Good Friday: venerating the cross
A key feature of the Good Friday Liturgy is the veneration of the cross. Today Fr Steve accompanied by two altar servers went to the back of the church and walking slowly down the central aisle carrying a wooden cross covered at first in purple. He stopped three times and each time he stopped he showed more of the cross until it was unveiled and lifted high.
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| Altar with Cross used for veneration |
After this the Bishop came and venerated the cross, followed by the priests and people. People came forward to venerate the cross; they kiss the feet of the figure of Christ or perform another act of reverence for the Lord.
The cross is central to our faith. The cross made of dead wood becomes for us the tree of life. It is placed on the altar which is still bare from when it was stripped after the Mass of the Lord's Supper. We are a waiting in the silence until tomorrow.
We share some Good Friday crosses inspired by the El Salvador Cross, made a few years ago by some of our children in the parish.