Very Catholic Good Friday memories..can anyone beat this?

[caledesi]

On Good Friday when I was growing up, the kids (all 6 of us) would have to be silent from 12PM to 3PM bec that's when Christ was dying on the cross. Oh yeah, we could read prayer books, or say the rosary (remember that?) and later, we could walk down to the local church for the "Stations."

Can you beat this one?

Actually I really liked the Stations. We used to gab the whole way down. Yeah, I am going to hell.

Anyone else?

[burrowowl]

1. Yes

and on Saturday we could finally eat some candy.
I actually liked Holy Thrusday best for the songs, like UBI CARITAS or Where there is charity (meaning love) the best. But the stripping of the altar and the Stations were pretty impressive and I liked the Stabit Mater. Sometimes an altar boy would faint holding up the big candles, locked their kness.

[caledesi]

3. OMG! I am not a practicing Catholic, but you know what "they"

say: Every Catholic, even thou lapsed is a Catholic on their death bed. I haven't proven that, thank the Lord.

[yorkiemommie1]

2. i used to like the stations too

and, yes, we had to be quiet between 12 and 3. it was a nice time to reflect.

[caledesi]

4. God YM1.....no offense...but u must be old.

Bec I am. Did u grow up in New England?

[burrowowl]

6. Old like me

58. My birthday is 11/2 and we sang Requiem Masses in the morning and hd the afternoon off. I've got Gilles Requiem, Mozart's, good old Gregorian, etc. in my collection. My favorite and for real burials: Libera mea, Domini (hymn after and accompanying the casket) and I love the Dies Irea, Mozart was not in cue, I love the 12th century (when it was written) man in the song saying: remember Jesus if you don't save me your effort was in nought (or vain).

Edit to add:
For Holy Thrusday my favorite hymn was: Ubi Caritas Deus Ubi est (where there is love there is God or Dog) and on Good Friday the Stabit Mater (a very real painting of motherly love and courage and sacrifice).

[caledesi]

7. Well, you guys have me beat and I thought I was the ol' fart here.

I figured something out, even thou I am lapsed, the Evangelicals don't like Catholics bec they are cerebral.

All Catholic clergymen are highly educated.

If it weren't for the monks during the dark ages...the Bible would be sh*t.

Don't get upset folks. This is not a flame. Just the facts...and remember I am not exactly a paragon of Roman Catholicism. <snicker>

[burrowowl]

9. I'm a lapsed RC

with appreciation of our Byzantine brethren for good singing.
However, VIVE L'INTERNATIONAL!
C'est la lutte finale ....
And much respect for the Maryknollers, they lost a lot of people in Central America bringing medicine, etc. and their medical transport and evacuation planes being shot down by: RAYGUN/BU$H I and company (can we say Ollie North, Negroponte, etc.).

[caledesi]

10. OMG! The Maryknollers....I almost forgot about them.

And to think I wanted to become one of them! I am a sick puppy.

[regnaD kciN]

13. Interesting...

I've got Gilles Requiem, Mozart's, good old Gregorian, etc. in my collection.

...as far as I know, the only version of the full Gregorian chant Requiem available on CD is one I sang on!

[burrowowl]

28. I don't have the

Greogorian on CD. I've got from the Monks of Ligue, Solemes and some moniales in Normandy. If the CD you sang on has the Libera Me, I would love to know the name so I can get it.

[caledesi]

5. I have never met anyone who can relate to this "ritual." You guys

are right thou, it was a time to reflect.

No harm here...tell those Fundies (Delay and the bunch)..good times.

[maveric]

8. Older kids(13-14 yrs), took my brother and me and 2 others(8-10 yrs)

tied us little kids to trees and whipped us with pine tree branches while yelling "Suffah, Suffah"(Boston accents), until some of us screamed. I was the oldest of the tortured ones and untied myself and ran down the street. We told our parents but nothing happened to the older kids.
All the kids involved, younger and older, were all Catholics.

Pleasant, huh?

[caledesi]

11. Mav, that definitely beat me story. Were you from "Southie?" nt

[maveric]

12. Lawrence. 20 miles north of Boston.

The most dangerous city in america.
Ever hear or it?

[caledesi]

15. Oh yeah...had friends there. Originally from Newport RI. nt

[Gemini Cat]

31. Lawrence "the most dangerous city in America?"

When that happen?

[CanuckAmok]

14. One year of Catholic school here...and you wouldn't BELIEVE this:

It was third grade, and they actually nailed us to crosses until we died. Then one of the nuns would resurrect us, and say "now that you have a better idea of what Jesus went through for you, stop touching yourself at night!"

True story!

[caledesi]

16. Whoa....I cannot believe this. What area of the country? nt

[CanuckAmok]

17. Canada. It's our dirty little secret. n/t

[Rhiannon12866]

18. No, you're hardly going to hell.

I did "stations of the cross" at the shrine of Knock in Ireland. I was totally into it, until my Protestant grandmother interrupted me. Knock was a disappointing experience, since it was so commercial, but the people there were lovely. And I'm not much of a believer now, so I'm probably going to hell sooner than you are.
:scared:

And I will still probably eat fish, tomorrow, though I'm vegetarian and not a believer. Old habits die hard.:shrug:

[caledesi]

19. Sounds interesting. I wanted to see the Passion Play in

Obergammau Germany was not there at that time.

[Rhiannon12866]

25. I would have found that fascinating, as well, despite having lost my faith

If you're ever considering visiting the shrine at Knock, don't bother. I was so very disappointed. I do believe that the Holy Mother appeared there, but it has become totally commercialized. The statues that they have, behind glass, are lovely, but there are all these booths selling plastic rosaries. It made me sad.:-(

[ScreamingMeemie]

20. When my mother was a child, her parents tied the faucets shut and had

them on their knees praying the rosary from 12-3 PM. :hi:

[Rhiannon12866]

33. Mother of God! This sounds practically like child abuse!

Why would they tie the faucets shut?:shrug:

[Left Is Write]

21. I'm not Catholic, so no Catholic Good Friday memories.

I always felt it was important, though, to attend Good Friday services, because the somber atmosphere was good for personal reflection, and always made the Easter services seem so much more exciting and festive. I'm big on those types of traditions.

[jswordy]

22. I was raised Catholic, we never had to do that....

...not even in Catholic school.

:shrug:

You must have been in some bizarre Catholic offshoot or cult! Heh.

Fridays SUCKED, tho...fish or some kind of fried mush dish or something other than meat. That is why I am not a vegetablatarian today! LOL

Oh, and don't worry about the Hell thingie...it doesn't really exist.

[maveric]

23. I remember my house smelling like fried fish every GF.

And I hated fish but was told that I'd go to hell if I ate hot dog.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

24. I liked Good Friday, school ended early so we could file into church

for the Stations. (I don't think we had spring break when I was in parochial school.) The music, the purple cloths draped over the statues and crucifix, the incense, the candles...very trippy. Besides the Stabat Mater I liked "O Sacred Head Surrounded." Real upbeat stuff.

[nuxvomica]

26. We did the same thing

You describe it exactly. I definitely enjoyed singing the Stabat Mater but we called it "At the Cross Her Station Keeping."

[Blue in a Red State]

27. "Stood the mournful mother weeping"

Yeah. So haunting.

Good Friday, couldn't watch TV, had to stay quiet and mom once insisted on covering all the mirrors during the bewitching hours. Saturday we brought a basket full of food (plus water) to the church to be blessed for Sunday's breakfast. All served cold: eggs, polish sausage, ham, boiled bacon, rye bread, cheesecake, poppyseed bread, fresh horseradish root, a weird relish combining pickled beets and creamed horseradish---all (sans the relish and sweets) dumped into a borscht later in the day. It's a Polish thing, I guess.

[Lugnut]

29. 12 to 3?

You had it easy. My mother would shut the piano and we weren't allowed to listen to the radio or watch TV all day. Talk about boring. Because we were bored we'd get into mischief then my mother would get pissed. Every Easter was memorable because my mother was grumpy and we got punished. Ugh.

[mykpart]

30. Remember how all the statues had purple drapes over them

until Easter morning! Anyone remember "40 Hours Devotion?"

[KitchenWitch]

32. I ate steak tonight

I am going to hell