As we venerate the cross during our liturgy today, think about the love that God has for you and thank Him.

Good Friday 2018

In our prayer today, may we stand at the foot of the cross with Mary renewing our pledge to God:  “May it be done to me according to your Word.”

During this liturgy we stand with Mary.  At her side is the beloved disciple.  Jesus first says to Mary, “Woman, behold your Son.”  Then to the disciple John, Jesus says:  “Behold your mother.”

For Mary this must have been a deeply emotional moment.  Perhaps she recalled the first instance when she received Jesus into her womb -- the moment she said to the angel, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your Word.”  She could not have guessed it would come to this as she stood before her tortured Son.

The Good Friday liturgy calls to mind what happened historically to Jesus so long ago.  May the Good Friday liturgy also help us to call to mind the ways Jesus still suffers in the hearts of so many refugees, so many people who are hungry for food for their bodies and the food of love for their spirits.  

Today’s celebration must help us realize that Christ continues to suffer in many of our brothers and sisters. There are too many people that suffer hunger, cold, solitude and discriminations. Perhaps, we do not take note of them. So, our Good Friday liturgy must help us see them.

Also, Christ is suffering and dying in each of us because we are still tied to many things that imprison us. We continue to be slaves of our sins, habits and weaknesses.  This Good Friday, Christ calls us from the cross to a total change, and to be generous with our lives as he was with his for the sake of our salvation.

Like Mary, when we say yes to God’s plan, we do not know where it will lead us.  Personally speaking, the Good Friday liturgy reminds me of my ordination as a priest.  The ordination rite begins with the priesthood candidate lying prostrate in the Cathedral sanctuary as the choir sings the Litany of the Saints.  In a similar way, the Good Friday liturgy begins with the priest lying prostrate in the sanctuary. My prayer for myself on the day of my ordination is the same prayer I have on this day.  May it be the prayer of each one of us as we pray the prayer of Mary:  “I am the servant of the Lord.  Be it done to me according to your Word.”

As those of you who have entered the Sacrament of Marriage, there is no way of fully preparing you for the dimensions of the commitment to love that you pledge yourself on your wedding day.  The cross becomes more a part of our life at some point that we bargained for.

Good Friday enables to reflect on the meaning of the passion and death of Christ Jesus.  In our Good Friday prayer, we ask for the grace even to embrace the cross as we experience how we are called to be the followers of the crucified Christ.  How can we deal with the crosses and the sufferings of life?

We find meaning in the crosses of our life when we know in the depths of our hearts that the cross of Jesus is a symbol of love and a symbol of hope.   The cross brings to mind the sacrificial love of the one who hangs there. It is a clear proof of His love, that He laid down his life for us, and challenges us to do the same for our brothers and sisters

Is it not true that because of love, people do extraordinary things for others.  I was visiting a patient in the Wilmot Cancer Center on Wednesday.  He was there with his wife and two sons.  The family was keeping vigil with deep love as their husband and dad was dealing with a life-threatening cancer.  As we prayed together, our healing God was with us in the ways that the love of this family was being lived out in a fearful situation. Think of  the ways you love and are loved.  Think of the beautiful ways that you have expressed your love for another.  What sacrifices out of love have you made for your children?  Is this not what gives meaning and purpose to your life? 

These memories give us a glimpse, a small glimpse, at the kind of love that God has for us. God the Father sent his dearly loved Son into dangerous territory. He allowed his Son to be treated cruelly. He stood by and watched his innocent Son be nailed to a cross and to hang there in agony. He could have rescued him and cursed those who were treating him so brutally and maliciously.  When Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" we sense something of the terror of bearing the weight of the sin of all humanity.

God did all this for us. He did all this because of his love for us.  Paul writes, "God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us! … We were God's enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son.” That’s how much God loves us – Jesus died for us even though we don’t deserve it. His death has made us God's friends.

Jesus' announcement from the cross, "It is finished" is clear and simple. Jesus has completed his task. The reason why he came as a human has been fulfilled. He came so that you and I can have forgiveness and salvation. He came to give us the victory. He came to ensure that we would enter his kingdom and live forever.

As we venerate the cross during our liturgy today, pray and ponder about what Jesus has done for you through his death on the cross.  Think about the love that God has for you, and thank him.