Good Friday.
The Collects.
ALMIGHTY God, we beseech thee
graciously to behold this thy family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was
contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to
suffer death upon the cross, who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy
Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God,
by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified;
Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before thee for all
estates of men in thy holy Church, that every member of the same, in his
vocation and ministry may truly and godly serve thee; through our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
O MERCIFUL God, who hast made
all men, and hatest nothing that thou hast made, nor wouldest the death of a
sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live; Have mercy upon all
Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Hereticks, and take from them all ignorance,
hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word; and so fetch them home, blessed
Lord, to thy flock, that they may be saved among the remnant of the true
Israelites, and be made one fold under one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord, who
liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
{The
Collect from the First Day of Lent is to be read every day in Lent after the
Collect appointed for the Day.}
Old
Testament Reading: Genesis 22.1-18
Psalter:
Psalm 22
Epistle
Reading: Hebrews 10.1-15
Gospel
Reading: St. John 19.1-37
Toon: “GOOD FRIDAY - this name is peculiar to the Church of England
(and thus to English culture where the Church has had an impact).
Of all Fridays of the year, there are profound reasons for giving this
one the title of "GOOD."
It is the Day when the only One who was GOOD enough as a Person (for he
was righteous and without sin) to pay the price of our sin, actually paid that
price as the sacrificial Lamb on the Cross.
It is also the Day when the supreme GOOD of mankind - communion and
friendship with the Lord - was made possible when the Son of God incarnate took
away all barriers to realizing and experiencing that good. The supreme end and
good of man is to enjoy and glorify God forever and this is only possible
through the reconciliation wrought by Christ Jesus on the Cross.
Further it is the Day when GOOD triumphed over evil as God the Father
turned what could have been the world's greatest tragedy - the crucifixion of
the most innocent of men - into the salvation of mankind, and as He turned an
evil act and apparent defeat into the victory over Satan, sin and death and
showed it in Resurrection.
Finally, it is the Day which provides the world with GOSPEL, that is
GOOD NEWS, a message of hope to all the nations. The GOOD news is that there is
forgiveness, a right relation with the Father, eternal life in the age to come,
and friendship with God through the saving work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross.
Yet, while it is most certainly and surely a GOOD Friday, it is also a
day of Fasting for the Church, the Bride of Christ, since it is the Day when
the Bridegroom is taken away from his Bride [the Lord Jesus from his disciples
- see Mark 2:19-20] as he descends into Hades to announce and proclaim his finished,
saving and good work to those who have died and wait for their full redemption.
Thus the Church fasts for this whole day, or even for this day and the
next day, until the great cry - CHRIST IS RISEN. ALLELUIA - is heard on Easter
morning. Then with the victorious and faithful Bridegroom returned she can eat
with him at his banqueting table and her first food is his sacramental body and
blood, at the Easter Eucharist.
The Book of Common Prayer (1662) provides Collects, an Epistle and
Gospel for this GOOD Friday and the general Anglican tradition has been to have
only Ante-Communion this day and to encourage meditation, prayer and quiet in
church and at home.”
Check out the link where you will also find some background and history
to the Collects for this day: http://www.pbs.org.uk/the-bcp/good-friday
Easter-Even.
The Collect.
GRANT, O Lord, that as we
are baptized into the death of thy blessed Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, so by
continual mortifying our corrupt affections we may be buried with him : and
that through the grave, and gate of death, we may pass to our joyful
resurrection ; for his merits, who died, and was buried, and rose again for us,
thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
{The
Collect from the First Day of Lent is to be read every day in Lent after the
Collect appointed for the Day.}
Old
Testament Reading: Job 14.1-14
Psalter:
Psalm 16
Epistle
Reading: 1 Peter 3.17-22
Gospel
Reading: St. Matthew 27.57-66
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