Sun sets behind cross spire at St. Paul

Good Friday is a unique day for Catholics for more than all the obvious Easter related reasons.

This is the day the Tabernacle sits empty. It is the only day when the Blessed Sacrament is not in the church revered and protected in its place at the altar.

All adornment is removed, covered , or extinguished. Altar cloths are removed. Candles are extinguished. Statues are covered in purple cloth.

The celebration of the presence of Christ is removed from the church. For one day it is emptied of faith.

My original idea for My Final Photo was very simple. I’d shoot the empty Tabernacle to illustrate the dramatic change in the church. And I’d shoot a couple of the statues now draped in purple with the normal presence of prayer candles at their sides. This was an easy part of the day. Not too much difficulty in either of these photos.

I left the church for a short side trip before going home for a fish dinner but quickly returned when the clouds changed as sunset approached. I knew there would be  difficulty shooting the church with the sun radiating through the clouds behind it. The church is great to see, but there are a lot of objects in the foreground that can be distracting for a photographer. Plus, any shooting position is from a lower angle than  the church so the cross spire only shows if you shoot it from an oblique angle.

Fortunately, or blessedly if you’re faithful, the clouds moved through a variety of configurations with the cross atop the church framed by openings in the clouds and with the sun moving across the sky behind it.

I was late for dinner. I was blessed on a day the church was empty.

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The collection for Good Friday is available at SmallTown Stock.