Today Is the Good Friday

The Good Friday is the second day of the Easter Triduum. On this day, Christians commemorate the trial and death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion. In his honour, many Christians make sacrifice by fasting and abstaining from eating meat.

Christians, especially Roman Catholics, in their church services listen to the reading of the passion and death of Jesus. They also participate in and meditate on the Way of the Cross. They venerate the cross, as the symbol of Christ’s passion and death and reflect on its effect on their lives.

In spite of Jesus’s suffering and death on this day, it is called ‘Good Friday’ because Jesus, through his death, brought the remission of sins and salvation for mankind. So, the Good Friday brings hope for many of his followers.

St. Lawrence the Martyr Church in Toronto is jam-packed on April 6, 2012 during the Good Friday church service

After this Holy Communion service, the faithful will venerate the cross, unveiled and kept in the middle of the church

These two stained glass windows in the church depict the scourging and nailing of Jesus on the cross, which are the main theme of the Good Friday

Photos (Toronto: April 6, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

Today Is the Good Friday

_

Jesus Christ on the cross
Doodle (Dhaka: May 22, 1994) © Jerome D'Costa

The veneration of the cross on Good Friday
at St. Lawrence the Martyr Church, Toronto
Photo (Toronto: April 22, 2011) © Jerome D'Costa

The Good Friday marks the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. Christians believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross on the Good Friday, was buried and then resurrected from his death on the Easter Sunday.

This is the most important event in the religion of Christianity. Christians strongly believe that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Blessed Trinity, became man and died on the cross atoning the sins of mankind so that mankind may gain salvation from their sins.

As his followers, Christians take the sufferings and pains of this world in stride and try to bear them like Christ, whose passion and death have a special meaning and symbol of strength.

If there were no death (Good Friday) and resurrection (Easter) of Christ, Christianity would be meaningless.

Some of his followers take the suffering and death of Jesus so seriously that they want to follow him by being crucified in flesh and blood. Although it may look silly, some Catholics in the Philippines, during this time of the year, get themselves nailed to the cross to expiate publicly for their sins.