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Friends of the Rosary,
Today, Friday of the Passion of the Lord, Holy Friday, or Good Friday (a deviation of the term “God’s Friday), the Church observes the earthly death of our Savior. It’s a solemn day of mourning, prayer, fasting, and a sense of sadness as we acknowledge our failure to serve our Lord.
We slow down, restrict ourselves from entertainment, participate in processions and devotions (such as the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and the Divine Mercy), and meditate on readings and prayers related to the passion of Christ.
At three o’clock, the faithful attend the “Celebration of the Lord’s Passion.” It’s not a Mass but a service with three parts: Liturgy of the Word, Veneration of the Cross, and Holy Communion.
At the beginning, the priests and deacons prostrate themselves in silent prayer. The General Intentions cover ten areas:
- For the Church
- For the Pope
- For the clergy and laity of the Church
- For those preparing for baptism
- For the unity of Christians
- For the Jewish people
- For those who do not believe in Christ
- For those who do not believe in God
- For all in public office
- For those in special need
In part two, we venerate and kiss the wooden cross “on which hung the Savior of the world.”
In part three, the congregation receives Holy Communion, and everyone departs in silence.
The liturgies of the Paschal Triduum are one continuous act of worship. Yesterday, we saw Christ Jesus at the Last Supper completing the washing of the feet in all humility and instituting the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Orders. Today, at the midpoint of the Triduum of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord, our pilgrimage comes to Calvary. Tomorrow, the Easter Vigil of Easter will begin with the Service of Light.
The first reading at today’s commemoration of the Passion is the fourth of Isaiah’s songs of the Suffering Servant.
Then we hear St. John’s narrative of Christ’s Passion. To protect and heal us from darkness, Christ Jesus allowed the fury of sin to destroy Him. He endured the pain of the cross bearing our sins.
The Suffering Servant pleased the Father not by his agony but by being obedient to the point of death on the cross, offering his body in sacrifice to take away the sin of the world.
St. Anselm said that the death of the Son reestablished the right relationship between divinity and humanity.
In Jesus, with his arms outstretched on the cross, we find the redemption of our suffering. He is the source of our eternal salvation.
Ave Maria!
Jesus, I Trust In You!
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
To Jesus through Mary!
Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Please give us the grace to respond with joy!
+ Mikel Amigot | RosaryNetwork.com, New York
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