Good Friday is the day Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. This is a special date for all Christians, no matter which branch of the church they adhere to. The church service on this day is different from the usual one.
Good friday
In Latin, Good Friday is called Dies Passionis Domini, and in Orthodoxy, sometimes the Great Heel is also said. Despite the differences in names, the day when Christians remember the death of Jesus on the cross, his removal from the cross, as well as his burial, is equally important in Orthodoxy, and in Catholicism, and in other branches of this world religion.
According to the statute, on the night of Thursday to Good Friday, Great Friday Matins should be served. At this time, twelve passages from all the Gospels, which speak of the Passion of Christ, are read aloud in turn. In the intervals between different gospels, hymns (antiphons and sticherums) are sung, which narrate how Judas betrayed Christ for 20 pieces of silver, condemned his betrayal and greed, condemned the betrayal of the Jews. A considerable part of the hymns is also devoted to the description of the Passion of Christ in all its greatness.
Liturgy is never performed on this day, except in rare cases when according to the calendar it appears so that it coincides with the Annunciation. In this case, John Chrysostom is read to the liturgy. On Good Friday, instead of the Liturgy, the so-called Royal or Great Hours are served; during this service, a paremia is read - a special part from the Old Testament.
Services for Good Friday
Vespers is celebrated in the middle of the day with the removal of the shroud. This service, dedicated to the position of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ in the grave, ends the cycle of services on Good Friday. The shroud is taken out and placed in a place of honor, in the center of a cathedral or temple.
On the Shroud, Jesus Christ is depicted lying in a tomb. Usually he is portrayed full-length.
The shroud is decorated with flowers, incense is burned around it, and the gospel is placed on it. During the service, one is supposed to stand with his head bowed near the Shroud, as it symbolizes how Christ sacrificed himself for the salvation of all mankind. They read the canon "Lament of the Mother of God".
Saturday mornings are held in the evening, then the Shroud is brought out. This means the burial of Christ. On Good Friday, the best texts of the Divine Services are read, which are recognized as masterpieces of church poetry.
What Believers Should Do
The most zealous Christians do not eat anything until the Shroud is taken out, and for the rest of the day they eat only bread and water.
Good Friday is a time of temptation. According to the tenets of the Christian religion, on this day it is especially dangerous to fall into sinful behavior, therefore, an especially strict fast must be observed.
