Holy Saturday - with Dr Ben Schilaty - Lift+Love Podcast Episode #61

**content warning - description of witnessing a medical emergency that was thought to be the death of a parent, mourning the death of a parent, Alzheimers disease**

 

Social work professor and therapist Dr. Ben Schilaty joins episode hosts Allison Dayton and Darice Auston on the Lift+Love podcast to discuss the concept of Holy Saturday—the silent, uncertain day between Good Friday and Easter—and how it mirrors unresolved grief and waiting for redemption. Ben shares a painful experience visiting his mother with advanced Alzheimers, and how that crisis led him to reflect on “loss that has not yet found resolution,” learning to hold present pain alongside hope in Christ’s resurrection. After his mother later passed away, he describes unexpected sorrow and healing moments. The hosts connect Holy Saturday’s stillness and uncertainty to faith journeys in the LGBTQ Latter day Saint space, emphasizing trusting God, and navigating ongoing tensions around belonging, church policies, and romantic relationships.

 

00:00 Meet Ben Schilaty

01:28 What Is Holy Saturday

03:58 Ben's Mother

07:24 Quote That Clicked

08:59 Holding Pain And Hope

10:42 After Mom Passed

13:08 Grief Surprises

15:16 Lessons In Uncertainty

16:32 Trusting Gods Plan

19:34 Faith Beyond Certainty

21:31 Trust God Moments

22:59 Belonging and Warmth

24:50 Liberty Jail Stillness

27:13 Cherry Tree Tension

29:13 Actively Single Choice

31:55 Eternal Hope in Christ

34:11 Alzheimers and Resurrection

36:49 Trust When Dark

 

Find more information about Dr. Ben Schilaty on his website here

 

Ben's book "A Walk in My Shoes" is available in the Lift+Love online store here

 

"The Sin of Certainty" by Peter Enns is available here

 

Find the transcript of this episode here: www.liftandlove.org/podcast

Find resources, support meetings, events, and community on the Lift+Love website here: www.liftandlove.org