This was the most unusual Good Friday I have ever had.
Our service was at 8:30am because we are “at sea”.
I brought 60 consecrated hosts from the safe in my room and placed them in four ciboria and lit a candle. Then we started with the liturgy of the word. John read both the readings and led the responsorial Psalm. Then I read an abridged version of the Passion according to John and preached. Then Patsy (who was an O’Connell before she married) read out the General Intentions, we prayed silently and then I said the prayer aloud. It went well.
Then I had covered the medal crucifix we had on the altar and as I took off parts of the cloths, I sang, “Behold….” and they say, “Come let us worship”. Then I placed the cross at the edge of the altar with the candles lit and told them that they could come down and touch it when they come to Communion or at the end of Mass. I then did the Our Father and three eucharistic ministers came and helped me to distribute Communion. I told them to break each host in half as we had close to 100 people there. We had two full host and three halves when we were done. Then I said the prayer over the people and dismissed them. It took 28 minutes!!!
A few more came down to reverence the crucifix. I think that Fr. Germain who taught us Liturgy, would have approved of what was created.
Tomorrow we are in India and so the Mass will be around 5pm. I’ll do a Vigil Mass and as we are at sea on Sunday, we’ll have another Easter Mass at 8:30am. Then I’ll say Mass around 10:30pm for the crew. About a 28 hour Sunday.
Hope you all had a very good Good Friday.
I read your post to Fr. Joe and he LOVED that the whole service took 28 mins! We are vicariously traveling with you…as we prepare for 3 pm Stations and tonight’s service at 7.