THE REPROACHES OF GOOD FRIDAY (MARCH 29TH)

 

The Adoration of the Cross on Holy and Great Friday at St. Alopen’s Cathedral in the Missionary Diocese of East and Southeast Asia 

The Reproaches of Good Friday

O my people, what have I done to thee?

Or how have I offended you?

Answer me.

Because I led thee out of the land of Egypt:

thou hast prepared a cross for thy Savior.

Holy God!

Holy Mighty!

Holy immortal One, have mercy upon us.

Because I led thee through the desert for forty years:

and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a land exceeding good:

thou hast prepared a cross for thy Savior.

O holy God! . . .

What more ought I to have done for thee, that I have not done?

I planted thee, indeed, my most beautiful vineyard:

and thou hast become exceeding bitter to me:

for in my thirst thou gavest me vinegar to drink:

and with a spear thou hast pierced the side of thy Savior.

O holy God! . . .

For thy sake I scourged the firstborn of Egypt:

Thou hast given me up to be scourged.

O my people . . .

I led thee out of Egypt, having drowned Pharaoh in the Red Sea:

and thou hast delivered me to the chief priests.

O my people . . .

I opened the sea before thee:

and thou hast opened my side with a spear.

O my people . . .

I went before thee in a pillar of cloud:

and thou hast led me to the judgment hall of Pilate.

O my people . . .

I fed thee with manna in the desert:

and thou hast assaulted me with blows and scourges.

O my people . . .

I gave thee the water of salvation from the rock:

and thou hast given me gall and vinegar to drink.

O my people . . .

For thy sake I struck the kings of the Canaanites:

and thou hast struck my head with a reed.

O my people . . .

I gave thee a royal scepter:

and thou hast given a crown of thorns for my head.

O my people . . .

I exalted thee with great strength:

and thou hast hanged me on the gibbet of the cross.

O my people . . .