Above: Roman era tomb at Khirbet Midras, Israel (Holylandphotos.org)

First, what was taking place on earth?  

Jesus' disciples were in a state of shock, mourning his death and, because it was the Sabbath, they rested. 

This would have also been true of most of the people in the land of Israel. Meanwhile at the tomb, the guards kept watch to make sure that the disciples did not steal Jesus' body, which lay, wrapped in a shroud, on a cold stone ledge.

Second, what was happening in the spiritual realm?  

Where was Jesus?  What was He doing?

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church 632-635:

632 [The] first meaning given in the apostolic preaching to Christ’s descent into hell [is] that Jesus, like all men, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead.

633 But he descended there as Savior, proclaiming the Good News to the spirits imprisoned there [cf. 1 Pet 3:18-19].

634 Scripture calls the abode of the dead, to which the dead Christ went down, “hell”—Sheol in Hebrew, or Hades in Greek—because those who are there are deprived of the vision of God [cf. Phil 2:10; Acts 2:24; Rev 1:18; Eph 4:9; Pss 6:6; 88:11-13].  Such is the case for all the dead, whether evil or righteous, while they await the Redeemer [cf. Ps 89:49;      1 Sam 28:19; Ezek 32:17-32; Luke 16:22-26]. “It is precisely these holy souls, who awaited their Savior … whom Christ the Lord delivered when he descended into hell” [Roman Catechism I, 6, 3].

Jesus did not descend into hell to deliver the damned, nor to destroy the hell of damnation, but to free the just ones who had gone before him - to deliver the holy souls who waited in "Abraham's bosom" until their Redeemer appeared. [So] the gospel was preached even to the dead. The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus’ messianic mission, a phase which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of Christ’s redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who are saved and have been made sharers in the redemption. 

635 Christ went down into the depths of death so that “the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live” [1 Peter 4:6]. Jesus, “the Author of life”, by dying, destroyed “him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and [delivered] all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage” [Heb 2:14-15; cf. Acts 3:15]. Henceforth the risen Christ holds “the keys of Death and Hades”, so that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” [Rev 1:18; Phil 2:10].

Descent into Hell  (1308-11) Duccio di Buoninsegna

Now, I would like to share with you some words from the 4th century church historian, Eusebius, from the 4th century Ephrem the Deacon, and then a beautiful anonymous Greek homily from the second century, prepared for Holy Saturday: 

Eusebius explains:  The ministry of angels toward the humanity of the Word extends from His nativity to His agony.  But there is one mystery in which the angels can be of no assistance: the descent into hell.  Only the Lord of the angels can descend into the domain of death to destroy the power of death.  “For tribulation is very near, for there is none to help me.”  Psalm 21:12  

The bitterest sufferings heaped upon Him then, was that not one of the angels . . . or any of the divine Powers, dared set foot in the domain of death or work with Him to relieve the souls present there . . .He alone could actually go on without fear, since it was only for Him that the gates of death had opened, and the prison guards of death were terrified at seeing Him advance alone.  It was upon seeing the impious domination of this tyrant, so strong that none of the Powers of heaven would dare take their place beside Christ in the lower regions and work with Him for the salvation of the souls there, that He says with good reason that the final agony is near at hand and there is no one to assist Him."  (This is figuratively the scene Tolkein portrays between Gandalf and the Balrog in The Lord of the Rings)

From St Ephrem:

Death could not devour our Lord unless he possessed a body, neither could hell swallow him up unless he bore our flesh; and so he came in search of a chariot in which to ride to the underworld. This chariot was the body which he received from the Virgin; in it he invaded death’s fortress, broke open its strongroom and scattered all its treasure. (Sermo de Domino nostro, 3-4. 9: Opera edit. Lamy, 1, 152-158. 166-168) 

Fourth Century Greek homily for Holy Saturday:

"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."   

 PODCAzT 162 HELLCAzT Bonus LENTCAzT Holy Saturday 2018 [ 32:51 ] - Supplement regarding Hell

Where was Jesus between his Death on the Cross and his Resurrection? - an outstanding homily by Msgr. Charles Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC.  (10 minutes)

A Meditation

Portrayal of the Harrowing of Hell in Art

The Harrowing of Hell - a Russian icon by Dionisius, from the Ferapontov Monastery

Bischheim Temple38 by Ralph Hammann 

Above: The Harrowing of Hell by Fra Angelico

Harrowing of Hell from Santa Maria Novella , Florence