On Great and Holy Friday we remember Christ’s crucifixion and burial. On Holy Thursday night we, we begin the commemoration of the events of Great and Holy Friday. In the Orthos service which we pray on Holy Thursday Night, we hear 12 readings from the Gospel. During that time, Christ is placed on the cross. When we arrive at Church on Holy Friday morning, Christ is on the cross.
My son learns the best when he sees a picture of something while I explain. We bought a small icon of the crucifixion that we put on our fridge from the Church bookstore. While telling this story, I like to use the icon while I explain it to my son.
This is what I say:
Christ was loved by a lot of people, but there were some bad people who did not love Christ. These bad people thought that Christ should die on the cross for saying that He was the Son of God.
They did not believe that Christ was the Son of God.
The soldiers gave Christ a lot of ouchies. They hurt him so much that he was bleeding and had bruises. Then they gave Christ a crown and a robe, like a King, but the crown had thorns, and it hurt a lot. They gave Christ the crown and robe to make fun of Him.
The governor said that Christ would be crucified so they gave him a big cross.
Christ had to carry that big heavy cross through the city to a hill called Golgotha.
Christ was falling a lot because the cross was so heavy and He was hurting. But a man named Simon came and helped Him carry the cross up the hill.
There, on the hill of Golgotha, the soldiers nailed Christ to the cross.
There were two other crosses put up, on either side of Him, for two robbers.
One of the robbers as he was on the cross asked for forgiveness, and also said to Christ: “Lord, remember me in Your Kingdom!” And Christ said: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
In the afternoon, Christ was thirsty, so one of the soldiers dipped a sponge in vinegar, put it on a stick, and gave it to Christ to drink.
Then Christ died.
After Christ died, He was taken down from the Cross. He was put in a tomb, belonging to Joseph of Arimathea and his body was prepared with oil, myrrh, and spices.
Here are some questions I try and explore with my son.
Discussion
Have you ever had someone you cared about that died? How did it make you feel?
What was Christ crucified on?
Do you wear a cross to remember Christ?
Have you ever tasted vinegar? (You can offer your children, and those in your family, a taste of vinegar, like Christ had.)
Have you ever accidentally gotten hurt from a nail or something sharp? (You can have a nail or something sharp, and let your children and those in your family touch the tip of it.) Then ask: How do you think it would feel to have this put through your hands and feet?
Why did Christ die? (He died for our salvation, to save us, so that we could live with Him in Paradise.)
At the Lamentations service on Holy Friday, listen and/or read them. What do you think we are saying to Christ? Do you find the hymns beautiful?
Finally, on Holy and Great Friday, there are three different services that will take place. Hours, Vespers, and the Lamentation Orthros. Each of these services is so very beautiful in their own ways. During the Hours we pray to Christ on the Cross. During Vespers, Christ is taken down from the Cross and put in the tomb. In my opinion, the Lamentation Orthros is one of the most beautiful sounding services that we have in the Orthodox Church.
We gather around the Tomb of Christ and sing to Him.
As I attend these services with my son, I always try and make sure he understands that this really happened. It’s not something that happened 2,000 years ago, but it is happening right now. We celebrate the crucifixion and death of Christ TODAY. Today is the day that Christ died. today is the day that Christ was laid in His tomb.
Tip: on Holy and Great Friday make ten to twenty minutes to sit in silence. Take this time and opportunity individually, and as a family, to be close to Christ. Think about Christ on the Cross, it was silent. Think about Him being taken down and put in the tomb, it was silent. Take this time to reflect on these events and remember that Christ died for our salvation.
Craft: Cross Scavenger Hunt
This is a great game to play with children.
Materials: paper, pencil/markers
On the paper draw 15-20 crosses.
Hide them around your house. In drawers, books, and in the kitchen.
Let your children know how many crosses you have hidden and let them have a scavenger hunt to find all of the crosses.
After finding all the crosses, encourage your children to sing the hymn of veneration for the Holy Cross: “Before Your Cross, we bow down in worship, O Master, and Your Holy Resurrection, we glorify!”
Recipe: Tsoureki
Ingredients:
1 tsp yeast
½ tablespoon sugar
¼ cup warm water
½ cup soft butter
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup milk
¼ teaspoon of masticha, 3 eggs, 4-5 cups of flour, 1 egg plus 1 tablespoon of water to brush on top of the dough.
Instructions:
Mix the yeast with ½ tablespoon of sugar in the warm water. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
Warm the butter, ¾ sugar, milk, and masticha in a pan until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Let cool.
Mix two of the eggs.
Place 1 cup of flour in a bowl. Add the cooled butter mixture, yeast, and eggs. Stir well. Add two cups of flour and the last egg. Continue to add the flour until the dough is soft but not sticky. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes. Put in a bowl and let rise for 2 hours.
When doubled, divide the dough into two balls. For each ball, form three ropes the length of a baking pan. Braid the three ropes on the baking pan. Press the ends together and put them under the loaf to keep it from coming apart.
Mix the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the dough with this mixture. Cover with a cloth and let rise for another half hour.
Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes or until the bread is brown. Reduce the heat to 250 F and bake the bread until it is not soft underneath.
Today, is one of the saddest days in our Church. I remember when I was younger I used to fear and be extremely afraid of death. It was something that you never wanted to happen. But now, I understand the death of Christ, and how He died for our salvation, and He died for us to live in Paradise and Heaven. This Good Friday, don’t forget to reflect in silence upon the icon of Christ on the Cross, and what that means for us as Orthodox Christians.
Because Christ died, destroyed death, and was resurrected he gave us life. His death is not the end of Holy Week! The most exciting and beautiful part of the story of Christ is still to come tomorrow and Sunday.
