Good Friday

Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Hebrews 10:1-25
John (18:1-40) 19:1-37
Psalm 22:1-21 or 22:1-11 or 40:1-14 or 69:1-23  

Today, Good Friday, or in the Greek Church “Great Friday,” is what the Christian Church proclaims as a day of “Special Devotion.”  This is the day in our liturgical year on which we see a climax of the events of Holy Week - through the walk to Calvary, the crucifixion, the great act of atonement, the forgiveness offered by Jesus.  We are witnesses on this day to His death and burial in the tomb. 

As we know, this is not “the” climax, of course, for that is the Resurrection.  But, it is a climax in its own right, for without the events of this day, there would be no “Easter” to proclaim.  So it is indeed a day of Special Devotion; and it should be a day of simplicity in our living.   

Devotion is a very important part of our lives on many levels.  The word “devotion” means “showing reverence, loyalty, and deep affection.”  We know this to be true on a daily basis, for the people and things to which we are devoted are the most important aspects of our lives and therefore we have a deep affection for them.

One of the words used in defining devotion is piety, which in turn means devout, earnest, and sincere.  Unfortunately, there is also a highly negative connotation to the word “piety” - someone is acting too “pious” for one’s own good, for example.  But in its highest form, piety walks closely with its companion, devotion.

When we find ourselves devoted to something, we prioritize our time and efforts around that something.  Yes, in our devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to do all in our power every day to prioritize our time and efforts around being a faithful disciple.  But today calls us to raise the bar even higher in these things. 

Good/Great Friday, is not simply a “twenty four hour period” of devoting our thoughts, energies, and time to spending time with Jesus.  It is a spiritual mindset through which we enter these last days of Holy Week, or as our culture calls them, “Easter Weekend.”

Today’s special prayer vigils, worship services, acts of self-denial, the retracing of our Lord’s steps in the Stations of the Cross, and many other special practices – private and corporate – are all intended to deepen our devotion (reverence, loyalty, affection) and strengthen our piety (sincerity, earnestness) toward God in Christ as members of his family. 

In the words of the Collect (prayer) appointed for today:  Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.   Amen.

I pray that this Good/Great Friday will be for you a day of holy simplicity, of deep personal theological reflection, and of sacred preparation for the Resurrection.  May God grant us pardon, mercy, and grace in our anticipation of the great Easter feast.

Rt. Rev. Gary Lillibridge
The Episcopal Diocese of West Texas