Easter

This was the most profound read on this subject that really touched me!!! (Follow " catholicsistas " for more breathtaking food for our soul posts<3                                        The Lord's descent into hell
 "What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a  great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps;  the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh  and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the  flesh, and the underworld has trembled.
 Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes  to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes  to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains,  he who is God, and Adam's son.
 The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When  Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror  and calls out to all: 'My Lord be with you all.' And Christ in reply  says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises  him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ  shall give you light.
 ‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your  descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come  forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.
 ‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a  prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the  dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in  my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we  are one undivided person.
 ‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on  your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on  earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help,  free among the dead; for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to  Jews from a garden and crucified in a garden.

· catholicsistas‘Look  at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order to  restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows  on my cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted  form to my own image.
 'See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse  the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed  to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to  the tree for an evil one.
 `I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept  in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the  pain of your side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades;  my sword has checked the sword which was turned against you.
 ‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of  paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne  of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I  myself am united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard  you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they  would God.
 "The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and  waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the  everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good  things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before  the ages."
 A reading from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday
 Prayer
 Almighty, ever-living God, whose Only-begotten Son descended to the  realm of the dead, and rose from there to glory, grant that your  faithful people, who were buried with him in baptism, may, by his  resurrection, obtain eternal life.
 (We make our prayer) through our Lord. (Through Christ our Lord.)
 Prepared by Pontifical University Saint Thomas Aquinas

 So beautiful was the church lit by candle light. This pic has been watermarked to protect the children's images