Good Friday: Commemorating the saviour who died for us

Kindness, harmony, and love! May the blessing and Lord surround and be with you on Good Friday.

Good Friday an important event in Christianity, it is observed on Friday that proceeds Easter Sunday.  This is the day when Christians commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ on the Cross; the day represents the sacrifices and suffering in Jesus' life.

People celebrate this day after attending a Good Friday service where they read the biblical accounts of Jesus' death on the cross. This is mainly a time of fasting and penance.

In 2024, Good Friday will be celebrated on 29th March.

The liturgical celebration of Good Friday has undergone numerous changes over the centuries. In the Roman Catholic Church, the mass is not celebrated on Good Friday, though a liturgy is performed.

At the initial years of middle ages, only the officiating priest used to take Holy Communion that was consecrated in the Monday to Thursday mass; from 1955 laypeople have also communed on Good Friday.

The liturgy of Good Friday includes reading of the Gospel Passion narrative, the adoration of the cross, and Communion. In the 17th century, after the Peru earthquake, the Three Hour Service, prayerful meditation on Jesus' "Seven Last Words on the Cross," was introduced to the Catholic liturgy by the Jesuits. It takes place between noon and 3 PM.

Apart from the horrors Jesus endured on that day, the day presents an act of love and contributions, it is one of the most cherished themes of Christianity. It symbolizes that Jesus died to pay the cost for humankind's sins.

Many Orthodox Christians call the day Great Friday. Good Friday is also known among people as Holy Friday, Black Friday or Great Friday. The date of Good Friday changes every year in both Gregorian and Julian calendars.

In History, the Good Friday date is one of the oldest Christian holidays. As per the sources, it has been observed since 100 CE. It was associated with fasting during the early years of its observance and was associated with the crucifixion around the fourth century CE.

A life Jesus sacrificed brings a new life and hope for us.

He is our Savior and forever He will be with us!