waiting for Him.

Hell had many meanings in olden times. The grave was sometimes called
hell. Jacob, when he heard that wild beasts had devoured his son Joseph,
said: "I will go down with sorrow into hell." He meant the grave. Limbo
is not the same as Purgatory. It does not exist now, or, if it does, is
only for little children who have never committed actual sin and who
have died without Baptism. They will never get into Heaven or see God,
but they will not have to suffer pains as they who are in Purgatory or
Hell endure.

*87 Q. Why did Christ descend into Limbo?
A. Christ descended into Limbo to preach to the souls who were in
prison--that is, to announce to them the joyful tidings of their
redemption.

*88 Q. Where was Christ's body while His soul was in Limbo?
A. While Christ's soul was in Limbo His body was in the Holy Sepulchre.

"Sepulchre" is the same as tomb. It is like a little room. In it the
coffin is not covered up with earth as it is in the grave, but is placed
upon a stand. We call such places vaults, and you can see many of them
in any cemetery or burying ground. Sometimes they are cut in the side of
elevated ground with their entrance level with the road, and sometimes
they are built altogether under the ground. The one in which Our Lord
was placed was cut out of the side of a rock, and had for a door a great
stone against the entrance. Our Lord was not placed in a coffin, but was
wrapped in a linen cloth. It was the custom of the Jewish people and of
many other ancient nations to embalm the bodies of the dead, wrap them
in cloths, and cover them with sweet spices. (Matt. 27:59). Thus it was
that Mary Magdalene and other good women came early in the morning to
anoint the body of Our Lord. But you will say, why did they not do it on
Friday evening or night? The reason was this: The day with the Jews
began at sunset--generally about six o'clock--and ended at sunset on the
next evening. We count our twenty-four hours, or day, from twelve at
midnight till twelve the next night. Therefore, with the Jews six
o'clock on Friday evening was the beginning of Saturday. They kept
Saturday, or the Sabbath, instead of Sunday as a day of worship. On that
day, which they kept very strictly, it was not allowable to do work of
any kind; so they could not anoint Our Lord's body till the Sabbath
ended, which was about six o'clock, or sunset on Saturday evening. So,
as the Holy Scripture tells us, they came very early