Editing Great Lent (section)

====Holy Saturday====
'''Holy and Great Saturday''' (known also as the '''Great Sabbath''', because on it Jesus "rested" from his labours on the Cross) combines elements of deep sorrow and exultant joy. This, like Good Friday is also a day of strict fasting, though a meal may be served after the Divine Liturgy at which wine (but not oil) may be used.

The Matins of Lamentation (usually celebrated on Friday evening) resembles the Byzantine Rite [[funeral]] service, in that its main component is the chanting of [[Psalm 119|Psalm 118]] (the longest Psalm in the Bible), each verse of which is interspersed with laudations (''ainoi'') of the dead Christ. The service takes place with the clergy and people gathered around the epitaphios in the center of the church. Everyone stands holding lighted candles during the psalm. Next are chanted the ''[[Evlogitaria]] of the Resurrection'', hymns which are normally chanted only on Sundays.

This is the first liturgical mention of the impending [[Resurrection of Jesus]]. At the end of the [[Great Doxology]] the epitaphios is carried in [[Procession#Eastern Orthodox|procession]] around the outside of the church, as is the body at a priest's funeral, and then is brought back in. By local custom, the clergy may raise the epitaphios at the door so that all may pass under it as they enter in, symbolically entering into the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Gospel ({{bibleverse||Matthew|27:62-66|KJV}}) is not read at its usual place during Matins, but rather, following readings of the vision in [[Book of Ezekiel|Ezekiel]] of the dry bones returning to life and an Epistle, near the end of the service, in front of the epitaphios.

[[Image:Russian Resurrection icon.jpg|thumb|A 16th-century [[Russian icon]] of the descent into Hades of [[Jesus Christ]], which is the icon for Holy and Great Saturday]]

The next morning (Saturday), the [[Divine Liturgy of St. Basil]] is celebrated (combined with [[Vespers]]). At the beginning of the service, the hangings and vestments are still black. The service is much longer than usual, and includes 15 Old Testament readings recounting the history of salvation, including two [[canticles]], the [[Song of the Sea|Song of Moses]] and the [[Song of the Three Holy Children]], and showing [[Typology (theology)|types]] of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Many parts of the liturgy which are normally performed in front of the [[Holy Doors]] are instead done in front of the epitaphios. Just before the Gospel reading, the hangings and vestments are changed to white, and the entire atmosphere of the service is transformed from sorrow to joy. In the Greek practice, the priest strews the entire church with fresh [[Bay leaf|bay leaves]], symbolizing Christ's victory over death. This service symbolizes the descent of Christ into [[Hades in Christianity|Hades]] and the [[Harrowing of Hell]].

Thus, according to Byzantine Rite theology, Jesus' salvific work on the Cross has been accomplished, and the righteous departed in the [[Bosom of Abraham]] have been released from their bondage; however, the Good News of the Resurrection has not yet been proclaimed to the living on earth, the celebration of which commences at midnight with Matins. For this reason, neither is the fast broken nor the [[Paschal greeting]] exchanged.

At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the priest blesses wine and bread which are distributed to the faithful. This is different from the [[Sacred Mysteries]] (Holy Communion) which were received earlier in the service. This bread and wine are simply [[blessing|blessed]], not [[consecrated]]. They are a remnant of the ancient tradition of the church (still observed in some places) whereby the faithful did not leave the church after the service, but were each given a glass of [[wine]], and some [[bread]] and [[dried fruit]] to give them strength for the vigil ahead. They would listen to the reading of the [[Acts of the Apostles]], read in full, and await the beginning of the [[Paschal Vigil]]. However, this is not usually done nowadays.

The last liturgical service in the Lenten Triodion is the [[Midnight Office]] which forms the first part of the Paschal Vigil. During this service the [[Canon (hymnography)|Canon]] of Great Saturday is repeated, near the end of which, during the ninth ode, the priest and deacon take the epitaphios into the sanctuary through the [[Holy Doors]] and lay it on the [[Holy Table]] (altar), where it remains until the feast of the [[Ascension of Jesus|Ascension]]. After the concluding prayers and a [[dismissal (liturgy)|dismissal]], all of the lights and candles in the church are extinguished, and all wait in silence and darkness for the stroke of midnight, following which the [[Pentecostarion]] replaces the Lenten Triodion, commencing with the resurrection of Christ being proclaimed.