Veneration of the Cross. Friday of the Passion of the Lord

  

Holy Triduum, 
Friday of the Passion of the Lord

Part two is the Veneration of the Cross. A cross, either veiled or unveiled, is processed through the Church, and then venerated by the congregation. We joyfully venerate and kiss the wooden cross "on which hung the Savior of the world." During this time the "Reproaches" are usually sung or recited.

 The Adoration of the Holy Cross

Part three, Holy Communion, concludes the Celebration of the Lord's Passion. The altar is covered with a cloth and the ciboriums containing the Blessed Sacrament are brought to the altar from the place of reposition. The Our Father and the Ecce Agnus Dei ("This is the Lamb of God") are recited. The congregation receives Holy Communion, there is a "Prayer After Communion," and then a "Prayer Over the People," and everyone departs in silence.

Holy Saturday April 23, 2011

NIGHT OFFICE

Year I First Reading

From the book of Lamentations (5:1-22)  

After thick mist Dandelions surface

Second Reading From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday
(PG 43, 439.451.462-463)

The unknown author of this ancient homily expresses a dogma of the faith consonant with biblical and patristic theology and confirmed by the Church's magisterium both of the East and the West His fundamental teaching is that our Lord's soul, between his death and resurrection. like the souls of all who die, entered "the abode of the dead," and brought the Good News to all detained there. Because our Lord's soul was united to his divinity he rose again to a new life thus destroying the power of death and Satan over the human race.

Something strange is happening - there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep.

Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death. he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is both God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created. struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone:

"My Lord be with you all" Christ answered him: "And with your spirit" He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying:

"Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead. and Christ will give you light"

I am your God. who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and for your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness to be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you. 0 sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead. for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord. took the form of a slave; L whose home is above the heavens, descended to earth and beneath the earth. F or your sake, for the sake of the human race, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. F or the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now one with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God is worshiped. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned. the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared. the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.  

Holy Thursday. Good Friday

COMMENT:Question from Anne marie. Just wondered.  I have heard the Gospel from Holy Thursday at least 30 times but I was struck for the first time that Jesus washed their feet in the middle of the meal!  I have my own thoughts on this particularly about the welcome to the table, but what do you think????   

Sent from my iPad

Do I think? The scenario invites thought, not least Judas, and Peter and John putting in the their twist the story. Their input is still their input in the preliminaries of the supper. It is unlikely 'in the middle of the meal'' but is part of the preparations as are the Jewish washing of the feet. as e.g. " ... it appears that the supper was not then ended: nay, it is probable that it was not then begun; because the washing of feet (Joh_13:5) was usually practised by the Jews before they entered upon their meals, as may be gathered from Luk_7:44, and from the reason of the custom." (Clarke)

Even if unwise, the questions keep prompting me.

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Holy Thursday. Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper.
Transfer of the Eucharist. Chapel of Repose.

 Blessed Scarament Chapel see previous Post: Holy Thursday "ends with Eucharistic adoration" 

Good Friday: Pieta, Nunraw Cloister Recess

 THE WAY OF OUR SORROWFUL MOTHER

The SIXTH STATION

Mary Receives the Dead Body of Jesus

AT THE ANNUNCIATION, the angel announced that Mary would receive God in her own body and give flesh to him. Now, in the unutterable silence of Good Friday, the Mother of God once again receives the Word of God as her divine Son is taken down from the cross and placed in her arms. "How can this come about, since I am a virgin?" The Madonna of the Pieta is Our Lady of Compassion. That pitiful portrait of Mother and Son proclaims to the world that "nothing is impossible to God." Nothing. Even in the sickening shadow of the cross, the power of the Most High continues to overshadow the Blessed Virgin Mary. In her maternal arms, the Mother of God cradles all our failure, our desperation, our isolation, our alienation, our regret, our remorse, our sorrow, our suffering, our nothingness, our desolation, our defeat. In embracing her crucified child, Mary is not clutching at lifelessness. For after Christ's death, his divine person continued to assume both his soul and his body (see CCC 630). Such a heart wrenching scene testifies to the truth that the one anti­dote to the tyranny and viciousness of death and despair is true, deep union with Jesus Christ. This terrible moment on Golgotha appears as a second Epiphany. Like the three kings, we have followed - not a luminous star, but - the sun blackened by an eclipse to this place of horror. Here, as once did the Magi, we will find "the child with his mother Mary". Here, like them, we will prostrate ourselves and do homage and open up the coffers of our empty, hurting hearts. But only if we renounce the murderous world of King Herod. Come, let us adore him!

Fr. Peter John Cameron OP MAGNIFICT Missalette p.187

Pieta - bequeathed to Nunraw Abbey at the closure of
Sacred Heart College Craiglockhart Edinburgh (1970s)