Good Friday in Medjugorje – From the Cross Comes Hope That Never Fades
The rites of the Good Friday were held at the White Dome of the Church of St. James in Medjugorje, in front of a multitude of believers and pilgrims, during which the Church commemorates Christ's passion and death on the cross. The Good Friday rites consist of three parts: the Service of the Word, Veneration of the Holy Cross, and Holy Communion.
The liturgy took place in an atmosphere of concentration and silence, and the central theme was the proclamation of the Lord's Passion. The parish vicar in Medjugorje, Fr. Antonio Primorac, said in his homily that ''the Good Friday rites begin with silence. From the awareness that I stand before the Ineffable'' and that ''this silence of ours is not empty, but full of symbols; filled with prayer and cries; gaze fixed on Him who speaks from the Cross’’, and then he quoted one of Our Lady’s messages in which the Queen of Peace invites us: ‘’Kneel before the Cross and pray because from the Cross great graces come into your life.’’
“And when you fix your gaze on the cross on which Jesus was nailed, you observe a sign of love, God’s infinite love for every person. You look at the source of your salvation. That cross is the wellspring of the Father’s mercy that encompasses the entire world. Through the cross of Christ, evil was defeated, death was defeated, life was given to us, hope was restored,’’ said Fr. Antonio, who finally called out: ‘’Look at the cross, look at Christ Crucified, and from there you will receive hope that never fades, that lasts until eternal life.’’
Good Friday is the only day of the year without the celebration of Holy Mass, which further emphasizes the mystery of Christ’s passion and death on the cross.
On Good Friday at 11 a.m., a large number of the faithful gathered and participated in the Stations of the Cross devotion on Cross Mountain. In prayer, silence and communion, the faithful followed Christ's path of suffering, carrying their own personal intentions with them. The Stations of the Cross for parishioners and pilgrims were led by the parish priest of Medjugorje, Fr. Zvonimir Pavičić.