Coming from a Catholic background....Good Friday ranks right at the top of the "days" as far as days to observe and remember about my faith. Maybe it helps to have a day off in Sabah too. Mom will always remind me to fast on Good Friday.....
Sometimes I do things without really understanding them but in hindsight I came to appreciate the "religious activities" we practice, not for the activities themselves but for the meaning behind the activities. And as a leader once said.......we forget easily.....what more for a Saviour that died 2000 years ago..........It is a sign to remind me of my Saviour's death and the purpose of His death on earth (opcors these is my understanding) no priests or father has explained this to me, at least not in this context....I was just told in cathecism that is what I should do.....go for Good Friday service and perform the "rituals" , which is a far cry compared to what "rituals" are practiced in Phillipines or other "more" Catholic places. We don't nail our hands and legs. We don't do any of those "physical" suffering thing except for the station of the cross "re-enacted" by the priests......which I pity cos most priests in Sabah are kinda old....and having to conduct the 12 station of the cross ( I think it is 12....gosh....can't remember already)....in hot weather (most Catholic Churches are not aircon), overcrowded (usually the crowd size grow like 5 times of normal Sunday service) and also long service (usual Sunday service is about 1 to 1.5 hours, while Good Friday service is like 3 hours - official program but usually you spend like 5 hours in all because you go earlier to get a better seat or to stay in the building instead of out of the building b'cos it is full inside).
So you see the whole Good Friday service really "reminds" me at least.......a small bit of the kind of effort and somberness accorded to the event......which always flies out of the window compared to my current cosiness......aircon church......the only time I spent anything longer than 2 hours in my current Church are for events other than actual church service....not to mention the only other "ritual" we practice are baptism and breaking of bread and drinking of wine once a month.......that also I have sometimes come to use as a passing remark for a long service on Sunday??!! (I know....I am ashamed of myself).
I guess in this day and age of everything instant and convenient and all things are done to satisfy our senses.....aircon.....worship.....I can't imagine my church waiting for 2 hours to kiss the feet of a wooden Jesus on Good Friday......but I can see happy faces of worshippers just having the chance to queue up to do the same in my previous Church. I am quite "disgusted" that the MC has to utter some words or something similar like "I have a tough time to keep you all entertain until the.....XXXXXX/next event comes up"....as if silence and not "doing activities" during a Church service is a mortal sin..................
Well to those who still conducts/practices some kinda "rituals".....think about the significance of the event and the reasons behind the actions......for those who don't practice any of these "rituals"...maybe a story from John Stott ( I have no confirmation if this is true....but anyway) will cause you to think and ponder......"I kneel down to pray because my Saviour deserves it.......or at least the pain in my knee will keep me from falling asleep in the early mornings".
How can the most tragic day of history be called Good Friday???? Why Good?......does it mean Holy???.....
Good Friday everyone.
