Wollongong - The Serbian Orthodox Church, along with all Christians around the world, today observes Good Friday, the day that symbolises the suffering of Jesus Christ and His crucifixion on Golgotha. This is the day of the greatest sorrow in Christianity, the final day of Holy Week, marked by strict fasting and the tradition of dyeing Easter eggs. On Good Friday, the Divine Liturgy is not served in churches; instead, the “Royal Hours” are read in the morning.
At our Church of Saint John the Baptist in Wollongong, in the presence of a large number of faithful, the Shroud (Plaštanica) was brought out, a cloth symbolising the burial shroud in which Jesus was wrapped after being taken down from the cross. It depicts Christ’s entombment. Following the evening service, a procession took place, joined by parishioners from the Church of Saint Elias, of the Antiochian Orthodox Church.
On Good Friday, Jesus was taken from the house of the high priest Caiaphas to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who sentenced Him to crucifixion. Although this day marks mourning for Christ’s death, it also serves as a prelude to the greatest Christian joy - Easter and the Resurrection. This year, all Christians will celebrate Easter together on Sunday, 20 April.