Christians Observe Great Friday

On Great Friday, the Church remembers the unrighteous condemnation of Jesus Christ by the Jewish Sanhedrin Council.

On Great Friday, the Church remembers the unrighteous condemnation of Jesus Christ by the Jewish Sanhedrin Council. It is the most sorrowful day for Christians because Christ laid down his life for the sake of mankind exactly on Friday. The time when Jesus Christ gave up His spirit to God the Father and His secret disciples, Josef of Arimathea  and Nicodemus begged Pilate for the Lord’s Body and removed it from the cross is remembered in the Divine Service.

The Great Friday is the most maigre day of the Lent. The image of the removal of the Body of the Lord from the cross is placed in front of the altar in all the Churches.

The great vespers are served during which passages from Matthew’s Gospel regarding the death of Jesus Christ are read out. In the end, a procession walks around the church symbolizing Christ’s funeral. When the procession returns, the Holy Shroud is placed on a table. It symbolizes the Holy Sepulchre.

On the Great Friday and Saturday, believers came to bow to the Saviour through bowing to the Holy Shroud.

During the Holy week, all the believers must fast strictly and should confess and partake of the Eucharist if they did not do it earlier during the Lent.