7 Meaningful Ways to Observe Good Friday

Good Friday is the most solemn of days in the Catholic Church, marking the crucifixion and death of Christ. It is a day of deep reflection, prayer, and sacrifice, preparing us for the joy of Easter Sunday. 

Here are some meaningful ways for Catholics to observe Good Friday with reverence and devotion:

1. Maintain a Spirit of Recollection & Simplicity

Avoid unnecessary entertainment or distractions on Good Friday if your station in life allows. Fast from social media, and even from unnecessary conversation, in order to spend the day in a spirit of quiet recollection.

Keep things simple at every opportunity, forgoing things that you might take for granted on other days, and things that make your life a bit easier or more enjoyable. 

Offer penances in reparation on Good Friday to console the Heart of Christ and demonstrate your profound love and gratitude. Of course, He knows our hearts, but our simple sacrifices show our own remorse and regret - for our sins and those of all mankind.

Your sacrifices can be simple ones like not hitting the snooze button when your alarm goes off, taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work, parking in the back of the parking lot and walking if you have to drive that day. 

Catholics between the ages of 18-59 will abstain from meat on Good Friday, eating only one full meal and two smaller ones throughout their days, unless medical conditions or other circumstances don't allow them to follow the norms of the Church. If you are older than 59 or cannot participate, find other offerings to show your love. 

Rather than viewing your fasting day as a burden or annoyance, offer it joyfully to God. 

2. Attend the Good Friday Liturgy

One of the most beautiful ways to observe Good Friday is by attending the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion.

There we continue our Triduum vigil from Holy Thursday evening, when Jesus washed the feet of the Apostles, ate the Last Supper, suffered the Agony in the Garden, was betrayed, arrested, and denied. 

This liturgy is moving, intended to stir our souls as we meditate on Christ’s sufferings and his incomparable sacrifice for our salvation.

It typically takes place around 3pm, honoring the time of Christ's death. It includes a Passion reading from the Gospel, Veneration of the Cross by those present, and reception of Holy Communion. 

During Veneration of the Cross, each of the faithful is welcomed to kiss, touch, genuflect or bow before a cross, usually held by deacons or altar servers in front of the altar. The faithful process to the altar toward the cross and demonstrate their love, gratitude, and remorse.

The Eucharist we receive during the liturgy is pre-consecrated on Holy Thursday, since the world is without the Mass on this somber day of mourning and reflection.

3. Pray the Stations of the Cross

Many Catholics commemorate Good Friday by praying the Stations alone, and most parishes will offer the Stations led by a priest on Good Friday. Often, the Way of the Cross is prayed individually and communally at noon, symbolic of the time Our Lord hung and died for us there.

Take time on Good Friday to accompany Jesus on the Way of the Cross, meditating upon the 14 events that took place on His journey from condemnation to burial. 

Whether at church, at home, or even outdoors, pause your day to quietly reflect on each Station, When you do, you walk spiritually with Christ through His Passion in repentance, gratitude, and love.

4. Spend Time in Silent Prayer and Reflection

Good Friday is a solemn day, best observed with quiet contemplation. Take time for silent prayer, read the Passion narratives from the Gospels (Matthew 26–27, Mark 14–15, Luke 22–23, or John 18–19), or meditate on Christ’s seven last words on the cross. 

Read and reflect upon His sacrifice with works like The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich, The Passion and Death of Christ by St. Alphonsus Liguori, or The Passion of Christ Through the Eyes of Mary by St. Anselm. Meditate on the Seven Last Words of Christ with books on this subject by St. Bonaventure, St. Robert Bellarmine, and others.

Pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary with particular attention on Good Friday, striving not to be distracted so as to enter fully into each mystery. Recollect yourself in imaginative prayer, as if you were there watching Our Lord's agonizing ordeal. 

Sit quietly when you are finished, and open your heart to Jesus, offering your time to consoling His heart, and thanking Him for all the graces and gifts His sacrifice obtained for you.

5. Participate in the Divine Mercy Novena

Good Friday marks the beginning of the Divine Mercy Novena, a nine-day prayer of devotion revealed by Jesus to St. Faustina. The novena focuses on God’s mercy and infinite love for us, and prepares us for Divine Mercy Sunday, celebrated the week after Easter.

Begin your novena, traditionally prayed during the 3 o'clock hour (between 3 pm and 4 pm), and show that you trust in His merciful love. Share and spread the devotion so that others will embrace His healing love. 

Each day as you pray the novena, you bring a specific group of souls to the Lord, immersing them in the ocean of His mercy and begging God the Father, on the strength of Christ's Passion, for graces for these souls. You also atone for your sins, and those of the whole world.

Through the novena, you receive the grace to begin anew, washed by the blood and water that flowed forth from Christ's side at the crucifixion. You also move the heart of God, who desires to grant unimaginable graces to those who simply trust in His mercy. 

6. Venerate the Cross at Home

If you are unable to visit a church to venerate the Cross, venerate one at home. Consider making a prayer table if you don't have one, and place the Cross or Crucifix there or in some other prominent place. Spend time in prayer there during your day, especially during the hours of His Passion, from 12 pm to 3 pm. 

This act of reverence and love on Good Friday serves as a visual reminder of what Jesus endured for us. It helps us focus on the extent of His anguish - and the even greater extent of His love.

7. Eat a Simple Meatless Meal with Biblical Roots 

Meatless Fridays have come a long way from the days of fish sticks and mac and cheese when I was growing up in the 1970's. Our family always eats a lentil stew on Good Friday as a symbolic reminder of the time of Christ, and what he endured for love of mankind.

Lentils were a staple in the time of Jesus, referenced in the bible numerous times. Historians believe they were the second most important food, after grain, for those living in first-century Judea. 

They were boiled into porridge, made into a thick stew or a thinner soup, ground and made into cakes, and were eaten regularly by both the rich and the poor during Christ's lifetime. 

I try to make the stew ahead of time, on Holy Thursday, and reheat it for our dinner on Good Friday. It's been our family tradition for 24 years now. We eat it quietly, usually in dim light (or candle light), at the close of the day spent honoring His Passion.

We ladle the stew into bowls and pass a bottle of red wine vinegar around the table, so that each family member can sprinkle some into their bowl as a participation in what Christ was offered on the Cross. Here's the recipe if you'd like to start your own Good Friday mealtime tradition:

A Sacred Day 

Good Friday is a sacred day of reflection and gratitude. By honoring the day in special ways, we deepen our faith and prepare our hearts for the celebration of Easter. Observing Good Friday with recollection and reverence, we enter more fully into the mystery of His Passion, so that we can believe, live, and proclaim the hope of His resurrection.