PANJIM: Prayers and religious services marked the observance of Good Friday in the state with thousands of faithful attending the services at various churches. “Thy will be done and not mine, prayed Jesus even as he got ready for his ordeal ending with his crucifixion on cross for the salvation of mankind,” the main celebrant told the faithful gathered at the Mary Immaculate Church, Panjim.
In hot and humid conditions to observe Good Friday; even as he asked them to carry their small crosses in their daily life. “Jesus died - rather embraced - the cross for us. He did his Father’s will to save mankind,” Fr Antimo Gomes said adding that many a times we question why we or our loved ones get affected by illnesses like cancer, or problems come in our way even though we are devout, while others around us prosper. “These are our crosses. We must shoulder them and follow Christ,” he said.
Before the Homily, the celebrants and accompanying priests recited the Passion of Christ and after the Homily, as part of the next stage, the crucified Christ was kept for kissing and blessing. The barefooted faithful stood in long queues not only in this church but in churches all over the state to show their faith, or rather to increase their faith in Lord Jesus in anticipation of his resurrection, and to thank him for what he has done for us.
After the kissing, a short but unique prayer for various intentions saw the faithful kneeling after each prayerful intention and then standing up. This was followed by a curtailed Eucharistic part that started with the ‘Our Father’ and went directly to the final part and then the communion.
In Margao, the faithful gathered at the Holy Spirit Church and participated in the mass which gave the message of love and sacrifice. The faithful later carried the statue of Jesus and Mother Mary in a procession to Monte hill.
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