Good Friday commemorates Jesus Christ's crucifixion and death at Calvary. It is part of the Paschal Triduum, or Three Days, which concludes with Easter Sunday evening prayer. This year, Good Friday will be observed on Friday, April 15, 2022.
If the good is associated with happiness or goodness, the term Good Friday may be perplexing to those unfamiliar with the Christian faith. To put it another way, Good Friday is a day of mourning for Jesus Christ's sacrifice. According to Christianity, Jesus took the punishment for humanity's sins upon himself. It's a day of thanksgiving for the ultimate sacrifice.
Historical Background:
The cross has been a defining symbol of Christianity for over 2,000 years. Prior to Jesus, they were simply a tool for execution, specifically crucifixion. Crucifixion was a method of delivering the death penalty to criminals in ancient Rome.
If you look back far enough in history, you'll find that crucifixion was one of the most humiliating deaths ever. It was done in front of the public so that people could see the wrongdoers suffer until they died. It took a few days for the death to occur. The offenders were nailed to the cross in such a way that it was nearly impossible for them to breathe. The most common cause of death from crucifixion was exhaustion and asphyxiation.
All of this begs the question of why Christians would choose a Roman torture device as a symbol of love for one another. After Jesus' death, the cross took on a new meaning. Rather than representing the death of a wrongdoer, it became a symbol of compassion.
Symbol of Compassion & Sacrifice:
The word compassion has its origins in Latin, where it means 'to suffer with.' This interpretation differs dramatically from our current understanding of compassion in 2022. Today, the word has come to mean "to sympathize." Compassion, on the other hand, has a Latin meaning that implies a deeper commitment that entails not only sympathy but also the willingness to suffer alongside those who are suffering. When Jesus died on the cross, he did exactly that.
Good Friday commemorates the day when all of humanity's sins were atoned for. It serves as a reminder to people that they worshipped a God who was willing to give up everything, including his own life, for the sake of the people. The day serves as a reminder of God's compassion and his command to emulate it. "I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you," Jesus said to the disciples during the Last Supper (John 13:34).
On this day, Catholics all over the world empty their churches' altars and kiss the cross in a show of faith. To commemorate the hours Jesus spent on the cross, Protestant churches hold noontime mass services. Some churches also hold a Service of Darkness, during which devotees sit in complete darkness as a reminder of Jesus' death on the darkest day. On Good Friday, Christians in India attend special church services and prayers. People fast and abstain from eating meat, and many hold parades or performances depicting Jesus' final hours.
