New Straits Times Online (http://www.nst.com)
Christians mark the 'saddest day', 22 March 2008
by Marc Lourdes and Audrey Dermawan
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Christians gathered in churches around the country yesterday at services to mark the "saddest" day on the Christian calendar. Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Long Friday, Sad Friday and Great Friday in other parts of world, commemorates the day Jesus Christ was crucified by the Romans. Christian dogma states Christ willingly died on the cross to save the world from sin.
Many churches held several services yesterday, including one at 3pm - the hour Christ is traditionally said to have died.
At St Joseph's Church in Sentul, a crowd of about 800 people gathered, despite yesterday being a working day.
Many either took the day off, or time-off from work in order to observe the day, one of the holiest for Christians.
A symbolic reenactment of the final hours of Christ's life, known as the "Way of the Cross", was held before the service. It had 14 "stations", each one marking a significant milestone, beginning with Christ being condemned to death and ending with him being laid in the tomb.
The worshippers' spilled out of the 102-year-old church but were spared the heavy afternoon rains that have inundated the city for the past two weeks and only had to contend with sporadic drizzles.
A service was held after that.
The crucifix, usually the most prominent feature in many churches, was concealed by a huge purple drape.
The drape was then removed for another ritual, known as the "Veneration of the Cross" where the faithful kiss and pay homage to a cross as a symbol of penance and contrition.
Like all the days in Lent - the 40-day period of fasting and abstinence that precedes Easter - the call of "Alleluia" was missing from the prayers.
Alleluia, an exclamation of joy, is left out in observance of what is essentially a season of mourning.
The sense of solemnity yesterday was reflected in the selection of hymns - mainly funereal dirges - and in the muted tones of the worshippers' clothing.
Emiliene Sharon, 25, said Good Friday was a day to remember Christ's sacrifice for the world.
Sharon, a church warden for the past 13 years, said that every successive year saw more and more people attending Good Friday masses.
Good Friday is the second day of the Easter Triduum, which begins with Maundy (or Holy) Thursday and culminates in the Easter vigil mass held at midnight on the day after Good Friday.
In George Town, tens of thousands of Christians took part in services to mark the day.
At the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Green Lane, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng spent an hour with the congregation for the service which was led by Rev Fabian Dicom.
Speaking outside the church later, Lim said the state government would honour and respect all religions practised by the people in the state.
"We are aware and will continue to encourage the freedom of religion."
On Thursday, Lim joined thousands of Muslims for the state-level Maulidur Rasul celebrations in Seberang Jaya.
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