This Prayer Will Help Us to See More Clearly How Much Jesus Loves Us

Good Friday

LEADER: Once again we gather together. This time we will listen to the story about Good Friday and respond by our prayers and our actions.

This prayer will help us to see more clearly how much Jesus loves us.

Opening Prayer:

LEADER: God our Father, your love for us is so great, sometimes we don’t love you in return and yet you are always ready to welcome us back to your love. Help us to remember all that you suffered for us so that we could share in your life and happiness.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Let us now listen to the word…

A reading from the Gospel of Matthew

The passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew

Jesus was brought beforePontius Pilate, the governor, and the governor put to him this question, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Jesus replied, ‘It is you who say it.’ But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders he refused to answer at all. Pilate then said to him, ‘Do you not hear how many charges they have brought against you?’ But to the governor’s complete amazement, he offered no reply to any of the charges.

At festival time it was the governor’s practice to release a prisoner for the people, anyone they chose. Now there was at that time a notorious prisoner whose name wasBarabbas. So when the crowd gathered, Pilate said to them, ‘Which do you want me to release for you:Barabbas, orJesus who is called Christ?’ For Pilate knew it was out of jealousy that they had handed him over.

Now as he was seated in the chair of judgement, his wife sent him a message, ‘Have nothing to do with that man; I have been upset all day by a dream I had about him.’

The chief priests and the elders, however, had persuaded the crowd to demand the release ofBarabbasand the execution of Jesus. So when the governor spoke and asked them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release for you?’ they said ‘Barabbas’. ‘But in that case,’ Pilate said to them ‘what am I to do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said, ‘Let him be crucified!’ ‘Why?’ he asked ‘What harm has he done?’ But they shouted all the louder, ‘Let him be crucified!’ Then Pilate saw that he was making no impression, that in fact a riot was imminent. So he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd and said, ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood. It is your concern.’ And the people, to a man, shouted back, ‘His blood be on us and on our children!’ Then he releasedBarabbasfor them. He ordered Jesus to be first scourged and then handed over to be crucified.

The governor’s soldiers took Jesus with them into thePraetoriumand collected the whole cohort around him. Then they stripped him and made him wear a scarlet cloak, and having twisted some thorns into a crown they put this on his head and placed a reed in his right hand. To make fun of him they knelt to him saying, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ And they spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head with it. And when they had finished making fun of him, they took off the cloak and dressed him in his own clothes and led him away to crucify him.

On their way out, they came across a man fromCyrene, Simon by name, and enlisted him to carry his cross. When they had reached a place calledGolgotha, that is, the place of the skull, they gave him wine to drink mixed with gall, which he tasted but refused to drink. When they had finished crucifying him they shared out his clothing by casting lots, and then sat down and stayed there keeping guard over him.

Above his head was placed the charge against him; it read: ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’ At the same time two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.

The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads and said ‘So you would destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days! Then save yourself! If you are God’s son, come down from the cross!’ The chief priests with the scribes and elders mocked him in the same way. ‘He saved others,’ they said ‘he cannot save himself. He is the king ofIsrael; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He put his trust in God; now let God rescue him if he wants him. For he did say, “I am the son of God.”’ Even the robbers who were crucified with him taunted him in the same way.

From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eli,Eli, lama sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ When some of those who stood there heard this, they said, ‘The man is calling onElijah,’ and one of them quickly ran to get a sponge which he dipped in vinegar and putting it on a reed, gave it him to drink. ‘Wait!’ said the rest of them ‘and see ifElijah will come to save him.’ But Jesus again crying out in a loud voice, yielded up his spirit.

At that, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked; the rocks were split; the tombs opened and the bodies of many holy men rose from the dead, and these, after his resurrection, came out of the tombs, entered the Holy City and appeared to a number of people. Meanwhile the centurion, together with the others guarding Jesus, had seen the earthquake and all that was taking place, and they were terrified and said, ‘In truth this was a son of God.’

RESPONSE/ACTION

VIDEO/PRAYERS/ REFLECTION….

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pause and reflect on the love that Jesus has or us….

MORE RESOURCES

By His Wounds…

Artwork By Tricia Murray

Good Friday Ritual For Adult Communities

The Call To Prayer:

By way of highlighting the solemnity of this day, use one of the following to call the

community to prayer:

· A flat drum sound playing one beat in every four slow beats with an occasional

roll

· A flat hammering sound, playing on beats 1 & 2 in a fast count of four beats

· An alto wind instrument playing intermittently a simple, unobtrusive melody.

As one of these instruments is being played, a dark red fabric (see notes below), is

carried behind one person walking slowly, deliberately up the centre of the worship

space. It is carried in such a way that as the person moves about half way up through

the community, she/he can let the fabric unfurl (holding onto the top bit and letting the

end trail behind her/him), creating a path effect as the person moves towards the sacred

space. When she/he arrives at the sacred space the fabric is then draped across the

sacred space and across the Word of God (opened at the Crucifixion), which is

enthroned in the sacred space. When this is done, the person (standing to the side of

the Word and visually engaging the community), holds the remaining part of the fabric

up high in her/his finger tips for all to see and after a few seconds she/he lets it fall from

her/his finger tips on to the Word of God. As it falls, the instrument should play an

appropriate rhythm. The fabric bearer turns and bows to the Word and takes her /his

seat with the community. After a brief minute of silence the mantra, Into Your Hands is

sung with verse 1 being sung by a solo voice.

Gathering Mantra: INTO YOUR HANDS (Holy Ground CD)

If this mantra is done with live musicians, then have the piano play quietly, an

improvisation of the mantra as the following Psalm is recited.

Psalmody:

Antiphon 1: By His wounds; we are healed. (Be seated)

Psalm 51: Have mercy on me O God…. This psalm should be recited slowly and deliberately alternating verses or sung with a

solemn chant. A solo voice in key verses would be an effective way to highlight the

anguish of this psalm.

Pause

Doxology: (Stand and bow) Glory be to you God who is Love, Jesus our

Redeemer and Spirit of all Life, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall

be, world without end. Amen

Antiphon 1: By His wounds; we are healed.

Scripture Reading: Is 52 : 13 – 15; 53: 4; 5

Instead of having this read, another option may be to have it told by a member of the

community who can make it their own and proclaim it in the appropriate tone, pace and

manner. Have this person stand before the community in the centre of the prayer

space, but not too close to the sacred space. As this account of the Suffering Servant

is being told, another person comes up through the centre of the community, trailing a

long piece of black fabric, in the same manner in which the red fabric was brought into

the sacred space. When she/he comes to the sacred space she/he creates a cross out

of the black fabric, ensuring that the red fabric is still seen and that the cross bar of the

black fabric is across the Word of God and allowing the lower part of the black fabric to

fall like a beam of wood to the floor and in part onto the red fabric. The proclamation of

the Word and this fabric cross ritual should be timed to work together.

Quiet Reflection:

Response To The Word:

Hammer sounds on wood come from the background and a member of the community

walks up and stands beside the Word and the black fabric cross and dramatically

embodies the pain of the crucifixion. His/her body responds to each hammer blow and

eventually falling against the cross and then to the foot of the cross, bringing the black

and red material down as well, and remaining there perfectly still until the leader invites

people to bow their heads and pray. As this is being done, the following song is sung.

SONG: THIS IS YOUR WAY (Special Collection CD)

Prayer Leader: Let us kneel, bow our heads and close our eyes in silent

reverence…. (During this the community member removes herself/himself from sacred

space, leaving the fabric on the ground.) Silent pause (1 minute)

Sung Response: INTO YOUR HANDS (as above)

(One voice sings verse 1 and all repeat.)

Prayers of Intercession:

Leader: Let us pray to Jesus, the Christ who is our Redeemer, who has

borne our suffering even to death on a cross.

Response: Have mercy on us Lord, have mercy.

Leader: Jesus, our hope of new life; keep us faithful to your way even

in those times of darkness. Response: Have mercy on us Lord, have mercy.

Leader: Jesus, you who laid down your life for us your friends; may we

be true to the love you bear for us and may we love as you

have loved.

Response: Have mercy on us Lord, have mercy.

Leader: Jesus, your wounding has been our healing; bring the fullness

of your life to all who have lost their way, whose hearts are

paining and who struggle for meaning in their lives.

Response: Have mercy on us Lord, have mercy

Leader: Jesus, you stretched out your arms upon the cross and

embraced a broken world; restore dignity and justice to all

who suffer abuse, oppression and deprivation.

Response: Have mercy on us Lord, have mercy.

Concluding Prayer:

Be mindful O God of this your people, and all those for whom we pray, that we

may, together with all humanity, rise up from the grip of darkness and death and

share in the fullness of life which Jesus your Beloved Son has won for us. We

make this prayer through him whose death has healed and freed us. Amen.

All leave in silence with the instrumental of the song THIS IS YOUR WAY playing or just

the sound of the drum or hammer.

Duration: 40 minutes

Props & Resources:

· Drum or other appropriate instrument

· Word of God

· Black and deep red fabric

People Required:

· Prayer Leader

· Drummer or other instrument player

· 1 person to drape red fabric

· 1 person to read Psalm

· 1 person to proclaim the Word

· 1 person to drape black fabric

· 1 person to embody the Crucifixion

Music Notes: These songs and hymns are suggestions only – you would know of

others that would be suitable for this liturgy. The important thing about choosing the music is that whatever is chosen supports and enhances the ritual for which it is being

used. (See Music Notes Page on this site)

· Into Your Hands (Monica Brown – Holy Ground CD)

· This Is Your Way (Monica Brown – Special Collection CD)

Specific notes on the details of this liturgy:

· Liturgical Director: Should not be the same person as the Prayer Leader –

Liturgical Director’s role is to oversee and coordinate the liturgy, instruct the

community and ensure everything is in place and all involved are briefed and

comfortable.

· Prayer Leader – this could be any member of the Community willing and

comfortable to lead the group in prayer. He/she needs to be well briefed by the

Liturgical Director.

· Briefing before the ritual – The Liturgical Director (LD) welcomes people and

introduces the Prayer Leader for the ritual. Before briefing them re details of the

liturgy, be aware of any special events which may have happened to members

of the community. Acknowledge these and invite people to be aware of them

during the liturgy.

· Deep Red Fabric - Chiffon is ideal for this, about 10 meters depending on the

size of your worship space. The fabric needs to form a path from about half way

up the community to the sacred space. You then need to have enough to drape

around the sacred space and across the Word of God and allow enough fabric to

be held up and dropped onto the Word of God.

· Psalmody – The inclusive translation that is recommended for the Psalmody

and all the Canticles is, Psalms for Morning and Evening Prayer, Liturgy

Training Publications, Archdiocese of Chicago, 1800 North Hermitage Avenue,

Chicago, IL 60622.

· Black Fabric Cross – Ensure that the red fabric is not totally covered but

appears to flow in and out of the cross. This will need to be practiced with the

proclamation of the Word, well before the morning prayer for timing and flow to

ensure good flow and timing.

· Embodiment of the Crucifixion – This will need to be prepared and rehearsed

with the hammer effects and with the song for timing and flow. When the person

falls, ensure they fall on the word and then at the foot of the black material.

Ensure the fabric falls with them and that they remain perfectly still until the

Prayer Leader invites people to bow their heads and pray.

Good Friday Ritual For Adult Communities

Community Prayer Sheet

THE CALL TO PRAYER:

GATHERING MANTRA: Into Your Hands (Holy Ground CD)

PSALMODY:

Antiphon 1: By His wounds; we are healed.

Psalm 51:

Doxology: (Stand and bow) Glory be to you God who is Love, Jesus our

Redeemer and Spirit of all Life, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall

be, world without end. Amen

Antiphon 1: By His wounds; we are healed.

SCRIPTURE READING: Is 52 : 13 – 15; 53: 4; 5

SILENT REFLECTION:

RESPONSE TO THE WORD:

SONG: THIS IS YOUR WAY (Special Collection CD)

SILENT REFLECTION:

SUNG RESPONSE: Into Your Hands

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION:

Response: Have mercy on us Lord, have mercy.

CONCLUDING PRAYER:

ALL LEAVE IN SILENCE: