This afternoon a large crowd of people came to the Cathedral, which was still in darkness, for the Solemn Liturgy of the Lord's Passion. This liturgy always begins at 3pm - the time of Jesus' death - with a silent procession. In front of the altar, the Bishop and priests lay on the ground in silence. We heard St John's account of the Passion, after which we prayed for the needs of the Church and the world. A crucifix was brought in to the Cathedral and unveiled with the words, "This is the wood of the Cross on which hung the Saviour of the World"; people responded, "Come, let us worship", and knelt in adoration of the Lord. They then came forward in a seemingly endless procession to make an act of reverence to the Lord's cross. The crucifix and candles remain on the altar this evening as a stark reminder of the sacrifice that Christ made for us. Finally, the congregation came forward to receive Holy Communion - a sign of our desire to unite ourselves with Christ in His great sacrifice. Friday, 21 March 2008
The Wood of the Cross
This afternoon a large crowd of people came to the Cathedral, which was still in darkness, for the Solemn Liturgy of the Lord's Passion. This liturgy always begins at 3pm - the time of Jesus' death - with a silent procession. In front of the altar, the Bishop and priests lay on the ground in silence. We heard St John's account of the Passion, after which we prayed for the needs of the Church and the world. A crucifix was brought in to the Cathedral and unveiled with the words, "This is the wood of the Cross on which hung the Saviour of the World"; people responded, "Come, let us worship", and knelt in adoration of the Lord. They then came forward in a seemingly endless procession to make an act of reverence to the Lord's cross. The crucifix and candles remain on the altar this evening as a stark reminder of the sacrifice that Christ made for us. Finally, the congregation came forward to receive Holy Communion - a sign of our desire to unite ourselves with Christ in His great sacrifice. 
