Holy Saturday

I usually take a pass on this day, for there are no lectionary readings for Holy Saturday. If we were celebrating the Vigil it would begin after sunset.
But today I'll add a personal note.
When I began this project several years ago, I thought I might call it, "Quod scripsi scripsi." The phrase is Latin, and attributed to Pontius Pilate when he heard complaints about his posting a sign over Jesus' head, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." (INRI) Apparently he was tired of dealing with querulous Jewish scribes, levites, and priests. 
He replied, "What I have written I have written." 

Quod scripsi scripsi meaning, I will write my daily homily in advance and not change, edit, or alter it several times before it's posted. That would be too much worry.
I knew things could happen in the meanwhile to overtake my reflections.

I didn't expect a pandemic to disrupt my own daily life, and the life of everyone on the planet.
When it happened, I didn't know what to say. Not as it happened, certainly not two weeks in advance.
Now, here we are, deep into an ongoing catastrophe, with a President, chosen for his incompetence; and his temporary chiefs of staff -- whom he hires and fires like a Red Queen." 

We must pray first, and then work with each other and our state governors and our city mayors as best we can until next January when, hopefully, we might begin to trust an American president again.
We must ask God to deliver us from what certainly feels like his punishing hand.

At this critical moment, we might remember another Latin phrase:

Parce Domine, parce populo tuo, ne in aeternum, irascaris nobis.Spare us, O Lord, spare your people, lest you be angry with us forever.