Good Friday for Western Christians (Great Friday) (15/04)

Good Friday, or Good Friday (Latin. Dies Passionis Domini) — Friday of Holy Week (the last six days of Lent preceding Easter), which is dedicated to the remembrance of the condemnation to death, the suffering of the cross and the death of Jesus Christ, as well as the removal of His body from the cross and His burial.

The execution of the crucifixion on the cross was the most shameful, the most painful and the most cruel. In those days, only the most notorious villains were executed with such a death: robbers, murderers, rebels and criminal slaves.

The torment of a crucified man cannot be described. In addition to unbearable pain in all parts of the body and suffering, the crucified man experienced terrible thirst and mortal mental melancholy.

Death was so slow that many suffered on crosses for several days. Even the executors of execution — usually, people are cruel, — could not calmly look at the suffering of the crucified. They prepared a drink with which they tried to either quench their unbearable thirst, or, with an admixture of various substances, temporarily dull their consciousness and relieve the torment.

According to Jewish law, someone crucified on the cross was considered cursed. The Jewish leaders wanted to disgrace Jesus Christ forever by awarding Him such a death.

When Jesus Christ was brought to Calvary, the soldiers gave Him sour wine mixed with bitter substances to relieve suffering. But the Lord, having tried it, did not want to drink it. He did not want to use any remedy to alleviate suffering. He took this suffering upon Himself voluntarily for the sins of people; that is why he wanted to endure them to the end.

When everything was prepared, the soldiers crucified Jesus Christ. It was around noon, in Jewish at six o'clock in the afternoon. When they crucified Him, He prayed for His tormentors, saying: «Father! Sorry to them because they don't know what they're doing».

His Mother, the Apostle John, Mary Magdalene and several other women who revered Him stood at the cross of the Savior. It is impossible to describe the sorrow of God's mother, who saw the unbearable torment of her Son!

Jesus Christ, seeing His Mother and John standing here, whom He especially loved, says to His Mother: «Wife! Here is Your son». Then he says to John: «Here is your Mother». From that time on, John took the Mother of God into his house and took care of Her for the rest of Her life.

Meanwhile, during the Savior's suffering, a great sign occurred on Calvary. From the hour that the Savior was crucified, that is, from the sixth hour (and according to our account, from the twelfth hour of the day), the sun faded and darkness fell throughout the earth, and continued until the death of the Savior.

This extraordinary, worldwide darkness has been noted by pagan historical writers: the Roman astronomer Phlegonte, Fall, and Junius Africanus. The famous philosopher from Athens, Dionysius the Areopagite, was at that time in Egypt, in the city of Heliopolis; observing the sudden darkness, he said: «Either the Creator guards, or the world is destroyed». Subsequently, Dionysius the Areopagite converted to Christianity and was the first Athenian bishop.

In a number of countries, this day is a non-working holiday, accompanied by various events and not only in churches.

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