Good Friday

Today is Good Friday, the first one I have experienced in Canada.
It was beautiful warm afternoon as we walked to St James’ Church, where last night we attended Holy Thursday Mass. That is the memorial of the institution of the Holy Eucharist, and the institution of the Priesthood.
Today is a solemn day when ponder on the suffering and death of Jesus.
It was a dignified service. We heard a reading of The Passion, we prayed and sang. There was the kissing of the Cross, and finally Holy Communion.
Good Friday is the only day in the Church’s year when there is no Mass, and the Hosts used were consecrated at last night’s Mass, and reserved in the Altar of repose.
On entering a church today, you would notice no holy water and the Tabernacle lying open and empty.
As we walked home in the afternoon sun, it struck me that 5 hours earlier, the same service had taken place at our home parish in Scotland. And that given the time differences around the world, this service was celebrated at almost every hour of the day somewhere in the world.
And in the same way, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, that most perfect offering acceptable to God is being celebrated somewhere in the world at every hour of the day.
Before the Mass was said in the vernacular, it was said in Latin throughout the whole world. Wherever you attended Mass, the words were exactly the same. It emphasised the universality of the Catholic Church.