Father Matej Palic: Good Friday is a day of silence; I wish for Jesus to dwell in every human heart

Christians who follow the Gregorian calendar today observe Good Friday, the day of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Preparation for Easter lasts for 40 days in strict fasting and prayer, Father Matej Palic, parish priest in Janjevo, said in an interview with Kosovo Online. He explained that Good Friday was a day of the tomb and silence when eggs are dyed and final preparations are made for the celebration of the greatest Christian holiday.

"Good Friday can be said to be a day of the tomb, a day of silence when everything somehow rests. We prepare ourselves even before that, from Palm Sunday, which we celebrated last week, until Easter. Material preparations are made, and then this week is especially devoted to spiritual growth and spiritual feeling. The faithful confess, they come, we had a communal confession for those who will come, so that we not only prepare materially but also spiritually as best as we can because our salvation depends on ourselves," Father Matej Palic emphasized.

Even those believers who do not visit the church throughout the year, Father Matej Palic emphasizes, come on Good Friday to pay homage to Jesus through prayer and silence.

"God comes anyway, and this silence today is a sign for us to withdraw into our own silence and contemplate precisely that part, about the great love that God offers us, aware that Good Friday does not last long, just one day, and then Saturday is again a day of silence when we do not have a liturgy, and today we do not have a liturgy either. Instead, at 3:00 p.m., we have a prayer about the love and kindness bestowed upon us, and at 5:00 p.m., we have the so-called rituals of Good Friday when we lay down God's tomb. After these rituals, which last for an hour and a half, the faithful disperse again in silence. There is no singing, nothing, and we close the church at midnight, but believers keep coming and bowing to Jesus who is in the tomb. That is a great custom; there are no believers, even those who do not come to church throughout the year, on that day come to bow to Jesus and thank Him. Children take turns kneeling and guarding God's tomb until midnight. It is something sublime. From 10:00 p.m. until midnight, we sing the lament of the Mother, and the lament of the Virgin Mary, and then the church is full. It is something that particularly touches in silence but also uplifts the soul, reminding us to be grateful to God for the love He has given us, sacrificing His son to suffering and death, crucifixion, to secure salvation for us," Don Matej Palic said.

As with Orthodox Christians, so too with Catholics, on Good Friday morning, eggs are dyed and housewives prepare a Lenten table.

"I learned this from home, from my parents and mother, that there is no chance of indulging in anything and that we fast. Eating three times, but only getting full once, so most people hardly eat anything during those 40 days, especially on Good Friday. So the fasting continues the next day because Holy Saturday is also a fast, no meat is eaten, and no meat products are eaten until Easter. That's when these preparations end so that on Sunday, on Easter, nothing needs to be done, no cooking, no kneading, no household chores," the Janjevo parish priest said.

He wished the faithful peace and good news because, as he said, that was currently most needed in the world.

"All this bad news somehow, I tried not to listen to them and I called on the faithful to bring more of that spiritual reflection into the church every day and to include peace and security in their daily prayers. When we hear about wars everywhere, unrest, it's hard for them, as well as us, to celebrate these days in joy, I hope, that in joy we celebrate, and every human being should feel that, but unfortunately, human malice goes too far. I wish for weapons and tools, everything harmful, to disappear, and for everyone to feel that joy and to live as God has given, in freedom, and joy. God has given us that nature, but unfortunately, here comes evil from the human heart, from human minds, and thus people harm each other. I would like that to stop and that Jesus, with His resurrection, His victory over sin, Satan, death, and evil, enters into every human heart and that we all feel that joy, that ’alleluia’ sounds, and that what prevents people from coming together is destroyed," he emphasized.

In Janjevo, there are about 135 Croats living, and besides infrastructure issues, according to the parish priest, the problem is the increasing number of people leaving.

"Now many will leave to work by the sea during the season, and every year two or three don't return. This year we had two deaths and only one baptism, so it's a very big problem with the community, but I can't tell people to stay. That's their choice. When our people (Croats) come, it's five or six times a year, now some are already arriving for Easter at their relatives' homes, at their own homes, which gives us hope. I am optimistic, I hope that God can do everything, as He wants, so be it. Especially that joy and hope that are given to us these days, to give that hope to people," he said.

The Croats in Janjevo have good neighborly relations with Serbs and Albanians, Father Matej Palic emphasizes, stating that it has always been that way.