This year Good Friday fell on March 29, 2024. Good Friday is the only day of the year on which the Roman Catholic Church does not celebrate Mass: the altar is bare, there is no cross and no candles are lit in the candlesticks. It is recommended to start the service at three o'clock in the afternoon, the very hour when the crucified Lord Jesus gave his soul to his heavenly Father. The Kuibyshev parish began the service two hours later - a tribute to the world around us, in which today is an "ordinary" working day. But such ordinariness, precisely, and can help to experience and realize with a special feeling, spiritual awe and depth of the events of two thousand years ago: "Then Jesus, knowing that everything had already been accomplished, let the Scripture be fulfilled, said: I thirst. There stood a vessel full of vinegar. The soldiers, having poured vinegar on a sponge and put it on hyssop, brought it to His mouth. When Jesus had tasted the vinegar, he said, "It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up the spirit... In the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been laid. There they laid Jesus there for the sake of the Friday of the Jews, because the tomb was near...".
The presider of the service, Father Dietmar, the rector of our church, prostrated himself before the empty altar in silent prayer.
The service included a reading of John's description of the Lord's Passion.
After the general prayer, the crucifix was brought out. Following the Primate, all those present had the opportunity to worship the Cross.
After Communion, the Blessed Sacrament was carried to the side altar, the Holy Sepulchre.
The service ended in silence. Adoration of the Holy Gifts at the Holy Sepulchre will continue until the morning of Holy Saturday.
