Things that seem out of place on Good Friday: going out to eat, watching tv, eating sweets, talking loud, drinking coffee or beer, sleeping late even if one has a day off.
Things that seem appropriate: praying a bit more, listening to music like this, reading (but not too much), going to church twice or maybe three times.
I remember 45 years ago: my first Good Friday before I was baptized. The parish combined Stations with the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion into a noon to three event. I remember my sister and I staying for the whole thing. I objected to the imposition of “Crucify him!” and I don’t recall if I said it or not.
Any memories of this day from childhood? Any suggested do’s and don’t’s?
Good Friday was never a thing growing up. I’d always have to go to school, and it wasn’t until college that I could actually make it to the Good Friday services/stations/etc.
As to this year, yesterday was spent in a dental chair. Today’s soup and self-care, I think.
We got the day off in grade school. Sister encouraged us to try to keep three hours of silence from noon until 3:00. I remember getting mad at my brothers for making me yell at them and breaking the silence. For some reason not yelling at them didn’t occur to me as an option.
Childhood memories: Having to be quiet from noon to 3 in the house. Attending the liturgical service, which at my hometown parish was at 3. Attending Stations in the evening. Fasting. No
TV or radio– I remember reading the Bible quite a bit to pass the time.
Good way to spend the day!
During Lent and especially during Holy Week there is a surfeit of Biblical and religious themed movies. You get everything from Cecil B DeMille to Mel Gibson to Roma Downey; pretty much anything from the1940’s to the present. You can spend every day from Palm Sunday through Easter marinating in the Gospel according to Hollywood if you want to. I decided this year to skip that whole thing.. I struggle with Holy Week, especially Good Friday, anyway, and decided that the Church’s liturgies were plenty. I still struggled with it, I guess you’re not supposed to enjoy it. But I found myself a little more at peace by ignoring the media versions.