“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”        Isaiah 53:12

This morning we hear the Passion of Our Lord read from the Gospel of Saint John, and as the reading progresses the light diminishes, and we move into the Darkness (Tenebrae) of Death, as Jesus suffers and dies.

During the carrying in of the large, wooden cross, and the Adoration of the Crucified, we are reminded that the King is enthroned upon his holy cross, glorified, and we are awestruck at the redemption of the whole world. We gather on Good Friday to celebrate the depths and riches and wonder of God’s love, not to hold a funeral service for a long-dead Jesus. This is Act Two and the Liturgy concludes Saturday night when we gather in the evening gloom at 8 p.m.