The Good Friday Reproaches

Good Friday Reproaches: Basic Information

The Reproaches (Improperia), are often chanted by a priest during the Good Friday service as the people are venerating the Cross. In this haunting and poignant poem-like chant of very ancient origin, Christ himself "reproaches" us, making us more deeply aware of how our sinfulness and hardness of heart caused such agony for our sinless and loving Savior. A modern translation of the some of the Reproaches, originally in Latin follows:

My people, What have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me!
I led you out of Egypt; but you led your Savior to the Cross.
For forty years I led you safely through the desert,
I fed you with manna from heaven,
and brought you to the land of plenty; But you led your Savior to the Cross.
O, My people! What have I done to you that you should testify against me?

Holy God. Holy God. Holy Mighty One. Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us.

Three times during Holy Week the Passion is read -- on Passion Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday. By very ancient tradition, three clergy read the three principal parts from the sanctuary: Jesus (always read by a priest), Narrator, and all the other individual parts. The people also have a role in this -- we are those who condemn the Lord to death. Hearing our own voices say "Away with Him! Crucify him!" heightens our consciousness of our complicity by our personal sinfulness in causing His death.

Good Friday Reproaches: Song

My people, what have I done to you?
Why, why have you forsaken Me?

I led you out of Egypt, 'cross desert sand.
For forty years I fed you manna with My hand.
I led you safely to the promised land,
And you prepare a cross for Me.
- The St. Louis Jesuits

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The Good Friday Reproaches: Poem

O my people, what have I done to you? How have I hurt you? Answer me. I led you out of Egypt, From slavery I set you free. I brought you into a land of promise: You have prepared a cross for me. I led you as a shepherd, I brought you dryshod through the sea; I fed you manna in the desert You have prepared a cross for me. I fought for you in battles, I won you strength and victory; Gave you a royal crown and sceptre: You have prepared a cross for me. I planted you, my vineyard, And cared for you most tenderly; Looked for abundant fruit and found none: Only the cross you made for me. Then listen to my pleading And do not turn away from me. You are my people: will you reject me? For you I suffer bitterly.

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Good Friday Reproaches: Liturgy

ADORATION OF THE CROSS

As the crucifix is brought into the church, the following is said three times:

P. Behold, the life-giving cross on which was hung the salvation of the whole world.

C. Oh, come, let us worship him.

After the crucifix is placed on the altar, the people are seated.
A period of silence follows.

P. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

C. By your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

P. May God be merciful to us and bless us, show us the light of his countenance, and come to us.

C. Let your ways be known upon the earth, your saving health among all nations.

P. Let all the people praise you, O God; let all the people praise you.

C. We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. By your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

P. O my people, what have I done to you? How have I offended you? Answer me! I led you out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom, but you have led your Savior to the cross.

C. Holy is God! Holy and strong! Holy immortal One, have mercy on us.

P. For forty years, I led you safely through the desert. I fed you with manna from heaven and brought you to a land of plenty, but you have led your Savior to the cross.

C. Holy is God! Holy and strong! Holy immortal One, have mercy on us.

P. What more could I have done for you? I planted you as my fairest vine, but you yielded only bitterness; when I was thirsty, you gave me vinegar to drink, and you pierced your Savior's side with a spear.

C. Holy is God! Holy and strong! Holy immortal One, have mercy on us!

P. For your sake, I scourged Egypt and its first-born sons, and you have handed me over to be scourged. I led you from slavery to freedom and drowned your captors in the sea, but you have handed me over to your high priests. I opened the sea before you, but you opened my side with a spear.

C. Holy is God! Holy and strong! Holy immortal One, have mercy on us!

P. I led your way in a pillar of cloud, but you led me to Pilate's court. I bore you up with manna in the desert, but you struck me down and scourged me. I gave you saving water from the rock, but you gave me gall and vinegar to drink.

C. Holy is God! Holy and strong! Holy immortal One, have mercy on us!

P. For you I struck down the kings of Canaan, but you struck my head with a reed. I gave you a royal scepter, but you gave me a crown of thorns. I raised you to a height of majesty, but you raised me high on a cross.

C. Holy is God! Holy and strong! Holy immortal One, have mercy on us!

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Good Friday Reproaches: Modern

11	THE PROCLAMATION OF THE CROSS (sections 12--18) may be used after part C.
12	A wooden cross may be brought into the church and placed in the sight of the people.
13	Appropriate devotions follow which may include any or all of the following, or other suitable hymns or anthems.
14	ANTHEM 1 We glory in your cross, O Lord, and praise you for your mighty resurrection; for by virtue of your cross joy has come into our world. God be gracious to us and bless us: and make his face shine upon us, Let your ways be made known on earth: your liberating power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God: let all the peoples praise you. We glory in your cross, O Lord, and praise you for your mighty resurrection; for by virtue of your cross joy has come into our world.
15	ANTHEM 2 My people, what wrong have I done to you? What good have I not done for you? Listen to me. 1 I am your Creator, Lord of the universe; I have entrusted this world to you, but you have created the means to destroy it. My people, what wrong have I done to you? What good have I not done for you? Listen to me. 2 I made you in my image, but you have degraded body and spirit and marred the image of your God. You have deserted me and turned your backs on me. My people, what wrong have I done to you? What good have I not done for you? Listen to me. 3 I filled the earth with all that you need, so that you might serve and care for one another, as I have cared for you; but you have cared only to serve your own wealth and power. Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us. My people, what wrong have I done to you? What good have I not done for you? Listen to me. 4 I made my children of one blood to live in families rejoicing in one another; but you have embittered the races and divided the nations. My people, what wrong have I done to you? What good have I not done for you? Listen to me. 5 I commanded you to love your neighbour as yourself, to love and forgive even your enemies; but you have made vengeance your rule and hate your guide. My people, what wrong have I done to you? What good have I not done for you? Listen to me. 6 In the fullness of time I sent you my Son, that in him you might know me, and through him find life and peace; but you put him to death on the cross. Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us. My people, what wrong have I done to you? What good have I not done for you? Listen to me. 7 Through the living Christ, I called you into my Church to be my servants to the world, but you have grasped at privilege and forgotten my will. My people, what wrong have I done to you? What good have I not done for you? Listen to me. 8 I have given you a heavenly gift and a share in the Holy Spirit; I have given you the spiritual energies of the age to come; but you have turned away and crucified the Son of God afresh. My people, what wrong have I done to you? What good have I not done for you? Listen to me. 9 I have consecrated you in the truth; I have made you to be one in the unity of the Father and the Son, by the power of the Spirit; but you have divided my Church and shrouded my truth. Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us. Turn again, my people, listen to me. Let your bearing to one another arise out of your life in ChristJesus. He humbled himself and in obedience accepted the death of the cross. But I have bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue confess, Jesus Christ is Lord. Turn again, my people, listen to me. Father, hear our prayer and forgive us. Unstop our ears that we may receive the gospel of the cross. Lighten our eyes that we may see your glory in the face of your Son. Penetrate our minds that your truth may make us whole. Irradiate our hearts with your love that we may love one another for Christ's sake. Father, forgive us.