Christ brings salvation to the souls held captive in Hell there since the beginning of the world

The Lord's Descent into Hell

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 flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled.

Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and Adam's son.

Methuselah, Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, and Adam and Eve lead the procession of the righteous from Hell after rescue by Christ.

The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: 'My Lord be with you all.' And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.'

‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise.'

‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.'

‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead; for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and crucified in a garden.'

‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own image.'

'See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one.'

`I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked the sword which was turned against you.

‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.'

'The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages.'

A reading from an ancient homily for Holy Saturday

Domini in infernum descensio

   Quid istud rei est? Hódie siléntium magnum in terra; siléntium magnum, et solitúdo deínceps; siléntium magnum, quóniam Rex dormit; terra tímuit et quiévit, quóniam Deus in carne obdormívit, et a sǽculo dormiéntes excitávit. Deus in carne mórtuus est, et inférnum concitávit.

  

Profécto primum paréntem tamquam pérditam ovem quæsítum vadit. Omníno in ténebris et in umbra mortis sedéntes invísere vult; omníno captívum Adam, unáque captívam Evam, ex dolóribus solútum vadit Deus illiúsque Fílius.

  Ingréssus est Dóminus ad eos, victrícia arma crucis tenens. Quem ubi vidit Adam primus parens, præ stupóre pectus vérberans, exclamávit ad omnes, dixítque: “Dóminus meus cum ómnibus”. Et respóndens Christus dicit Adámo: “Et cum spíritu tuo”. Et apprehénsa manu éxcitat, dicens: “Expergíscere, qui dormis, et surge a mórtuis et illucéscet tibi Christus.

  Ego Deus tuus, qui propter te factus sum fílius tuus; qui propter te, et propter hos, qui a te oriúndi sunt, nunc dico, et per potestátem ímpero iis qui in vínculis erant: Exíte; et qui in ténebris: Illuminámini; et sopítis: Resúrgite.

  Tibi præcípio: Expergíscere, qui dormis: étenim non ídeo te feci, ut in inférno contineáre vinctus. Surge a mórtuis; ego sum vita mortuórum. Surge, opus mánuum meárum; surge, effígies mea, quæ ad imáginem meam facta es. Surge, exeámus hinc; tu enim in me, et ego in te, una et indivísa sumus persóna.

  Propter te ego, Deus tuus, factus sum fílius tuus; propter te, Dóminus, servílem tuam spéciem sumpsi; propter te, qui sum supra cælos, veni in terram, et subtus terram; propter te hóminem factus sum tamquam homo sine adiutório inter mórtuos liber; propter te, qui ex horto egréssus es, ex horto Iudǽis tráditus, et in horto crucifíxus sum.

  Aspice faciéi meæ sputa, quæ quidem propter te suscépi, ut te in prístinum illud spiráculum restitúerem. Aspice meárum maxillárum álapas, quas sustínui, ut tuam corrúptam spéciem reformárem, ad imáginem meam.

  Aspice mei tergi flagellatiónem, quam suscépi, ut dispérgerem peccatórum tuórum onus, quod tergo tuo impósitum est. Aspice clavis bene ad lignum affíxas manus meas, propter te, qui manum tuam ad lignum male quondam exténderas.

  Dormívi in cruce et romphǽa penetrávit meum latus, propter te, qui in paradíso obdormísti, et Evam ex látere protulísti. Meum latus sanávit dolórem láteris. Meus somnus edúcet te ex inférni somno. Mea romphǽa romphǽam coércuit, quæ contra te vertebátur.

  Surge, eámus hinc. Edúxit te hostis ex terra paradísi; ego vero te non ámplius in paradíso, sed in cælésti throno cólloco. Prohíbuit te a ligno týpico vitæ; verum ecce ego, qui vita sum, tibi sum coniúnctus. Constítui chérubim, qui fámuli in morem custodírent te; fácio ut chérubim, pro eo ac Deum decet, adórent te.

  Cherúbicus thronus apparátus est, géruli prompti et paráti, thálamus constrúctus est, paráti cibi, ætérna tabernácula et mansiónes adornátæ, thesáuri bonórum apérti sunt, regnúmque cælórum ante sǽcula parátum est”.