~Good Friday 2012~

~Good Friday~

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

John 3:16

Good Friday is the day that Christians focus especially on the cross and Jesus' sacrifice for the sins of the world. The cross is a central symbol of the Christian faith. Christians believe that Jesus, son of God, died to save all believers from sin, all that separates human beings from God. The cross reminds Christians of Jesus' death and their salvation, how Jesus saved them from death by dying in their place.

Jesus' crucifixion, death on the cross, is the source of eternal life for all who believe according to Christian teaching. Jesus put himself in the place of every believer's sins as he suffered for the whole world by sacrificing his own life.

Atonement, Jesus giving himself for the sins of Christians, saves all Christians from hell and suffering. Good Friday is a time for Christians to remember Jesus' sacrifice and reflect on how the cross has saved them from their sins.

On Good Friday, Christians attend a church service where believers will focus on the cross and Jesus' suffering there with prayers, reflection, and ritual.

In some denominations, believers will focus on the last words that the Bible, or Holy Scripture, records Jesus to have said.

In others, particularly the Roman Catholic Church, believers will revere the cross, a ritual called the Adoration of the Cross, where believers literally kiss and bow before a cross, in honor of Jesus. It is truly one of the Catholic rituals that touches me to the core, always bringing me to tears.

Dear Jesus...Thank you for your sacrifice. Heaven can be ours because of it.

Mary.....My heart breaks for you each Easter. I cannot imagine the grief you felt for the Son you bore. (see "A Mother's Grief")

Stop by Sew Gracious to hear, "Worthy Is the Lamb", by Hillsong.

May this day be one of reflection and thanksgiving for all christians throughout the world.

Stop by Beki's blog to read more FingerPrints of God.

~Good Friday: A Mother's Grief~

There hasn’t been an Easter Season I can remember, that I didn’t grieve for Mary. Even when I was a little Catholic girl kneeling in church on Good Friday so many years ago. Long before I knew what it was like to be a mother. To know that inborn, maternal love that could surpass anything wordly. That feeling that you would freely give your own life, to save your child’s.

With swollen eyes she wept, huddled at the foot of the cross….looking through tear-stained fingers at her son’s lifeless body. The body she knew only too-well.

This lifeless corpse was once the baby she rocked in her arms. He was the toddler whose bloodied knees she had very tenderly bandaged.

He was her twelve-year-old boy who had disappeared for three days only to be found in the temple preaching to the elders.

She was living a nightmare that Friday long-ago….never dreaming that in three-days-time her Son, this bloodied lifeless body, would rise from the dead and save the world.

Mary is an inspiration to all mothers. She was part of the enormous sacrifice that Jesus had made for us. As His mother, she was with Him on His last journey. Her presence told her Child that she would never abandon Him. As she was with Him in the beginning, she would be with Him in the end. God had given His Son the gift of a beautiful mother, and she would ease His burden with her love until He took His last breath.

As mothers, we watch our children carry their own crosses. My children may stand alone with their cross, but like Mary, my love will always be there to help ease their burden.

And so, each Easter Season, my thoughts always turn to her mourning the loss of her beloved Son. I cannot imagine her grief as she watched Him die on that Friday so long ago.

~Easter Baking: Hot Cross Buns~

Hot cross buns,
Hot cross buns,

one ha' penny,

two ha' penny,

hot cross buns.

If you have no daughters,

give them to your sons,

one ha' penny,

two ha' penny,

Hot Cross Buns

There's lots of baking that goes on in the Italian kitchen around traditional holidays, and Easter Week is no exception.

Hot Cross Buns are first made on Ash Wednesday and eaten throughout the six weeks of Lent. In Italy, they are traditionally eaten on Good Friday, with the cross signifying the crucifixion.

According to tradition, Hot Cross Buns were the only food allowed to be eaten by the faithful on Good Friday. Made from dough kneaded for consecrated bread used at Mass or Holy Communion, and thus representative of Christ’s body, Hot Cross Buns were also credited for miraculous healing and for protection.

This tradition suffered attack during the 16th century. During Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, when Roman Catholicism was banned, ‘backward - lookers’ were reportedly tried for Popery for signing the cross on their Good Friday buns. The accused often claimed that it was necessary to mark a cross on the dough, to ensure that the buns would rise. However, the popularity of the buns prevailed, and the Queen resorted to passing a law which limited the bun's consumption to proper religious ceremonies, such as Christmas, Easter or funerals. So go ahead and try your hand at making these traditional Hot Cross Buns for your Good Friday or Easter meal! This recipe makes eighteen buns. Enjoy!

EASTER HOT CROSS BUNS

Dough:

5 cups all purpose flour, divided
2 pkg active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup currants or raisins
1/3 cup candied orange peel
1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Combine 2 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, heat milk and butter to very warm (125°F). Add to flour. Beat on medium speed of mixer for 1 minute. Add eggs. Beat another minute. Stir in currants, orange peel and enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding additional flour as needed. Try not to add too much flour; dough can be slightly sticky to the touch. (Put oil on your hands to prevent sticking if necessary.) Place in a buttered bowl, turning to butter top. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough; turn onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half; divide each half into 9 pieces.

Form each piece into a smooth round ball. Place balls of dough in two buttered 8-inch square baking pans. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Brush lightly with egg yolk mixture.

Bake rolls in preheated 375°F degree oven, 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pans.

Cool on a wire rack.

Drizzle frosting (see below) across the top of each bun in the shape of a cross. Makes 18 buns.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c confectioner's sugar
1 tsp milk

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Add up to 1 teaspoon of milk or just enough so that the frosting is a good consistency for drizzling. (If it becomes too watery, add more sugar).