Please RSVP to chaplain@stcatherines-stuttgart.de if you are planning on attending.
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE OF MEDITATION
The Seven Last Words of Jesus on the Cross
April 18, 2025 | 3:00 PM | Anglican Centre
Concept and Tone
This Good Friday, we gather not in grandeur, but in silence and stillness—to listen at the foot of the Cross. Together, we will reflect on the Seven Last Words of Jesus, allowing each to speak to our hearts through scripture, short personal reflections, silence, and music.
The service is designed to be simple and meditative, lasting about 60 to 90 minutes. Seven members of the chaplaincy will offer brief reflections, each guided by three simple questions, to help us enter more deeply into the mystery of Christ’s final moments.
Flow of the Service
Opening (Leader or Celebrant)
Opening Music / Hymn (led by Music Director)
The Seven Last Words
Each segment includes:
- Reading of the Word (by the assigned person)
- Short Personal Reflection (2–3 minutes)
- Silent Pause (30–60 seconds)
- Music (led by the Music Director)
Each person assigned will be given these three guide questions to prepare their reflection:
- What does this word say to me personally?
- What human experience or truth do I hear in it?
- How might it speak to us as a community today?
The Seven Last Words
- “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Luke 23:34 - “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Luke 23:43 - “Woman, here is your son… Here is your mother.”
John 19:26–27 - “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Matthew 27:46 / Mark 15:34 - “I am thirsty.”
John 19:28 - “It is finished.”
John 19:30 - “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”
Luke 23:46
III. Concluding Silence (1–2 minutes)
A sacred moment to sit with the fullness of what we’ve heard.
Concluding Prayer (Leader or Celebrant)
