GOOD FRIDAY/ EASTER
Following Festival After Two Days: Easter
Good Friday: Jesus was crucified
Highlights: Mass and Procession Held in Churches
Good Friday is a day of sincere reverence among Goan
Catholics. It is the culmination of Lent, an important observance in the
lives of devout Catholics. Lent is observed for 40 days from February to
March, beginning with Ash Wednesday and ending on Good Friday followed by
Easter Sunday.
The Legend Behind Easter
Originally known as 'God's Friday', the present expression is believed to
have emerged in the 10th or 11th century. According to Christian legend,
Jesus Christ was from Nazareth, a town in modern Israel. A well-loved and
respected citizen, he was considered by many to be the Son of God.
Some
high officials and Jewish priests, however, felt that he was trying to
usurp their authority and mislead the people. They hatched a plot against
Christ with the help of one of his 12 apostles, named Judas. On charges of
misleading the people, of instigating them not to pay taxes to the
emperor, and of claiming to be the messenger of God, they arrested Christ.
The following day, he was produced before a council comprising priests,
teachers of law and elders, and questioned about the charges against him.
Finding him guilty on all counts, they presented him before the Roman
Governor, who saw no reason to condemn him. But the priests were adamant.
They insisted that it was his teachings, which were responsible for all
the riots in the city of Judea. At the same time, they pleaded for the
release of one of their men, who had been imprisoned for the crime. The
Governor appealed to them, reiterating that Christ had done no wrong. When
the clergy did not agree, he handed Jesus Christ to them to do as they
wished. The crowd asked for his crucifixion.
As he was led away by the soldiers, he was made to wear a crown of thorns
and mockingly addressed as 'King of the Jews' by the jeering crowd. A huge
wooden cross was placed on his shoulders, and he carried it to the place
assigned for his crucifixion. In a show of solidarity, a group of his
followers marched in a procession behind him. Two criminals were also led
to the same place to be put to death with Jesus. At the assigned place,
the three men were nailed to the crosses and left to die. Before he
breathed his last, Jesus asked God, his father, to forgive those who were
responsible for his death, as they were unaware of the magnitude of their
sin. Jesus is believed to have died at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, three
hours after being nailed to the cross.
On Good Friday, a cross, symbolic of the one on which Jesus was
crucified, is unveiled in many churches. It is believed that Jesus rose
from his grave on the following Sunday, which is celebrated as Easter. The
rituals for Good Friday begin on the preceding Thursday. A feast
symbolising the last supper of Christ is held on Thursday night. The end
of this meal marks the beginning of the fast for Easter.
The Celebrations
In Panjim, hundreds of devout Goan Catholics gather in the Panjim Church
of Mary Immaculate Conception to listen to mass and participate in the Way
of the Cross. During the afternoon sermon, the priests narrate the
sufferings that Jesus Christ took upon himself for the sake of humanity.
The mass is in Konkani, Goa's state language, attracts a crowd too large
for the church itself, and people stand in the doorways and in the
premises, dressed in formal clothes with somber countenance.
The Ceremony
After the mass, the crucifix, which until this time has been kept from
view, is now uncovered before the crowd for veneration. A very somber
ceremony, "the Way of the Cross" is a reenactment of the path
Jesus took on Mount Calvary before the Crucifixion. In
Panjim, which draws the largest crowd, a large
wooden cross carried by an image of Jesus is taken from the church, down
the steps, and through the streets of the town. It is carried by the
clergymen while the crowd follows in two parallel lines in front of and in
back of the statue, some weeping and all with very solemn faces.
Those not participating in the actual procession look on from the
roadsides, both Hindus and Christians alike. Somber music played by a band
accompanies the procession, which slowly winds its way through the main
streets in Panjim before returning to the
church. The mass and procession occur in every church in Goa,
but the one in Panjim draws the largest crowd.
