This is the fourth article about children and Holy Week.

Holy Saturday sometimes seems to be a non-event, somehow sandwiched between the sadness of Good Friday and the joy of Easter Day. However, it is the second day of what is known as the Triduum and is an important day in the story of Easter.

With your children you can imagine together how it must have felt for the disciples and those who loved Jesus. It was the Sabbath Day and must have been a terrible day for them as their Messiah was dead and they felt that all hope had gone.

You might like to read together what the Gospels have to say about this day, but it is quite short. Two of the Gospels have a brief record of what happened on the Saturday. Matthew (27.62-66) tells us that a guard was posted outside the tomb in case the disciples tried to steal Jesus’ body away. The authorities expected this to happen on the first day of the week, so they would have been especially alert. Luke (23.56b) just mentions that the disciples and the women rested in obedience to the fourth Commandment (Exodus 20.8-11) that God had given to Moses.

That Sabbath must have been such a sad day for them. They did not understand what Jesus had told them about His resurrection. It seemed like the end of all their hopes and dreams.

Discussion

How do we feel when someone dies?

Action

Do you know someone who is feeling sad?

Is there something you could do to help them?

Activities

• You may also like to spend some time preparing for Easter Day. Perhaps you follow the tradition of rolling eggs down a hill, based on the idea of rolling the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. Some people use raw eggs, but others like to hard-boil them wrapped in onion-skins for dye, or decorating the eggs in other ways. If the eggs survive the roll, the children then eat them.
• The children could make little nests with hay or grass and decorate them with flowers, ready for Easter eggs on Easter Day.
• They could make or decorate ‘Easter Bonnets’ ready for a fun parade the next day.

Holy Saturday Evening

It is Easter Eve and perhaps there is an Antecommunion service at your church and you could attend with your children. This is a special Evening Prayer service, as there is no Eucharist, or service of Holy Communion, on Easter Eve. It is a very solemn occasion.

Easter Vigil                                                       

Some churches like to keep a vigil of watching and waiting all through the night. This is traditional and is the oldest celebration of Easter, being considered the first part of the Easter Liturgy. Some people like to remain at the vigil all through the night, but most churches today prefer to have a roster where people elect to stay for one or two hours. If your children are old enough, they may like to participate in this special event.

During the vigil, the time is usually spent in reading passages from the Bible, especially about the mighty acts of God, meditating on these passages, and singing together. This is continued until dawn. This is the beginning of the third day and is when the Service of Light begins.