Father, into your hands I commend my spirit

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion

1st Reading – Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Behold, my servant shall understand: he shall be exalted and extolled, and shall be exceeding high.

As many have been astonished at you, so shall his visage be inglorious among men and his form among the sons of men.

He shall sprinkle many nations: kings shall shut their mouth at him. For they to whom it was not told of him have seen: and they that heard not have beheld.

Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

And he shall grow up as a tender plant before him, and as a root out of a thirsty ground. There is no beauty in him, nor comeliness: and we have seen him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of him:

Despised and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with infirmity: and his look was as it were hidden and despised. Whereupon we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows: and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our iniquities: he was bruised for our sins. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his bruises we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray, everyone has turned aside into his own way: and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was offered because it was his own will, and he opened not his mouth. He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter, and shall be dumb as a lamb before his shearer, and he shall not open his mouth.

He was taken away from distress and from judgment. Who shall declare his generation? Because he is cut off out of the land of the living: for the wickedness of my people have I struck him.

And he shall give the ungodly for his burial and the rich for his death: because he has done no iniquity, neither was there deceit in his mouth.

And the Lord was pleased to bruise him in infirmity. If he shall lay down his life for sin, he shall see a long-lived seed: and the will of the Lord shall be prosperous in his hand.

Because his soul has laboured, he shall see and be filled. By his knowledge shall this my just servant justify many: and he shall bear their iniquities.

Therefore will I distribute to him very many, and he shall divide the spoils of the strong: because he has delivered his soul unto death and was reputed with the wicked. And he has borne the sins of many and has prayed for the transgressors.

Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25

R. (Luke 23:46) Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
deliver me in your justice.
Into your hands I commend my spirit:
you have redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth.

R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

I have become a reproach among all my enemies,
and very much to my neighbours;
and a fear to my acquaintance.
They that saw me afar fled from me.
I am forgotten as one dead from the heart.
I have become a vessel that is destroyed.

R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

But I have put my trust in you,
O Lord: I said: You are my God.
My lots are in thy hands.
Deliver me out of the hands of my enemies;
and from them that persecute me.

R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant;
save me in thy mercy.
Take courage and and let your heart be strengthened,
all you who hope in the LORD.

R. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

2nd Reading – Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9

Brothers and sisters: Having, therefore, a great high priest that has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God: let us hold fast our confession.

For we have not a high priest, who can not have compassion on our infirmities: but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin.

Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid.

Christ, Who in the days of his flesh, with a strong cry and tears, offering up prayers and supplications to him that was able to save him from death, was heard for his reverence.

And whereas indeed he was the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered:

And being consummated, he became, to all that obey him, the cause of eternal salvation.

Verse Before The Gospel – Philippians 2:8-9

He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.
For which cause God also has exalted him, and has given him a name which is above all names.

Gospel – John 18:1-19:42

When Jesus had said these things, he went forth with his disciples over the Kidron valley, where there was a garden, into which he entered with his disciples.

And Judas also, who betrayed him, knew the place; because Jesus had often resorted there together with his disciples.

Judas, therefore, having received a band of soldiers and servants from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said to them: “Who are you looking for?”

They answered him: Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said to them: I am he. And Judas also, who betrayed him, stood with them.

As soon therefore as he had said to them: I am he; they went backward, and fell to the ground.

Again therefore he asked them: “Who are you looking for?” And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he. If therefore you seek me, let these men go.”

That the word might be fulfilled which he said, “I have not lost any of those you gave me.”

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And the name of the servant was Malchus.

Jesus, therefore, said to Peter: Put up thy sword into the scabbard. The chalice which my Father has given me, shall I not drink it?

Then the band and the tribune, and the servants of the Jews, took Jesus, and bound him, and they led him away to Annas first, for he was father-in-law to Caiphas, who was the high priest of that year.

Now Caiphas was he who had given the counsel to the Jews: That it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. And that disciple was known to the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the court of the high priest.

But Peter stood at the door outside. The other disciple therefore, who was known to the high priest, went out, and spoke to the gatekeeper, and brought in Peter.

The maid therefore that was the gatekeeper, said to Peter: Are you also not one of this man’s disciples? He said: I am not.

Now the servants and ministers stood at a fire of coals, because it was cold, and warmed themselves. And with them was Peter also, standing, and warming himself.

The high priest, therefore, asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine.

Jesus answered him: I have spoken openly to the world: I have always taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, where all the Jews resort; and in secret I have spoken nothing.

Why ask do you me? ask them who have heard what I have spoken unto them: behold they know what things I have said.

And when he had said these things, one of the servants standing by, gave Jesus a blow, saying: Is this the way you answer the high priest?

Jesus answered him: If I have spoken evil, give testimony of the evil; but if well, why do you strike me?”

And Annas sent him bound to Caiphas the high priest.

And Simon Peter was standing, and warming himself. They said therefore to him: Are you not also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said: I am not.

One of the servants of the high priest (a kinsman to him whose ear Peter cut off) said to him: Did I not see you in the garden with him?

Again therefore Peter denied; and immediately the cock crew.

Then they led Jesus from Caiphas to the praetorium. And it was morning; and they went not into the hall, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.

Pilate, therefore, went out to them, and said: What accusation bring you against this man?

They answered, and said to him: If he were not a criminal, we would not have delivered him up to you.

Pilate therefore said to them: Take him you, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said to him: It is not lawful for us to put any man to death;

That the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he said, signifying what death he should die.

Pilate, therefore, went into the praetorium and called Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own, or have others told you about me?”

Pilate answered: Am I a Jew? Your own nation, and the chief priests, have delivered you up to me: what have you done?

Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now my kingdom is not from here.”

So Pilate said to him, “Then you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Everyone that is of the truth, hears my voice.

Pilate said to him: What is truth? And when he said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them: I find no cause in him.

But you have a custom that I should release one unto you at Passover: Do you will, therefore, that I release unto you the king of the Jews?”

Then cried they all again, saying: Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

Then, therefore, Pilate took Jesus, and scourged him.

And the soldiers wove a crown of thorns, put it upon his head; and they put on him a purple garment.

And they came to him, and said: Hail, king of the Jews; and they gave him blows.

Pilate, therefore, went forth again, and said to them: Behold, I bring him forth unto you, that you may know that I find no cause in him.

(Jesus, therefore, came forth, bearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment.) And he said to them: Behold the Man.

When the chief priests, therefore, and the servants, had seen him, they cried out, saying: Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate said to them: You take him, and crucify him: for I find no cause in him.

The Jews answered him: We have a law; and according to the law, he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

When Pilate, therefore, had heard this saying, he feared the more.

And he entered into the praetorium, and he said to Jesus: Where are you from? But Jesus gave him no answer.

So Pilate said to him, “Do you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have power to crucify you and also have the power to release you?”

Jesus answered him, “You would have no power over me if it had not been given to you from above. Therefore, he that has delivered me to you, has the greater sin.”

And from henceforth Pilate sought to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying: If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. For whosoever makes himself a king, speaks against Caesar.

Now when Pilate had heard these words, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat, in the place that is called Lithostrotos, and in Hebrew Gabbatha.

And it was the preparation day for Passover, about the sixth hour, and he said to the Jews: Behold your king.

They cried out, “Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate saith to them: Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar.

Then therefore he delivered him to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him forth.

And bearing his own cross, he went forth to that place which is called Calvary, but in Hebrew Golgotha.

Where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, and Jesus in the midst.

And Pilate wrote a title also, and he put it upon the cross. And the writing was, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

This title therefore many of the Jews did read: because the place where Jesus was crucified was near to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, in Greek, and in Latin.

Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate: Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am the King of the Jews.

Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

The soldiers, therefore, when they had crucified him, took his garments, (and they made four parts, to every soldier a part,) and also his coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

They said then one to another: Let us not cut it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the scripture might be fulfilled, saying: They have parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture they have cast lot. And the soldiers indeed did these things.

Now there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus, therefore, had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he said to his mother: Woman, behold thy son.

After that, he said to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.

Afterwards, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said: I thirst.

Now there was a vessel set there full of vinegar. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar and hyssop, put it to his mouth.

Jesus therefore, when he had taken the vinegar, said: “It is finished.” And bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.

During Good Friday Readings 2023 all kneel and pause for a short time.

Then the Jews, (because it was preparation day,) that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath day, (for that was a great sabbath day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

The soldiers therefore came; and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with Jesus.

But after they were come to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.

But one of the soldiers with a spear opened his side, and immediately there came out blood and water.

An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true; he knows that he is speaking the truth, so that you also may come to believe.

For these things were done, that the scripture might be fulfilled: You shall not break a bone of him.

And again another scripture said: They shall look on him whom they pierced.

And after these things, Joseph of Arimathea (because he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews) besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave leave. He came therefore and took the body of Jesus.

And Nicodemus also came, (he who at the first came to Jesus by night,) bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred-pound weight.

They took, therefore, the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths, with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, wherein no man yet had been laid.

There, therefore, because of the Jewish preparation day, they laid Jesus, because the tomb was nearby.