The Celebration of Christ’s Passion
This service, which is normally celebrated in the afternoon, is a continuation of the Maundy Thursday liturgy and hence begins in silence as the night before ended in silence.
Traditionally the holy table is completely bare until covered by a clean white cloth for the Ministry of the Sacrament. All hangings are removed.
This service normally consists of four parts:
1. The Ministry of the Word, with a focus on the Passion.
2. The Solemn Intercession.
3. The Meditation on the Cross of Jesus.
4. The Ministry of the Sacrament.
An alternative order could be 1,3,2,4 following the Ambrosian rite (which however had no communion).
Communion or not?
Having no communion on Good Friday is the most ancient tradition. In the early church, receiving communion would have been regarded as breaking the fast that lasted from Good Friday until the Easter Eucharist. Among the Orthodox, during Lent the Eucharist is celebrated on Saturdays, Sundays, and feast days. On other days the liturgy of the presanctified is celebrated (this is akin to receiving from the reserved Sacrament), but not on Good Friday, unless this falls on March 25, the feast of the Annunciation.
From the time of the seventh century, the custom developed in the West of receiving communion (both bread and wine) from the Sacrament reserved after the Maundy Thursday Eucharist.
Celebrating the Eucharist on Good Friday forms a third possibility. This follows the insight that the Eucharist is particularly a celebration and proclamation of Christ’s death (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Liturgical colour: Red.
The Ministry of the Word
The service is normally without instrumental music except if needed to accompany congregational singing. The ministers enter in silence. All kneel for silent prayer. When all are standing the presider may greet the people with the following:
Blessed be our God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Let us pray.
Silence
Holy and everliving God,
look graciously on this your family
for which our Saviour Jesus Christ
was willing to be betrayed,
and to suffer death upon the cross;
and grant us to grow
into the fullness of new life in Christ
who now is alive and glorified
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Readings.
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 22:1-18
Refrain (after every two verses): My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Hebrews 10:16-25
or Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-9
The Passion Gospel is announced in the following manner.
The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
The customary Gospel responses are omitted at the reading of the Passion.
John 18:1-19:42
Roles may be assigned to different people and the congregation. The congregation may be seated until the verse which mentions the arrival at Golgotha (John 19:17) at which time all stand. A moment of silence is appropriately kept at Christ’s death (after John 19:30).
The term “the Jews” in St. John’s Gospel whilst generally at that time a title for Judeans, applies in this context to particular individuals rather than the whole Jewish people. Insofar as we ourselves turn against Christ, we are responsible for his death.
The Sermon
The Solemn Intercession
The biddings which follow may be adapted as appropriate. The people may be directed to stand or kneel. The biddings may be read by a deacon or other person appointed. The presider says the collects. After each time of silence there may be a versicle and response such as, God of love grant our prayer.
Let us pray for the one holy catholic and apostolic Church of Christ throughout the world:
for its unity in witness and service,
for all bishops and other ministers
and the people whom they serve,
for N our bishop, and all the people of this diocese,
for all Christians in this community,
for those about to be baptised (particularly…),
that God will confirm the Church in faith, increase it in love, and preserve it in peace.
Silence
Faithful and compassionate God,
your Spirit guides the Church and makes it holy;
hear the prayers we offer,
that in the particular ministry
to which you have called us,
we may serve you faithfully,
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Let us pray for all nations and peoples of the earth,
and for those in authority among them:
for N the Prime Minister
and for the government of this country,
for N our mayor
and those who serve with him/her on the council,
for all who serve the common good,
that by God’s help they may seek justice and truth,
that all might live in peace and harmony.
Silence
Faithful and compassionate God,
kindle, we pray, in every heart
the true love of peace,
and guide with your wisdom those in authority,
that justice, peace, and freedom may increase,
until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love;
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Let us pray for all who suffer:
for the hungry and the homeless,
the deprived and the oppressed,
for the sick, the wounded, and the handicapped,
for those in loneliness and in fear,
for those in confusion, doubt, and despair,
for the sorrowful and bereaved,
for prisoners,
and all at the point of death,
that God’s love will comfort and sustain them, and that we may be stirred up to minister to them.
Silence
Faithful and compassionate God,
the comfort of all who sorrow,
the strength of all who suffer,
hear the cry of all who call on you in any trouble,
grant them the joy
of receiving your help in their need,
and give us, we pray, the strength to serve them,
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Let us pray for all who do not believe the gospel of Christ:
for those who have never heard the message of
salvation,
for those who have lost their faith,
for those who are indifferent to Christ,
for those who actively oppose Christ by word or deed,
and persecute Christ’s disciples,
for those who in the name of Christ have persecuted others,
that God will open their hearts to the truth, and lead them to faith and obedience.
Silence
Faithful and compassionate God,
you create and love all the peoples of the earth;
may your good news be so lived and proclaimed,
that all are brought home to your presence,
through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Let us commit ourselves to God,
and pray for the grace of a holy life,
that with all who have died in the peace of Christ,
and with those whose faith is known to God alone,
we may enter the fullness of life
in the joy of Christ’s resurrection.
Silence
God, our refuge and strength,
accept the fervent prayers of your people,
and bring to fulfilment your plan for all creation,
through Jesus Christ your First?]born,
who is alive with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The service may be concluded here with the singing of a hymn, the Lord’s Prayer, and the concluding prayer below.
The Meditation on the Cross of Jesus
If desired, a wooden cross may now be brought into the church and placed in the sight of the people. The following may be sung or said (three times if desired):
Behold the cross,
on which hung the Saviour of the world.
Come let us worship.
Appropriate devotions may follow, which may include suitable hymns, anthems, and the following:
My people, what wrong have I done to you?
How have I offended you? Answer me!
Through baptism, I led you from slavery to freedom,
but you lead your Saviour to the cross.
Holy God, holy and merciful,
holy and just, have mercy upon us.
I led you through the wilderness.
I fed you with the bread of life,
the manna from heaven,
but you lead your Saviour to the cross.
Holy God, holy and merciful,
holy and just, have mercy upon us.
I planted you as my fairest vineyard,
I grafted you into the one true vine,
I gave you the water of salvation,
but you give me gall and vinegar to drink,
and leave me thirsting upon a cross.
Holy God, holy and merciful,
holy and just, have mercy upon us.
I gave you a royal sceptre,
but you give me a crown of thorns.
I raised you up to newness of life,
but you raise me high upon a cross.
Holy God, holy and merciful,
holy and just, have mercy upon us.
What more could I have done for you?
I gave you my peace and my truth,
but you fight in my name,
and divide my Church.
Holy God, holy and merciful,
holy and just, have mercy upon us.
I come in your brother and sister,
hungry, yet you give me no food,
thirsty, yet you give me no drink,
a stranger, and you do not welcome me,
naked, and you do not clothe me,
sick and in prison, and you do not visit me.
Holy God, holy and merciful,
holy and just, have mercy upon us.
A hymn extolling the cross is sung.
The service may be concluded here with the Lord’s Prayer, and the concluding prayer below.
The Ministry of the Sacrament
In places where the Eucharist is to be celebrated, the service continues with the Preparation of the Gifts from any of the Eucharistic Liturgies.
Variation/Addition to the Great Thanksgiving: Passiontide.
In places where Holy Communion is to be administered from the reserved Sacrament, the holy table having been covered with a clean white cloth, and the Sacrament having been brought and placed on the altar, the service may continue at the Communion in any of the Eucharistic Liturgies.
The service may conclude with the following. No blessing or dismissal is added, and the ministers depart in silence.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
God of our redemption,
abundantly bless your people
who have devoutly recalled the death of Christ;
grant us forgiveness, renew us, strengthen our faith,
and increase in us the fullness of life;
we ask this through Christ our Saviour. Amen.
Alternative introduction to the Lord’s Prayer:
Let us pray for the forgiveness of our sins as Jesus taught us.
Or
Let us ask God to forgive our sins
and to help us forgive those who sin against us.
Praise and thanks be to our God Almighty for all God’s chosen children who enlighten our lives spiritually. They are a gift from God for us and salt of the Earth. I am blessed and I thank my Almighty God the Father.
Thanks for the order of service, Bible portion and prayer quoted.
God continue His abundant blessings on all of you.
Amen
Thanks for this. I’ve found it difficult to get to a service in my local vicinity and on the radio so this has been a Godsend .
May you have a very blessed Easter .Shalom
Gillian
I am finding it increasingly difficult to understand why communion is offered right after we have just participated in commemorating the death of Jesus. As others have pointed out, eucharist means literally: “thanksgiving”. This seems an inappropriate time to share in “thanksgiving”. Further: To validly partake in communion, we need to have undertaken a prior statement/act of penitence, which is why every Mass has a penitential rite. As St Paul says in 1Cor 11:27-28, “Examine yourselves before you eat of the bread…” without doing so, we would be unworthy. Of course, there is no penitential rite in the Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion (Good Friday), so it therefore follows that it is not a valid sacrament. It seems that there are many Catholics who only come on Good Friday, and I’ve heard communion on this day defended on the basis that “at least the once-a-year Catholics are getting communion”. However,, by offering them communion with no prior penitential rite, we are simply offering them an invalid sacrament, and they will drift further from the Church, as they are not being reminded of the need to reflect on our unworthiness to receive, and God’s forgiveness.
And furthermore, what happens to the leftover consecrated Body of Christ after the Good Friday service? The Tabernacle must be stripped, and left empty and open, to show/symbolise the absence of Christ (he hasn’t yet risen). Consecrated hosts seem to be taken away into a back room. But what happens to it? According to the logic of consecration, it would seem to me that all consecrated hosts from Holy Thursday should be consumed, with none left over (so none is available on Good Friday), and that the Easter Mass is when a new consecration takes place, signifying the Resurrection.
When I converted to the Catholic Church, I was drawn especially to the seriousness with which the Church re-enacts the events of Holy Week. If we are to somehow experience the pain and loss of the death of Jesus on Friday, surely this would include experiencing absence of Christ in the eucharist. He has died and is not present with us on this day (and Saturday). Let us really feel this absence. Bringing out communion straight after the crucifixion diminishes the meaning and emotion of this liturgy. We should go out feeling sad and empty! In mourning! Communion seems to pre-empt the Easter feast.
Written on Good Friday, 2025
Thanks, Forrest.
Some of your points are reflected on in the “Communion or not?” section of this post you are responding to.
You mention that you joined (conversion is another matter altogether) the RC Church because of the Holy Week rites – are you saying, with your strong opposition to Good Friday communion, that when you joined there was no Good Friday communion in the RC Church?
I do not think that many would follow your suggestion that without a penitential rite communion is invalid. The penitential rite is a relatively late addition in Eucharistic history; it is absent, for example in the Palm/Passion Sunday Eucharist. Anglicans – as one example – regularly have a general absolution early in the Eucharistic liturgy; I do not think many RCs would regard the RC penitential rite as having a general absolution at that point. Furthermore, as the above rite highlights, the Lord’s Prayer has a penitential component.
Behind your issue with Good Friday communion- and you state this explicitly – is a pretending focus for liturgy. Sure, there’s an element of that but, for example, we celebrate Palm Sunday in the presence of the Crucified and Risen Christ – with a Eucharist which, in a pretending timeline, hasn’t been instituted yet.
Blessings.