GOOD FRIDAY: LITURGY AND LAMENT

DIACONAL REFLECTIONS

GOOD FRIDAY THEMES

• Systematic Injustice
• Humiliation vs Humility
• Suffering
• Death
• Grief
• Redemption
• Forgiveness

EARLY CHURCH HISTORY

The day has been celebrated since at least the Fourth-Century

• Apostolic Constitutions: ”a day of mourning, not a day of festive Joy."
• St. Ambrose: ”the day of bitterness on which we fast.”
• “God’s Friday” as possible name derivation?
• Traditionally, a day of fasting and prayer
• The day has been marked by rituals such as the Via Dolorosa (“Way of the Cross”), Tre Ora (three hours) and “Seven Words of Jesus”
• Reformation tradition is much different than Catholic tradition, and this is reflected in the breadth of Episcopal liturgy

LITURGICAL HISTORY

1928 Prayer Book

• Collects, Readings and Propers appointed for the day
• Left up to local context whether a Daily Office or Holy Eucharist was held
• Discouraged any extra-liturgical practices (i.e. veneration of the cross, Stations of the Cross)
• Tradition focused more on meditations, scripture (Passion Narrative), preaching/reflection
• Reflects Reformation/Protestant tradition

1979 Prayer Book

• Reflects both Catholic and Protestant practice
• Proper Solemn Liturgy of the Day (pp. 276-282)
• Focus on prayer (Deacons designated)
• No Eucharistic Celebration
• Allows for added liturgical components:
• Adoration of the Cross
• Holy Communion from the reserved sacrament

BCP LITURGY OVERVIEW��

• Ministers Enter in Silence
• All kneel for prayer
• Four Parts:
• Liturgy of the Word
• Solemn Collects
• Adoration of the Cross (optional)
• Holy Communion (optional)
• Deacons are specifically appointed to open and bid the solemn collects
• Deacons, in the absence of a bishop or priest, may led the entire liturgy
• There is no blessing or dismissal

LITURGY OF THE WORD��

• Note: the entire Passion Gospel Narrative is read in the Good Friday Liturgy
• Lay persons may participate in the reading (you can use a narrated version)
• The Passion Gospels formatted for dramatic reading: https://www.lectionarypage.net/Resources/PassionGospelsInParts.html
• Note: The customary responses before and after the Gospel are omitted.
• A sermon follows
• A hymn man be sung

SOLEMN COLLECTS��

• Ancient Texts
• Combines elements of the Prayers of the People and the Great Litany
• Biddings to prayer are appointed to a Deacon
• Collects are read by the Celebrant/Presider
• The people may stand or kneel
• At a minimum, the service concludes at this point with the Lord’s Prayer and Closing Prayer

ADORATION OF THE CROSS��

• Optional portion of the liturgy
• Parallelism with this liturgy and the Easter Vigil (three anthems for processing the cross on Good Friday and the Paschal Candle Easter Vigil
• “If desired, a wooden cross may now be brought into the church and�placed in the sight of the people.”
• “Appropriate devotions may follow”
• Reverencing the Cross
• Adoration of the Cross
• Anthems (may be followed by periods of silent reflection)
• A hymn may be sung (esp. #352, “Sing my tongue the glorious battle”)

HOLY COMMUNION���

• Optional portion of the liturgy

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• Holy Communion from Reserved Sacrament (continuation from Maundy Thursday)
• The sacrament remains reserved in its location until this point of the service
• Three components:
• Confession of Sin
• The Lord’s Prayer
• The Communion
• At the time of communion, a corporal is spread on the bare altar (or simple fair linen may be used)
• There may be a procession of the reserved sacrament (sometimes with candles)
• The Deacon prepares the distribution reverently and without ceremony
• All reserved sacrament is distributed or consumed at the altar.
• The altar is fully cleaned before the closing prayer

BEYOND FORMAL LITURGY: BUILDING ON THEMES

• Systematic Injustice: drawing parallels to wrongful imprisonment and death
• Public Mourning: what are we grieving, and how can we walk the way of the cross in solidarity?
• Repentance: What do we hand over to Jesus who is the source of redemption and forgiveness?
• Prophetic Witness: What does the cross represent to the world and how do we live into that in our lives?
• Creatively living into liturgy with reverence for tradition

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

• There are many existing liturgies you can engage with any group (Book of Occasional Services has a basic, formal version). A few opportunities:
• Consider:
• A Stations of the Cross focused on Racial Justice
• Walking/praying Stations of the Cross in Public Witness
• Virtual Stations of the Cross

RACIAL RECONCILIATION STATIONS OF THE CROSS

• Liturgy with instructions and photos:
• https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nnFL-FeCguuT-zUou7SqGGKhR2GpFU-Pl4-yntpcGTI/edit?usp=sharing

ACCESSIBLE AND THEMATIC STATIONS OF THE CROSS

• Pray as You Go: Stations of the Cross Podcast
• Episcopal Migration Ministries: Stations of the Cross for Global Justice and Reconciliation
• Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio: Spanish Language Stations of the Cross/Via Crucis
• St. Mark’s Episcopal Church: Virtual Stations of the Cross

FOR REFLECTION: MAKING GOOD FRIDAY THEMES VISIBLE

• Link to St. Gregory of Nyssa videos (scroll down for Holy Week liturgies): https://www.saintgregorys.org/videos.html

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