The hour of the Lord Jesus' death, 3pm, is a privileged time as regards the devotion to
3:00 p.m. is known as the “hour of great mercy” in remembrance of Christ's death on the cross at 3:00 p.m. on Good Friday. Similarly, people often pray the Stations of the Cross at this time.
Eternal Father, for the sake of the sorrowful Passion, and the Resurrection of Your Son, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.
Three Hours' Agony
The Three Hours' Devotion based on the Seven Last Words from the Cross begins at noon and ends at 3 pm, the time that the Christian tradition teaches that Jesus died on the cross.
Pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary. Remain silent from noon to 3:00 pm the hours in which Christ suffered on the Cross. If there is anyone in your life that you need to offer forgiveness to, forgive them today. Venerate the Cross either in your own home or in a Church.
Taking a bath or doing laundry at 3 p.m. on a Good Friday can cause bad luck as well. It is said that water turns to blood in that particular period because of Jesus' death.
In the Irish Free State and Republic of Ireland, the "holy hour" (Irish: uair bheannaithe) was the term applied to the closing of public houses between 2.30 and 3.30 p.m. on Monday to Saturday in the cities of Dublin and Cork.
While it is called Good Friday, it is a day of mourning for Christians. Therefore, people should not greet each other with 'Happy Good Friday' wishes just like they may do so on Christmas. It is only two days after Good Friday, that's Easter Sunday when you must wish 'Happy Easter Sunday'.
Superstitions surrounding Good Friday and Easter:
If you want to prevent bad luck from coming your way, then traditionally, you should not wash any clothes or do any housework on Good Friday. According to old catholic tradition, doing housework on this day will bring bad luck to your family.
Forbidden prayer times are: 1- From dawn until the sun has risen to the height of a spear; 2- When it is directly overhead at noon until it has passed its zenith; and 3- From 'Asr prayer until the sun has set completely.
A chronological analysis of the texts indicated that, at the initiative of Mlle. de Lamourous, it was first used at the Misericorde (1801), and later, in the Association of Adele (1804). However, by means of these two co-founders of Father Chaminade, one can trace the origin of this prayer to the Carmelites.
Jesus prayed in the morning (Mark 1:35). Jesus prayed in the evening (Matt 14:23, Mark 6:46). Maybe the last supper was spent singing hymns and Psalms at the regular evening prayer? (Mark 14:26, Matt 26:30).
Jesus cried out the Word of God from Psalm 22, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) at the ninth hour—3pm, and the darkness lifted.
Terce is a canonical hour of the Divine Office. It consists mainly of psalms and is held around 9 a.m. Its name comes from Latin and refers to the third hour of the day after dawn.
Red. Red is symbolic of passion and blood. It is worn during the feasts of the martyrs, Good Friday, Palm Sunday, and the Pentecost. The Cardinals wear red as a symbol for their devotion to the church and the Pope.
Black is used as a symbol of mourning and has associations related to fasting, mercy, and penance, which are especially appropriate during the Lenten period. Sanctuaries are often veiled in black on Good Friday, a somber day that marks the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross.
Also, on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays during Lent, adult Catholics over the age of 14 abstain from eating meat. During these days, it is not acceptable to eat lamb, chicken, beef, pork, ham, deer and most other meats. However, eggs, milk, fish, grains, and fruits and vegetables are all allowed.
"That terrible Friday has been called Good Friday because it led to the Resurrection of Jesus and his victory over death and sin and the celebration of Easter, the very pinnacle of Christian celebrations," the Huffington Post reported.
No housework on Good Friday
According to Catholic tradition, doing any housework, such as washing your clothes, on Good Friday is considered unlucky. Those who observe in the superstition believe that doing any housework on this day will bring bad luck to your family.
And despite some superstitions to the contrary, you can in fact take a bath or shower on Good Friday. MORE : Easter 2022: Why is it called Good Friday?
The Gospels and Acts refer to praying at the third, sixth, and ninth hours—respectively referring to about three hours after sunrise, noon, and three hours after noon.
The typical schedule for the Divine Hours follows a three-hour pattern, with prayers at 6:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., noon, 3:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. In addition, there are evening prayers and morning prayers outside of these times.
The Jewish daytime hours began with dawn and ended with sundown, which began the next day. The hours are seasonal, so the length of the daylight hours varied with the season of the year. The Romans began their day at midnight and counted 12 hours to high 12 noon and then 12 more hours from noon to the next midnight.
According to sleep experts, one of the ways our bodies signal to us that it's bedtime is a drop in body temperature, and taking a hot shower or bath right before bed can actually raise your body temp, disrupting this signal and your night's sleep in the process.
It may sound counterproductive, but a shower every day could be bad for your skin. Some dermatologists only recommend a shower every other day, or two to three times a week. Many people hit the shower at least once a day, either in the morning or at night before bed.