Good Friday: Burial Service

Friday 18th April 2025 @ 7pm

Good Sheppard Chapel, Abbotsford

The quiet prayers o f the clergy welcomed us to tonight’s service. The clergy entered and prostrated on the ground before the altar. They wore simple garments - black and deep red.

They arose and started with a solemn prayer. Father Mark began the chant of the Office of Readings before the Gospel was proclaimed with a mournful rendition of the Alleluia and the Vespers service began.

The clergy took turns in slowly chanting as Metropolitan Raffaele blessed the church and congregation with incense.

Father Mark read from the book of Isaiah which predicted the coming of a suffering servant. It foreshadowed the coming of Jesus as the humble serving messiah.

Next, Metropolitan Raffaele read from the Gospel of St John. The congregation stood as the Metropolitan read the description of the Passion, describing the accusations made against Jesus, the release of Barabas, and the crucifixion.

We all knelt when it came to the part where He breathed his last breath, and we prayed together in silence.

The Metropolitan gave a quick reflection on the Gospel. He talked about how the Byzantine liturgy comes from the monastic services. He explained that people would gather and break bread in someone’s home. People would know where to attend through the secret symbol of the fish: one person would draw the top and another would draw the bottom. Where the tail lines intersect created an X, the first letter of Jesus’s name in Greek.

He spoke about relics and prayers to overcome our fear and unbelief, and went on to explain that the Book of Isaiah outlined how the messiah would come. When St Photini, the woman of the well, asked for the Living Waters, Jesus asked her “do you believe?” And she said “yes”.

The homily continued with a lesson on the Gospels - particularly St Mark. The Metropolitan described how this Gospel was written for the Egyptians, who liked to know what a person had become - and so it begins with the events of Palm Sunday. He reminded us that Jesus was not a warlord on a horse, but a servant on a donkey, and because of this the temple leaders feared and mocked Him - ultimately leading to His crucifixion.

Metropolitan Raffaele concluded his homily with a reference to the missing years of Jesus’s story - a time when Joseph took Him on a journey to modern-day France and England where he learned and perfected his craftsmanship. The Metropolitan reminded us that they were both Master tradesmen - and that we should be the catchment, not the drain; that the teachings we are receiving should be shared, and that we should be proud of the faith we have received.

Next, Evening Prayers began with the recitation of the Our Father prayer. Then the procession of the Holy Cross was enacted: the true relics of the Holy Cross were taken to all four corners of the church as the Metropolitan recited the Canon of the Hours. When it returned to the altar, Server Luke and Server Ayden presented the relics for everyone in turn to venerate and adore.

In preparation and anticipation of tomorrow’s resurrection, the prayers for Holy Matins began next. The Epitaphios was unwrapped and the solemn Miserere chant was sung by Metropolitan Raffaele. The icon was processed around the altar and brought amongst the people and placed on the epitaphios table. It was covered in basil and flowers as the Matins continued.

The Epitaphios was then carried around the church in a procession. We followed it outside and then returned to the church by walking under it.

When it returned to the Epitaphios table, the Bible and cross were laid on top and it was covered in flowers and basil again.

The Hail Mary was spoken and a hymn to the Theotokos was sung. The Kyrie was sung by the clergy, and then everyone venerated the Epitaphios and were offered a blessing from Metropolitan Raffaele through an anointing.

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