Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon of the spring equinox every year. This year's Easter is April 21. Easter is a very important religious festival in the West. It is a day for Christians and Christians to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus three days after he died on the cross. So what's Friday before Easter? This article introduces Friday before Easter -- Good Friday. Let's take a look at the customs of Good Friday.
Good Friday, also known as' Good Friday ', is a Christian festival to commemorate the' Good Friday '. According to the New Testament, Jesus was crucified on the third day before his resurrection. Accordingly, the church said that the day was the day before the Jewish Sabbath, and it was stipulated to observe this festival on the Friday before Easter.
Good Friday commemorates the death of Jesus. On this day, believers wore dark clothes and were solemn when attending the worship ceremony. Catholics also put out candles in order to darken the church. During the ceremony, several verses from the Old Testament Isaiah should be read. Isaiah is an ancient Hebrew prophet. He seems to have predicted the suffering of Christ. The Catholic church calls this passage the 'suffering servant' Scripture.
On Good Friday, Catholicism, Orthodox Church, Anglican Church, Lutheran Church and some other factions have worship services. In many places, different sects hold joint worship on this day to show unity and unity.
Eucharist
The Eucharist is a ceremony held to commemorate Good Friday. The ceremony was founded when Jesus had the last supper with his disciples. At that time, he knew that some of his disciples had betrayed him. Matthew 26: 'as they ate, Jesus took the bread and blessed it. He broke it and handed it to his disciples, saying, & lsquo; Take it and eat it. This is my body& rsquo; Then he took the cup, gave thanks, handed it to them and said, & lsquo; Drink this, all of you, for it is the blood of my covenant, which has been shed for many to forgive their sins. But I tell you, from now on, I will no longer drink the juice of the grape until the day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom& rsquo;'
The First Corinthians of the New Testament also mentions that the Apostle Paul preached the Eucharist to believers and clarified its commemorative significance. Catholics also call the Eucharist the 'holy body'. During the Eucharist ceremony, the Lord worshippers prayed for small pieces of bread and small glasses of wine (representing Jesus' flesh and blood), and then distributed them to formal believers. Through this symbolic feeding, believers remember Jesus Christ and his words and deeds.
Participating in the Eucharist is to enhance and strengthen the communication between believers and Christ and between believers. The details of communion vary from church to church. The orthodox church uses leavened bread for the Eucharist, while the Catholic church uses unleavened bread. Most Protestant sects change wine to grape juice, and some require believers receiving the Eucharist to be confirmed.
Worship the cross
Catholic memorial ceremonies also carry out the ritual of worshipping the cross. The ritual first appeared in Jerusalem. The cross was first covered, then gradually revealed, and then placed in front of the altar. Believers should kneel down to the cross. The chief priest took off his shoes and approached the cross. In this process, he had to curtsy three times, and then kiss the cross. The deputy chief priests did the same. According to documents, there was a worship ceremony of "climbing to the cross" in England.
Return to the "bitter path" of Jesus' crucifixion
In addition to Eucharist, morning prayer and evening worship, Good Friday parades are also common in Catholic communities. In the city of Jerusalem in Israel, the priests held the cross and led the believers back to the "bitter road" of Jesus' crucifixion, chanting and praying everywhere.
In Sicily, Italy, the Easter Parade in Trapani began on the afternoon of Good Friday. People carried wooden Good Friday statues along the streets in the sound of sad music. Such a parade lasted 24 hours. On this day, many places also perform suffering plays to reproduce the tragic scene.