Good Friday

Why do we call it “good” if Jesus died that day?

Good Friday Is the Friday before Easter. The day that we remember the cruel death of Jesus Christ. Jesus showed how much He loved His Father God and us by willingly giving His life as a sacrificial Lamb. So we call this day of sorrow Good since the death of Jesus was Good for us because he died so that our sins will be forgiven,to save us from death, to free us from Satan's power, and allow us to live with Jesus and God in Heaven forever.


Why was Jesus called the Lamb of God?

In the old testament, the Jewish people would kill a lamb and offer it to God as part of their worship. The lamb was sacrificed to God so that God would forgive their sins. In the new testament (John 1: 29), John the Baptist saw Jesus coming. John told the people,” Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

The Bible teaches us that Jesus was without sin. He was pure and Holy like none before or after Him. He was acceptable unto God to take on all the sins of the world. Not only was Jesus acceptable, but He was willing to die a very cruel death so that we could become His children. It is through Jesus' blood as the sacrificial lamb of God that we are forgiven.


The Cross

The Cross is perhaps the world's most famous symbol. It is a symbol of hope and comfort. In the time that Jesus lived and died the cross was one of the cruelest forms of death ever devised by human beings. Through the Cross we are able into our Heavenly home.

When we enter the church on Good Friday we notice that something is missing from the church. The red light that is always on above the Tabernacle is off. The Crucifix is covered or taken down and the church is silent. The altar is bare. We do not celebrate Holy Mass on this day because the Eucharist is a celebration and no Holy Communion is consecrated on this day.

We hear the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, His suffering, crucifixion, death and burial. After the reading of the Passion the priest gives a short Homily then he leads us in the Prayers of Intersession. We pray for our Church, our leaders and our families. After the priest leads us in the Veneration of the Cross. We all make a reverent gesture either kneeling or kissing the Cross or bowing before the Cross.

The priest then leads us in the Lord’s Prayer. The Eucharist that was put away the night before is brought to the altar and Holy Communion is distributed. After Communion the priest says a concluding prayer and we all depart in silence.