Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center Holy and Glorious Pascha Preparation - Great and Holy Friday

By His death, Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ redeemed our souls. Then, we have the possibility of "eternal life".

Great and Holy Friday is a day of strict fasting. Liturgical Day

All services in Great and Holy Week are moved ahead 12 hours.

The reason is probably to make the services more convenient for the people to attend.

Great and Holy Week or Pascha Cycle
Liturgical Service	of what Liturgical Day	Held on what Calendar Day	Time held
Vespers Divine Liturgy of Our Father among the Saints Basil the Great Commemorates The Mystical Supper (Last Supper) - institution of Holy Eucharist	of Great and Holy Friday	on Great and Holy Thursday	morning
Matins Service of the Twelve Gospels or Passion Gospels or Crucifixion Service	of Great and Holy Friday	on Great and Holy Thursday	evening
Royal Hours (Great Hours)	of Great and Holy Saturday	on Great and Holy Friday	early morning often 9 am
Vespers Jesus' descent from the cross	of Great and Holy Saturday	on Great and Holy Friday	late morning
Matins Burial of Jesus Junnaaz al-Maseeh Epitaphios Service	of Great and Holy Saturday	on Great and Holy Friday	evening

Matins is the Service of the Twelve Gospels or Passion Gospels or Crucifixion Service of Great and Holy Friday, which is celebrated on Great and Holy Thursday evening

The Church commemorates the passion and death of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Reading of the Passion Gospels and singing the Antiphons of the Passion
Reenactment of the suffering Holy Cross: Processing with the Cross, Nailing of the Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ to theCross, Raising the Holy Cross on Mount Golgatha, Venerating Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ on the Holy Cross.
Collection for the Christians of the Holy Land

Reading of the Passion Gospels and singing the Antiphons of the Passion

The full Gospel story of Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ's passion, betrayal, arrest, trial, torture, and death on a cross (crucifixion) is solemnly read. The Antiphons (songs) explain the meaning of these events.

The priest reads Twelve Gospels accounts Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ's passion and death. After each Gospels account, a candle is blown out and Antiphons are sung. (Some parishes only read 6 of the 12 Gospels.)

Reenactment of the suffering Holy Cross

After reading the fifth Gospel and singing the fifteenth Antiphon, the reenactment of the suffering Holy Cross occurs.

Processing with the Cross and Nailing of the Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ to theCross

Processing with the Cross

The procession is the acolytes carrying the Crucifixion Service (hammer, screws, etc.), a man carrying the Cross, and finally the priest carrying the Body of Christ. The procession goes three times around the Church.

Nailing of the Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ to theCross

At the end of the third time around the Church, the priest nails the Body of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ on the Holy Cross.

During those two actions, a beautiful hymn is sung: "Today is hung on a tree He who suspended the earth over the waters." Then we all sing, "We adore Your Passion, O Christ. Make us to behold Your glorious Resurrection."

Raising the Holy Cross on Mount Golgatha

Then, the priest raises the Holy Cross on Mount Golgatha, which is the Solea.

Venerating Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ on the Holy Cross

Finally, the people venerate Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ on the Holy Cross.

Collection for the Catholics of the Holy Land

At every Catholic Church, a collection is taken for the Catholics of the Holy Land.

Liturgical Text

English Matins Text The Melkite Eparchy of Australia and New Zealand, a Microsoft Word .doc file

Liturgical Service on Web

Greek Catholic, Melkite Al-Bushra

Good Friday from Sahamaar, Israel, April 1999, Number 1 Fr. Nadim Chacour
Good Friday from Sahamaar, Israel, April 1999, Number 2 Fr. Nadim Chacour
Holy Week and Easter Number 1
Holy Week and Easter Number 2

Traditions

Traditions of Great Lent and Holy Week Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton

Images

Images of Great and Holy Friday Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Eparchy of Newton, (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States)
Images of Holy Week Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Eparchy of Newton, (Our Lady of the Annunciation (Al Bisharah) in Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States)

Pascha Cycle

Great and Holy Friday is between Great and Holy Thursday and Great and Holy Saturday.

How to determine when Great and Holy Friday occurs

Great Lent is Forty Days. A count back from the date of Pascha is made.

Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center
Martha Liles
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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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