Good Friday

Good Friday - A full day of meditation.

Syriac Orthodox faithful often gets challenged by the relevance of Good Friday Services in today's busy world. How can anyone attend a service for more than six hours, that too on a working/business day? An in-depth understanding of the Syriac Orthodox Good Friday liturgy gives a definite answer to this. When we understand the imagery and mystery in the service, we will find the service very beautiful and length truly justified.

Song of 2 Thieves

The "Song of 2 Thieves" is one of many beautiful songs from the Good Friday liturgy.  It is a song that is a "debate" of the 2 thieves who were crucified along side Christ. Below you can find the English version of the song. 

This year this song was sung by 3 of the youth froCopym our church: Joslin, Leah, & Anne.  They alternated between the Malayalam and English languages.   

1. Ye all mankind come and listen -  To voice o-f a pair of thieves, 
Listen to their arguments - Find yourself who is right. 

The Holy Cross - Good Friday Message

In the Good Friday liturgy one of the most important parts of the service is the veneration of the Holy Cross. In this short sermon, Very Rev. Dr. Adai Jacob Cor-Epsicopa talks about the importance of the cross. He talks about how the cross used to be something people would look upon with fear - but through Christ's acts it became the greatest source of blessing. Achen relates the cross through other famous Old Testament lessons: Adam, Noah, Moses and Red Sea, Moses and journey. Christ changed the cross from an instrument of punishment to a item of blessing.

Church Calendar - Holy Week - Good Friday

Good Friday

Lectionary Readings

Evening:

Gospel: Luke 22:1-30

Midnight: 

Gospel: Matthew 26:31-46
Gospel: Mark 14:27-52
Gospel: Luke 22:31-62

Morning: 

Old Testament: Leviticus 4:1-7, 16:3-34
Old Testament: Numbers 19:1-11
Epistle: Acts 22:30-23:16
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Epistle: Hebrews 9:11-14
Gospel: Matthew 27:3-10
Gospel: Mark 15:1-10
Gospel: Luke 22:66-71

Third Hour (9am): 

Gospel: Matthew 27:12-31
Gospel: Mark 15:12-28

Noon: 

Gospel: Luke 23:26-34
Gospel: Matthew 27:34
Gospel: John 19:23-24
Gospel: Matthew 27:36-37
Gospel: Luke 23:39-45
Gospel: John 19:25-27

Ninth Hour (3pm): 

Gospel: Matthew 27:45-56
Gospel: Mark 15:33-41
Gospel: Luke 23:44-49
Gospel: John 19:23-30

Veneration of the Holy Cross: 

Old Testament: Genesis 22:1-14
Old Testament: Exodus 17:8-14
Old Testament: Isaiah 52:13-53:8
Epistle: 1 Peter 2:19-25
Epistle: Galatians 2:20-3:14
Gospel: Luke 23:55-56
Gospel: John 19:31-42

Good Friday - Coming Full Circle

Good Friday IconWhat’s so “great” about Great and Holy Friday? The term “Good Friday” or “Great and Holy Friday” is used in Orthodox vocabulary without giving much thought about what makes it so great. Our Lord and Savior died. God died on this day. Yet the Church claims it as great and holy! It begs the believer to ask “why?” ...

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