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A solemn day for Catholics
in the entire year is the Good Friday. It is the day their Lord
Jesus is crucified and nailed to the cross and then left to die.
Paradoxically as it may sound, a day where their god has died is
termed good instead of bad. This is because the lord is said to
die for the sins of all the people on earth.
He is said to give himself
up so that the sins of the people on earth are revoked, this is
the good he did for the people and hence the term ‘Good’.
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Good Friday is the third last
day of the season of lent which begins 45 days before with Ash
Wednesday. This day every catholic is reminded that he has come
empty handed into the world and will leave empty handed. From
ashes to ashes, dust to dust is what is quoted in the bible and
to implicate the same thing, ash is crossed out on the forehead
of every individual and it is not to be wiped out.
Since this day, every catholic is urged to give time everyday to
prayer. To fast and abstain, to give up all desires and lead a
simple life for the coming 40 days. Station of the cross is to
be attended and family prayers are to be said at home every day.
The 40 days culminate to Easter where the whole world celebrates
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, where he is said to raise
from the dead.
The three main days of lent are the last three days – Maundy
Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. These are the last and
final days of the lent where hours of prayers are dedicated in
church and at home. Good Friday of all is a holiday as it the
day that Jesus was nailed to the cross. The Holy Mass is not a
complete mass as the Gloria is not recited as in a regular mass.
Also the hymns are solemn and not in a joyous tone as a regular
mass.
In the liturgy the passion of the Christ is either enacted or
recited by three people. Mostly the Priest as Jesus, a lay
person as Pontius Pilate and another person as the crowd. The
exact occurrence when Jesus was going to be nailed is recited
and the event is retold exactly as it was centuries ago.
On this day, the statue of Jesus is removed from the mounted
wall and kept in the centre aisle. People then individually
visit and kiss the statue especially touching the wounds of
Jesus. People travel from world over to the Mount of Calvary
where the crucifixion had taken place. Also people travel to
Churches where there are relics of Jesus like a chip of the
cross or of the cup he raised or of any saint. Or to places
where Jesus was said to visit or there had been a miracle at
that place.
All solemnity ends on Easter Day and celebrations begin as Jesus
transcends from Earth to Heaven.
Author: Ms Coutinho.
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