Good Friday. Liturgy of the Adoration of the Cross

Good Friday is the day that commemorates the mystery of the death of Jesus Christ, which redeemed mankind. According to the tradition of the first centuries, the Church does not celebrate the Eucharist today and tomorrow. Good Friday is a day of mercy and forgiveness. It is also a day of adoration of the Holy Cross. On that day, the altar is bare, there are no candles, flowers, decorations. It is a symbol of Jesus being stripped of everything he had - friends, disciples, kindness, goodness, even clothes. During the liturgy of the word, the Passion of Jesus Christ according to St. John, which reveals in detail the last hours of Jesus' earthly life. Today's Good Friday liturgy was presided over by Fr. Zbigniew Borkowski, MIC, who asked in his homily whether Christ's death on the cross made sense? According to the Marian, there can be only one answer. - "Yes, because it was death of love that conquered hatred." The priest also spoke about the witnesses who were present at the cross of Christ at the time of his death. “We know there were two thieves hanging on Jesus' sides. And it seemed that the death of Jesus, the long-awaited Savior, would be in vain. Meanwhile, in this place that no one loved, Jesus gathers the fruits of his martyrdom. Through conversation, by showing love to the thief, Jesus welcomed him into His Kingdom. " Then the priest pointed to the centurion, who was also standing under the cross. It was he who commanded the soldiers, and seeing Jesus die, he stated that he was truly righteous. “Another fruit of the Lord Jesus' death is the crowd of onlookers who came to feast on someone else's death. But the same crowd, which was staring at Christ hanging on the cross, went away contrite, beating his breast, ”said Fr. Borkowski. "The death on the cross made sense, and the story of salvation is still going on," concluded the priest. The central moment of today's celebration of the Lord's Passion liturgy was the adoration of the Holy Cross, during which the celebrant chanted three times "Here is the tree of the cross on which the salvation of the world hangs". Due to the circumstances of the pandemic, the adoration of the Cross during today's liturgy was different than usual. On behalf of all the faithful gathered in the Lichen temple, as well as those present at the online broadcasts, the main celebrant of today's liturgy was adored. After the priest's third call, the individual faithful stood in the moment of prayer adoring the cross in their hearts. The culmination of the Good Friday celebration was the transfer of the Blessed Sacrament to the tomb, which this year was prepared in the western nave of the St. Blessed Virgin Mary of Licheń. At the tomb of Jesus Christ, bitter lamentations were sung, and the faithful present in the temple could, in silence and prayerful concentration, adore the Savior who died for our sins. Every year in the Licheń parish on Good Friday and Holy Saturday, volunteer firefighters from nearby villages were on guard at the tomb of the Lord. This year, due to the prevailing coronavirus pandemic, the friends did not appear at the Lord's tomb. However, they marked their presence and memory by leaving an accent in the form of helmets and fire axes, which are located right next to the tomb of Jesus in the Lichen basilica. Tomorrow is the peak celebration of the Easter Triduum. From 10.00 to 17.00 in the basilica, the faithful will be able to take advantage of the sacrament of reconciliation. From 12 to 14 in front of the church. Our Lady of Częstochowa, Marian priests will light food on the Easter table. The main celebration on Holy Saturday, i.e. the Easter Vigil, will begin at 20:00. It will be chaired by Fr. Rafał Krauze, MIC, parish priest in Licheń Stary. Throughout the day, the faithful can also come to the basilica to pray for a while at the tomb of the Lord. Marian priests remind that 350 people can be present in the Licheń basilica during the liturgy at the same time. At the same time, priests encourage people to join in prayer through the social media of the Lichen shrine. Lichen Stary, April 2, 2021