Friday, April 2, 2010

Good Friday?

How many people grow up with "Good Friday"? How many really know what it is... does it mean anything to you... When I was little it meant no radio, no TV... no form of entertainment of any kind... when I was a teen.... NO DATES, NO MOVIES, NO FUN or entertainment of any kind... only if we were traveling could the radio be on in the car... one must get the traffic and weather reports this way... On "Good Friday" one cleaned their room and helped get ready for Easter... went to the evening service... etc. These to a young person were true sacrifices... What does it mean to you?
Here are the technicalities... from wiki

* On Good Friday, Christians recall the Passion and crucifixion of Jesus.
* In the Roman, Lutheran, and High Anglican rites, a cross or crucifix (not necessarily the one which stands on or near the altar on other days of the year) is ceremoniously unveiled.[10] (In pre-Vatican II services, other crucifixes were to be unveiled, without ceremony, after the Good Friday service.)
* In Roman Catholicism, the clergy traditionally begin the service prostrate in front of the altar. Mass is not celebrated on Good Friday and the communion distributed at the Celebration of the Lord's Passion is consecrated on Holy Thursday, hence the name Mass of the Pre-sanctified.
* Also in Roman Catholicism, images of saints are either kept or veiled until the Easter Vigil. Votive lights before these images are not lit. Crucifixes that are movable are hidden, while those that are not movable are veiled until the Easter Vigil.
o Only one cross or crucifix per church is unveiled throughout the entire Good Friday service, for the purpose of veneration by the congregation. Regardless of the size of the church or the congregation, it is not permissible to use two crucifixes for the said veneration. The faithful typically venerate the crucifix by kissing the feet of the corpus.
* Colors seen throughout the chapel or on vestments: Vary
o No color, red, or black are used in different traditions.
o Where colored hangings are removed for this day, liturgical color applies to vestments only.
* The priest wears red vestments, symbolic of the Blood of Jesus Christ.

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