hymn at the Great Entrance of the Divine Liturgy, the translation of the greek text is this:

'Let all mortal flesh keep silent, and stand with fear and trembling, and in itself consider nothing earthly; for the King of kings and Lord of lords cometh forth to be sacrificed, and given as food to the believers; and there go before Him the choirs of Angels, with every Dominion and Power, the many-eyed Cherubim and the six-winged Seraphim, covering their faces, and crying out the hymn: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia'.

There is much here that links the words to Holy Week and to Holy Saturday in the call to silence. It was written up as a poem by Gerard Moultrie but now set in the form of a hymn, and is one of those rich spiritually satisfying texts especially when sung to the familiar tune of Picardy, originally a 17th century French carol but arranged to be used with this hymn by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1906.

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.

King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heav'nly food.

Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the pow'rs of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.

At His feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
"Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!"