Good Friday is a solemn day.
There is no Mass on Good Friday. Instead we have a service called the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion, where we read again about the suffering and death of Jesus from one of the Gospels. One of the main things we would do is to adore the cross of Jesus, by kissing it. This year, we cannot participate as we normally would. But why do we do that anyway?
Well, although it is a symbol of suffering, we know that the cross was the way God chose to save us. That’s why we call this day “Good”, even though it was a sad day. We know that his death was not the end of the story….And kissing the cross shows our love of Jesus and expresses our thanks for his sacrifice.
The most sacred hours during Good Friday are from 12 noon to 3:00 pm, because this is when Jesus was on the cross. They’re sometimes known as the three hours of agony. During this time, you may like to try and hold a silence in your home (to the best of your ability). Turn off phones, TV, and other devices. Maybe you could pray the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, read from the Bible, or quietly draw or colour a religious picture, to help you meditate on the suffering and death of Jesus.
St Joseph’s will be open for private prayer between 5:00 pm and 6:30 pm if your family would like to come and pray in church.
