Good Friday

 Good Friday

     Every single day of the year Catholics around the world gather around the altar to celebrate the Eucharist———-except today. We’re in the middle of one long three-day celebration; and on this one day of the year, out of respect for what Jesus went through we do not celebrate the Eucharist as we do every other day. Instead, we have a rather extended service; a reading of the Passion, a short homily as we reflect on what Jesus’ Passion means to us; each of us individually, then adoration of the cross and reception of communion. It is a very solemn night as we realize that Jesus is now in the tomb.

     The account of Jesus’ Passion which we all just heard is nothing more——-and nothing less than a full account of God’s love for us. Early Christians new and understood this very well. It is believed that the Passion accounts in the Gospels were the very first part of the Gospels that were written down.  Early Christians were so eager to preserve the account of our salvation that they put it into writing quickly. Only after his death, when early Christians were able to look back at the events of Jesus’ Passion did the meaning of his words and actions really begin to sink in. As Jesus celebrated the Passover with the Apostles and he changed the Jewish prayers to different prayers over the bread and the wine; the same prayers we now use in the consecration at Mass; when Jesus said “Take this. For this is my body.”, only looking back afterwards could early Christians realize that Jesus fulfilled this at his death on Calvary when he gave his body for us. And when Jesus said at the same meal, “This is my blood of the covenant which is to be poured out for many.”; only looking back afterwards could they see that this was also fulfilled on Calvary when Jesus’ blood was poured out. This should remind us that every time we come to Mass we come to Calvary where he gives his body for us and his blood is poured out for us. Each Mass, however does not create a new sacrifice, it is the one and only true sacrifice extended through time where Christ on Calvary becomes present to us.  

     In the Eucharist God’s love is shown to us through Jesus Christ who gave his life for us on the cross; and to share his eternal life with us he continues to give us his body and blood.  But on this one day a year when we don’t celebrate the Eucharist, our focus is on the cross and the suffering Jesus endured. People often ask why Jesus had to suffer. When we think of suffering many people go back to Old Testament thinking. All the way back to Adam and Eve suffering was attributed to sin; but Jesus had no sin. Continuing through much of the Old Testament that notion is reinforced that suffering is caused by disobedience to God. Although there is some truth in that notion, it’s far from the full story. Without really telling us why good people suffer, the Book of Job took issue with the old theology on suffering. And then, as we heard in our first reading, Isaiah gave us a whole new way of thinking about suffering, ——–that it can have a positive purpose——that one persons’ suffering can bring blessings to another. As Isaiah prophesied, ——-“a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity….yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured…..he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed…..though he had done no wrong nor spoken any falsehood, the Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity….he shall take away the sins of many and win pardon for their offenses.” Jesus did just that for all of us. He was sinless, yet he suffered for us, so that we could be free.

     In our own lives it’s easy to see how one person’s suffering can benefit another person. How often as a parent do we make sacrifices for our children? Is there any parent who would not take away the suffering of their child if they could; even taking their children’s suffering upon themselves——–if they could? How often have we endured through difficult times in support of a loved one—— for any number of reasons? Then even in times of suffering when we may ask God “Why”, if we look to Jesus on the cross and offer up our sufferings with him, we can recognize that the graces we receive far outweigh the pains.

     As the early Christians looked back and recognized how important Jesus’ Passion was, let us also recall Jesus’ Passion and what it means to each and every one of us. Once we realize that it was our sins that crucified Christ, we can begin to receive the graces that flow from his Passion. Today as we meditate on Jesus’ Passion and his love for us, let us turn to him with love, renew our lives and leave sin behind to rise with his new life on Easter.