LENTEN MESSAGE OF POPE FRANCIS
Christ has made himself the way – demanding, yet open to all – that leads to the fullness of life.
Like Christ amidst his passion, do I reach out to others despite my own suffering.
TODAY'S WORD
By
Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore
Hebrews: 5:7 "In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the One who was able to save Him from death,"
TODAY'S REFLECTION
Today is a very solemn day in the church’s calendar. It is the only day in the church’s year when Mass is not celebrated anywhere in the church.
There is a definite restraint about Good Friday. We are remembering the crucifixion of Jesus.
That is why on this day and on no other day we gather at three o’clock in the afternoon, because according to the gospels Jesus was crucified at that time.
Jesus did not seek to be crucified. In the garden of Gethsemane he prayed that, if possible, he should be spared it.
He did not want himself or anyone else to suffer.
He spent his life fighting suffering and healing brokenness at every level, physical, moral and spiritual.
He stood against everything that was destructive of human living.
He came so that we may have life and have it to the full.
That is why he healed the broken, forgave sinners, and sought out the lost. It was his total dedication to that life-giving work which resulted in his being crucified.
His work of love aroused the hostility of powerful people.
He was including in his circle, in God’s circle, those whom the religious leaders believed should be excluded if the Law of God was to be respected.
Yet, Jesus continued to do the work God had given him to do, even though it angered those who had the power and influence to have him put to death.
He was crucified because he was faithful to God’s work on behalf of all of us.
His love for God and for all those to whom God sent him was so great that he was prepared to suffer the most shameful of deaths, rather than betray that love in any way.
His death on the cross was something he accepted rather than sought out.
He willingly accepted the full force of human evil as the price of remaining faithful to what he had been engaged in all his life, the loving service of God and all of God’s people.
In that sense his death on the cross confirms what he stood for all his life, his proclamation of God’s love for all, especially those who were made to feel excluded from God’s love.
Jesus’ death was in perfect harmony with his life. Indeed, if his life proclaimed God’s love for all, his death did so even more powerfully.
If he spent his life doing God’s good work, his death brought that work to completion.
That is why in the story of his passion and death from John’s gospel that was just read we hear Jesus exclaim at the moment of his death, ‘It is accomplished’; ‘My work is finished’.
It is because the cross of Jesus proclaims a love greater than any human love, a divine love, that we venerate the cross, on this day above all days.
In approaching the cross this afternoon, we know that we are approaching the throne of God’s gracious love.
We draw near to the cross with the conviction of Saint Paul when he says in his letter to the Galatians, ‘I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me’.
Our veneration of the cross is our way of expression our gratitude for the incredible love of God revealed in Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, a love that is stronger than human sin.
As we venerate the cross, we invite the Lord to continue his life-giving work through us.
We commit ourselves again to becoming channels of his love to others.
In venerating the wood of the Lord’s cross, we also promise to venerate and respond to his presence in the sufferings of others.
RESOLUTION
On this Good Friday as we venerate the one who suffered and was broken on our behalf, let's resolve to renew our desire to share in his work of fighting suffering and healing brokenness
Happy Good Friday
We adore you o Christ and we bless you.
Because of your Holy Cross you have redeemed the whole world.
Holy mother pierce me through, in my heart each wound renew of my Saviour crucified.
May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
May we strive to sacrifice our little pleasures for the sake of our needy and suffering brethren.