SIMPLE40 - Day 40 - Holy Silence
- Katie Donahue
- Apr 3
- 4 min read
Holy Saturday 2026
We have arrived at the final day of SIMPLE40.
Forty days ago, we began this journey together, choosing a slower pace, clearing space, and returning to the simple rhythms of prayer, service, and love. Thank you for walking it so faithfully. My hope is that somewhere along the way, in the quiet and the ordinary, you encountered God in a real and lasting way.
And now…we find ourselves here, Holy Saturday.
This day always feels different.
After the intensity of Holy Thursday and the sorrow of Good Friday, everything grows still. The noise fades. The liturgies pause. Even the Church seems to hold her breath.
Christ is in the tomb. The Tabernacle is empty. And there is a quiet ache that settles in.
It’s a strange place to be, this space between death and Resurrection. We know how the story ends, and yet we allow ourselves to feel the weight of this moment. The loss. The silence. The waiting.
Maybe it feels familiar…because we have all lived in moments like this. Moments where God feels quiet. Where answers don’t come. Where we are waiting, hoping, trusting, without yet seeing.
Holy Saturday reminds us that God is not absent in those spaces. He is working and moving in the silence and the hidden. He is bringing life where it seems there is none.
The path we have walked this Lent...through prayer, fasting, and acts of love...has been gently shaping us for this kind of trust. Not a loud or dramatic faith, but a steady, rooted one. A faith that can sit in the quiet and still believe.
So today, we don’t rush ahead.
We stay. We wait. We trust.
Because even here, especially here, God is at work and resurrection is near.
What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the fleshed raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.
~An Ancient Homily on Holy Saturday
Read the entire homily here:
spiritual
SPIRITUAL
On this Holy Saturday, don't forget to keep your day "bookended in prayer" and pray Day 2 of the DIVINE MERCY NOVENA.
A Prayer for Holy Saturday from mycatholic.life
My Lord, today all is silent.
You have given Your precious life for the salvation of the world.
You died a horrific death, poured out all Mercy from Your wounded Heart, and now You rest in peace in the tomb as the soldiers keep vigil.
Lord, may I also keep vigil with You as You sleep.
I know that this day ends with Your glorious triumph, Your victory over sin and death. But for now I sit quietly mourning Your death.
Help me, dear Lord, to enter into the sorrow and the silence of this Holy Saturday. Today no Sacraments are celebrated. Today the world waits in mourning in anticipation of the glory of new life!
As I keep vigil, awaiting the celebration of Your Resurrection, fill me with hope. Help me to look forward to the celebration of Your Resurrection, but also to look forward to the hope of my own share in the new life You won for the world. I entrust my whole being to You, dear Lord, as You lay lifeless and still. May Your rest transform the brokenness of my own soul, my weaknesses, my sin and my frailty. You are glorious and You bring the greatest good out of Your apparent defeat. I trust in Your power to do all things and I entrust my life to You. Jesus, I trust in You.
From the Byzantine Matins of Great & Holy Saturday:
“Today the one who holds all creation in his hand
is himself held in the tomb,
a rock covers the One who covered the heavens with beauty,
Life has fallen asleep,
Hades is seized with fear,
and Adam is freed from his bonds.
Glory to your work of salvation;
through it you have accomplished the eternal Sabbath rest,
and You grant us the gift of your holy resurrection.”
self
As this final day of Lent unfolds, stay rooted in the commitments you have been quietly keeping.
Not out of obligation… but out of love.
Return to the simple rhythms that have carried you here:
Grayscale your phone, create a little more space from distraction.
Move your body with intention for 40 minutes and honor the gift of it.
If you gave something up (sugar, alcohol, snacking) remain steady and finish well.
This is not about perfection. It is about faithfulness in the small things.
Just one more day.
Stay present and intentional.
The celebration is coming… and you have prepared your heart for it.
simple recipe
Recipe #40! Over the last 40 days, I have shared my love for cooking and nourishing my family through these recipes. I hope you have enjoyed them as well. Today's recipe is a classic appetizer dip that we have made for over 28 years. I will be making it for an appetizer on Easter. It is inspired by the spinach and artichoke dip from Lazlo's in Lincoln, Nebraska.
SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP
8 oz pkg cream cheese
1⁄2 cup avocado mayo
1 cup sour cream or cottage cheese
2 tsp dill weed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon pepper, optional
1 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1+ cup chopped fresh spinach
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, dill, garlic and lemon pepper. Can use a food processor or stand mixer to thoroughly mix. Add remaining ingredients and combine until everything is evenly distributed.
Pour into baking dish (8x8) and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.
Serve with veggies, pita chips, tortilla chips, crackers, sourdough bread, etc...
Feel free to adjust ingredients to taste.
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