What is the Good Friday Liturgy like?

Good Friday is a very unique day. The sacrifice of the Holy Mass is not celebrated. The Church, following a millenary tradition, abstains from the Eucharistic consecration as a sign of mourning and bereavement for the death of her Lord. The main celebration is called the “Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion” and ideally takes place at three in the afternoon, which is the same hour at which Jesus gave up his spirit.

The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion consists of three parts: Liturgy of the Word, Adoration of the Cross, and Holy Communion. It is characterized by moments of silence, by the sobriety in the decoration of the temple, and because the celebrants wear red or black vestments.

On this day, Holy Communion is distributed to the faithful only during the celebration of the Lord’s Passion. However, it can be brought to the sick, who cannot participate in the celebration, at any time of the day.

It is also a day of mandatory fasting and abstinence, a penitential practice that seeks to prepare the spirit for the joy of the resurrection.

The liturgy, with its austerity and silence, invites us on this day to strip away the non-essential to contemplate the nakedness of the Cross. It calls us to follow the steps of the Savior, to die to ourselves by being spiritually crucified alongside Him. But it is not a day of despair; on the contrary, we contemplate the tomb in expectation of the Lord’s resurrection. Indeed, Good Friday is the day the Church recognizes itself as born from the open side of the Savior, united with the Blessed Virgin in waiting for the resurrection.

Do you want to experience the Good Friday celebration more deeply? In this post, we explain each moment of the Liturgy of the Passion step by step.

Entrance Rite and Prostration

The celebration begins in absolute silence, breaking with the usual structure of introductory rites. There is no entrance hymn or initial greeting. The altar is presented completely bare: without cloths, without a cross or candlesticks. This recalls Christ being totally stripped on the cross. The most impressive gesture of the Good Friday liturgy is the prostration of the celebrating priest and the ministers. Upon reaching the sanctuary, they prostrate themselves on the floor, while the assembly remains kneeling in absolute silence.

This act of prostration is a symbol of the humiliation of man before the majesty of God and an expression of the sadness and grief of the Church. Theologically, it represents fallen humanity imploring forgiveness and recognizing its nothingness before the sacrifice of the Redeemer.

After this period of silent prayer, the priest goes to the chair and pronounces a prayer without the usual “Let us pray,” invoking God’s eternal mercy and recalling that the paschal mystery was instituted by the blood of His Son:

O God, who by the Passion of Christ your Son,
our Lord,
abolished the death inherited from ancient sin,
which stayed the course
of all the human race.

Grant that, being conformed to him,
we may bear by the law of nature
the image of the man of earth,
so by the sanctification of grace
we may bear the image of the Man of heaven.

Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.

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Liturgy of the Word on Good Friday

The first part of the celebration is dedicated to the Liturgy of the Word. The structure follows a prophetic and theological progression:

First Reading: The Song of the Suffering Servant

The fourth song of the Servant of Yahweh (Isaiah 52:13 — 53:12) describes with startling precision the sufferings and exaltation of the Messiah.

See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at him—so marred was his look beyond that of man, and his appearance beyond that of mortals—so shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless; for those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder.

Who would believe what we have heard? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth; there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem.

Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.

We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all. Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth.

Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away, and who would have thought any more of his destiny? When he was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sin of his people, a grave was assigned him among the wicked and a burial place with evildoers, though he had done no violence nor spoken any deceit.

But the Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity. If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him. Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear.

Therefore I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; and he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses. (Is 52:13-53:12)

Psalm 31

Psalm 31 foreshadows Jesus’ final surrender:

R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God. R.

For all my foes I am an object of reproach,
a laughingstock to my neighbors,
and a dread to my friends;
they who see me abroad flee from me.
I am forgotten like the unremembered dead;
I am like a dish that is broken. R.

But my trust is in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
In your hands is my destiny;
rescue me from the clutches of my enemies
and my persecutors. R.

Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
Take courage and be stouthearted,
all you who hope in the Lord. R.

Second Reading: The Epistle to the Hebrews

It presents Jesus as the compassionate High Priest who learned obedience through suffering:

Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin.

So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.

The Word of the Lord.

The Passion of the Lord according to Saint John

The climax of the Good Friday Liturgy of the Word is the proclamation of the Passion according to Saint John. Unlike Palm Sunday, incense and candles are not used, and the greeting to the people is omitted. The reading is often performed by three deacons or readers. The part of Christ is reserved for the priest. .

For Saint John, the Cross is not just the gallows of a condemned man, but the throne from which the King of the Jews begins his universal reign and draws everyone to himself.

Before the Gospel, this verse is read:

Christ became obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every other name.

• You may be interested in: Readings for the Celebration of the Passion on Good Friday

The Solemn Universal Prayer

After the homily, which usually invites silent meditation, the Universal Prayer is performed, its current form deriving from the oldest traditions of the Church. The Roman Missal prescribes ten intentions that cover all the needs of the world and the Church, reflecting the universal character of redemption.

The procedure is solemn: the deacon proposes the intention, the assembly prays in silence (often kneeling), and the priest concludes with a collective prayer.

The intentions include prayers for the Holy Church, for the Pope (that he may be protected and govern the Christian people under the staff of the Supreme Pontiff), for bishops, priests, and the faithful, for catechumens (that they may be reborn in the baptismal font), for the unity of Christians, for the Jewish people (the people of the first covenant), for those who do not believe in Christ, for those who do not believe in God, for public officials (that peace and religious freedom may be achieved), and for all those in tribulation.

In cases of grave public need, the diocesan ordinary may permit an additional intention.

The Adoration of the Holy Cross

The second part of the liturgical action is the Adoration of the Holy Cross. It is fundamental to note that Good Friday is the only day on which the Cross receives the treatment of adoration (genuflection), usually reserved for the Blessed Sacrament. This gesture is not directed at the wood itself, but at the person of the Savior who was nailed to it for the salvation of the world.

The Forms of Presentation

There are two authorized forms for showing the Holy Cross to the people:

• First Form: The priest or deacon carries a Cross covered with a purple or red veil. In the sanctuary, the priest first uncovers the upper part, then the right arm, and finally the entire Cross, singing each time:

“Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world. Come, let us adore.”

• Second Form: The priest goes to the church door, receives the uncovered Cross, and processes through the center aisle, stopping at the door, in the middle of the church, and in the sanctuary to lift it up and acclaim it.

The Act of Adoration and the Reproaches

Personal adoration is a crucial feature. The priest is the first to adore, and may remove his chasuble and shoes according to pastoral convenience. Then the clergy and the faithful approach to genuflect or kiss the Cross. If the crowd is too large, the priest may lift the Cross once a representative group has adored it, inviting the entire assembly to silent adoration.

During this rite, the “Reproaches” (Improperia) are sung, hymns where Christ, in the first person, dialogues with his people, reminding them of the benefits of salvation history in contrast to the ingratitude of the crucifixion: “My people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me!” The hymn “We Adore Your Cross, O Lord” is also sung, which emphasizes that through the wood joy has come to the whole world.

O my people, what have I done to you?
How have I offended you?
Answer me.

I led you out of Egypt:
you have prepared a Cross for your Savior.

Holy God,
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy and Immortal One,
have mercy on us,
Holy and Immortal One,
have mercy on us.

I led you forty years
through the desert,
I fed you with manna,
I brought you into an excellent land;
you have prepared a Cross for your Savior.

Holy God….

For you I scourged Egypt
and its firstborn;
you scourged me and handed me over.

My people!

I led you out of Egypt,
drowning Pharaoh in the Red Sea;
you handed me over
to the chief priests.

My people!

I opened the sea before you;
you, with a lance, opened my side.

My people!

I guided you
with a pillar of cloud;
you led me to the praetorium of Pilate.

My people!

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Communion Rites and the Mystery of the Presanctified

The third part of the celebration consists of the communion rite. A cloth is placed on the altar, along with a corporal and the Missal. The deacon or priest brings the Blessed Sacrament from the place of reservation (the Altar of Repose). The assembly prays the Our Father and, after the communion of the priest, the Eucharist is distributed to the faithful.

It is important to note that the sign of peace is not given nor is the rite of the fraction of the bread performed, as the Host has already been consecrated on Holy Thursday.

Once the distribution is finished, the ciborium is taken to a prepared place outside the church. The altar is stripped again, leaving only the Cross and four candlesticks for the silent prayer of the faithful. The priest prays:

Let us pray.
Almighty and eternal God,
who have restored us to life
by the blessed Death and Resurrection of your Christ,
preserve in us the work of your mercy,
that, by partaking of this mystery,
we may have a life
unceasingly devoted to you.

Through Christ our Lord.

R/. Amen.

The celebration concludes with a prayer over the people, asking that God’s blessing descend upon those who have celebrated the death of His Son with the hope of resurrection.

May your abundant blessing, Lord,
come down upon your people,
who have honored the Death of your Son
in the hope of their resurrection:
may pardon come,
comfort be given,
holy faith increase,
and everlasting redemption be made secure.
Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen.

And everyone leaves in silence. The altar is stripped at the appropriate time.

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Good Friday Reflection: Catechesis of Saint John Chrysostom

Do you wish to know the value of Christ’s blood? Let us go back to the figures that prophesied it and recall the ancient stories of Egypt.

Sacrifice—says Moses—a lamb of one year; take its blood and sprinkle the two doorposts and the lintel of the house. “What are you saying, Moses? Can the blood of an irrational lamb save men endowed with reason?” “Without a doubt,” Moses responds: “not because it is blood, but because in this blood is contained a prophecy of the Lord’s blood.”

If today, then, the enemy, instead of seeing doors sprinkled with symbolic blood, sees the blood of the true Lamb shining on the lips of the faithful, the doors of the temples of Christ, he will flee even further away.

Do you wish to discover the value of this blood by another means? Look at where it flowed from and what its source was. It began to flow from the cross itself and its source was the Lord’s side. For when the Lord was already dead, the Gospel says, one of the soldiers approached with a lance, pierced his side, and immediately water and blood came out: water, as a symbol of baptism; blood, as a figure of the Eucharist.

The soldier pierced his side, opened a breach in the wall of the holy temple, and I find the hidden treasure and rejoice with the wealth found. This was what happened with the lamb: the Jews sacrificed the lamb, and I receive the fruit of the sacrifice.

From his side came blood and water. I do not want you, beloved listener, to pass by such a great mystery with indifference, for I have yet to explain another mystical interpretation. I have said that this water and this blood were symbols of baptism and the Eucharist. Well, the Church is built with these two sacraments: with the water of regeneration and with the renewal of the Holy Spirit, that is, with baptism and the Eucharist, which both flowed from his side. From the side of Jesus, then, the Church was formed, as from the side of Adam, Eve was formed.

For this same reason, Saint Paul affirms: We are members of his body, formed from his bones, alluding thereby to the side of Christ. For just as God formed the woman from the side of Adam, in the same way Jesus Christ gave us the water and the blood coming from his side to build the Church. And just as God then took the rib from Adam while he slept, so also he gave us the water and the blood after Christ had died.

See in what way Christ has united himself to his spouse, consider with what food he nourishes her. We are born and nourished by the same food. Just as a woman is driven by her own nature to nourish with her own blood and
milk the one to whom she has given birth, so also Christ always nourishes with his blood those to whom he himself has given rebirth.

Do you want to live the Paschal Triduum with devotion? Here are some articles that may help you do so:

• Holy Week Celebrations Guide: Discover what Holy Week is, what is celebrated each day, and how to live the Paschal Triduum according to the Catholic Church. Clear and complete guide.
  
• The 3 Pillars of Palm Sunday: What is the Palm Sunday liturgy like? Explore its 3 pillars: the blessing of palms, the procession, and the Passion narrative.