The Introits, Collects, etc. Holy Saturday

Easter Eve

Commonly Called Holy Saturday

Matins

The Psalms Appointed

51, 14, 15

The Antiphon for the Benedictus

Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; * because they have taken away her Lord

Anti Communion

The Introit Psalm 88. Domine, Deus.

O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: * O let my prayer enter into thy presence, incline thine ear unto my calling;

    2 For my soul is full of trouble, * and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
    3 I am counted as one of them that go down into the pit, * and I am even as a man that hath no strength;
    4 Cast off among the dead, like unto them that are slain, and lie in the grave, * who are out of remembrance, and are cut away from thy hand.
    5 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, * in a place of darkness, and in the deep.
    6 Thine indignation lieth hard upon me, * and thou hast vexed me with all thy storms.
    7 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me, * and made me to be abhorred of them.
    8 I am so fast in prison * that I cannot get forth.
    9 My sight faileth for very trouble; * LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched forth my hands unto thee.
    10 Dost thou show wonders among the dead? * or shall the dead rise up again, and praise thee?
    11 Shall thy loving-kindness be showed in the grave? * or thy faithfulness in destruction?
    12 Shall thy wondrous works be known in the dark? * and thy righteousness in the land where all things are forgotten?
    13 Unto thee have I cried, O LORD; * and early shall my prayer come before thee.
    14 LORD, why abhorrest thou my soul, * and hidest thou thy face from me?
    15 I am in misery, and like unto him that is at the point to die; * even from my youth up, thy terrors have I suffered with a troubled mind.
    16 Thy wrathful displeasure goeth over me, * and the fear of thee hath undone me.
    17 They came round about me daily like water, * and compassed me together on every side.
    18 My lovers and friends hast thou put away from me, * and hid mine acquaintance out of my sight.

The Collect.

GRANT, O Lord, that as we are baptized into the death of thy blessed Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, so by continual mortifying* our corrupt affections we may be buried with him; and that through the grave, and gate of death, we may pass to our joyful resurrection; for his merits, who died, and was buried, and rose again for us, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord,Amen.

The Epistle. 1 St. Pet. iii. 17.

IT is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long- suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

The Tract Ps 42:78-14

   8 My soul is vexed within me; * therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, from Hermon and the little hill.
    9 One deep calleth another, because of the noise of thy water-floods¹; * all thy waves and storms are gone over me.
    10 The LORD will grant his loving-kindness in the daytime; * and in the night season will I sing of him, and make my prayer unto the God of my life.
    11 I will say unto the God of my strength, Why hast thou forgotten me? * why go I thus heavily, while the enemy oppresseth me?
    12 My bones are smitten asunder as with a sword, * while mine enemies that trouble me cast me in the teeth;
    13 Namely, while they say daily unto me, * Where is now thy God?
    14 Why art thou so vexed, O my soul? * and why art thou so disquieted within me?

The Gospel. St. Matt. xxvii. 57.

WHEN the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathæa, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple: he went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tombs which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.