I love a good Good Friday

Carrying the cross

Every year on Good Friday the local monastery hosts a passion play.  Many actors are involved playing each of the parts from Jesus and the apostles, Pontius Pilate and Caiphas, down to all the Roman and Jewish guards, weeping women and members of the Sanhedrin.  As the weather was so marvellous there were thousands of people from Sydney, Canberra and all points in between.
James was one the apostles and Ariel and Clare were weeping women.  James likes being an apostle as all an apostle other than Peter has to do is eat (at the Last Supper), sleep (in the Garden of Gethsemene and run away (after Jesus is arrested).

Bulk Holy Water

Ariel and Clare started at Palm Sunday waving palms and praising the entry of Jesus, and then were part of the crowd in various scenes. They were also spoken to by Jesus during the Carrying of the Cross when they did their "wailing" thing and finally gathered around the cross during the Crucifixion. You can see from the first photo that Jesus was well costumed.  The "Blood" mixture was a combination of jam, wine and honey which provided just the right texture and consistency.  When a drip ran into Jesus's mouth he was heard to mumble, "That tastes all right."
Our traditional Good Friday involves closing the shop (Yay! A Day off!) and attending the Passion Play followed by the Veneration of the Cross service at 3:00pm.  When we return home, we have some home made Hot Cross buns to break our fast for the day.
Saturday is always an odd, in-between kind of day as we wait for the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday evening.  This Mass goes for around 2.5 hours which sounds like a long time, but so much is happening in the Mass to leave reminders with all your senses that when Mass is over and you check your watch you are surprised.  Mass starts with a procession into the Church carrying candles that have been lit from the specially blessed Paschal candle, lighting a darkened Church with our many small candles.  We hear 7 readings from the old testament, 7 readings from the Psalms, a reading from the New testament and a Gospel reading.  There is even more, but this is the premier Mass for the year.  You should go and be part of it.