Why is Saturday dedicated to Our Lady?

[Denise]

Saturday is dedicated to Our Lady because on Holy Saturday she alone kept the faith in Our Lord and His Resurrection.

According to Saint Ambrose: “The mother stood before the cross, and when men fled she remained intrepid. See whether the mother of Jesus could put off her modesty, who put not aside her courage. She looked with loving eyes on the wounds of her Son, through whom she knew that the Redemption of all men would come.

“She stood, no ignoble spectacle, since she feared not the murderers. The Son was hanging on the Cross, the mother offered herself to the persecutors, as not being ignorant of the mystery, that she had borne one who would rise again.”

And Saint. Athanasius: “Mary stood most firmly and most patiently in her faith in Jesus. For when the disciples fled, and all men held aloof from Him, to the glory of the whole of her sex, amidst the countless sufferings of her Son, she alone remained firm and constant in her faith, and indeed was a beauteous sight, as became her Virgin modesty.

“She did not disfigure herself in the great and bitter sorrow. She reviled not, she murmured not, she asked not from God for vengeance on her enemies. But she stood as a well-disciplined modest virgin, most patiently, full of tears, immersed in grief.”

Saint Anselm asserts: “She was aware that the death of her Son would be like a short sleep, according to what the Royal Psalmist said, ‘I have slept and taken my rest, and I have risen up, because the Lord hath protected Me.’ ” (Psalm 3: 6)

Today, the Church is in one of Her darkest moments and so we too must keep the Faith and believe that “the Gates of Hell will not prevail against It,” as Our Lord promised. We shall do this, if we stay close to our Blessed Mother.

There was one other who believed that Our Lord would rise after death but he died that same Good Friday—the Good Thief--the only saint canonized before his death by Our Lord's declaration, "This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." In an amazing working of grace, with no miracles and all outward appearances to the contrary the Good Thief, Saint Dismas, professed that Christ would live again to reign in Heaven.

Saint Robert Bellarmine writes: “Admirable indeed, was the grace of the Holy Spirit which was poured into the heart of the good thief. The Apostle Saint Peter denied his Master, the thief confessed Him when He was nailed to His Cross. … The thief asks with confidence, ‘Remember me when Thou shalt come into Thy kingdom.’

“The Apostle Saint Thomas declares that he will not believe in the Resurrection until he shall have beheld Christ; the thief gazing on Christ Whom he saw fastened to a gibbet, never doubts that He will be a King after His death.

“Who has instructed the thief in mysteries so profound? He calls that man ‘Lord’ whom he perceives to be naked, wounded, in grief, insulted, despised, and hanging on a cross beside him; he says that after His death, He will come into His kingdom.

“From which we may learn that the thief did not picture to himself one, as the Jews imagined it to be, but that after His death He would be a King forever in Heaven.

“Who has been his instructor in secrets so sacred and sublime? No one, certainly, unless it be the Spirit of Truth, Who awaited him with His sweetest benedictions. …”

Another lesson we can learn from this is that no matter how scandalous the times, grace can overcome all for anyone who is open to the truth and Faith can pour into his soul. In the End, we believe that the Church will rise up again and Christ be victorious.

May you be granted, A Blessed and Happy Easter!

From the St. Benedict Center