Good Friday

 Good Friday is day of prayer and fasting. This is reflected not only in how we act this day, but also how our liturgy is celebrated. The mass is a presentation of the one sacrifice of Christ upon Calvary today. The mass, which is a perpetual sacrifice, and almost every minute around the world, a mass is probably being sacrificed. But on these Triduum days, few masses are celebrated. On Holy Thursday, only one mass is celebrated in the Evening. And in certain places, one mass is celebrated for the diocese, the Chrism Mass. But on Good Friday, no masses are celebrated at all.

At 3, a celebration of the Lord's Passion takes place. This is not a mass. It begins with the priest and ministers laying prostrate in front of the altar, which is bare. Then the celebrant, who is only a priest (or bishop) says a prayer, before readings are read. And the Passion Gospel of John is read. Following this a homily follows, and then Special longer Intercessions are read, praying for the pope, bishops, faithful people, and those out of the church. Following this the veneration of the cross occours. Then after this, hosts from yesterday's mass are distributed, the Our Father and Invitation to Communion are said, then the hosts are distributed to the people. Then, the service concludes.

I forgot to mention an interesting part of the Holy Thursday liturgy, the the bells are used during the Gloria, and then they are not used again until the Easter Vigil. Instead, a wooden clacker is used. It may also be used during the Procession, as bells may be used in other processions. The sound of it is reminiscent of a hammer hitting nails, hence it's association with this week, and the passion of our Lord. 

Also on Good Friday, incense is not used. It seems that possibly in the '54 and '62, it was, however there is no instruction for incense to be used in any point of the service. I just wanted to make a note of that.