Liturgy of the Hours for April 18
About Today for Friday of the Passion of the Lord (Good Friday)
Please Note
This is the Liturgy of the Hours for April 18. Your local date is .
Good Friday
“Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high… He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth… Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 52:13, 53:7,10). [1]
Today is Good Friday. A spirit of exaltation and glory mark the goodness of this day against a backdrop of death and suffering.[2] The fourth and final Suffering Servant song, cited above, prefigures Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. In ‘Christian cadence’ the Servant breaks sin and death with silence, gentleness, and vulnerability not with force, power, or violence. This is the Lord’s will for his Servant and his will for his people.[3]
Pope Francis spelled out the implications for this in one of his General Audiences, “Holy Week challenges us to step outside ourselves so as to attend to the needs of others: those who long for a sympathetic ear, those in need of comfort or help. We should not simply remain in our own secure world, that of the ninety-nine sheep who never strayed from the fold, but we should go out, with Christ, in search of the one lost sheep, however far it may have wandered. Holy Week is not so much a time of sorrow, but rather a time to enter into Christ’s way of thinking and acting. It is a time of grace given us by the Lord so that we can move beyond a dull or mechanical way of living our faith, and instead open the doors of our hearts, our lives, our parishes, our movements or associations, going out in search of others so as to bring them the light and the joy of our faith in Christ.”[4]
Written by Sarah Ciotti
Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD
[1] Revised Standard Version s.v., “Isaiah, The Book of.”
[2] Adrian Nocent, OSB, The Easter Season (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1977), 64-93.
[3] Walter Brueggemann, Isaiah 40-66 (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998) 141-150.
[4] Francis I, General Audience, March 27, 2013.
Personal Reflections
The Faith Journey of our Community
Don D. on April 18th, 2025 at 6:58
Good Friday
Albert on April 17th, 2025 at 21:27
Destruction through gentleness
Contribute to DivineOffice.org
Your contribution ensures this site will be around to serve thousands who use it daily to pray.
Contribute Monthly
A monthly recurring payment is not required, but your support ensures this site will be around to serve thousands who use it daily to pray. You can select the amount of your monthly contribution below, or you can select "custom amount" and set it in the next page.
Contribute One-Time
If you prefer not to commit to a monthly contribution right now, please consider a one-time contribution. You will be able to set any amount in the next page.
Having trouble with this form?
You can also contribute through PayPal from this page, or you can mail a check.
Divine Office Blog
News and Updates from our ministry
Mauro on May 8th, 2025at 14:30
Habemus Papam: Pope Leo XIV Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, With joy and gratitude to God, we share the news that the College of Cardinals, gathered in solemn conclave, has elected a new pope:... Continue reading
Login to like (22)
Monica on May 8th, 2025at 14:17
Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States has been selected as the next pope, the first American pontiff in history. A native of Chicago and Augustinian missionary who worked for years in Peru, the new... Continue reading
Login to like (5)
Mauro on May 8th, 2025at 5:06
The eyes of the world are once again turned to Rome, where the 2025 Conclave has begun. As the doors of the Sistine Chapel closed and the words “Extra omnes” (“Everyone out!”) echoed through the sacred space, the Cardinal electors entered into one of the most solemn and prayerful tasks of their vocation: to discern, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who will be the next successor to St. Peter. Continue reading
Login to like (11)
Mauro on April 26th, 2025at 13:16
Dear Divine Office Community, Today, as we unite in prayer, we remember and give thanks for the life of Pope Francis, who was laid to rest in a moving ceremony at St. Peter’s Square. Cardinal... Continue reading
Login to like (2)
Get our Award-winning Catholic Apps
Liturgy Of The Hours by DivineOffice.org App
2000+ Catholic Prayers in 4 Languages
Catholicpedia: the 1920s Catholic Encyclopedia at your fingertips
Liturgy of the Hours Podcast – Subscribe
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
RSS Feed
Catholic Resources
Daily Mass Readings (USCCB)
Catholic Bible (NABRE)
Pray the Rosary
Get the DivineOffice App!
Pray always and everywhere with our Award-Winning Liturgy of the Hours app for iPhone, iPad, Android and Kindle Fire. NOW FREE!
Ratings and Reviews
Our DivineOffice app is rated 4.9 out of 5, based on over 2,400 ratings and won the About.com Best Catholic App Award for 3 years in a row.
Recommended Books
Support us by starting your amazon shopping by clicking on this link.
Sign In
Divine Office is a free website sustained by donations.
Registration is only necessary for new members to post comments and prayer intentions.
Don't have an account?
Register
Divine Office is a free website sustained by donations.
Registration is only necessary for new members to post comments and prayer intentions.
Your password will be generated automatically and emailed to the address you specify above.
Prayers
Community
Globe
Donate
Join
Login
More
Cancel
Pray anywhere
I have prayed the Divine Office for many years. [...] When I discovered this app, all of my concerns of ribbon placement were gone. Having the Divine Office on my phone is absolutely the best thing ever! The sense of community is so wonderful as I see how many others are praying at the same time as myself. [...] Now I don’t need to turn a lamp on as I use to when I used the Office printed volumes. It is such a blessing to have the Divine Office in my pocket. Many times I’ve been sitting in a doctor’s waiting room at the time of Mid Morning prayer. It is so calming of any worries to pull out my phone, open the app, and be able to connect with Our Lord at those times I need Him most. I don’t use the audio version much but the few times I’ve traveled, it is so comforting to not have to skip the Office in order to keep my hands on the steering wheel and my eyes in the road. I recommend this app to friends all the time, especially to those who’d like to pray the Office but feel intimidated by the size of the printed version and getting the ribbons placed properly. Thank you for developing this app. It is my constant companion.
SheezyOCon October 13, 2021
Super helpful
I have only been introduced to the divine office prayers two times before I downloaded this app. It is laid out in a way that is very easy to understand, and there is an audio option that will say all of the prayers. There is an option to set reminders throughout the day. I got this because, I didn’t really know how to say the divine office, and I didn’t know what prayer books I needed to purchase to begin. During the shutting down of churches for covid :( this has been a wonderful resource. One cool feature is that you can tap on the “in prayer” link and see little specks of light around the globe lighting up in the area that someone else is praying. It’s so cool to see everyone praying with you and is a powerful reminder that we are all connected and unified in Christ’s mystical body.
tori6543588on May 5, 2020
Praying with the whole Church
I love this app! Since it is now free and no longer for sale, I made sure to donate the price of buying it, and then some. I have loved the Liturgy of the Hours for 25 years. But I always felt alone when I prayed it. With this app, I am connected to others! I use it in conjunction with my printed Christian Prayer volume. On other days, I cannot get to my book but with the app, I always have the prayers available. I have the printed calendar with my book, but I actually rely on this more for placing my ribbons. The audio is wonderful!! I often read out loud with it. I love that I can change the speed of the audio! I have found that 1.3 is good for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this app. Thank you for still supporting it. Thank you for updating the “one God,” to just “God” change in the prayers. My book still throws me off but your app is right! Highly recommend this. Many friends have it. THANK YOU!!
MommytoNFP2on June 12, 2022