Good Friday

March 29th at 7pm

The Good Friday liturgy is the second part of the Triduum (the sacred three days).

This most somber of all days is appropriately marked by fasting, abstinence, and penitence, leading us to focus on Jesus and the meaning of his Cross. Some churches do not use musical instruments or bells on this day.

The church is often darkened. The bare, stark appearance of the church serves as a reminder of the solemnity and the sorrow of the day. The Lord of Life was rejected, mocked, scourged, and then put to death on the Cross. The faithful are reminded of the role which their own sin played in this suffering and agony, as Christ took all sin upon himself, in obedience to his Father’s will.

By the Cross we are redeemed, set free from bondage to sin and death. The Cross is a sign of God’s never-ending love for us. It is a sign of life, in the midst of death.

In addition to the liturgies for the Triduum, there are many other edifying devotions appropriate for this day, including The Way of the Cross, Tenebrae, and The Seven Last Words.

Unique things about this service:

-The Solemn Collects, which are beautiful prayers for the Church and for the world.

-The Cross is processed around the sanctuary.

-Devotion before the Cross

Artwork:

Duccio di Buoninsegna, “Crucifixion,” tempera on wood, between 1308-1311. 100cm x 76 cm. Museo dell’Opera Metropolitana del Duomo.

Image from Wikimedia Commons.