GOOD FRIDAY

 JESUS CRUCIFIED ON THE CROSS, IS THE EPITOME OF LOVE, AND CROSS, DEATH-BED IS THE SPRING OF LIFE

 

GOOD FRIDAY 02 APRIL 2021

1. Look at the cross, look at that Christ who humbly and miserably, with wounds, with blood, without strength, falling and raising, bears the cross, hangs on it and dies on it. Look at his suffering. What a pain! What a shame! What a disgrace! What a failure! What a defeat! One who did many a miracle, now hanging on the cross, as a despicable debacle! One who cured many wounds, now all bruised by wounds all over! One who defended the oppressed, now stands defenseless and oppressed by the weight of the cross! One who relieved many of their burdens, now reels under the burden of the cross! One who fed the hungry, now is left to starve! One who quenched the thirsty, now abandoned to cry, “I thirst!”, One who saved many, now stands damned, One who graced many, is exposed disgraced!

2. But also think - Why all this? What wrong? What crime? The answer is: Nothing. He is The Son of God, the Holy One, the Just One, with no sin, no guilt, no evil. He has always done good, and only good. 

3. If so, then why this pain of the cross? Only one reason: It is love (John 3.16): God loved us so much, and for this reason gives his only Son as the ransom for the remission of our sins. True love does everything everywhere and always for the loved one. True love faces everything, endures everything, sacrifices everything, for the sake of the beloved.

4. If not for that love why must he forsake all the glory and dignity of the heaven and embrace our human misery? Yes. Only for love for us, he shares our difficulties, sheds tears for us, wipes away the tears of so many. Only in love and for love, he accepts everything and lowers his head in patience and abandonment, accepts unjust condemnation.

5. Even if received spits from those whom he gave a new dignity, Even if covered with wounds by those whom he healed of their wounds, Even if despised by those whom he has always treated with respect, Even if led on the path of Calvary, by those whom he has made walk on the way of salvation, Even if thrown down, by those whom he has lifted when fallen, Even if drained away of his strength, by those whom he has strengthened when weak, Even if abandoned as an orphan, by those whom he has transformed into heirs for grace, Even if hung on the cross like a criminal, the one who is the Most Holy, Even if subjected to death, the one who is the source and giver of life, by those who received life – even then, He does not react, does not attack, does not incriminate them.

6. All in love, and for love. He carries all our burdens on himself, on our behalf, in the place of us, he becomes the victim, he has immolates himself. Like the grain of wheat, He allows himself to fall and die, so that In his death - we have life, In his poverty - we have the enrichment, in his misery - we have glory, in his blood - we have cleansing, in his isolation - we have our return, in his crucifixion – we have our resurrection, in his disfiguration – we have our transfiguration, in his deterioration – we have our restoration, in his annihilation – we have our regeneration!

7. This is the beauty and the greatness of the cross. It is not so much the fact of the cross, not so much the cruelty of suffering, but the sign of it, the significance of it, the reasons for it, and the effects of it, that are more important. It is not so much “what is seen”, but “what is behind” and “what is ahead” that glorifies and exalts the cross. God’s love and mercy are behind the cross, and forgiveness of sins, reconciliation and with God and salvation for eternity are ahead of the cross.

8. Thus, in the cross, what is exalted is not the piece of cross, which is actually a means of a heinous penalisation for criminals.  What is glorified is not hapless suffering. What is eternalised is not the helpless defeat of a just man at the hands of injustice and corruption of values. Cross is not a dead-end of misery, but the threshold of glory. Cross is the greatest challenge and battle against human fragility and falsity.

9. Cross is a clearest testimony of God’s love, which shoulders our burden so as to relieve us, which empties itself so as to fill us with God’s abundant grace, and which dies so as to give us new life. Cross is that Breath of love: It is in love, God breathed His own life into us, He continued to breathe His love upon us all throughout his life, and in love, He breathed his last. He loved us to the end of His breath. Cross shows the heights to which true love, and that is God’s love in Jesus can reach up to. Cross testifies to what depths, the deepest love of God can stoop into. 

10. Cross bearing the crucified, symbolises the conviction and commitment, courage and perseverance, love and sacrifice of Jesus to the end and without end. Cross is not a dark defeat, but a bright feat of immense love. Cross is not a sign of misery, but a reign of glory. Cross is not a mere ignominy or agony wreathed in suffering, but a symphony and epiphany of salvation, clothed in self-offering. Cross is a greatest testimony of God’s solidarity with the human predicament – God’s caring, sharing and bearing to the extent of daring even death.

11. Cross with the crucified, is an Ignition of inspiration and urge, instilling courage and energy, to numberless souls who offer their life to God and suffer for God and good. Cross is also an ever-flowing spring of comfort and hope to all those simple and innocent hearts who seem to undergo unjust and undue suffering, so as to accept, bear and move ahead in surrender and renewed strength

12. Today then, what does cross mean to us? What does it tell us and call us for? It is not enough that we venerate the cross, kiss it, wear it or keep the crosses everywhere. Cross means much more than that. Cross means taking a stand for Christ, for his values, for the Gospel. Cross means standing for a cause. But the cross cannot be isolated from the Crucifix. Therefore Cross calls for a relationship, for passion, for intimacy, for loyalty and commitment for the Crucifix. It is about defending a cause, representing a person, a question of perseverance and loyalty. Cross means facing the consequences, enduring suffering for the sake of Christ and his values.

13. In line with the holy bishop Fulton J. Sheen, the cross is a call to be vertical-oriented, heaven-oriented people. A cross is created when a horizontal bar is placed against a vertical bar. In other words, whenever our will is placed against the will of God, a cross is formed. Therefore, cross constantly invokes us to put the will of God above and against self-will and self-interest.

14. In the light of the affirmation of Saint Paul, "Christ the Crucified is an obstacle for the Jews and a folly for the Gentiles, but for us, the believers, Christ is the Power and the Wisdom of God", cross becomes a call to be a "contrast" "people. We live in a world that is too permissive, where every false thing is allowed, justified and even promoted, in the guise of modernity, change and fashion and reading the signs of the times.

15. What is wrong has a free hand, a pervasive sway, and is exalted as a matter of intelligence and power. And what is right is labelled as a blockade, like weakness and foolishness. In fact this is the real impotence and stupidity, because without true inner power, spiritual power, and moral power, what can be strong and sane? In this society, we as bearers of the Cross and followers of the Crucifix, are called to be positive jolts and folly. This means being resistant and contrasting with evil.

16. We are called to be the power and wisdom of God, in a weak and insane world. Let us pray that we may be dead to sin, and alive to grace! Today let us impress this love within us. Let's focus on this fire of passion and burn with the same.