He Descended Into Hell

    "Tell me, my master, tell me, lord," I then

began because I wanted to be certain

of that belief which vanquishes all errors,

    "did any ever go—by his own merit

or others'—from this place toward blessedness?"

And he, who understood my covert speech,

    replied: "I was new-entered on this state

when I beheld a Great Lord enter here;

the crown he wore, a sign of victory.

    He carried off the shade of our first father, 

of his son Abel, and the shade of Noah,

of Moses, the obedient legislator,

    of father Abraham, David the king,

of Israel, his father, and his sons,

and Rachel, she for whom he worked so long,

    and many others—He made them blessed;

and I should have you know that, before them,

there were no human souls that had been saved."

—Virgil responds to Dante about the souls in the realm of the dead
Divine Comedy, Inferno, Canto IV

The Harrowing of Hell, as the ancient Christians called it, is Jesus Christ's triumphant entry into the realm of the dead (hell, sheol, the inferno). This is the place were men, just and unjust alike, await their final destination, whether it be to share in the blessedness of the divine, or the realm of the damned. Jesus Christ, by his death as the God-Man, unlocked the entry into heaven that was sealed off to all those who had gone before him. By his own death, Jesus Christ has defeated death. As Adrian Walker says, "The Risen Lord has victoriously filled death with the only substance and intelligibility it can have: Himself."

Imagine the souls of all the patriarchs of the Old Testament and of all the just who followed God banging at the gate heaven to no avail. "The way is shut," as the Dead Men of Dunharrow in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings say to Aragorn. There is no entry for man into heaven. So our fathers wait. They wait in hope of the Messiah. "When will he come?" they ask. As they wait David sings a familiar psalm:

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.

He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.

The Prophet Isaiah solemnly responds:

For it is not the nether world that gives you thanks,

nor death that praises you;

neither do those who go down into the pit

await your kindness.

The living, the living give you thanks,

as I do today.

Fathers declare to their sons,

O God, your faithfulness.

Then suddenly, out of the abyss, a shining light appears. It is a light like none of them have ever beheld—it is Light itself, the Light of the World. The Just One approaches, clothed in splendor and wearing a crown of unsurpassable regal splendor, with the air of triumph, a scepter of mercy, and the robes of righteousness. He, who has accomplished his passion and died in obedience to the Father, approaches the dead, preaches to them the kingdom of heaven and his victory. They listen. He tells them of His redemption he won and offers them eternal life through His blood. They sing in unison:

And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; 

even my body shall rest in safety. 

For you will not leave my soul among the dead,

nor let your beloved know decay!

You will show me the path of life,

the fullness of joy in your presence,

at your right hand happiness for ever!

They have all been waiting for this day. He clothes them in white robes washed in His blood. Then in a terrible and sublime action, He bursts open the gate with the divine prerogative that was only His to wield. The darkness subsides. The shackles of death are removed. They all breathe and smell the sweet aroma of life. He enters through the gate to Life. As he enters, he himself is transformed into a gate—a new gate, with eternal beatitude awaiting on the other side. He calls to his own. "Follow me." His own hear His voice. They walk through and rise with Christ singing: "Alleluia. Alleluia."

The following sermon is taken from the Second Reading of the Office of Readings for Holy Saturday:

From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday
The Lord Descends Into Hell

Something strange is happening—there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

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 has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

Responsory

Our shepherd, the source of the water of life, has died. The sun was darkened when he passed away. But now man’s captor is made captive.
– This is the day when our Savior broke through the gates of death.

He has destroyed the barricades of hell, overthrown the sovereignty of the devil.
– This is the day when our Savior broke through the gates of death.

Praise be to Jesus Christ, now and forever!