April 19, 2025
For years now, every Saturday before Easter Sunday, the final words of Prince Hamlet as he lay dying come to me: “The rest is silence.” In regard to Holy Week, the false conviction, illegal trial, and immoral death sentence of an innocent man are over. And so we wait . . . with sorrow? Guilt? Apathy? Expectation? This particular day is an odd time, an in-between time, a liminal time, a suspended time.
Spiritual teacher, poet, and author Christine Valters Paintner shares some wisdom and an invitation for this Holy Saturday:
“For me, Holy Saturday evokes much about the human condition. It helps us examine the ways we are called to let go of things, people, identities, or securities. We wonder what will rise up out of the ashes of our lives…. Instead of rushing to resurrection, we must dwell in the space of unknowing. We must hold death and life in tension.
“Make some time today to sit with all of the paradoxes of life. Bring yourself fully present so you can live in the discomfort of the experience. Rest in the space of waiting, and resist trying to come up with neat answers or resolutions. Imagine yourself on a wild border or standing on a threshold. See yourself knowing that you cannot fully embrace what is on the other side until you have let this place form in your heart. When you notice your attention drifting or your mind starting to analyze, return to the present moment. Allow yourself to feel whatever arises in this space. Honor the mystery.”
The rest is silence. Honor the mystery.
Blessings ~ Rosemary
Christine Valters Paintner, as quoted in Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditation, April 19, 2025
Photo: Pixabay
Spirit Reflections 