On Good Friday we gather at 3.00 pm and we do so deliberately. That is the time at which the Lord died. St Matthew tells us in his gospel: “From noon onwards there was darkness over all the land until mid-afternoon. At that time, Jesus cried out in a loud voice ‘”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”….. But Jesus, again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.’ (Matthew 27:45-50).
Notice that it is precisely the Lord’s death that we are celebrating, not so much the suffering that led up to it. That is celebrated on Palm Sunday when we read the account of his passion from either Mark, Matthew or Luke. But it is the significance of the Lord’s death that is to the fore on Good Friday.
And the celebration of Good Friday is different to any other liturgy which we celebrate. We have no solemn beginning to the liturgy; the priest simply prostrates himself on the floor – so fitting a symbol for the acknowledgement of the mystery of Jesus’ death. Then there is a simple prayer.
Then comes a long Liturgy of the Word. There are three readings: one from Isaiah which is sometimes called the fifth account of the passion because it is a prophetic shadow of what happens in Jesus’ passion. It is followed by a psalm with the refrain that we all sing: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Notice it does not pick up the cry mentioned above “My God, my God…” but rather the words of trust which lead into the resurrection. Then there is a reading from the Letter to the Hebrews which looks into the meaning of Jesus’ death as leading us all to salvation.
Then we have the account of Jesus’ suffering and death from John’s Gospel and if you look at it, you will see that it is really Jesus who is in charge all the way through. The words of Jesus at his death that John gives us are: “It is accomplished”, that is, he has completed what the Father sent him to do, and despite the death which it brought upon him, he leaves its real completion to the Father.
Then, we venerate the cross of Jesus. The cross is unveiled or carried in to the Church and the priest sings three times: “Behold the wood of the cross on which hung the salvation of the world. Come let us adore.” The whole congregation then venerates the cross.
There then follows not the celebration of the Eucharist but just the reception of communion. As mentioned last week, we deliberately receive communion consecrated at the Mass of Holy Thursday to show the link between Holy Thursday and Good Friday, and the link between the celebration of the Eucharist and the death of Jesus.
The Good Friday Liturgy invites us to see the death of Jesus, and so his cross, as the way into death-defeating life; the glory of the resurrection is on the verge of bursting through the whole celebration. It is toned down until we gather again for the Easter Vigil.
19 Brenbeal Street, Balwyn VIC 3103
Telephone: 03 9816 9291
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours:
Tue - Fri 9:00am – 5:00pm
Laura Facci says:
Thank you again Father Frank. Good Friday, beautifully explained.