Good Friday is a holy day marked by Christians on the Friday before Easter. It commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus at Calvary. It is a day of mourning in church and special prayer services are held on this day with readings from the Gospel accounts of the events leading up to the crucifixion. During Good Friday Christians meditate on Jesus's suffering and death on the cross, and what this means for their faith. Traditionally in Malta there are special Good Friday processions and re-enactments of the Crucifixion. Archbishop Mgr. Joseph Mercieca is leading the liturgical celebrations being held at St. John Co-Cathedral, Valletta during the Holy Week.
The Churches are all stripped of its ornaments, the altar bare, and with the door of the empty tabernacle standing open - is as if in mourning. On Maundy Thursday morning, the Mass of Holy Chrism was celebrated. Numerous diocesan priests and religious concelebrated with the Archbishop, who blessed the Holy Oils that will be used in the celebration of the Sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick, Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. All priests renewed the promises that they made on the day of their Ordination. The Solemn Memorial of the Lord's Supper was then celebrated in the evening. After Mass, Mgr. Mercieca carried the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose, where it will remain for the adoration of the faithful. In the evening, hundreds of devotes carried out the "seven visits" whereby people go to seven churches to visit the Altars of Repose, which are richly decorated with flowers.
On Good Friday, at 3.30 p.m., the Archbishop will lead the solemn celebration of the Lord’s Passion. During the celebration, the Narrative of the Passion will be read. The Adoration of the Cross will follow and then Holy Communion distributed. In the solemn ceremonies of Good Friday, in the Adoration of the Cross, in the chanting of the 'Reproaches', in the reading of the Passion, and in receiving the pre-consecrated Host, we unite ourselves to our Savior, and we contemplate our own death to sin in the Death of our Lord.
No Mass is celebrated on this day, but the service of Good Friday is called the Mass of the Presanctified because Communion (in the species of bread) which had already been consecrated on Holy Thursday is given to the people.
Traditionally, the organ is silent from Holy Thursday until the Alleluia at the Easter Vigil, as are all bells or other instruments, the only music during this period being unaccompanied chant. The omission of the prayer of consecration deepens our sense of loss because Mass throughout the year reminds us of the Lord's triumph over death, the source of our joy and blessing. The parts of the Good Friday service correspond to the divisions of Mass:
• Liturgy of the Word - reading of the Passion.
• Intercessory prayers for the Church and the entire world, Christian and non-Christian.
• Veneration of the Cross
• Communion, or the 'Mass of the Pre-Sanctified.'
Good Friday Processions in Malta will be held at Bormla, Luqa, Mosta, Naxxar, Paola Kristu Re, Qormi St George, Rabat St Francis, Senglea, Valletta Ta’ Giezu, Vittoriosa St Lawrence, Zebbug, Zejtun. In Gozo, Good Friday processions will be held at Nadur, Victoria St George, Xaghra, Zebbug.
This year, Passiontide, the Easter festival will be hosting British actress Polly March on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, for a dramatised reading of the Gospel according to St Mark. This kind of reading has been performed very successfully in the UK but will be a first for Malta. The performances start at 20:00CET at St Catherine of Italy Church, Valletta.
On Holy Saturday, at 8.00 p.m., the Archbishop will lead the celebration of the Easter Vigil. The celebration will commence with the Blessing of the New Fire and will include the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of Baptism and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
On Easter Sunday, at 9.15 a.m., the Archbishop will celebrate together with the Cathedral Chapter the Easter Sunday Stational Mass and at the end imparts the Apostolic Blessing with the Plenary Indulgence.
During the Holy Week celebrations all the offices of the Archbishop's Curia in Floriana and those of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal in Valletta will be closed for a whole week from Thursday, 13 April 2006. These offices will open again for the general public on Friday, 21 April 2006.
See also MaltaMedia's special feature:
Holy Week and Easter in Malta and Gozo.
© Copyright 2006 - MaltaMedia Online Network
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