Good Friday at Home

1. Keep the lights off all day
2. Avoid using energy of any kind, prepare vegetarian chollent on Thursday (**receipt below) to be eaten on Friday. It is traditional for Jews not to cook on Shabbat so this is a perfect receipt for a day when cooking is being avoided.
3. Wear headcovering all day
4. Eat only extremely plain food (for those not fasting) - no embellishment of any kind. Eggs and lentils are traditional for Jews in mourning. Ideally these should be provided by another family, but not always practical.
5. Sit shiva as our Jewish brothers and sisters would - cover all mirrors for the day, no jewelry, no make-up, no hair doo-dads for the girls, nothing. The aim is plainness and lack of vanity. We're mourning here...
6. Recite the sorrowful mysteries, with scripture readings and a decade of the Rosary sprinkled throughout the day - especially trying to end with the fifth mystery at 3pm. Take a period of complete silence (if you are not going to Church at that time). A minute, five minutes, an hour (older kids can do that).
7. Recite a Chaplet of Divine Mercy, especially in the 3 o'clock hour.
8. Light Candles, burn incense. See if you can get some from church or religious supply. Some have frankincense and myrrh...
9. Hammer nails into your lenten cross, pinning an item in need of repentance with it. Add a crown of thorns (Sunday morning, you will have covered the cross in a white or white and gold cloth and replaced the crown of thorns with a crown of flowers).
10. Set up a stations of the cross in your home. Have the children color these pages and hang them up throughout the house, making a circuit. This document includes the Risen Christ to color and put up on Easter!
11. Try Reciting the Kaddish Yehe Shelama Rabba, which literally means the Orphans' Kaddish. It is the traditional prayer said by Jewish mourners with origins that go back hundreds of years before Christ was born. It was most certainly said by His disciples. The Kaddish is an exaltation and a confirmation of our faith in God. Feel free to modify the prayer, if you wish, where you see "Israel" to "All God's People", or "Descendents of Israel", or "The Universal Church", or whatever you deem most appropriate that reflects our Christian state.

Glorified and sanctified be God's great name throughout the world which He has created according to His will. May He establish His kingdom in your lifetime and during your days, and within the life of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon; and say, Amen.

May His great name be blessed forever and to all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, beyond all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations that are ever spoken in the world; and say, Amen.

May there be abundant peace from heaven, and life, for us
and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

He who creates peace in His celestial heights, may He create peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

Chollent (pronounced Hollent with a gutteral "H" sound)

2 large onions, sliced
2 qt. vegetable stock
1/4c. olive oil
8 carrots, cut in chunks
2 c. lentils, soaked for several hours
8 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (large)
2 c. barley, soaked for several hours
2 c. water

Saute onion in oil in pot until soft, then add rest of ingredients with water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 hour, adding water as needed to keep a soupy consistency. Place chollent in a covered roasting pan in a very low oven and cook overnight. It will be ready to eat by lunchtime on Friday. You can also boil several washed eggs in the stew. These will be removed before eating, peeled and served on the side with pita bread.

Blessed Good Friday to you!