The service concludes with this prayer,
O
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, set your passion, cross and death between your judgement and our souls, now and in the hour of our death. Grant mercy and grace to the living, rest to the departed, to your Church peace and concord and to us sinners forgiveness, and everlasting life and glory; for, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, you are alive and reign, God, now and for ever.
All: Amen.
Prayers at the foot of the Cross Dear Lord Jesus, I cast myself upon my knees in you sight, and I humbly ask you to revive in my heart lively virtues of faith, hope and charity, with true repentance for my sins, and a firm intention to amend my life: while with deep affection I contemplate your five precious wounds, having before my eyes that which the psalms long ago spoke concerning your sufferings, “They have pierced My hands and My feet, they have numbered all My bones.”
Dear Lord Jesus, remembering the hour when you experienced death so that we might have eternal Life, may we appreciate in our hearts the necessity of your sacrifice for us, and with your help, your guidance, and your grace, may we be made worthy of it. Amen.
Common Worship: Times and Seasons, and Common Worship: Daily Prayer, material from which is included and adapted in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2006. Liturgical format by anotheranglicanblog.com
The service ends here without the blessing, and the altar party leaves in silence.
A Good Friday Liturgy We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you; by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
Welcome to our Good Friday Liturgy. Today we come together to hear the Word of God, to meditate on the Passion according to St John, to venerate the Cross, and to receive Our Lord Jesus in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Silence is a significant part of the observance of Good Friday, and silence at the points ndicated is integral to the service. It is a widespread custom for there not to be a celebration of the Mass on Good Friday but for the Blessed Sacrament reserved at the Maundy Thursday Mass to be given in communion during this service. The altar remains stripped of all decoration. The church continues bare and empty through the following day, which is a day without a liturgy: there can be no adequate way of recalling the being dead of the Son of God, other than silence and desolation. But within the silence there grows a sense of peace and completion, and then rising excitement as the Easter Vigil draws near.
VENERATION OF THE CROSS The priest, accompanied by the servers, collects the cross from its place and processes towards the altar. At different points in the procession, the priest, carrying the cross, stops, lifts it up, and says This is the wood of the cross, on which hung the Saviour of the world.
All: Come, let us worship. Once the cross is at the altar we approach the cross to venerate it. Veneration may consist in a kiss or kneeling in front of it. One or more hymns are sung. The service continues with the distribution of Holy Communion.
GATHERING AND LITURGY OF THE WORD We stand as the priest and the servers enter in silence. The priest prostrates in front of the altar. All pray silently for a while. Then the celebrant prays,
A
lmighty Father, look with mercy on this your family for which our Lord Jesus Christ was content to be betrayed and given up into the hands of wicked men and to suffer death upon the cross; who is alive and glorified with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
All: Amen. We sit for the Liturgy of the Word. This part of the service includes two readings, a psalm and the reading of the Passion according to St John. The response to the psalm is
All: Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. After this, all sit for the sermon. The General Intercessions follow, calling us to pray particularly for those who refuse or do not know Christ. After each introduction silence is kept, Lord, hear us.
All: Lord, graciously hear us. then a collect to which all reply Amen. The veneration of the Cross follows.
LITURGY OF THE SACRAMENT When the altar is prepared the priest says Standing at the foot of the cross, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
All: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Showing the host to the faithful, This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Happy are those who are called to his supper.
All: Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed. Holy Communion is distributed in the usual manner and we are invited to come forward to receive Jesus in this Sacrament. A hymn may be sung. After this, silence is kept.
