Good Friday - The Lord's Passion - The Reproaches
On Good Friday there is no Mass, but a Passion service. The mood is somber, there is no accompaniment to the singing today. The Paschal Triduum continues from last night, but now the altar has been stripped of all cloth or ornament. The service begins with a simple entrance of the liturgical ministers, than the Liturgy of the Word begins, with scripture readings, a psalm, and then the dramatic reading of the Passion.
We have a long series of intercessions, where we pray for every person- believers of all faiths and even unbelievers.
Then there is a three-part procession of the cross to the altar, with pauses when the priest chants, "This is the wood of the Cross on which hung the Savior of the world." We reply, "Come let us worship."
Then we process forward as if we were going to Communion, but this time we are doing so to venerate the cross with a bow, kiss, touch, or genuflection. It is now, after we have venerated the cross ourselves, that the schola will sing the Reproaches (or Improperia). The version we are using is a haunting arrangement by Sanders. In the Improperia, Jesus reproaches us, His people, for returning his blessings with scorn and putting Him to death. It is a reminder for us all that it is truly our own sins which caused Him to suffer and die for us. (It is not anti-Jewish as some people - mostly those with agendas - would contend. The worst critics of the Reproaches are probably Catholics who don't believe in sin anymore. It's hard to face, isn't it?)
Then after this heart-wrenching reminder of what we have done to Jesus, we are able to receive Communion (with pre-consecrated hosts). What a Lord we have, who takes on the suffering we deserve in his own flesh, then gives his flesh for us to eat! We could (and should) spend our whole lives contemplating this Mystery.
Quietly, the service ends with the prayer after Communion and the prayer over the people. Silently we depart. Jesus is in the Tomb, and we await the Resurrection.
