Another Good Friday "novelty"?

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During our Good Friday service,after the Scripture readings and general intercessions, the Deacon announced “We will take a 5-8 minute recess” as we prepare for the “Presentation of the Instruments”(?) and Veneration of the Cross." The ministers left the church and after said time, the Deacon returned to the ambo and announced “We honor the finger bowl that Pilate used,blah blah” and a woman pranced up the center aisle carrying a bowl and water jug. “We honor Veronica’s veil…” and a woman carried a piece of chiffon and placed it at the foot of the cross. You get the idea, until we “Honored the dice the soldiers threw…” and a woman carried 2 large dice and placed them at the foot of the cross as well. “Honored” items included the mallet,nails,purple robe, crown of thorns,whip, and who knows what else. In 50 years, I’ve never experienced anything like it, and hope I never will again! After the veneration, we took another announced “5-8 minute recess”. Has anyone else experienced this “Instrumental” version of the liturgy, or was this a unique service? I had to leave after the veneration, as the service had become an occasion of sin for me, and I felt unworthy to receive communion in that state of mind.
 
sinner said:
During our Good Friday service,after the Scripture readings and general intercessions, the Deacon announced “We will take a 5-8 minute recess” as we prepare for the “Presentation of the Instruments”(?) and Veneration of the Cross." The ministers left the church and after said time, the Deacon returned to the ambo and announced “We honor the finger bowl that Pilate used,blah blah” and a woman pranced up the center aisle carrying a bowl and water jug. “We honor Veronica’s veil…” and a woman carried a piece of chiffon and placed it at the foot of the cross. You get the idea, until we “Honored the dice the soldiers threw…” and a woman carried 2 large dice and placed them at the foot of the cross as well. “Honored” items included the mallet,nails,purple robe, crown of thorns,whip, and who knows what else. In 50 years, I’ve never experienced anything like it, and hope I never will again! After the veneration, we took another announced “5-8 minute recess”. Has anyone else experienced this “Instrumental” version of the liturgy, or was this a unique service? I had to leave after the veneration, as the service had become an occasion of sin for me, and I felt unworthy to receive communion in that state of mind.
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It just gets better and better as time goes by doesn’t it?:thumbsup
 
palmas85 said:
It just gets better and better as time goes by doesn’t it?:thumbsup
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Since I didn’t have to endure it, it is actually quick humorous. I wonder if the dice were those big fuzzy dice people used to hang from their rear view mirror?
 
sinner said:
During our Good Friday service,after the Scripture readings and general intercessions, the Deacon announced “We will take a 5-8 minute recess” as we prepare for the “Presentation of the Instruments”(?) and Veneration of the Cross." The ministers left the church and after said time, the Deacon returned to the ambo and announced “We honor the finger bowl that Pilate used,blah blah” and a woman pranced up the center aisle carrying a bowl and water jug. “We honor Veronica’s veil…” and a woman carried a piece of chiffon and placed it at the foot of the cross. You get the idea, until we “Honored the dice the soldiers threw…” and a woman carried 2 large dice and placed them at the foot of the cross as well. “Honored” items included the mallet,nails,purple robe, crown of thorns,whip, and who knows what else. In 50 years, I’ve never experienced anything like it, and hope I never will again! After the veneration, we took another announced “5-8 minute recess”. Has anyone else experienced this “Instrumental” version of the liturgy, or was this a unique service? I had to leave after the veneration, as the service had become an occasion of sin for me, and I felt unworthy to receive communion in that state of mind.
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Yours_Truly said:
Since I didn’t have to endure it, it is actually quick humorous. I wonder if the dice were those big fuzzy dice people used to hang from their rear view mirror?
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I am trying not to laugh. I wondered about the dice too. :rotfl:

:angel1:
 
If it were me, I’d be looking for a new parish.

But it doesn’t surprise me. Very little does these days. Actually, since 1967 hardly any liturgical “innovation” surprises me. 🤷
 
I am very pleased to say that this does not happen at my church. I wouldn’t like to see that. It seems to take away the seriousness of the day that Jesus died for us, and stops us from focussing on him dying on the cross.
 
sinner said:
During our Good Friday service,after the Scripture readings and general intercessions, the Deacon announced “We will take a 5-8 minute recess” as we prepare for the “Presentation of the Instruments”(?) and Veneration of the Cross." The ministers left the church and after said time, the Deacon returned to the ambo and announced “We honor the finger bowl that Pilate used,blah blah” and a woman pranced up the center aisle carrying a bowl and water jug. “We honor Veronica’s veil…” and a woman carried a piece of chiffon and placed it at the foot of the cross. You get the idea, until we “Honored the dice the soldiers threw…” and a woman carried 2 large dice and placed them at the foot of the cross as well. “Honored” items included the mallet,nails,purple robe, crown of thorns,whip, and who knows what else. In 50 years, I’ve never experienced anything like it, and hope I never will again! After the veneration, we took another announced “5-8 minute recess”. Has anyone else experienced this “Instrumental” version of the liturgy, or was this a unique service? I had to leave after the veneration, as the service had become an occasion of sin for me, and I felt unworthy to receive communion in that state of mind.
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Isn’t it interesting how different people’s reactions are different.

This is something I would have liked to have experienced. But then I find new ways of expressing old messages interesting. Sometimes I would like to experience them again, sometimes there’s a different “interesting but not again thank you” and other times it is take it or leave it.
 
I am trying to figure out what makes anyone think they can just do what they want during the Liturgy. Seriously, we have a Catechism. Its been out for quite some time now. No excuse, none at all.
 
The dice were each one cubic foot in size, made of wood. I honestly thought of fuzzy dice when the Deacon announced them, but was somewhat relieved to see otherwise. When we honored the “sponge” offered to Jesus, a woman carried a big car-washing sponge. No wax though.
 
sinner said:
During our Good Friday service,after the Scripture readings and general intercessions, the Deacon announced “We will take a 5-8 minute recess” as we prepare for the “Presentation of the Instruments”(?) and Veneration of the Cross." The ministers left the church and after said time, the Deacon returned to the ambo and announced “We honor the finger bowl that Pilate used,blah blah” and a woman pranced up the center aisle carrying a bowl and water jug. “We honor Veronica’s veil…” and a woman carried a piece of chiffon and placed it at the foot of the cross. You get the idea, until we “Honored the dice the soldiers threw…” and a woman carried 2 large dice and placed them at the foot of the cross as well. “Honored” items included the mallet,nails,purple robe, crown of thorns,whip, and who knows what else. In 50 years, I’ve never experienced anything like it, and hope I never will again! After the veneration, we took another announced “5-8 minute recess”. Has anyone else experienced this “Instrumental” version of the liturgy, or was this a unique service? I had to leave after the veneration, as the service had become an occasion of sin for me, and I felt unworthy to receive communion in that state of mind.
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I’ve been a Catholic for 67 yrs. & this has got to be the CRAZIEST thing I’ve ever heard about. Well…come to think of it…there have been Masses with the priest dressed in a Halloween mask, as a clown, & I’ve seen “liturgical dancers” so old & ample that some of them couldn’t
raise up from the floor where they landed at the end of the “dance”, so while I can’t say for SURE that it’s the wierdest, it still this ranks right up there with the top 5.

Why, in the world, would a Catholic “honor” every little nail & sponge used to crucify Christ?? I know…we honor the cross because He honored the Father by submitting to death upon it. But the sponge, the water jug??? Your “liturgist” must be quite creative. How do you stand it???

HE IS RISEN
 
You have an obligation to report these liturgical abuses to your bishop. Please don’t excuse yourself and move to another parish. Obviously there are people in your parish with un-Catholic agendas. You need to stand up to them and take back your church.
 
sinner said:
The dice were each one cubic foot in size, made of wood. I honestly thought of fuzzy dice when the Deacon announced them, but was somewhat relieved to see otherwise. When we honored the “sponge” offered to Jesus, a woman carried a big car-washing sponge. No wax though.
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:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
 
The thing that comes to my mind is, ok, I can see ‘honoring’ Veronica’s Veil or the nails or the whip, but why on Earth would we ‘honor’ Pilate’s bowl? Or the Dice? We should honor the symbol of avoiding responsibility for one’s actions, and honor the gamblers who took Our Lord’s clothes?

As others have said though, why do people tamper with the Liturgy? Why?!?!
 
I cannot speak for the Latin rite, but during Matins of the Passion (aka 12 Passion Gospels) on Holy Thursday Evening, before the sixth Gospel reading, a procession is made with the various instruments of the Passion, including the large Cross that generally stands behind the Altar. The Priest carries the Corpus, and just before the reading the account of the Crucifixion, he nails it to the Cross, which is then raised up and put in place in the middle of the Church.

This is an Antiochian practice, done both by Antiochian Orthodox and Melkites.

Somewhere in this long service (it lasts for 3-4 hours when done fully) there is a hymn about honoring all the instruments of the Lord’s passion.

Maybe this was a borrowing?

Even so, it would seem to me to be more effective to simply carry the instruments without comment and place them at the foot of the Cross saying nothing. It should be obvious what they were.

What bothers me more is the Deacon announcing, “We will now have a 5 minute recess.”
 
Yeh, this honoring the instruments stuff strikes me as fairly odd. Besides that, it fails by distracting us from the focus of our veneration; namely the cross and the person of Jesus. Any Good Friday service which moves us to laughter and breaks the somber mood of reflection and repentance seems counter productive to me.
 
Good gracious

When the liturgy is actually specified - what gives people the right to believe that they know best what should be done ?
 
The famous sign posted in All-American Burger in Fast Times at Ridgemont High:

No Shirt
No Shoes
**NO DICE! **
 
sinner said:
During our Good Friday service,after the Scripture readings and general intercessions, the Deacon announced “We will take a 5-8 minute recess” as we prepare for the “Presentation of the Instruments”(?) and Veneration of the Cross." The ministers left the church and after said time, the Deacon returned to the ambo and announced “We honor the finger bowl that Pilate used,blah blah” and a woman pranced up the center aisle carrying a bowl and water jug. “We honor Veronica’s veil…” and a woman carried a piece of chiffon and placed it at the foot of the cross. You get the idea, until we “Honored the dice the soldiers threw…” and a woman carried 2 large dice and placed them at the foot of the cross as well. “Honored” items included the mallet,nails,purple robe, crown of thorns,whip, and who knows what else. In 50 years, I’ve never experienced anything like it, and hope I never will again! After the veneration, we took another announced “5-8 minute recess”. Has anyone else experienced this “Instrumental” version of the liturgy, or was this a unique service? I had to leave after the veneration, as the service had become an occasion of sin for me, and I felt unworthy to receive communion in that state of mind.
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:bigyikes::banghead:
 
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