Good Friday and its tradtions

  Good Friday is vital to every Christian as it is the day Christ gave His life for humanity so that salvation may be won for all.

Good Friday is called Good becuase it is the day:that:

• our salvation was won for us by Christ on the Cross.
• sorrow, solemnity and mourning occur in the Liturgy.
• represents it being 'God's Friday'.
• the good thief rebuked the other thief dying with Jesus and Jesus granted him ' today you will be with me in paradise'.

The Old Anglo-Saxon name for Good Friday was 'Lang Fredag or Long Friday.   It was called 'long' because it created the sense of being great and significant.

For health reasons, the Church does not expect the pregnant, sick and infirmed to fast and abstain, but the Church decrees that Ash Wednesday and Good Friday  are days of fasting and abstinence for all adult Catholics from 14-65 years.  Although it is only a minimum requirement laid down by the Church, fasting, prayer and almsgiving are essential in our journey of conversion of heart.

The Church's expectation of fasting means to eat much less than would normally be eaten on these 2 days specifically, by eating one main meal and two light snacks. A traditional main meal dish on Good Friday is either fish  or vegetable casserole. Hot Cross buns are usually served as the light snack.  It is highly recommended that  fasting is maintained by not eating between these snacks and main meal on these two days.  Abstinence requires that we abstain from all meat and meat products.

 

May this Good Friday bring you a deeper understanding and value

for the eternal life won for you by Christ's death on the cross.