Jesus Is Laid in the Tomb

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus reverently wrap the body of Jesus and lay Him in a new tomb hewn in the rock (cf. Mt 27:57-60; Jn 19:38-42). The women who had followed Him from Galilee take note of the tomb and of how His body is laid (cf. Lk 23:55). A great stone is rolled to seal the entrance of the tomb, and the scene sinks into deep silence. To many, everything seems to have ended in sorrow and disappointment. Yet the tomb is not the end of the journey of salvation. In the silence of the Sabbath, as the Lord descends among the dead to bring them salvation (cf. 1 Pet 3:19; CCC 632-635), a quiet hope is being prepared. God is still at work, even when people do not yet see it. Death is not the last word, but the step that opens onto new life. We are invited to remain with the Lord in hope, turned toward the light of the Resurrection — where the love of God triumphs over death.

Pause for a moment

There are seasons in life that are like a "tomb": silent, dark and full of waiting. We may feel that everything has stopped, or that hope is lost. But the Way of the Cross does not end in darkness. With the Lord, we learn to wait in faith. After the silence of Holy Saturday comes the light of the Resurrection. God always turns suffering into hope and new life.