# Holy Saturday: Seeking God, Finding God
*2014-04-18*

> Bill Young reflects on the significance of Holy Saturday and the importance of taking the blessings of the Church out into our daily lives.

## A Call to the Thirsty

Today is Holy Saturday, and we are concluding our readings from the guidebook 'Seeking God, Finding God: Meditations, Activities, and Prayers for Lent.' We begin with a reading from Isaiah 55:1: 'Oh, everyone who thirsts, come to the water. You that have no money, come, buy, and eat.'

## A Lesson in Baptism

I recall attending the Easter liturgy with my six-year-old granddaughter. During the baptismal promises, I whispered to her, explaining that this was the first time she would speak for herself the words that were said for her as a baby. As the priest walked down the aisle sprinkling the congregation with water, I explained that it was a blessing, reminding us of the time the water was poured over her during her baptism.

## The Act of Blessing Ourselves

My granddaughter noticed something and whispered to me, 'I didn't get any water.' I bent down and told her, 'Sometimes that happens. That is why we have holy water fonts at the back of the church. It is because sometimes we have to bless ourselves.' At the end of the Mass, she approached the font with absolute reverence, stood before it quietly for a moment, and then blessed herself devoutly—albeit backwards.

## Faith Beyond the Ritual

It isn't enough to simply participate in the ritual. For all the pageantry and the beauty of the Vigil, it isn't enough to be there when the priest is sprinkling the mortar. We must leave the Lenten sanctity and be willing to bless ourselves as we go. Blessing ourselves is a wonderful Catholic custom that speaks volumes about our responsibility to bring our faith beyond the walls of our church and our blessings beyond the rites celebrated by our priests. We are called to live our faith through the extraordinary days of Easter and the ordinary days of Ordinary Time.

## Putting Faith into Practice

As a practice today, I encourage you to bring some of the Easter water home and place it in a spot where everyone in your household can use it to bless themselves. Keep it replenished throughout the Easter season.

*God of all blessings, let me be a blessing to all I meet this day.*