Chapter 30

Great (Good) Friday

On Great Friday we commemorate the redeeming sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our sakes voluntarily endured oeing spat upon, beaten, buffeted in the face, jeered at, pierced with the nails and the spear, and, in conclusion,— death upon the Cross. Wherefore, the Service for Matins is entitled: The Office of the holy and redeeming Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and its characteristic feature consisteth in the reading of the Twelve Gospels, which narrate the same.

Matins beginneth in the same manner as on Thursday. While : Alleluia, and: When the glorious disciples . . . (see Great Thursday) are being sung, the Clergy come forth from the Sanctuary with the book of the Gospels to the centre of the Temple,p lace the book on the lectern, light tapers (as do the People also), and cense the Temple and those present.

Then the Little Litany ; Again, yet again, . . . with the Exclamation : For thine are the kingdom and the power . . .

That he will graciously vouchsafe unto us : and the rest. {Seepage 30.) Glory to thy Passion, O Lord. {Before each Gospel.)

Then the Gospels. (1) John xiii. 31-xviiL 1. (2) John xviii. 1-28. (3) Matt xxvi. S7-7S- (4) J°hn xviii. 28-xix. 16. (5) Matt, xxvii. 3-32. (6) Mark xv. 16-32. (7) Matt, xxvii. 33-54. (8) Luke xxiii. 32-49. (9) John xix. 25-37, (10) Mark xv. 43-47. (11) John xix- 38-42. (12) Matt xxvii. 62-66.

Glory to thy long-suffering, O Lord. {After each Gospel.) After the first Gospel, the Antiphon, in Tone VIII.

The Princes of the people are assembled against the Lord, and against his Christ.

Thou hast laid upon me the word of transgression, O Lord : Lord, forsake me not.

Let us offer unto Christ our pure affections, and as his friends let us sacrifice our souls for his sake ; and let us not be oppressed, like unto Judas, with the cares of life, but in our closets let us cry aloud : Our Father, who art in heaven, from the Evil One deliver thou us.

After the second Gospel, the Antiphon, in Tone V.

To-day doth Judas abandon the Master, and accept the devil : he is blinded by the passion of cupidity ; being darkened, he falleth away from the light. For how can he see who, for thirty pieces of silver, hath sold the Light ? But he who hath suffered for the world hath shone upon us. Unto him let us cry aloud : O Lord, who hast suffered, and who hast compassion upon men, glory to thee.

After the third Gospel, the Antiphon, in Tone VIII.

Unto those who unlawfully did seize thee, having suffered much, thus didst thou cry, O Lord : If ye smite the Shepherd, and scatter