My dear friends-in-Christ!, As the song goes “Great things happen when God mixes with us”.It means, once Christ comes into the scene, the story changes.
THE CONCEPT OF TRIDUUM:
On Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Last Supper in the evening opened for us The Triduum. It is ONE CHRISTIAN CELEBRATION that last for three days, beginning from Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday to Good Friday and would end with the Easter Vigil Mass on the Saturday eve of the Easter Sunday. So the Easter Sunday does not form part of the Triduum.
RECAP OF THE HOLY THURSDAY:
On Holy Thursday, as we said in the earlier article, Christ instituted the Eucharist and the Priesthood for us and gave us a Command of love: of leadership in Service, Service in Humility symbolized by the washing of feet.
In the true sense, the washing of feet is NOT A SACRAMENT so during the Papacy of Pope Francis of Blessed Memory, he reformed it, permitting that, women could be included for their feet to be washed as well. Since it has no spiritual significance that must adhere to Apostolic Tradition. It is only a sign of Humble Service to the Church.
THE CROSS:
In the Jewish tradition, the Cross was a sign of shame ,disgrace and defeat. So,it was only hard criminals who died on the Cross.
However, Jesus died on the Cross to change the Narrative, making it a
SIGN OF LOVE: where Jesus gave Himself fully for us in order to save us.
SIGN OF HOPE: where Jesus remembered and gave hope to the sinner who confessed his sins and asked for a place in the Lord’s kingdom.
Christ restored his hopelessness and helplessness.
A SIGN OF VICTORY: where Jesus promise of destroying the Jerusalem temple in a day and building it in three days, which symbolically was about his death and Resurrection, he truly rose up on the third day, making Him defeat sin and death.
THE PLACE OF THE CROSS FOR US, CATHOLICS:
1.For us Catholics and by extension the Orthodox Churches, the Cross is the Centre and foundation of our Christian life because it teaches us that, the way to victory is the way of the Cross!
Which means, if we truly want to experience His Resurrection, we must be prepared to renounce sin, endure pain and suffer in hope that, fixing our gaze on the Cross, we shall enjoy victory, success and comfort after dying to ourselves and denying ourselves the excessive comfort the world offer.
Again, it teaches us, there is no CHEAP LIFE anywhere, there is NO SHORTCUT to way to success if life.
Rather, as Jesus toiled for our victory and liberation, so must we do same.
After all, if there is No Good Friday, there wouldn’t be an Easter Sunday. One comes before the other.
2.The Cross is what saves us.
History tells us, it was the Cross that made Christianity gain full religious freedom after the Cross when victory for us during the era of Emperor Constantine.
The Cross did not only make Christianity free but also a State Religion.
DELVING INTO THE HISTORY OF THE CROSS IN CHRISTIANITY:
History tells us that, in the early centuries, the people worshipped the Emperors as gods whiles Christianity was forbidden and seen as a carnibal religion.
The early christians were persecuted for two main religion:
1.Because they refused to bow and worship the Emperor,like it happened in the time of King Nebuchadnezzar when Shadrack, Meshach and Abednego wouldn’t bow to the king as god.
2.Because it was seen as Carnival and atrocious religious because the Christians said, they ate the body and blood of Christ.
They were talking about the Holy Communion but were misunderstood as eating real human flesh so Christianity was seen as a Carnibal and nefarious religion.
THE LIGHT IN HISTORY:
Historians recount that, because Christianity was seen as illicit religious, Christians could not worship in public spaces like we do in the Parishes and hold Crusades now, but under caves which is called catacombs: cemeteries and under caves where people were burried and they would hide themselves to go there to worship.
THE CROSS AS A POINTER TO WHERE THEY ARE:
So, in order for the members to know where they are, would make the signs of the Cross on the ground to show where worship took place, so it was a language that only christians could understand. I call the Cross THE TRUE DECODER TO THE WISE.
THE GENESIS OF THE PROFESSION OF FAITH BEFORE ENTRY:
So, whiles the Cross served as the map to the specific venue of worship, in order for the early christians to be fully sure the one who entered the catacomb to worship with them was not a spy, would ask him at the entrance, “The Body of Christ”
If he/she responded accurately by saying “Amen”, “Ampa” etc…,it meant was one of them and so was allowed to enter.
It is from there that, Catholics are invited to profess faith in the Eucharist before reception. Anyone who does not or is unable to respond, it shows, he is not a Communicant and for that matter, not (fully)part of the Church or Christian Community.
That is what has been kept until now as a tradition.
THE LIGHT THAT CHANGED THE NARRATIVE:
History tells us that,Emperor Constantine needed to go for war in order to expand his territory when he had a dream where an angel of the Lord told him: “By this sign(P, X) you shall conquer”. So, Constantine emboldened this “P, X” sign which stands for “Pro”(for) in Greek and “X” stands for “Xristos” written or translated as “Christos” which means Christ.
“Pro Christos” in English means “For Christ”.
Constantine emboldened this sign of Christ on the armour, sword,guns, helmet of the army and he won the war.
Realizing the power of the sign of Christ, Emperor Constantine
1.abolished Emperor worship and
2.made Christianity a licit/lawful religion, ending Christian persecution, signing the Edit of Milan.
3.Again, made Christianity a State Religion, which means a religion for every land under him and in his Empire. This is the genesis for countries like Italy, France, Germany, Spain etc… mainly a Catholic country. It is the only religion known and accepted by the Power of the Cross.
THE COMPENSATION OF CONSTANTINE TO THE CHURCH:
Emperor Constantine realizing he had persecuted the Christians for unjustly, compensated the Church.
1.By donating some of his big Palaces to the Church to be used as places of worship.
It was from these beautifully built royal places that were renovated, consecrated and ended up becoming Basilicas in Italy (and other historical and beautiful Churches outside Rome gaining such honour)
Basilica suggested the throne of a royal due to its rich architectural styles and historical background of such Churches.So when one enters a Basilica,it looks like a Palace of a Royal. That is the idea.
2.Constantine also donated some of his lands to the Church so the Pope then sent some Priests to stay on those lands to safeguard and oversee those papal lands.
That is the genesis of how Pope’s Representatives in various countries which we call Nuncio began.
Nuncio is from the Latin “nuntius” which means “messenger or “representative” or Ambassador if you want.
3.Constantine gave permission to Priests to be able to stand in Court and speak to their case without employing a lawyer even until now. It was an honour from Constantine. That is why Priests have some legal and canonical training as part of their formation.They must have adequate knowledge of the secular law and that of the Canon law.
4.The Priestly garments, the cassock, chasuble, cope etc…and the liturgical vessels (the Chalice(cup for Mass), Ciborium(the one we put in the Holy Communion) all came from Emperor Constantine as an honour to the Church. Before then, they were strictly used only by kings and royals and only in the Palaces were they used.
HELENA IN SEARCH OF THE TRUE CROSS:
Historically, St Helena was the mother of Emperor Constantine.
There is a big question as to why Emperor Constantine never became a saint!
There are two schools of thought:
1.Some say, he got converted.
2.Some say, he never got converted.
However, many years ago, Helena, her mother went to Holy Land in search of the True Cross.
Surprisingly, where Jesus was burried had been turned into a garbage site.
So, she ordered her men to dig and do some escarvation where three Crosses were found which had been burried by the garbage.
Behind the site was a cemetery where people had processed going to burry the dead in a coffin. So, they decided to find out the True Cross by placing them one after the other on the casket and the one that gave life to the dead was seen as the True Cross, returning the True Cross to Rome.
That was the Cross that during the Covid 19 outbreak, the Pope prayed before at St Peter’s Major Basilica and there was healing.
That Cross is kept in Rome in one of the Parishes and it only comes out when the world is in serious crisis that calls for the intercession of the Holy Father, the Pope.
Beloved Catholics,like we do every Good Friday, we shall be invited to reflect soberly on the Passion Narrative of the Lord and be called to venerate the WOOD ON WHICH our Saviour died to save us by kissing, touching with our hands or bowing as we pray silently in our heads.
WHAT IS PROHIBITED ON GOOD FRIDAY LITURGICALLY:
There is NO MASS CELEBRATION on Good Friday and NO BENEDICTION on Good Friday. The Priests and faithful only visit the Blessed Sacrament from morning till afternoon at the Altar of Repose(where the Blessed is reserved and adored after the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday.)till the place is closed and monstrance in Adoration Chapels emptied before the Veneration of the Cross at 3pm.
ON THE GOOD FRIDAY RITE:
The Service for the Veneration of the Cross is done EXACTLY at 3pm because by Jewish time, it is believed that was the exact time Jesus died on the Cross.
The Good Friday Service begins without any sign of the Cross like is done at Mass.The presider and the concelebrating Priests prostrate before the altar as a sign of a profound reverence, then he goes straight to the Opening Prayer(Collect), followed by the Readings, afterwhich he gives a BRIEF REFLECTION/HOMILY.
Brief just like Palm Sunday because the celebration itself is SELF-EXPLANATORY and calls for A PERSONAL SOBER REFLECTION.
The Cross is processed from the back to the Church whiles the Priest chants “BEHOLD THE WOOD ON WHICH HANGS THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD” The laity respond, “COME AND LET US ADORE HIM”.
The Priest sings it three times, unraveling the Cross gradually till he unravels it completely and shows to the faithful. He venerates the Cross and invites the Church to do same.
After the veneration of the Cross, the Cross is placed at an appropriate place with candles lit on both sides for individual prayers later on whiles two Mass Servers accompany the Priest to bring in the Holy Eucharist.
He returns to the altar and goes straight to an invitation to Our Father because there is no Consecration of the Bread (and wine)on Good Friday.
After distribution of the Holy Eucharist, one of the Priests or Deacons or Accolytes send back the Holy Eucharist to the Altar of Repose because on Good Friday, the tabernacle is left empty and the altar clothes stripped and the flowers done away with.
It is important to note that, Catholics do not celebrate Mass on Good Friday because the Lord who celebrates the Mass with us through the Priest is no more and has been crucified.
The Akans in Ghana say, “When an animal goes out to graze and it has not returned, we do not send out more to go out to graze”. Unless the first one returns home safely before one can send another batch to graze and feed.
Devotions like The Office of Readings, Commentaries and Meditations by the Church Fathers on the Passion Narrative, Stations of the Cross, Confessions etc… are all encouraged.
In some parts of the world, The Seven Sorrows of Mary is done just like the Stations of the Cross even before doing the Stations of the Cross.Our Church in Ghana could consider that in the near future too and GREAT SILENCE is observed in and around our Parish compound.It is not a time for choral music interlude. Recitals and dramatizing the Passion or infused into the Stations of the Cross could also be done once the Chief liturgist, the Diocesan Bishop judges in favour of this pastoral creativity once it would encourage devotion and wouldn’t distract and make people lose the essence of the devotion.
THE MIRACLE AT 3PM ON GOOD FRIDAY:
History tells us that, the Roman Centurion, St Longinus who is said to have pierced the side of Jesus with the sword on the Cross professed faith in Him that, “Truly, this is the Son of God” after the blood that dropped on his eye have him healing since he could not see well.
We are told that, Longinus moulded the blood that gushed unto the ground into three small balls, gave one to the King at that time, one to the Church and kept the last one for himself.
We are told that moulded ball of sand which holds the blood of Jesus has been reserved in a glass as relics are preserved.
And anytime it is exactly 3pm, it turns into blood and right after three, it turns back into sand.
Let’s fix our gaze on this miracle that has been preserved by the Church in Rome for centuries and let it deepen our faith and clear our unbelief.
THE LITURGICAL BANTER ON GOOD FRIDAY:
This has been a long standing liturgical banter in our Church, as to whether on Good Friday, the Church should use only a WOODEN CROSS which has no CRUCIFIX on it or a WOODEN CROSS with the Crucified Lord hanging on it?
CONCLUSION:.
Though the focus is on the wood on which Christ died for us, we need to cast our minds back to Rome what St Peter the Pope does!
Pope Francis just like Pope Benedict always used a WOODEN CRUCIFIX: A WOOD CROSS WITH THE CRUCIFIED LORD hanging on it.
Though Bishops and Pastors could use a wooden Cross, it is like preparing a soup without meat.
Though one could take the meat out of it or not use meat at all but adding meat enriches the soup and make it COMPLETE!
It is like going to Rome without seeing the Pope! Then what were you going to Rome to do?! Hahaha!
Fellow Catholics, let us cherish and appreciate what we have as Catholics and be true witnesses of the Cross.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND WISH YOU ALL A SPIRIT FILLED TRIDUUM.
By Rev. Fr. Albert Kyei Danso
