When Isaiah says, “I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard,” he’s talking about that same place. It was usual in Isaiah’s day for Hebrew men to wear full beards, and pulling out a beard, besides being quite painful, was an attack on a man’s dignity.
This liturgy, for use in parishes in Holy Week, is a celebration of God’s forgiveness, and of our reconciliation with God and one another. The service has four parts. After a brief introduction (the first part), people listen to God’s word and reflect on it. Then all celebrate the Rite of Reconciliation, during which everyone will have the opportunity of going to Confession. The service ends with an Act of Thanksgiving.
