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Holy Friday
or Great Friday, is the Friday preceding Easter Sunday ("Pascha"). It
commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Golgotha.
Based on the scriptural details of the Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus, and
scientific analysis, the Crucifixion of Jesus was most probably on a Friday,
but see the article on Crucifixion of Jesus for a discussion on the exact
date of Good Friday, which in recent years has been estimated as AD 33, by
two different groups of scientists, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton
via the differences between the Judean and Julian calendars and the crescent
of the moon.
Biblical
Accounts of Good Friday
According to the New Testament, Jesus was arrested in the Garden of
Gethsemane by the Temple Guards through the guidance of his disciple, Judas
Iscariot. Judas received money for betraying Jesus. He told the guards that
whomever he kisses is the one they are to arrest. Jesus was brought to the
house of Annas, who is the father-in-law of the current high priest,
Caiaphas. There he is interrogated with little result, and sent bound to
Caiaphas the high priest, where the Sanhedrin had assembled (John 18:1-24).
Conflicting testimony against Jesus is brought forth by many witnesses, to
which Jesus answers nothing. Finally the high priest adjures Jesus to
respond under solemn oath, saying "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell
us, are you the Anointed One, the Son of God?" Jesus testifies in the
affirmative, "You have said it, and in time you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Almighty, coming on the clouds of Heaven."
The high priest condemns Jesus for blasphemy, and the Sanhedrin Trial of
Jesus concurss with a sentence of death (Matthew 26:57-66). Peter also
denies Jesus three times during the interrogations. Jesus already knew that
Peter would deny him three times. See the article Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus
regarding the two trials, one at night, the other in the morning and how
their timing may affect the day of Good Friday.
In the morning, the whole assembly brings Jesus to the Roman governor
Pontius Pilate, under charges of subverting the nation, opposing taxes to
Caesar, and making himself a king (Luke 23:1-2). Pilate authorizes the
Jewish leaders to judge Jesus according to their own Law and execute
sentencing, however the Jewish leaders reply that they are not allowed by
the Romans to carry out a sentence of death (John 18:31).
Pilate questions Jesus, and tells the assembly that there is no basis for
sentencing. Upon learning that Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate refers the case
to the ruler of Galilee, King Herod, who was in Jerusalem for the Passover
Feast. Herod questions Jesus but receives no answer; Herod sends Jesus back
to Pilate. Pilate tells the assembly that neither he nor Herod have found
guilt in Jesus; Pilate resolves to have Jesus whipped and released (Luke
23:3-16).
It was a custom during the feast of Passover for the Romans to release one
prisoner as requested by the Jews. Pilate asks the crowd who they would like
to be released. Under the guidance of the chief priests, the crowd asks for
Barabbas, who had been imprisoned for committing murder during an
insurrection. Pilate asks what they would have him do with Jesus, and they
demand, "Crucify him" (Mark 15:6-14). Pilate's wife had seen Jesus in a
dream earlier that day; she forewarns Pilate to "have nothing to do with
this righteous man" (Matthew 27:19).
Pilate has Jesus flogged, then brings him out to the crowd to release him.
The chief priests inform Pilate of a new charge, demanding Jesus be
sentenced to death "because he claimed to be God's son." This possibility
filled Pilate with fear, and he brought Jesus back inside the palace and
demanded to know from where he came (John 19:1-9).
Coming before the crowd one last time, Pilate declares Jesus innocent,
washing his own hands in water to show he has no part in this condemnation.
Nevertheless, Pilate hands Jesus over to be crucified in order to forestall
a riot (Matthew 27:24-26). The sentence written is "Jesus of Nazareth, King
of the Jews." Jesus carries his cross to the site of execution (assisted by
Simon of Cyrene), called the place of the Skull, or "Golgotha" in Hebrew and
in Latin "Calvary". There he is crucified along with two criminals (John
19:17-22).
Jesus agonizes on the cross for three hours, during which there is darkness
over the whole land. With a loud cry, Jesus gives up his spirit. There is an
earthquake, tombs break open, and the curtain in the Temple is torn from top
to bottom. The centurion on guard at the site of crucifixion declares,
"Truly this was God's Son!" (Matthew 27:45-54)
Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin and secret follower of Jesus,
who had not consented to his condemnation, goes to Pilate to request the
body of Jesus (Luke 23:50-52). Pilate asks confirmation from the centurion
whether Jesus is dead (Mark 15:44). A soldier pierced the side of Jesus with
a lance causing blood and water to flow out (John 19:34), and the centurion
informs Pilate that Jesus is dead (Mark 15:45).
Joseph of Arimathea takes the body of Jesus, wraps it in a clean linen
shroud, and places it in his own new tomb that had been carved in the rock
(Matthew 27:59-60) in a garden near the site of crucifixion. Another secret
follower of Jesus and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus (John 3:1)
also came bringing 75 pounds of myrrh and aloes, and places them in the
linen with the body of Jesus, according to Jewish burial customs (John
19:39-40). They rolled a large rock over the entrance of the tomb (Matthew
27:60). Then they returned home and rested, because at sunset began the
Sabbath (Luke 23:54-56).
On the third day, Sunday, which is now known as Easter Sunday (or Pascha),
Jesus rose from the dead.
In the Roman Catholic Church
he Roman Catholic Church treats Good Friday as a fast day, which in the
Latin Rite Church is understood as having only one full meal (but smaller
than a regular meal) and two collations (a smaller repast, two of which
together do not equal one full meal). In countries where Good Friday is not
a day of rest from work, the afternoon liturgical service is usually put off
until a few hours after the recommended time of 3 p.m.
The Roman Rite has no celebration of Mass after that of the Lord's Supper on
Holy Thursday evening until that of the Easter Vigil, and the only
sacraments celebrated are Penance and Anointing of the Sick. While there is
no celebration of the Eucharist, Holy Communion is distributed to the
faithful only in the Service of the Passion of the Lord, but can be taken at
any hour to the sick who are unable to attend this service.
The altar remains completely bare, without cross, candlesticks or altar
cloths. It is customary to empty the holy water fonts in preparation of the
blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil. Traditionally, no bells are rung
on Good Friday or Holy Saturday until the Easter Vigil.
The Celebration of the Passion of the Lord takes place in the afternoon,
ideally at three o'clock, but for pastoral reasons a later hour may be
chosen. The vestments used are red.[13] Before 1970, they were black except
for the Communion part of the rite, for which violet was used, and before
1955 black was used throughout. If a bishop celebrates, he wears a plain
mitre.
The liturgy consists of three parts: the Liturgy of the Word, the Veneration
of the Cross, and Holy Communion.
The first part, the Liturgy of the Word, consists of the reading or chanting
of Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9, and the Passion account from
the Gospel of John, which is often divided between more than one singer or
reader. This part concludes with a series of prayers: for the Church, the
Pope, the clergy and laity of the Church, those preparing for baptism, the
unity of Christians, the Jewish people, those who do not believe in Christ,
those who do not believe in God, those in public office, those in special
need.
The second part of the Good Friday liturgy is the Veneration of the Cross: a
crucifix, not necessarily the one that is normally on or near the altar at
other times, is solemnly displayed to the congregation and then venerated by
them, individually if possible, while special chants are sung.
The third and last part is Holy Communion according to a rite based on that
of the final part of Mass, from the Our Father on. The Eucharist,
consecrated at the Mass of Holy Thursday is distributed at this service.
Before the reform of Pope Pius XII, only the priest received Communion in
the framework of what was called the "Mass of the Presanctified", which
included the usual Offertory prayers, with the placing of wine in the
chalice, but which omitted the Canon of the Mass.
Priest and people then depart in silence, and the altar cloth is removed,
leaving the altar bare except for the cross and two or four candlesticks.
In addition to the prescribed liturgical service, the Stations of the Cross
are often prayed either in the church or outside, and a prayer service may
be held from midday to 3.00 p.m., known as the Three Hours' Agony. In
countries such as Malta, Italy, Philippines, Puerto Rico and Spain,
processions with statues representing the Passion of Christ are held.
In Polish churches, a tableau of Christ's Tomb is unveiled in the sanctuary.
Many of the faithful spend long hours into the night grieving at the Tomb,
where it is customary to kiss the wounds on the Lord's body. A life-size
figure of Christ lying in his tomb is widely visited by the faithful,
especially on Holy Saturday. The tableaux may include flowers, candles,
figures of angels standing watch, and the three crosses atop Mt Calvary, and
much more. Each parish strives to come up with the most artistically and
religiously evocative arrangement in which the Blessed Sacrament, draped in
a filmy veil, is prominently displayed.
Calculating the Date of Good Friday
Good Friday is the Friday before Easter, which is calculated differently in
Eastern Christianity and Western Christianity (see Computus for details).
Easter falls on the first Sunday following the Paschal Full Moon, the full
moon on or after 21 March, taken to be the date of the vernal equinox. The
Western calculation uses the Gregorian calendar, while the Eastern
calculation uses the Julian calendar, whose 21 March now corresponds to the
Gregorian calendar's 3 April. The calculations for identifying the date of
the full moon also differ. See Easter Dating Method (Astronomical Society of
South Australia).
Because Easter in Western Christianity can fall between March 22 and April
25 on the Gregorian calendar, Good Friday can fall between March 19 and
April 22, inclusive. In Eastern Christianity, Easter can fall between March
22 and April 25 on Julian Calendar (thus between April 4 and May 8 in terms
of the Gregorian calendar, during the period 1900 and 2099), so Good Friday
can fall between March 19 and April 22, inclusive (or between April 1 and
May 5 in terms of the Gregorian calendar). (See Easter.) - wikipedia
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