During the Sacred Triduum, our community at Saint Mary of the Lake & Our Lady of Lourdes gathers to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. I was grateful for the invitation to share this reflection during Morning Prayer on Holy Saturday, April 4, 2026.
There is a large yellow maple tree that towers past the window of my living room right in front of the spot where I pray each morning. It is a constant reminder of the seasons – with its pale green shoots in spring, vibrant leaves of summer, the burst of bright yellow in the fall, and the bare branches throughout winter. I am fairly certain that this yellow maple is on the same schedule as Easter. Sometime between Palm Sunday and Easter Monday – regardless of whether Easter arrives in late March or mid-April – the buds on this yellow maple begin to unfold.
How does it know? What happens in the dark and silent tomb of winter that this yellow maple springs to life once again, each year, at the same time? And it’s not just the maple trees! It happens with tulips and daffodils and grizzly bears and butterflies – some of the most beautiful things on earth begin growing in the dark.
I believe the same is true with us. There is a dark and silent tomb that accompanies the agony of grief, the shame of betrayal, the ache of illness or injury, the scandal of school shootings, and the horrors of war. The work of Holy Saturday is the time in between the dying and the rising, when new life has not yet emerged. Transformation takes time. We cannot force it on. And it often takes much longer than 3 days.
++++++++++++++++++++
A number of years ago, I spent 30 days on silent retreat, at the Jesuit Retreat House in Gloucester, Massachusetts. To be clear, I did NOT sign up for a 30-day silent retreat because I’m some great, holy person. I’m pretty sure God called me to retreat because my life was a mess! As a matter of fact, I left for retreat that summer with a half-written resignation letter on my desk, uncertain of whether I would return to ministry after retreat was over.
The days on retreat were intense and profound. There are spiritual insights that continue to guide my life some 15 years later. There are two particular insights that I want to share with you today, that I think say something about God’s work of healing and transformation that happen in the silence of the tomb.
First, it is only in silence that we learn to recognize God’s voice1. It is amazing what I began to hear after a month with no television, no radio, no internet, no smart phone. Without all those distractions, my heart became much more attuned to the inner dialogue in my own mind, and I learned to discern whether those inner voices were from God or not from God.
The voice that only seeks to provoke fear, and shame, and worry, and condemnation, and blame, and lies. This is NOT the voice of God.
The voice of God invites us into stillness and calm. God’s voice says, “I love you. I forgive you. I’m here for you.” It’s a voice that is endlessly patient, encouraging, full of kindness, and offers many second chances.
Healing and transformation begin when we attune our hearing to God’s voice – through prayer, scripture, the Sacraments, long walks in nature. When it is time to emerge from the tomb, we will know, because we recognize God’s voice calling us forward.
The second thing I learned is that God’s love liberates us and sets us free. God’s love is a pure gift, and God offer us this love without any strings or conditions attached. Seminarian Alex and Fr. Vince both used a similar image yesterday on Good Friday. The image of Jesus, with arms outstretched on the cross, says to each one of us <<THIS>> is how much I love you. I love you <<THIS>> much!
Through the eyes of love, Jesus sees us for ALL of who we are – with all our gifts and successes, our pain and imperfections, a love that knows every road we have traveled, including its mistakes and missteps. Jesus meets us along the way with mercy, offers us forgiveness, and softens our hardened hearts. It is a love so overwhelming, so undeserved. It is a love that changes everything.
How can any of us ever repay a love that gave its life on the cross?
Our return of love is to GO – go and tell everyone! – follow Jesus’ example of forgiveness and mercy. Love others without fear, serve those in need, welcome the stranger, be bold in our work for justice, be courageous in sharing God’s word with others.
Transformation and new life is the result of being loved so deeply, that we have no fear in following God’s call, wherever it may lead.
+++++++++++++++++
Today, we are joined by our Elect who will be welcomed into the Church through baptism this very night! Together we celebrate with them the Rites of Immediate Preparation. One of those rites is called the Ephphatha Rite, where we hear the scripture story of Jesus healing a deaf man with a speech impediment. Jesus touches the man’s ears and mouth, and says to him, “Ephphatha, be opened!”. Through this same ritual action, we pray that God may open the ears and mouth of each of our Elect to help them hear the voice of God more clearly and proclaim the Word of God with their lives.
Today is a big day! Today is likely to be a very busy day. I encourage you to find a moment of stillness and quiet to listen for God’s voice, to know the transformative love that God is quietly working in your life, so that you may rejoice fully, ready to share God’s love when Easter arrives!
Beth M. Knobbe 