Holy Friday | Monomad Challenge

Happy to greet you all through the Black and White Photography Community. I hope everyone participating here is doing well. This is my second time in this community and my second entry for the #Monomad challenge. Those who follow me know that I love taking photos and sharing them in full color, but since last Friday I've been thinking about these images in black and white, as they are from Good Friday. All this week I've been sharing my adventures and a bit of my Catholic rituals during Holy Week, and Good Friday is one of the days I respect most all year, as well as being one of the saddest in terms of what we commemorate.

The first image that captured my memory is a sculpture of Our Lady of Sorrows and the dead Christ, and that is the most representative image of Good Friday, the only day of the year that Mass is not celebrated in the Catholic Church. This particular image is located in the Church of Our Lady of Mercy in Caracas, a huge temple with gray walls that helped me connect with the feeling of that day. My family and I attended two churches; this was the first, where we joined in prayer at 3 p.m. with the reading of the Seven Last Words. Afterward, we went to a nearby church, the Caracas Cathedral, and there we attended the Passion service. In particular, all the moments and readings of the day conveyed images that are easily associated with feelings of sadness, death, and black and white, at least for me...

Although I like color images, the inspiration came in black and white this time, so I've edited the photos and zoomed in on what I really want to share. Good Friday night in Caracas takes on a somber tone, as there are at least nine large churches in the city center, and at nightfall the processions begin. All the images of the Virgin Mary in mourning are taken out to walk the streets with mournful chants and prayers following behind them, and some churches also bring out the image of the Holy Sepulchre of Jesus. Generally, the images and the processions of the people meet in the streets; it's a special moment, one that I deeply respect. It reminds me of my father, who always told me that Good Friday is a day that must be respected.

I understand that everyone feels differently; some people don't believe, and some are simply unaware. Even I don't know the truth. I'm glad to have a belief in something as beautiful as the story of Jesus, who is the representation of God made man. I believe that Good Friday is a crucial day in Holy Week and for Catholics in general, and when you're so immersed in what it's meant to commemorate, nostalgia, sadness, and sublime feelings arise, which these images perfectly represent. Candles, tears, sadness, prayer, and meditation—that's what Good Friday means to me, and now these black and white images also serve as a reminder of what 2026 was like, recorded here on my blog. I hope you liked them too, and I'll take advantage of the community theme to say goodbye again with the first image, but in color, so you can appreciate the beauty of the art, design, and decorations of that day 🙏