SR, Marianka: The Way of the Cross - VIDEO

Instead of the Mass, there is the Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord, which consists of the service of the Word, the solemn prayer of the faithful, adoration of the Holy Cross and Holy Communion. It is a day of penance and fasting; the faithful do not eat meat, and can eat to their fullness only once a day. Jesus' suffering and death is also recalled to the faithful by the liturgical colour, the colour of blood. On this day, the Passion is read or sung - parts of the Gospel about the suffering and death of Jesus.

In the Greek Catholic Church, Good Friday is a commanded feast day and a strict fast is observed. In the morning, the faithful pray the Royal Hours (psalms and readings from the Holy Scriptures about the Passion of Jesus Christ) in the churches, and in the afternoon there is the "Vespers" with the ceremony of placing the shroud in the Holy Sepulchre. In the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession, a solemn Passion Service is held on Good Friday.

Traditionally, on Good Friday, Stations of the Cross are held in churches, streets and calvaries in towns and villages, during which the faithful commemorate the passion and crucifixion of Jesus. Symbolically, we will also go on the Way of the Cross to the pilgrimage village of Marianka.

On Good Friday, the Stations of the Cross are traditionally held in churches, streets and calvaries of towns and villages, during which the Stations of the Cross are built on the slope of the path to the Holy Well. It was built between 1930 and 1936, and in fourteen brick chapels in different architectural styles, life-size statues tell a biblical story over two thousand years old. The author of the wooden works of art is Bohumil Bek, a carver from Kutná Hora. An interesting fact is that to this day the Stations of the Cross are still not finished, inasmuch as there was to be a chapel at the twelfth stop. It is also remarkable that the foundation stone was blessed by the leading figure of the Slovak national movement, a priest and politician - Andrej Hlinka. The ideal time to visit this place is on Sundays, when the Stations of the Cross are regularly held here, encouraging reflection and spiritual cleansing. Symbolically, we will also go on the Way of the Cross to the pilgrimage village of Marianka.

GPS: 48°14'50.9"N 17°04'08.3"E

Text, video: Pavol Jemala, Slovensko zdola

Music: Pixabay.com; Hare Krishna Relaxing Theme 4 Soulmusic