On Holy Thursday, we celebrated Jesus' gift of Himself to us in Holy Communion. On Good Friday, we received Holy Communion, but had no Mass. Today, Holy Saturday, we have neither Mass nor Communion. During the day today, we can't even go to church and visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The church is merely a building. Today, the Blessed Sacrament does not reside in the sanctuary of the church.

The Church deprives us of Jesus' eucharistic presence for this day to help us experience the day Jesus was buried, when Jesus' physical presence was no longer on earth. After experiencing deprivation from the burial of Jesus' eucharistic presence, we almost scream with joy when we receive Jesus in Holy Communion at the Easter Vigil.

Rescript:  †Most Reverend Joseph R. Binzer, Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, September 13, 2012

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