No Mass on Good Friday?

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read the gospel narrative for the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday
Jesus says I will not taste the fruit of the vine again until I taste it in my Father’s Kingdom, read also the end of the narrative where they leave without completing the meal, singing hymns, to go to the garden of the agony and arrest where His passion will begin. The events of Holy Thursday and Good Friday are one event, the Sacrifice, so it would be redundant to repeat the Eucharist in Good Friday, since on that day the sacrifice prefaced at the Last Supper is completed, in fact, his last words before he dies are:
It is finished.
From the burial on the eve of Good Friday, conclusion of the first day of the Triduum, the body lies entombed, so no Mass or communion takes place whatever on Holy Saturday, until the Easter Vigil begins.
 
Lampo said:
Why is there no Mass on Good Friday?
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I would mention that there is no Mass on Good Friday, even though you may hear the term “Mass of the Presanctified” this is taken from an old mostly Eastern term for the Good Friday Services, “The Holy Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts”
 
BobP123 said:
What you say is true.

But somehow it doesn’t seem to be too meaningful to distribute Communion outside Mass except for those who can’t attend. I wonder what the reasoning is behind that.
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First Friday and there’s nothing wrong in receiving communion outside of Mass.

Jim
 
BobP123 said:
What you say is true.

But somehow it doesn’t seem to be too meaningful to distribute Communion outside Mass except for those who can’t attend. I wonder what the reasoning is behind that.
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Well, if you attended Holy Thursday Mass, then you were there when they were consecrated. The gift and graces we receive are the same, even if the consecration happened the day before, AND it’s a strong reminder that Good Friday is a VERY different day. I find Good Friday’s service to be very powerful.

Jennifer
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
I would mention that there is no Mass on Good Friday, even though you may hear the term “Mass of the Presanctified” this is taken from an old mostly Eastern term for the Good Friday Services, “The Holy Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts”
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Actually we do Liturgy of the Presanctified all through Lent on most weekdays. Basically it’s like Vespers (Eastern Vespers, at least; I don’t know what Roman Catholic Vespers are like) with distribution of Communion. Traditionally the L. of the Presanctified was not celebrated on Good Friday, the main reason being that the Liturgy and Communion are considered joyful events, and since Lent and especially Good Friday are considered sorrowful times we do not perform “joyful” or “happy” services.

PS-- I am speaking as a Ukrainian Catholic; there may be slightly different customs in other Eastern churches.
 
Do priests hear confessions on Good Friday at their parishes?
 
No confessions are heard after the start of the Triduum in our parish. So today would be the very last opportunity to receive this sacrament.
 
stbruno said:
No confessions are heard after the start of the Triduum in our parish. So today would be the very last opportunity to receive this sacrament.
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Shame, shame, shame.:tsktsk: . Tell Fr. I said that. We have confessions every single day - even Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday… and only one priest at our parish too— and the confession lines at our parish extend out the door all the time.

Ken
 
kleary said:
Shame, shame, shame.:tsktsk: . Tell Fr. I said that. We have confessions every single day - even Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday… and only one priest at our parish too— and the confession lines at our parish extend out the door all the time.

Ken
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I don’t know if the “shame, shame” is called for because at least in our diocese and maybe other places there is a long-standing custom not to hear confessions during the Triduum.

Several years ago our pastor raised some extra money for a full-page ad in the Gazette inviting people to come to confession on Good Friday even though he was bucking this custom (law?).
 
Not a law, a custom, and bravo for your priest…priests know that people are entitled to the sacraments when they request them, esp. confession. But as stated, it is a busy time for priests.

RE: No Mass, Good (vegetable) gravy, we are in mourning on Good Friday!!! The liturgical activity on that day is somber. It used to be kids didn’t play outside between the hours of 12 and 3 PM, nobody talked, everybody was praying the rosary or stations when they wren’t at church. Mass would be too much celebration. Trust me, receiving the Eucharist after having venerated a crucifix and chanting prayers regarding Jesus’ sacrifice in detail is pretty awesome, leaves a lump in both throat and stomach.
 
didymus said:
I don’t know if the “shame, shame” is called for because at least in our diocese and maybe other places there is a long-standing custom not to hear confessions during the Triduum.

Several years ago our pastor raised some extra money for a full-page ad in the Gazette inviting people to come to confession on Good Friday even though he was bucking this custom (law?).
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At the best it is simply a very poor custom.
 
kleary said:
…and the confession lines at our parish extend out the door all the time.

Ken
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Wow! :eek: Confessions in our area barely get a half dozen or so people. If what you say is true, that is fantastic!

I thought I needed to attend confession and phoned one of our priests and asked if there would be confessions as usual this week. I was politely informed that we are moving into the Triduum and that our normally weekly scheduled confessions would not be available the rest of the week. But an appointment could be made if I felt it necessary. I don’t think I am in mortal sin, so I’ll just wait until after Easter.🤷

I don’t understand why the priests wouldn’t have the confessionals manned before every Triduum service. Above my pay grade I suppose to understand this. Going to cause a few sacrilegious communions if you ask me.
 
We had confessions Mon., Tues, and Wed., evening at my parish. Last week as well, I believe every night. Some of the responsibility needs to fall on the penitent IMHO. It was well publicized both in the bulletin and from the pulpit. If people can’t make it out of a 2 week span that is almost every night then:tsktsk: They KNOW that Easter is coming. They KNOW what they have to confess. I would hope that one could maybe keep themselves from mortal sin from Holy Thursday thru until Easter Sunday.:rolleyes: In my diocese there really is a shortage of priests and one Pastor takes care of several churches. People need to have some consideration for them during the Triduum and get there sometime during lent. They have ample opportunity.
 
Teelynn said:
People need to have some consideration for them during the Triduum and get there sometime during lent. They have ample opportunity.
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Ditto in my parish. We had mission last week with extra confessions Mon-Thurs then parishwide reconciliation this week on Monday with 12 priests present for hours until every person could be heard. We have over 7,000 registered families the last that I heard.

I think plenty of opportunities were given for confessions without wearing our poor priests out any further at the last minute. They still have to manage Thursday, 3 Friday services, really long Saturday vigils (1 English, 1 Spanish simultaneously in 2 buildings) and 8 Sunday masses in English (2 in Spanish I think are some other priest). It will still be packed with people listening from the aisles and outside of the doors, so communion will take a long time.

May God give all priests the strength they need to make it through the weekend and still be joyful!
 
I’ve never been to a Good Friday service, but plan to go tomorrow. I’ve read what will occur, but am curious to know if it will be long, as I do have to work in the afternoon and don’t want to have to leave abruptly. The service is at 12:30 and I work at 4:00.

And for a second silly question - I plan to attend the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening. Does this fulfill the Easter Sunday obligation - or would I need to go to mass on Easter morning?
 
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