After a day’s fast, Christians, young and old alike, were seen making a beeline for churches for Good Friday prayers right from early hours of the day.
Though the churches buzzed with activity since morning, it picked up in the afternoon, when most of them organised prayer meeting.
“More than prayer, Good Friday is all about meditating on the last seven messages of Jesus Christ,” said K. Mathew of St Peters Church.
Churches such as Infant Jesus church, Seethammadhara, Quirk Memorial Baptist church, Resapuvanipalem, and St. Peters, Gannapuram, took out processions depicting the ‘Passion of Christ’.
Explaining the importance of the procession, Ratan Raju of QMB church said, “The ‘Passion of Christ’ is said to be the last journey of Jesus before crucifixion. It is important for people to understand the pain He had undertaken before being crucified. It was on this last journey He gave the last messages that form the basic tenet of Christianity.”
Good Friday is observed across the world in commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at the Calvary. The rituals begin on Thursday evening, when devout Christians go on fast till the prayer meeting is completed on Friday afternoon. The three-day observation ends with the celebration of Easter on Sunday. Easter Sunday is celebrated as the day of the Christ’s resurrection.
Many churches will hold a midnight mass on the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday.
Easter celebrations“On Easter Sunday, after attending the service at the church, we go to the graves of our loved ones to offer flowers, light candles, and say a silent prayer, and then celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” said Joseph Anthony of St. Peter’s church.
As part of the Easter celebrations, a number of churches in the city have come forward to host a joint religious congregation at Ramakrishna Beach from 6 p.m.
“Reverend Bishop Joseph Kishore will be addressing the gathering,” said Ratan Raju.
