‘The beauty of the cross and our crucified Lord cannot be easily fathomed by human mind or by barely reading scriptures in bits, but by careful reading of entire scripture in the spirit which will in turn engulf one with wisdom and love.’
― Author, Henrietta Newton Martin
LAST Friday, I was happy to note that Catholics, young and old, were returning in droves to the services in church.
It was Good Friday, the day in which Christians and Catholic churches commemorated the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, Although not a Holy Day of Obligation, it was a day of strict fasting and abstinence.
I had not been to a church since the Movement Control Order was first enforced nationwide on March 18, 2020. Suddenly, I had the urge to go for a Good Friday service in church.
Many Catholic churches were offering three services that day in anticipation of the big crowds. I chose to attend one of the services at the Blessed Sacrament Church in BDC and noticed that it was offering three — one in Mandarin at noon, another in English at 3 pm and lastly, one in English at 6.30 pm.
Initially, I planned to attend the 3 pm service in English and arrived at the church at 2.45 pm.
“Just in time for the service,” I told myself. But what I did not anticipate was the lack of parking spaces not only near the church but also far from it. The jam was terrible. There was a long time of cars in front of me and more cars at the back and the vehicles were all crawling at a turtle’s pace.
I tried to look for a parking space in front of the coffee shops, far from the church but within walking distance but to no avail. In the end, I had to admit defeat and go home. So I went home, rested in bed and watched the clock tick.
As I laid in bed, I reflected on the valuable lessons I’ve learnt that day. Yes, always go to an event early — never mind if you have to wait for one or two hours. And never assume that there will be few people.
Well, for the 6.30 pm service, I was at the Blessed Sacrament Church by 5.10 pm. By 5.30 pm, I was already seated inside the church. The pew in the centre of the church was almost full. Outside, almost all the parking bays outside the church and near the shops were full.
Before the service proper, the Holy Rosary was recited. Believe me, there is nothing more comforting to hear than group prayers.
On Good Friday, the whole church mourned the death of Jesus, the saviour. This was traditionally a day of sadness, spent in fasting and prayer. The service was divided into three parts, namely, the Liturgy of the Word, the Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion.
During the Veneration of the Cross, a cross, either veiled or unveiled, was moved through the church and then venerated by the congregation.
In the past, before the MCO, which was a series of national quarantine and cordon sanitaire measures implemented by the federal government of Malaysia in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Catholics would joyfully venerate and kiss the wooden cross on which hung the Saviour of the world. During this time the “Reproaches” were usually sung or recited.
This time around, I was surprised that there was no kissing of the wooden and no vigorous wiping after each kiss. To joyfully venerate the cross, congregants either bowed or knelt respectfully. This was according to the current COVID-19 health requirements.
On Good Friday, the Holy Water fonts in the church were also empty in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil.
During the service, the priest delivered a surprising short sermon, urging the congregants to reflect on the death of Jesus Christ and reminded them that he was with them all the time to help them bear their sufferings in life.
I was glad the weather on Good Friday was sunny, making it easy for me to go the church for the first time in at least three years. Although I could attend the service online, it was not the same as being in church physically and listening to a live sermon and prayers.
I must thank the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching for its foresight in planning up to three Good Friday services in different languages in some of the churches in the more densely populated parts of Kuching City.
I could not even get a parking lot for the 3 pm mass at the Blessed Sacrament Church in BDC but at least I could attend the last service at 6.30 pm. For someone who had not been to church for a few years, that made a big difference. Imagine how relieved and glad I was at the same time. Truly, it had been a unforgettable Good Friday for me. And I thank God for that.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
