| 24 Friday | |
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| red | FRIDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD [GOOD FRIDAY] | |
| Day of fast and abstinence. Celebration of the Mass and the sacraments is strictly prohibited, except for Penance and Anointing of the Sick. Communion may be taken to the sick, but otherwise is not distributed outside today's Celebration of the Lord's Passion. | |
| Hours of the day. The Office of Readings and Morning Prayer are recommended for public celebration in parishes.
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| Celebration of the Passion of the Lord. |
| The celebration has three parts:
I. Liturgy of the Word (readings, homily, intercessions)
II. Veneration of the Cross
III. Holy Communion.
The celebration begins about 3 p.m.
The altar is completely bare, without candles, cloth or cross. The ministers vest with red Mass vestments. They enter in silence and prostrate before the altar. This act of prostration, which is proper to the rite of the day, should be observed (whenever the ministers are physical able) for it signifies both the abasement of "earthly man," and also the grief and sorrow of the Church. As the ministers enter, the faithful should be standing, and thereafter should kneel in silent prayer. [PS 65]
The Passion is proclaimed as on Palm Sunday. |
| Readings:
[40] Isa 52:13-53:12; Ps 31:2+6, 12-13, 15-16, 17+25; Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42. |
| The Intercessions must follow "the form and wording" handed down by tradition, but the celebrant may make a selection of some more relevant to local conditions, provided the range of intentions is preserved. [PS 67]
The cross is presented to each of the faithful individually for their
adoration, since the personal adoration of the cross is a most
important feature in this celebration. The celebrant may remove his
chasuble and shoes for the veneration. Only if necessitated by the large numbers of faithful present may the rite of veneration be made simultaneously by all present. Only one cross should be used for the veneration. [PS 69] | |
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The communion rite is as described in the Missal. There is no sign of peace.
After Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament is carried from the church by a priest or deacon wearing a humeral veil and accompanied by two candles. The Sacrament is reserved privately outside the church for the needs of the sick and dying.
The altar is stripped at a suitable time, but the cross remains with four candles, placed so that the faithful may venerate and kiss it and spend some time in meditation. [PS 71] | |
| | Evening Prayer is not said by participants in the afternoon liturgy. Night Prayer is said after the Celebration of the Lord's Passion at a suitable hour, with the special verse in place of the responsory. | |
| Today after the Veneration of the Cross, all
genuflect toward the cross when passing it. | |
| Birthday: | 81st birthday of D. Ricardo Sebastian NOGUEIRO (born this day in 1981). |
On this day in our Jesuit history...
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| 1578 | At Lisbon, Rodolf Acquaviva and 13 companions embarked for India. Among the companions were Matthew Ricci and Michael Ruggieri. |
| 1582 | Pope Gregory XIII signed the papal bull for the reform of the calendar. Fr. Christopher Clavius, the Jesuit astronomer and mathematician, contributed greatly to the fashioning of the new Gregorian calendar. |
| 1603 | At Richmond, in Surrey, died Queen Elizabeth, after a long reign of 45 years, during which many Jesuits and others suffered martyrdom for their faith. |
| 1657 | The last of the Provincial Letters of Paschal is published. |
| 1980 | Archbishop Oscar Romero is assassinated while celebrating Mass in El Salvador. Jesuit alumnus and friend. |
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