Nine requisites for contented living

1. Health enough to make work a pleasure

2. Wealth enough to support your needs.

3. Strength to battle with difficulties and overcome them.

4. Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them

5.Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished.

6. Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor.

7. Loveenough to move you to be useful and helpful to others.

8. Faith enough to make real the things of God.

9. Hopeenough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.

All About Good Friday

Good Friday History, Information

Good Friday Definition and Summary

Good Friday is the Friday of Holy Week, and commemorates the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Good Friday is a fast day in the Catholic Church, and falls within thePaschal Triduum. In 2012, Good Friday falls on April 6.

Basic Facts About Good Friday

Liturgical Color(s) : Red (formerly black)

Type of Holiday: Fast Day

Time of Year : Friday of Holy Week within

Duration : One Day

Celebrates/Symbolizes : Jesus’ Passion, Crucifixion, and Death

Alternate Names : Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion, Great Friday

Scriptural References : Matthew 26-27; Mark 14-15; Luke 23; John 17-19

Introduction

Good Friday, the Friday within Holy Week, is traditionally a time of fasting and penance, commemorating the anniversary of Christ’s crucifixion and death. The evening (at sunset) of Good Friday begins the second day of the Triduum. Good Friday worship services begin in the afternoon at 3:00 (the time Jesus likely died). Various traditions and customs are associated with the Western celebration of Good Friday. The singing (or preaching) of the Passion of St. John’s gospel consists of reading or singing parts of John’s gospel. The Veneration of the Cross is also common, where Christians approach a wooden cross and venerate it. In addition to these traditions, Holy Communion with the reserved host is practiced. In the modern Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, no Masses are said on Good Friday or Holy Saturday therefore the reser ved host from the Holy Maunday Mass is used. This is called the “Mass of the Pre-Sanctified.” Another service started by the Jesuit Alphonso Messia in 1732, now less common, the Tre Ore or “Three Hours,” is often held from noon until 3:00PM, and consists of seven sermons on the seven last words of Christ. This service has been popular in many Protestant churches. Good Friday, along with Ash Wednesday, is an official fast day of the Catholic Church.

The Eastern Churches have different customs for the day they call “the Great Friday.” The Orthodox Church begins the day with Matins (Morning Prayer), where the “Twelve Gospels” is chanted, which consists of 12 passages drawn from the Passion narratives. In the morning, the “Little Hours” follow one after the other, consisting of Gospel, Epistle, and Prophet readings. Vespers (Evening Prayer) ends with a solemn veneration of theepitaphion, an embroidered veil containing scenes of Christ’s burial. Compline (Night Prayer) includes a lamentation placed on the Virgin Mary’s lips. On Good Friday night, a symbolic burial of Christ is performed. Traditionally, Chaldean and Syrian Christians cease using their customary Shlama greeting (”peace be with you”) on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, because Judas greeted Christ this way. They use the phrase “The light of God be with your departed ones” instead. In Russia, the tradition is to bring out a silver coffin, bearing a cross, and surrounded with candles and flowers. The faithful creep on their knees and kiss and venerate the image of Christ’s body painted on the “winding sheet” (shroud).

History

The celebration of Good Friday is ancient, and some of the practices associated with Good Friday are attested to by Egeria in the 4th century. The day gradually became a time of penance and fasting as the anniversary of the death of Christ. The name “Good Friday” possibly comes from “God’s Friday,” although the exact reason for the current name is unclear. Various churches observe Good Friday in addition to Catholics and Eastern Christians. Anglicans, Methodists, and Lutherans all observe Good Friday to varying degrees.

MAY GOD BLESS ALL
REGARDS