Good Friday

===Vespers of Holy and Great Friday===
[[File:Toronto-Apokathylosis-2012-04-13.jpg|thumb|The crucified Christ, just before the [[Deposition from the Cross]] and the placing of the [[Epitaphios (liturgical)|Epitaphios]] in the Sepulchre]]
In the afternoon, around 3&nbsp;pm, all gather for the Vespers of the Taking-Down from the Cross,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTqiy-p7EkA |title=Vespers of the Taking-Down from the Cross |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=30 April 2019 |archive-date=2 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002232858/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTqiy-p7EkA |url-status=live }}</ref> commemorating the [[Deposition from the Cross]]. Following Psalm 103 (104) and the Great Litany, 'Lord, I call' is sung without a Psalter reading. The first five stichera (the first being repeated) are taken from the Aposticha at Matins the night before, but the final 3 of the 5 are sung in Tone 2. Three more stichera in Tone 6 lead to the Entrance. The Evening Prokimenon is taken from Psalm 21 (22): 'They parted My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture.'

There are then four readings, with Prokimena before the second and fourth:

* Exodus 33:11-23 - God shows Moses His glory
* The second Prokimenon is from Psalm 34 (35): 'Judge them, O Lord, that wrong Me: fight against them that fight against Me.'
* Job 42:12-20 - God restores Job's wealth (note that verses 18-20 are found only in the Septuagint)
* Isaiah 52:13-54:1 - The fourth [[Servant songs|Suffering Servant song]]
* The third Prokimenon is from Psalm 87 (88): 'They laid Me in the lowest pit: in dark places and in the shadow of death.'
* 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:2 - St. Paul places Christ crucified as the centre of the Christian life

An Alleluia is then sung, with verses from Psalm 68 (69): 'Save Me, O God: for the waters are come in, even unto My soul.'

The Gospel reading is a composite taken from three of the four the Gospels (Matthew 27:1-38; Luke 23:39-43; Matthew 27:39-54; John 19:31-37; Matthew 27:55-61), essentially the story of the Crucifixion as it appears according to St. Matthew, interspersed with St. Luke's account of the confession of the Good Thief and St. John's account of blood and water flowing from Jesus' side. During the Gospel, the body of Christ (the ''soma'') is removed from the cross, and, as the words in the Gospel reading mention Joseph of Arimathea, is wrapped in a linen shroud, and taken to the [[altar]] in the sanctuary.[[File:Gold embroidery example.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Epitaphios (liturgical)|epitaphios]] ("winding sheet"), depicting the preparation of the body of Jesus for burial]] The Aposticha reflects on the burial of Christ. Either at this point (in the Greek use) or during the troparion following (in the Slav use):

{{blockquote|text=Noble Joseph, taking down Thy most pure body from the Tree, wrapped it in pure linen and spices, and he laid it in a new tomb.<ref name="auto1">{{cite book |last1=Ware |first1=Kallistos |last2=Mother Mary |title=The Lenten Triodion |date=1977 |publisher=St Tikhon's Seminary Press |location=South Canaan, PA |isbn=1-878997-51-3 |page=616}}</ref>}}

an ''[[Epitaphios (liturgical)|epitaphios]]'' or "winding sheet" (a cloth embroidered with the image of Christ prepared for burial) is carried in procession to a low table in the nave which represents the Tomb of Christ; it is often decorated with an abundance of flowers. The epitaphios itself represents the body of Jesus wrapped in a burial shroud, and is a roughly full-size cloth icon of the body of Christ. The service ends with a hope of the Resurrection:

{{blockquote|text=The Angel stood by the tomb, and to the women bearing spices he cried aloud: 'Myrrh is fitting for the dead, but Christ has shown Himself a stranger to corruption.<ref name="auto1"/>}}

Then the priest may deliver a [[homily]] and everyone comes forward to venerate the epitaphios. In the [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] practice, at the end of Vespers, [[Compline]] is immediately served, featuring a special ''Canon of the Crucifixion of our Lord and the Lamentation of the Most Holy Theotokos'' by Symeon the Logothete.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Good Friday {{!}} Definition, History, & Facts|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Good-Friday|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2020-05-27|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502051925/https://www.britannica.com/topic/Good-Friday|url-status=live}}</ref>