Good Friday (Great Heel) (22/04)





At Matins (which is traditionally served on the evening of Maundy Thursday), «12 Gospels of the Holy Passion of Christ are read in the middle of the temple, selected from all four Evangelists, telling about the suffering of the Savior, starting with His last conversation with the disciples at the Last Supper and ending with His burial in the garden Joseph of Arimathea and placing a military guard at His tomb.

While reading the Gospel, believers stand with lit candles, showing on the one hand that glory and greatness did not leave the Lord during His suffering, and on the other hand — ardent love for their Savior.

There is no liturgy on Good Friday, since on this day the Lord Himself sacrificed Himself, and the Royal Hours are celebrated. Vespers is celebrated at the third hour of the day, at the hour of the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross, in remembrance of the removal of the body of Christ from the Cross and His burial.

At Vespers, while singing the troparion: «Good Joseph with a tree with a slumber Your most pure Body...», the clergy raise the Shroud (that is, the image of Christ lying in the tomb) from the Throne, as if from Calvary, and take it out of the altar to the middle of the temple in the offering of lamps and when incense.

The shroud relies on a specially prepared table (tomb). Then the clergy and all worshipers worship before the Shroud and kiss the ulcers of the Lord depicted on it — his thinned ribs, hands and feet. In the evening there is a second service with a religious procession.

The shroud is located in the middle of the temple for three (incomplete) days, thereby reminiscent of the three-day presence of Jesus Christ in the tomb. This is a day of strict fasting, when you can’t eat anything. Those who find it difficult do not eat or drink anything until the shroud is removed, and after removal they eat only bread and water.

On Good Friday evening, it is customary to set up a dough for Easter cakes. Cakes should be baked on Saturday, and eggs should also be dyed — It is believed that Friday cakes and eggs spoil quickly, and Saturday eggs are stored for a long time.

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