Good Friday: Jesus died on cross for all

St Thomas Church

Jesus did not die on the cross for any particular group of people, but for all. He wanted every human to escape the apocalypse. So, he took the crown of thorns for the sins of mankind on his own head. Carrying a weighty cross on food, he climbed the hill of Calvary in excruciating pain. He was nailed to the cross for sinners. He sacrificed his life on the cross so that the way of getting rid of sin should be opened for every person in every corner of the world and everyone should be saved.

He prayed to the Heavenly Father for the forgiveness of all those who persecuted Jesus while He was crucified. (Luke 23:34)

A penitential or fasting journey leads us to the goal of neighbourly love. That journey takes us to the feet of Jesus on the cross who offered all his body and blood and his all for the good of the world. So, instead of calling it Sad Friday we call it Good Friday.

Good Friday Features

It is observed everywhere as the death day of Lord Jesus Christ. A day of fasting and observance spent in an atmosphere of silence, prayer and repentance.

Lord Jesus made a difficult journey from Pilate's palace to the hill of Calvary (Golgotha) carrying the weight of the cross on his shoulders. (Luke 22 : 47 - 53 and 23 : 1 - 49 ) To commemorate that event, on Good Friday morning, a pilgrimage of fourteen places of the Holy Way of the Cross is celebrated from village to village.

*The Lord Jesus Christ suffered death on the cross*. Mark 15:22-38. John 19:17-34. As a symbol of this, after 3 pm in the evening, a three-hour Suffering Worship is celebrated in churches. (This worship is started at 4-30 pm in all churches of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

There are three parts to this ritual.

Part 1: Holy Word of God

At the beginning, the priest prostrates before the altar. Entrance song is not sung at that time. After the first two readings, the Passion of the Lord Jesus taken from the Gospel of Saint John is read.

A priest to read the words of Jesus, presenting a short play around the question Whom do you seek? One reader to read the statement. This suffering is sung in a pitiful tone under the arrangement of a reader to read the words of each individual such as Peter, the maidservant, Pilate, and singers to announce the crowd.

According to Saint Ambrose's promise on Good Friday, Heart communication takes place between God and man during the Lord's Prayer. With this in mind, prayers are offered for ten different general purposes.

Part Two: The Crucifixion

A crucifix covered in a purple cloth is brought to the altar with two altar servers holding lighted candles. Priests stand by the altar and take the cross in their hands. The upper garment is removed by the priest. Then, holding the cross high, they sing...Behold the wood of the cross, on which Christ hanged, all respond...Salute to the cross. Then the priest opens the right hand of the cross. The cross is held high and chanted a second time as above. Finally, the priest unfurls the whole cross, holds it up and chants the above for the third time.

After performing this ritual of seeing the cross, first the priest and minister salute the cross. The cross is kissed according to local custom. For this, the cross is carried in front of the crowd. The donations collected during the crucifixion (Collection) are sent to repair the Christian temples in Jerusalem.

The cross became the symbol of Christianity (and) abolished the punishment of crucifixion for criminals after Emperor Constantine's own conversion.

Since 350 AD, Christian artists have attempted to circulate various paintings based on the cross.

Part III: Kissing Christ Body on the Cross Ritual

After the crucifixion, a white cloth is spread on the altar. Lighted candles are placed on it. On Holy Thursday, the blessed bread (communion) is brought in procession from the side altar to the main altar. The Holy Body of Christ is distributed to the devotees. This ritual of suffering ends with a prayer after the Communion. After this, the church remains silent till the Easter Sunday.