Friday of The Holy Pascha طقس الجمعة العظيمة

The Day of the Crucifixion

On this day the Church celebrates with solemnity and deep reverence, for on it the Lord Jesus was led to the Cross, like a lamb to the slaughter and like a silent sheep before its shearers.

• The fast on this day is observed with great austerity and strictness.
  The kiss of peace is not given, and all the hymns of this day are sorrowful (melancholic) tunes.

• On this day, the altars are stripped in the morning of their precious coverings, as a sign of the nakedness of the Lord Jesus Christ, for they stripped Him and scourged Him. This liturgical act declares the effect and ugliness of sin, so that everyone may know that sin strips a person of dignity (nakedness = shame), for “sin is a reproach to any people,” while “righteousness exalts a nation.”

• The focus of the day is humanity’s long expectation for salvation and for the Savior, which we perceive through the readings showing that the desire of all generations was fulfilled on this day.

• Through the events of this day, the greatness of God is revealed through His sufferings—we sin, yet He is the One who suffers.

• The readings deepen the understanding of imitating Christ, who met evil with goodness. Thus we also ought to walk in the same way. As He gave Himself for us, we also should give ourselves for others.

• Consecration is therefore seen as a form of self-sacrifice for the sake of others.

The Icon of the Crucifixion

It is one of the most important expressions of this great day. It is placed in the center of the church in an elevated position. As the Syriac fraction prayer says: “Place His wound before you and take refuge in it when the enemy rises against you.” For this reason, the image of the Passion is placed before us, almost as if we are standing with the Virgin Mary, John the Beloved, and Mary Magdalene before the Cross, as though we were on Mount Golgotha.

The icon of the Crucifixion is placed on this day for the following reasons:

• To engrave in our minds the image of the crucifixion of our Good Savior.

• To remember the sufferings the Lord endured for our sake, so that we may repent of our sins.

• Looking to the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1–3), that the spirit of patience and endurance may grow in us.

• To instill in us a spirit of hope, so that we may come to the Lord and receive salvation.

The icon of the Crucifixion is placed in a high place:

• As a symbol of lifting the soul above human weakness.

• As a sign of Christ being lifted up on the Cross:
  “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” (John 12:32)

• As Moses lifted up the serpent, so also the Son of Man must be lifted up (John 3).

• Thus we believers look to it and are strengthened, standing firm in our spiritual battle with Satan, like a banner in war.

Around the icon of the Cross three crosses are placed:

• Because the Cross is the sign of the Son of Man.

• It is the glory of Christianity.

• It is the instrument of suffering through which reconciliation was accomplished.

The Gospel Book is placed before the icon of the Crucifixion, so that we may proclaim Jesus Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23).

Then we offer worship to the suffering Lord Christ:

• Incense is offered.

• The hymn “Agios” is chanted in the sorrowful tune.

• Incense is offered during the Pauline Epistle reading,  Symbolizing the preaching of the apostles about Christ as Savior and Redeemer.

•  The hymn “The Only-Begotten Son” is chanted, which proclaims that through weakness He revealed what is greater than power. The hymns of the Sixth Hour and Ninth Hour are also chanted according to their known melodies.

Candles are placed lit around the icon of the Crucifixion, because:

• The Crucified One is the Light of the world.

• By His death He abolished death and brought life and immortality to light.

• It symbolizes the life that death cannot overcome.

If possible, the faithful fast on Good Friday and Holy Saturday together until the conclusion of the early Sunday Liturgy.

يوم الصلبوت

تحتفل الكنيسة في هذا اليوم احتفالًا مهيبًا وفورًا. حيث سيق فيه الرب يسوع للصلب كشاه إلى الذبح وكنعجة صامتة أمام جازيها