Every so often I get the question of “What do you do?” I have a really hard time answering that question because it varies so much day to day. Like today I came into work and found three glass bottles that we can fill with Holy Water for those getting Baptized during the Easter Vigil. I spent some time looking over the very nice certificates Sr. France, SHCJ in California made for our newly baptized. I read over the Holy Thursday Mass that I am MCing tonight.
But all of that really isn’t my job. I did my job twice today when I got a random call from Nicodemus, who wanted a quick prayer for him as he went off to a job interview at Disney. I don’t know who Nicodemus is but I am looking forward to seeing him this weekend and him filling me in on how the interview went. So say a quick prayer for him if you can.
The second time is when a recently confirmed young adult texted me. It was something I never thought I would do. I held a mini lesson over texted. I also love how after learning about the faith more they wanted to go out and share it with the world.
So here is the lesson, warts and all:
Hey richard ☺️
Hey!
Question!
Long time no speak!
Shoot!
(After 5 minutes of no text) Oh oh…this sounds like a long one!Haha not too bad, good Friday’s tomorrow and I’ve never been to church on that day, what should I do, expect, how do I prepare? Why is it important?
So! Great question!
Haha thank you
Lent is over today. And these next three days. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are called the Triduum.
Tonight’s Mass marks a couple of important things the institution of the mass and the washing of the feet. So we know why the Mass is important and the importance of celebrating it’s anniversary. But the washing of the feet is important too because it reminds us that if we truly want to be good disciples of Christ then we need to be like him, a servant. So the Priest, goes around, humbles himself, and washes the feet of the people. As a good servant should do. But it is a reminder to us that we should humble ourselves as well and go out into the world and be servants to others.That happens tonight at mass?
Yes
At the end of the mass the Priest processes out with the Eucharist and places it into an Altar of Repose.Do people take off their shoes?
Only the 12 that will have the feet washed. So yes the Priest is kneeling to stinking feet and even kisses them afterwards.
This altar is to symbolize the time that Jesus spent in the Garden of Gethsemane before he was betrayed by Judas. We are asked to spend time with him in the Garden like he asked two of the apostles to do. To pray “That we do not enter into temptation. (Luke 22:40). After a little bit of prayer (I normally do a Holy Hour of Adoration) everyone leaves in silence. So now there is no Jesus in the Church. The Church is empty. and that is what we come up to on Good Friday.
The mass on Good Friday is normally done at 3 to symbolize the hour that Jesus died on the Cross. Since Jesus is dead the Church has no mass. It is a time to venerate the Cross that was the altar of our salvation. It is also a time to remind ourselves of what it feels like to be without Jesus in our Presence. The Churches always feel different to me in a unexplainable way on Good Friday. But it is a time to pray and reflect on our sins and the importance of his dying for us on the Cross. Again people leave this service in silence and nothing happens in the Church until Saturday Night where the Church comes together to hold a Vigil.
It used to be that people will come at night and pray together until close to dawn, waiting for the resurrection of Jesus. But today we have pushed it to after sunset on Saturday. That is the mass that we get to celebrate the that Christ is risen.
So why should you come to Mass tomorrow…because it is a reminder of what we lost. Just like you can’t have Lent with Mardi Gras, you can’t have Easter without Good Friday.So to separate the two is to forget about the suffering and sacrificial nature of our faith that brought about the celebratory resurrection.
Thank you so much for that, so from 3-5 it’s usually silent prayer? No reading, no Eucharist, no Holmey?
No singing?No there is a service
it’s only like 3-4
it isn’t a mass though
so there will be readings
there will be solemn prayers for the world
Then the priest will unveil the holy cross
then adoration of the cross
then communion (they use the consecrated Hosts from Holy Thursday)
then everyone leavesWhat is the consecrated host?
The Eucharist
They don’t consecrate any of the bread on Good Friday (since it isn’t a Mass) they do a little Extra on Thursday so there is enough for Thursday and FridayOhh so they use the same Eucharist from Thursday’s mass?
Ohhhhhh I seeyep
Another question lol
yep
What does the bunny, eggs or colors have anything to do with? Or is it just something to get the children engaged?
So…it isn’t really a Catholic tradition but it has catholic roots.
As you know Rabbits are very fertile and eggs always have represented new life.
So Easter is all about new life. Waking up a new person in Christ.
So some people started decorating eggs for the children
The Eastern Church also has some traditions about Eggs
http://www.denver.goarch.org/parishes/Grand_Junction/mary_magdalene/
http://usa.greekreporter.com/2015/04/07/why-do-greeks-dye-easter-eggs-red-how-to-do-it/Thank you so much
I’m going to be sharing this info with other today ☺️Good
Theology Teach 