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Holy mother pierce me through
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Saviour Crucified
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Stations of the Cross on Papa Stronsay
At the sacred hour of 3pm the Solemn Ceremony of Good Friday was held in our chapel on Papa Stronsay
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| The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to St John |
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| Adoration of the Cross + Ecce lignum Crucis, in quo salus mundi pependit + Venite, adoremus! |
The body of Our Lord is then carried in solemn procession to the sepulchre
Almighty and merciful God, who hast restored us by the Passion and Death of Thy Christ: preserve within us the work of Thy mercy; that by our entering into this mystery we may ever live devoutly. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Deo Gratias et Mariae +
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Your keeping of Holy Week is close to that of the early Christians - probably closer, as you never leave His side! (The following from the history of the Holy Week Liturgy - I forget the title of the book and I have given it to a priest.)
Two buildings on the Mount of Olives erected by Constantine:
1) the Eleona ("of olives") where Christ taught his apostles about the end of the world (now replaced by a church built in the 19th Century.) (Matt 24;3-25:46)
2) a small circular colonnade marking the place of the Ascension, at the present time marked by a little octagonal church, now a mosque, erected by the Crusaders. In 4th Century it was known as the Imbomon ("on the hillock"). Here the Holy Week liturgy begins, proceeding to the Anastasis in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the Lucenare, and, in the Martyrion, nearby, the Holy Eucharist (Mass) is celebrated. Every day following, the people spend the greatest part of their time in these three places.
Holy Thursday after Mass at the chapel "Behind the Cross" (near the Martyrion) they eat a quick meal and then go to the Eleona church where they keep singing hymns and Antiphons for several hours, interspersed with readings and prayers. They then keep watch with more of the same all night, from midnight, at the Imbomon.
Good Friday at cockcrow, after Matthew 26:1-46 is read, the bishop, clergy and people leave the Imbomon and go singing, with hundreds of lighted candles, to the Garden of Gethsemane. This includes "the smallest of children". Here they listen to Matthew 26:47-56. This is accompanied by "groaning and lamenting and weeping" so loud it can be heard in the city across the valley.
After this they return singing to Jerusalem. It is now daybreak. They proceed to the site of Golgotha where John 18:28-19-16 is read. The Bishop urges them to not flag in their efforts since God will reward them out of all proportion to their labours.
They are dismissed for a short rest and return at eight o'clock to venerate the Wood of the Cross (a relic of the Cross). It is touched with the forehead, then with the eyes, and then kissed by each person.
At Midday they go into the courtyard between the Anastasis and the Martyrion and, till the ninth hour, the sound of weeping fills the air as Scriptures on the Passion are read, and the people meditate on Christ's sufferings endured for us.
At the ninth hour (3pm) the passage from St John's Gospel (John 19: 17-37). Prayers and dismissal follow.
They don't go home, however, but return to the Martyrion, where another service is held, as on all the previous days of Holy Week. They then go to the Anastasis for the Gospel of the Entombment (Matt. 27:57-61). They can now return home but the youngest and fittest keep all night vigil with the clergy. Most of the people do this in part, at least.
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