Holy Saturday, Silent Saturday, either way today is a day of expectant waiting, at least it is for us as we know that Easter is coming. The disciples experience was much different. And what was Christ doing on this ‘in between’ time, but descend. Here is a painting for Holy Saturday.

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Here is an excerpt from the devotional:

In the Orthodox church resurrection art commonly emphasizes this theme of Christ descending. It is portrayed as a glorious event, with a victorious Christ breaking down the gates of hell, trampling Satan under foot and raising those who believe with him. And it is from the gates of hell that Christ begins his resurrection. The emphasis is on the fact that Christ’s work is completed and sin’s hold on humankind has been broken.

…this painting is just one part of a larger cycle of paintings. In our modern context we think of individual works of art as stand-alone paintings. This was not the way churches were designed or decorated in either the Middle Ages or the Renaissance.
The Chora Church has a dual dedication. Churches were dedicated to a Saint, and their stories would play a part in the decoration of the church. Chora Church is dedicated to both Christ and the Virgin Mary, the theological underpinning of this dedication is the interconnectedness of the incarnation and salvation.

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