Good Friday on Crete!

Today is Good Friday in Greece, referred to in Greek as "the Great Friday," just as every day in Holy Week here is referred to as the "Great Day."
I attended the Maundy Thursday service at the Monastery Church just up the road last night. It consisted of twelve Gospel readings, the first being the entire Last Supper Discourse of Jesus from John 13-17. (Some of the other readings weren't that long, but the service lasted from 7:00 to 11:00 PM, and I stood the whole time, as did some others. I was able to follow the entire service in my Greek prayer book, holding a candle in one hand and the book in the other.)
At the beginning of the service, a candleabra with twelve candles was lit at the front of the church, and as each Gospel was read, a candle was extinguished, just as in our Tenebrae Good Friday service.
At the point where Jesus was crucified in the narrative readings, a wooden cross with candles on it was carried out of the front of the church and processed throughout the sanctuary among the people. Then it was taken to the front of the church and an wooden icon of Jesus crucified was placed on the cross and nailed on it. This cross was then placed at the front of the church. Between every Gospel reading, people came forward to kiss the cross and make the sign of the cross. Many of these people came just for this and didn't stay for all the readings. But when a Gospel was being read, everyone stood quietly and listened carefully. In between Gospel readings, the priest and chanters sang hymns commenting on the Gospel readings. Many of these readings focussed on Judas' betrayal and Peter's denial, and on the roles of the different characters in the story, entreating the congregation not to be like these people who all participated in some way in Jesus' passion.
Tonight the service will again be very dramatic. The wooden image of Jesus placed on the cross last night will be taken down and placed on a bier. This bier is then carried in a funeral procession throughout the courtyard of the church and even down here to the Academy grounds, I understand.
Saturday night features a midnight liturgy beginning at 11:00 PM and continuing past midnight to celebrate Christ's resurrection. The church which all week has been shrouded in darkness will then have every light and candleabra lit and burning brightly! Sunday morning Greeks break the 40 day Lenten fast, and I understand we will have a lamb roast here at the Academy on Sunday evening!
We are all doing pretty well here. The director's wife gave us an octopus the other night to prepare. We have eaten octopus and enjoy it, but cooking it is another matter, so we shall see how we do at this!
So much for this time.
Roy