Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
The Suffering Servant Wins
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
Good Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence. The Eucharist is not celebrated on Good Friday. Communion that comes from the hosts consecrated on Holy Thursday is used during the Liturgy of the Passion. The Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion is a service composed of three parts: the Liturgy of the Word, the Veneration of the Cross, and the distribution of Holy Communion.
1. On this and the following day, by a most ancient tradition, the Church does not celebrate the Sacraments at all, except for Penance and the Anointing of the Sick.
2. On this day, Holy Communion is distributed to the faithful only within the celebration of the Lord’s Passion; but it may be brought at any hour of the day to the sick who cannot participate in this celebration.
3. The altar should be completely bare: without a cross, without candles and without cloths.
The Celebration of the Passion of the Lord
4. On the afternoon of this day, about three o’clock (unless a later hour is chosen for a pastoral reason), there takes place the celebration of the Lord’s Passion consisting of three parts, namely, the Liturgy of the Word, the Adoration of the Cross, and Holy Communion.
5. The Priest and the Deacon, if a Deacon is present, wearing red vestments as for Mass, go to the altar in silence and, after making a reverence to the altar, prostrate themselves or, if appropriate, kneel and pray in silence for a while. All others kneel.
6. Then the Priest, with the ministers, goes to the chair where, facing the people, who are standing, he says, with hands extended, one of the following prayers, omitting the invitation Let us pray.
1. The Suffering Servant Wins
Introduction
We are here to remember the passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. He stands before us as the Man of Sorrows, insulted, tortured, disfigured, crushed, finally dying on a cross the death of a criminal. Yet, at the foot of the cross we are not lamenting a man whose life was a failure, for to us the cross is the sign of victory over sin and death. We believe that he is God’s own Son risen from the dead and alive in our midst. This is not merely a story about the past, for the passion and death of Jesus is still going on in the people and the nations that suffer, in the poor, the hungry, in the victims of war, in all those crucified in any way. But we also believe that Christ rises today in Christians who struggle against sin and evil, in those who bring hope and joy to others. This is how we are one with our Lord today.
2. The Cry of All Those Crucified
Introduction
Good Friday: good for us, but painful and humiliating for Jesus. In his suffering and death God seems to be reduced to silence. But today we do not weep over someone who died. We raise up our eyes to Jesus who died to give us life. His death means the victory of life over death, for we see Jesus’ death in the light of his resurrection and the beginning of our risen life. Death is defeated. So, we raise our eyes to a Risen Lord. In Jesus’ cry on the cross we hear the cry of all those who have been crucified in their lives, but also their hopes that they and we with Jesus will overcome all evil.
3. It Is Accomplished
Introduction
Just before his death on the cross, Jesus says: “It is accomplished” or “It is fulfilled.” What is accomplished? Accomplished and finished is his torture on the cross and his earthly life and task. Accomplished in him is the will of the Father and his work to bring forgiveness and life to people. All is accomplished as far as Jesus’ mission on earth is concerned and we are assured that evil will never triumph again: The final victory belongs to God. But… Not yet accomplished is the kingdom of justice and love and compassion on earth. For that task is to be accomplished by us, the disciples of Jesus, who have to let the Spirit of Jesus accomplish that work in us and with us. As long as there are people who suffer from hunger and injustice, they add to what was lacking in the suffering of Jesus and we, the disciples, have to do away with these evils. This celebration of the Lord’s Passion reminds us of this task, so that we can help people rise with him.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray to God the Lord
to make us new people
made in the image of his beloved Son
(silence)
God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
your beloved Son became one of us,
like us in everything but sin,
when he was born from our flesh and blood.
By his suffering you save us
from the death we deserve
for being co-responsible for the evil of sin
in us and in the world.
May his suffering not be in vain,
but fill us with the life and grace
he has won for us on the cross
and help us to become like him, our Risen Lord
who lives and reigns with you for ever. R/ Amen..
First Reading
Jesus Took Our Ills Upon Himself
Suffering is hard to take and will always remain a mystery. Yet it is through suffering that the Servant of God won his victory over evil and sin. Suffering is a part of life and a source of life, in us as well as in Jesus the Servant.
See, my servant shall prosper,
he shall be raised high and greatly exalted.
Even as many were amazed at him--
so marred was his look beyond human semblance
and his appearance beyond that of the sons of man--
so shall he startle many nations,
because of him kings shall stand speechless;
for those who have not been told shall see,
those who have not heard shall ponder it.
Who would believe what we have heard?
To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
there was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by people,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
one of those from whom people hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
but the LORD laid upon him
the guilt of us all.
Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.
Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away,
and who would have thought any more of his destiny?
When he was cut off from the land of the living,
and smitten for the sin of his people,
a grave was assigned him among the wicked
and a burial place with evildoers,
though he had done no wrong
nor spoken any falsehood.
But the LORD was pleased
to crush him in infirmity.
If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
he shall see his descendants in a long life,
and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him.
Because of his affliction
he shall see the light in fullness of days;
through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
and their guilt he shall bear.
Therefore I will give him his portion among the great,
and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty,
because he surrendered himself to death
and was counted among the wicked;
and he shall take away the sins of many,
and win pardon for their offenses.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25
R (Lk 23:46) Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.
R Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
For all my foes I am an object of reproach,
a laughingstock to my neighbors, and a dread to my friends;
they who see me abroad flee from me.
I am forgotten like the unremembered dead;
I am like a dish that is broken.
R Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
But my trust is in you, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God.
In your hands is my destiny; rescue me
from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.”
R Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.
Take courage and be stouthearted,
all you who hope in the LORD.
R Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
Second Reading
Jesus Felt And Made Up For Our Weakness
Jesus suffered for us to save us. Since his death and resurrection, everyone who suffers can unite one’s pains to those of Jesus and share in his victory over evil.
Brothers and sisters:
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
In the days when Christ was in the flesh,
he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears
to the one who was able to save him from death,
and he was heard because of his reverence.
Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered;
and when he was made perfect,
he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.
Alleluia Verse
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ became obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayers of the Faithful
Celebrant’s Introduction to the Intercessions
Gathered at the foot of the cross, we will pray now for the great needs of the Church and of the world, for we remember today that Jesus gave his life that all might be saved and be gathered in his body, the Church.
The Liturgy of the Word concludes with the Solemn Intercessions, which take place in this way: the Deacon, if a Deacon is present, or if he is not, a lay minister, stands at the ambo, and sings or says the invitation in which the intention is expressed. Then all pray in silence for a while, and afterwards the Priest, standing at the chair or, if appropriate, at the altar, with hands extended, sings or says the prayer.
The faithful may remain either kneeling or standing throughout the entire period of the prayers.
Before the Priest’s prayer, in accord with tradition, it is permissible to use the Deacon’s invitations "Let us kneel" — "Let us stand", with all kneeling for silent prayer.
The Conferences of Bishops may provide other invitations to introduce the prayer of the Priest. In a situation of grave public need, the Diocesan Bishop may permit or order the addition of a special intention.
I. For Holy Church
Deacon/Cantor:
Let us pray, dearly beloved, for the holy Church of God,
that our God and Lord be pleased to give her peace,
to guard her and to unite her throughout the whole world
and grant that, leading our life in tranquility and quiet,
we may glorify God the Father almighty.
(Prayer in silence)
Priest:
Almighty ever-living God,
who in Christ revealed your glory to all the nations,
watch over the works of your mercy,
that your Church, spread throughout all the world,
may persevere with steadfast faith in confessing your name.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
II. For the Pope
Deacon/Cantor:
Let us pray also for our most Holy Father Pope N.,
that our God and Lord,
who chose him for the Order of Bishops,
may keep him safe and unharmed for the Lord’s holy Church,
to govern the holy People of God.
(Prayer in silence)
Priest:
Almighty ever-living God,
by whose decree all things are founded,
look with favor on our prayers
and in your kindness protect the Pope chosen for us,
that, under him, the Christian people,
governed by you their maker,
may grow in merit by reason of their faith.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
III. For all orders and degrees of the faithful
Deacon/Cantor:
Let us pray also for our Bishop N.,
for all Bishops, Priests, and Deacons of the Church
and for the whole of the faithful people.
(Prayer in silence)
Priest:
Almighty ever-living God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church
is sanctified and governed,
hear our humble prayer for your ministers,
that, by the gift of your grace,
all may serve you faithfully.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
IV. For catechumens
Deacon/Cantor:
Let us pray also for (our) catechumens,
that our God and Lord
may open wide the ears of their inmost hearts
and unlock the gates of his mercy,
that, having received forgiveness of all their sins
through the waters of rebirth,
they, too, may be one with Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Prayer in silence)
Priest:
Almighty ever-living God,
who make your Church ever fruitful with new off spring,
increase the faith and understanding of (our) catechumens,
that, reborn in the font of Baptism,
they may be added to the number of your adopted children.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
V. For the unity of Christians
Deacon/Cantor:
Let us pray also for all our brothers and sisters who believe in Christ,
that our God and Lord may be pleased,
as they live the truth,
to gather them together and keep them in his one Church.
(Prayer in silence)
Priest:
Almighty ever-living God,
who gather what is scattered
and keep together what you have gathered,
look kindly on the flock of your Son,
that those whom one Baptism has consecrated
may be joined together by integrity of faith
and united in the bond of charity.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
VI. For the Jewish people
Deacon/Cantor:
Let us pray also for the Jewish people,
to whom the Lord our God spoke first,
that he may grant them to advance in love of his name
and in faithfulness to his covenant.
(Prayer in silence)
Priest:
Almighty ever-living God,
who bestowed your promises on Abraham and his descendants,
hear graciously the prayers of your Church,
that the people you first made your own
may attain the fullness of redemption.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
VII. For those who do not believe in Christ
Deacon/Cantor:
Let us pray also for those who do not believe in Christ,
that, enlightened by the Holy Spirit,
they, too, may enter on the way of salvation.
(Prayer in silence)
Priest:
Almighty ever-living God,
grant to those who do not confess Christ
that, by walking before you with a sincere heart,
they may find the truth
and that we ourselves, being constant in mutual love
and striving to understand more fully the mystery of your life,
may be made more perfect witnesses to your love in the world.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
VIII. For those who do not believe in God
Deacon/Cantor:
Let us pray also for those who do not acknowledge God,
that, following what is right in sincerity of heart,
they may find the way to God himself.
(Prayer in silence)
Priest:
Almighty ever-living God,
who created all people
to seek you always by desiring you
and, by finding you, come to rest,
grant, we pray,
that, despite every harmful obstacle,
all may recognize the signs of your fatherly love
and the witness of the good works
done by those who believe in you,
and so in gladness confess you,
the one true God and Father of our human race.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
IX. For those in public office
Deacon/Cantor:
Let us pray also for those in public office,
that our God and Lord
may direct their minds and hearts according to his will
for the true peace and freedom of all.
(Prayer in silence)
Priest:
Almighty ever-living God,
in whose hand lies every human heart
and the rights of peoples,
look with favor, we pray,
on those who govern with authority over us,
that throughout the whole world,
the prosperity of peoples,
the assurance of peace,
and freedom of religion
may through your gift be made secure.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
X. For those in tribulation
Deacon/Cantor:
Let us pray, dearly beloved,
to God the Father almighty,
that he may cleanse the world of all errors,
banish disease, drive out hunger,
unlock prisons, loosen fetters,
granting to travelers safety, to pilgrims return,
health to the sick, and salvation to the dying.
(Prayer in silence)
Priest:
Almighty ever-living God,
comfort of mourners, strength of all who toil,
may the prayers of those who cry out in any tribulation
come before you,
that all may rejoice,
because in their hour of need
your mercy was at hand.
Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
Celebrant’s Introduction to the Veneration Rite
We shall now venerate the Lord’s cross. Strangely enough, to venerate the cross does not mean, even this Good Friday, to mourn the death of Jesus. It is true, we are sad and sorry that our sins caused his death; yet today we acclaim and kiss the cross as the sign of Jesus' victory over sin and death, and therefore the sign of our liberation. He rose from the dead and he is alive. Therefore we can rise and be alive to forgiveness and joy, and hope and life.
Introduction to the Communion Rite
Before us lies the broken body
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He did not live for himself,
he did not die for himself.
He lived and died for us.
He invites us now to take and eat his body
in his memory, to share in his sufferings and death
and to rise with him to a deeper Christian life.
He also invites us to break bread for one another,
that is, like him, to live for one another.
We now pray with Jesus to our Father in heaven. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord,
from every evil and grant us peace in our day.
In your mercy keep us free from sin
and renew with us your covenant
on account of the love
with which your suffering Servan
died for us on the cross today,
in the joyful hope of rising again
as our glorious Saviour Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation to Communion
Thus says the Lord:
If the grain of wheat
does not fall on the ground
It remains a single grain,
But if it dies, it yields fruit in abundance.
(raising the host)
This is the body of our Lord
who died on the cross
to become for us the source of life.
Happy are we to be invited
to the supper of forgiveness and life. R/ Lord, lam not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Lord God, merciful Father,
we thank you for loving us so much
that you gave your only Son Jesus Christ
to restore us to life
by his triumphant death and resurrection.
Continue giving us the strength
to win our struggles against sin and evil
and to bear our crosses in life
together with your Son.
Give us the firm faith
that you want us to live
and to render you always
faithful, dedicated service.
Help us to give ourselves to one another
through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/Amen.
Prayer Over the People
Lord God, Father of Jesus Christ,
bless your people gathered here before you.
May your Son's death for us not be in vain.
Send us home with the assurance
that our sins are forgiven,
that we can overcome evil
and that death is not the end.
Give us your risen Son
as our companion on the road of life,
to help us grow in your eternal life
and to bear witness to the world
that he lives among us
as our Lord for ever and ever. R/ Amen.
REFLECTIONS
God Is Dead
Nietzsche’s famous declaration “God is dead” is a popular war cry for many atheists. However, not many are aware of his very next words: "God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers?” [italics added.] If God died, it is because we, the creatures killed him. Human language fails to communicate the import and emotion of this day. Hence, let us do this today: Choose one of these moments: Gethsemane, or at the foot of the cross, or at the tomb where he was laid. Place yourself in that space, in that holy moment. Observe the sentiments that arise within you. Share them with him. But do not lose heart. Nietzsche was only partially right: God wouldn’t remain dead; he will wake up soon, right into our lives, giving us second and more chances.
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John 18:1- 19:92
"He Was Despised and Rejected by Men"
The words of the prophet Isaiah, “He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3), open the Liturgy of the Word today. They speak of the suffering servant, whose rejection and pain are embodied in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. Today, we contemplate Him as a representative of all who are despised, disinherited, and discarded by the world—those whom society turns away from, choosing not to see their pain.
From the moment of His birth, Jesus was no stranger to rejection. Born in a humble stable because “there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7), He grew up without privilege. His family’s offering at the temple, two turtledoves or pigeons (a sacrifice for the poor), was a symbol of their poverty. Even in His public ministry, He was homeless, with “nowhere to lay His head” (Matthew 8:20). His entire life was marked by this solidarity with the marginalised.
As we move to His passion, a moment often overlooked but filled with significance stands out: Jesus in the praetorium of Pilate, mocked and tortured. Soldiers pressed a crown of thorns onto His head, clothed Him in a bloody robe, and gave Him a reed as a symbol of mockery. In this, Jesus becomes the prototype of all who are humiliated, oppressed, and violated. Pilate’s exclamation, “Ecce homo!” (“Behold the man!”), reveals the great paradox of the cross: The one who is rejected and despised becomes the symbol of hope and redemption for all who are broken. Pilate was making an eternal statement: pointing towards the broken, humiliated and condemned man, he says, “This is the state of humanity.” But what Pilate did not know was that it was God himself present in the brokenness and humiliation of humanity.
Yet, while this is a significant dimension of the Passion, the most profound meaning lies beyond the social and human realms. The cross is not only a symbol of solidarity with the oppressed but also the spiritual gateway to redemption. Jesus’ death was not merely the death of a nobleman; it was the death that brought the world back from sin, conquering death and offering eternal life. The resurrection of Christ ensures that the final word in human history is not oppression but victory.
For those who have power and privilege, the cross serves as a warning. It reminds them that their strength is temporary, and they, too are subject to the same fate as all humankind. The illusion of omnipotence is dangerous, and it is a constant temptation for the powerful, as history has shown.
The Church, as the voice of the voiceless, must continue to stand with the poor and the oppressed, addressing the stark injustices that persist in our world today. The message of the cross is not only a call for solidarity but a plea for transformation, for the reversal of a world bound by power, greed, and indifference.
Isaiah’s prophecy concludes with the promise of the Servant’s exaltation: “He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul and be satisfied” (Isaiah 53:11). The resurrection of Christ gives this promise a name and a face. As we await this glorious moment, let us meditate on the mystery of the cross, knowing that in Christ, every tear will be wiped away and every injustice will be undone.