Saturday 19 April 2025 (other days)
Holy Saturday
Using calendar: Scotland. You can pick a diocese or region.
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There is no Mass on Holy Saturday itself. Here are the readings for the evening Easter Vigil.
| First reading | Genesis 1:1-2:2 |
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‘God saw everything that he had made and it was very good.’
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
And God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
And God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’ And God made the firmament and separated the waters that were under the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament. And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
And God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
And God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.’ And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. And God made the two great lights — the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night — and the stars. And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
And God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens.’ So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds — livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.’ And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock, and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ And God said, ‘Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
| Psalm |
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| Ps 104(103):1-2a. 5-6. 10, 12. 13-14. 24, 35c. ℟cf.30 |
Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, how great you are,
clothed in majesty and honour,
wrapped in light as with a robe!
Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.
You set the earth on its foundation,
immovable from age to age.
You wrapped it with the depths like a cloak;
the waters stood higher than the mountains.
Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.
You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow in between the hills.
There the birds of heaven build their nests;
from the branches they sing their song.
Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.
From your dwelling you water the mountains;
by your works the earth has its fill.
You make the grass grow for the cattle
and plants to serve mankind’s need,
that he may bring forth bread from the earth.
Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.
How many are your works, O Lord!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.
| Second reading | Genesis 22:1-18 |
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The sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith.
In those days: God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.’ And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ He said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’ So they went both of them together.
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’ And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’
And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, ‘By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.’
| Psalm |
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| Ps 16(15):5, 8. 9-10. 11. ℟1 |
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
you yourself who secure my lot.
I keep the Lord before me always;
with him at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
And so, my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
even my flesh shall rest in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
nor let your holy one see corruption.
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand, bliss for ever.
Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
| Third reading |
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| Exodus 14:15-15:1 |
The people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground.
In those days: The Lord said to Moses, ‘Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.’
Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, ‘Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.’
Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.’ So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord.
| Canticle |
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| Ex 15:1-2. 3-4. 5-6. 17-18. ℟1a |
Hymn of victory after crossing the Red Sea
Let us sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph.
Let us sing to the Lord who has gloriously triumphed;
horse and rider he has hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and might;
he has become my salvation.
This is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Let us sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph.
The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is his name.
The chariots of Pharaoh and his army
he has cast into the sea.
Let us sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph.
The waters of the flood covered over them;
they went down to the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, majestic in power;
your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
Let us sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph.
You will bring them in and plant them
upon the mount of your inheritance:
the place which you, O Lord, have made your dwelling,
the holy place, O Lord, that your hands have established.
The Lord will reign for ever and ever.
Let us sing to the Lord, glorious his triumph.
| Fourth reading | Isaiah 54:5-14 |
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‘With everlasting love the Lord, your Redeemer, will have compassion on you.’
‘Your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.
For the Lord has called you
like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,
like a wife of youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
In overflowing anger for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,’
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
‘This is like the days of Noah to me:
as I swore that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
and will not rebuke you.
For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,’
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
‘O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,
behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
and lay your foundations with sapphires.
I will make your pinnacles of agate,
your gates of carbuncles,
and all your wall of precious stones.
All your children shall be taught by the Lord,
and great shall be the peace of your children.
In righteousness you shall be established;
you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.’
| Psalm |
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| Ps 30(29):2, 4. 5-6. 11, 12a,13b. ℟2a |
I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up.
I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up,
and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.
O Lord, you have lifted up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from those who sink into the pit.
I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up.
Sing psalms to the Lord, you faithful ones;
give thanks to his holy name.
His anger lasts a moment; his favour all through life.
At night come tears, but dawn brings joy.
I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up.
Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me;
be my helper, O Lord.
You have changed my mourning into dancing.
O Lord my God, I will thank you for ever.
I will extol you, Lord, for you have raised me up.
| Fifth reading | Isaiah 55:1-11 |
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‘Come to the waters; hear, that your soul may live.’
Thus says the Lord:
‘Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters;
and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labour for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.
‘Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
‘For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.’
| Canticle |
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| Is 12:2-3. 4b-d. 5-6. ℟3 |
The rejoicing of a redeemed people
With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation.
Behold, God is my salvation!
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord is my strength and my praise,
and he has been my salvation.
With joy you will draw water
from the springs of salvation.
With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation.
Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name;
make known among the peoples his deeds;
proclaim that his name is exalted.
With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation.
Sing to the Lord for he has wrought wonders;
let this be known through all the earth.
Shout aloud and sing praise, you who dwell in Sion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
With joy you will draw water from the springs of salvation.
| Sixth reading |
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| Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4 |
‘Walk towards the shining light of the Lord.’
Hear the commandments of life, O Israel; give ear and learn wisdom! Why is it, O Israel, why is it that you are in the land of your enemies, that you are growing old in a foreign country, that you are defiled with the dead, that you are counted among those in Hades? You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom. If you had walked in the way of God, you would be dwelling in peace for ever. Learn where there is wisdom, where there is strength, where there is understanding, that you may at the same time discern where there is length of days and life, where there is light for the eyes and peace. Who has found her place? And who has entered her storehouses? But he who knows all things knows her, he found her by his understanding. He who prepared the earth for all time filled it with four-footed creatures; he who sends forth the light, and it goes, called it, and it obeyed him in fear; the stars shone in their watches and were glad; he called them, and they said, ‘Here we are!’ They shone with gladness for him who made them. This is our God; no other can be compared to him! He found the whole way to knowledge and gave her to Jacob his servant and to Israel whom he loved. Afterwards she appeared upon earth and lived among humans.
This is the book of the commandments of God and the law that endures for ever. All who hold her fast will live, and those who forsake her will die. Turn, O Jacob, and take her; walk towards the shining of her light. Do not give your glory to another or your advantages to an alien people. Happy are we, O Israel, for we know what is pleasing to God.
| Psalm |
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| Ps 19(18):8. 9. 10. 11. ℟ 10b or John 6:63c |
O Lord, you have the words of eternal life.
The law of the Lord is perfect;
it revives the soul.
The decrees of the Lord are steadfast;
they give wisdom to the simple.
O Lord, you have the words of eternal life.
The precepts of the Lord are right;
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear;
it gives light to the eyes.
O Lord, you have the words of eternal life.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
abiding for ever.
The judgements of the Lord are true;
they are, all of them, just.
O Lord, you have the words of eternal life.
They are more to be desired than gold,
than quantities of gold.
And sweeter are they than honey,
than honey flowing from the comb.
O Lord, you have the words of eternal life.
| Seventh reading |
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| Ezekiel 36:16-17a, 18-28 |
‘I will sprinkle clean water on you and I will give you a new heart.’
The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds. So I poured out my wrath upon them for the blood that they had shed in the land, for the idols with which they had defiled it. I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed through the countries. In accordance with their ways and their deeds I judged them. But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, “These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go out of his land.” But I had concern for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations to which they came.
‘Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
The psalm to be used after the Seventh Reading varies from place to place and it depends on whether a baptism is being celebrated at the Easter Vigil.
In the USA:
If there is no baptism, either Isaiah 12 or Psalm 50(51) is used.
If there is a baptism, Psalm 41(42) is used.
In the English-speaking world:
If there is no baptism, Psalm 41(42) is used.
If there is a baptism, either Isaiah 12 or Psalm 50(51) MUST be used instead.
In the rest of the world:
If there is no baptism, Psalm 41(42) is used.
If there is a baptism, either Isaiah 12 or Psalm 50(51) MAY be used instead.
The psalms are listed below. Isaiah 12 is shown above, after the Fifth Reading.
| Psalm |
|---|
| Ps 42(41):3. 5b-d. Psalm 43(42):3. 4. ℟42(41):2 |
Like the deer that yearns for running streams,
so my soul is yearning for you, my God.
My soul is thirsting for God,
the living God;
when can I enter and appear
before the face of God?
Like the deer that yearns for running streams,
so my soul is yearning for you, my God.
For I would go to the place
of your wondrous tent,
all the way to the house of God,
amid cries of gladness and thanksgiving.
Like the deer that yearns for running streams,
so my soul is yearning for you, my God.
O send forth your light and your truth;
they will guide me on.
They will bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
Like the deer that yearns for running streams,
so my soul is yearning for you, my God.
And I will come to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and gladness.
To you will I give thanks on the harp,
O God, my God.
Like the deer that yearns for running streams,
so my soul is yearning for you, my God.
When Baptism is celebrated, the Responsorial Psalm after the Fifth Reading (Isaiah 12), as above, may be used; or the following:
Like the deer that yearns for running streams,
so my soul is yearning for you, my God.
| Epistle | Romans 6:3-11 |
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‘Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again.’
Brothers and Sisters: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? We were buried, therefore, with him by baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
| Psalm |
|---|
| Ps 118(117):1-2. 16-17. 22-23. ℟24 |
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Give praise to the Lord, for he is good;
his mercy endures for ever.
Let the house of Israel say,
‘His mercy endures for ever.’
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
The Lord’s right hand is exalted.
The Lord’s right hand has done mighty deeds.
I shall not die, I shall live
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the Lord has this been done,
a marvel in our eyes.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
| Gospel | Luke 24:1-12 |
|---|
‘Why do you seek the living among the dead?’
On the first day of the week, at early dawn, the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.’ And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the Apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marvelling at what had happened.
Universalis podcast: The week ahead – from 20 to 26 April
Easter joy as an engine for the soul. The Resurrection as a step forward, not back. Our own healing and our own resurrection. The Easter Alleluias. (17 minutes)
Episode notes.
Christian Art
Each day, The Christian Art website gives a picture and reflection on the Gospel of the day.
The readings on this page are from the English Standard Version, which is used at Mass in Great Britain. The Jerusalem Bible (which is used at Mass in much of the English-speaking world) will appear instead if you set this page to use a calendar from outside Great Britain. The New American Bible readings, which are used at Mass in the United States, are available in the Universalis apps, programs and downloads.
You can also view this page with the New Testament in Greek and English.
Dates
Today
(Automatic)Fri 18 April
Good FridaySat 19 April
Holy SaturdaySun 20 April
Easter SundayMon 21 April
Easter MondayTue 22 April
Easter TuesdayWed 23 April
Easter WednesdayThu 24 April
Easter ThursdayFri 25 April
Easter FridaySat 26 April
Easter SaturdayOther Dates
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