It is almost Pashca-but not yet! Today, on Holy Saturday, Christ gives new life to all who believe in Him and do His will. Adam, Eve, the Saints, are given life everlasting from Christ! As Fr. Alexander Schmemman says: the sorrow of yesterday, Christ’s crucifixion, is not replaced by the joy of the Resurrection; the sorrow is transformed into joy, or as Archbishop Anastasios says, the Resurrection is not something that comes after the Cross, the Resurrection is found in the Cross.
Going to Church Holy Saturday morning might be a little confusing. You arrive, there is no more darkness, no more purple vestments, but it is bright, the vestments are white! You can feel the joy and excitement in the air. But, it’s not Pascha yet! This is the day we remember Christ’s descent into Hades. This day we anticipate the Resurrection. We know that Hades is doomed as soon as it accepts Christ. You can not contain that which is uncontainable.
I like to connect the descent of Christ into Hades with a beautiful prophecy that we is read on Holy Saturday from the Book of Jonah. It is one of my son’s favorite Bible stories, and I like to use that story to help explain Holy Saturday to him.
Here is the story and parallelisms for your children that focus on: Death, Burial, and Resurrection.
Jonah was thrown off the ship so that all of the other sailors would not die.
Jonah, while in the belly of the whale, prayed to God and asked God to forgive him for saying “no” and not going to Ninevah.
Jonah stayed in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights.
Just like Christ stayed in the tomb for three days and three nights.
After three days Jonah was spit up from the belly of the whale onto the sandy beach. It was God that resurrected Jonah from the belly of the whale.
Just like Christ was resurrected from the tomb after three days. It was because Christ is the Son of God, apart of the Holy Trinity, that death was not strong enough to stop Him.
Jonah went to the city of Nineveh and told the bad people about the love of God and how He wanted them to ask for forgiveness. The people asked for forgiveness. They loved God and turned away from their wicked ways.
Just like Christ calls all of us to ask for forgiveness and be saved by God’s love.
The eternal life that Christ has, is offered to everyone! But, this offering is not a gift that is simply given. There is action that is required on our part. We have to take Christ into our lives and live our life in Him. We have to have faith, love, and ask for forgiveness when we do wrong things that separate us from God.
Tip: Memorize this hymn from Holy Saturday: Arise, O God! Judge the earth, for thou shalt have an inheritance among all the nations.
As you are cleaning your house, preparing for the Resurrection? Sing this hymn with you family and especially your children.
Craft- Jonah cup game
I recently made this game for Moses and he was playing with it for over an hour!
Materials: paper or plastic cup, string about 18 inches/45 centimeters, a piece of paper, a balloon, scissors, a handful of uncooked beans, markers.
Instructions:
Place the beans inside of the balloon. Blow up the balloon just a little and tie it.
Tie the string around the end of the balloon.
Draw a person on the balloon. This person is Jonah.
On the cup, draw two eyes on either side. On the bottom of the cup, cut a very small hole. Attach the string through this hole (from the bottom towards the inside) and make a knot so that the string does not fall out.
On the piece of paper, draw a tail of a whale.
Tape this tale on the bottom of the cup where the string is coming out.
Now your children can play this game one of two ways. The first way is to hold the cup in the air so that the string is hanging down. They have to swing the Jonah balloon into the air and try and get it to go into the cup, or the belly of the whale. The second way is to place the cup on a table. Then to toss the Jonah balloon into the cup, or the belly of the whale.
While making this craft, I made sure to speak with Moses about how Jonah was in the belly of the whale for 3 days. It was a prophecy for Christ. Christ was in the tomb for three days. It is also a good time to talk about obedience and listening to God.
Recipe Pascha Cheesecake
(to be eaten on Pascha)
The Ritsi family, in America and Albania, loves to make and eat cheesecake. I wanted to share with you my secret recipe!
Ingredients
Crust
1 3/4 cups cookie Crumbs (if you’re feeling adventurous you can use plain cookies or even Oreos!)
1/3 cup butter, (76 grams) melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cheesecake
32 ounces (900 grams) Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs, room temperature
Instructions
Crust
Preheat oven to 350°F (170 C)
In a large bowl mix the cookie crumbs, butter, granulated sugar, and salt together evenly. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of pie pan. Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Set aside while you make the cheesecake.
Cheesecake
In the bowl, with a hand blender, mix the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed, until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Turn the mixer to low and add the sour cream and vanilla; mix well, scraping sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until mixed. Don’t over mix. Pour the filling over crust and spread evenly.
Place the cheesecake pan into a larger baking pan and pour very hot water into the baking pan, until it covers about half of the cheesecake pan on the outside, careful to make sure the water level doesn’t come up too high.
Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the center is almost set. The center will still jiggle while the edges will be set.
Allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature for at least an hour, then cover and transfer into the refrigerator.
Enjoy on Pascha!
On Holy Saturday, let our sorrow be transformed into joy. Let us prepare our houses, minds, hearts, and souls to welcome the Risen Lord! May you have a blessed Holy Saturday filled with strength, joy, and anticipation.
