By His Stripes We Were Healed
GOOD FRIDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD
First Reading: Is 52:13—53:12
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25
Second Reading: Heb 4:14-16; 5:7-9
Gospel: Jn 18:1—19:42
Theme: Suffering, Sorrow, Sin
This is the hour when God breaks the bondage of sin; this is the price of our sin, the death of God-Man. We share our sufferings and trials with Jesus, but more than that, Jesus shares in our sufferings and trials. The death of the Son of God is the price of our salvation. This is how God loved us—He loved us to the end. And so, let us delve deeper and discover the visceral love of God through the experiences He underwent to save us and to give us life to the fullest.
The first is the suffering He experienced. On the first reading, Isaiah foretells of the "Suffering Servant" who was fulfilled in the person of Our Lord crucified. "He was spurned and avoided by people, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom people hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem" (Isaiah 53:3). Today, Jesus is truly suffering for our sake because He loves us, and He truly desires for us to be with Him forever in the next. This reveals God’s redeeming love, which liberates our selfish pride. On the sacrifices of Jesus, we are being called to offer also our imperfect sacrifice in union with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Thus, suffering does not end in itself; it also connotes vindication. Because of the sufferings of Christ, our own sufferings become redemptive for the benefit of others whenever we offer them to Christ. This gives meaning to our sufferings; Christ conquered and reversed it all. On account of the death and sufferings of Christ, our sufferings become a vehicle for God’s glory—the Resurrection. This tells us that all our sufferings will come to an end, and they will be for our benefit to purify and strengthen us.
The second is the sorrow that He and His loved ones experienced. On the foot of the cross, only Mary and the beloved disciple were left, and how terrible it is to see your son and your best friend die in a slow death, embarrassed, mocked, and hurt. Perhaps we can resemble Mary and the beloved disciple, St. John. Together with them, we are sorrowful too because of the death of our beloved Lord. The sorrowful experience will turn into joy on Easter when the glory of God unfolds. This gives us hope as we look forward after all the sorrow we experienced. St. Alphonsus Liguori, meditating on the wounds of Christ, said: The Church, when she shows us Jesus Christ crucified, exclaims: "His whole figure breathes forth love; his head is bowed down, his arms extended, his side opened." She cries out: Behold, O man! behold thy God, who has died for thy love; see how his arms are extended to embrace thee, his head bowed down to give thee the kiss of peace, his side opened to give thee access to his heart, if thou wilt but love him. Assuredly, I will love Thee, my treasure, my love, and my all. And whom shall I love if I do not love God, who has died for me?
The third is the sin that is around Him. On the preceding days, we heard the betrayal of Judas, the foretelling of Peter’s denial, and the outrageous actions of the Romans towards Jesus. This is the price of our sins. He suffered and underwent those trials because of our sins, too. Yet, God does not abandon us; He loves us till the end, full and overflowing. Whenever we sin, God hurts first, not us, because we are part of His body and He does not want us to go astray and be separated from Him. We are all guilty of the death of Christ. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). This day is called "good," for through Jesus' cross, God reveals to us His infinite goodness by destroying sin and offering us eternal life. This is the visceral love of Christ; He died for you and me personally and dearly.
This is the hour when Our Lord was crucified and died. This is the time when He embraced all of humanity. Our sufferings will end in glory, our sorrow in joy, and our sins brought forth a Saviour who offers us salvation. He knows our sufferings, our sorrows, and our sins so that you and I may be happy to join Him in His glorious resurrection, new life, and new beginnings.
The first is the suffering He experienced. On the first reading, Isaiah foretells of the "Suffering Servant" who was fulfilled in the person of Our Lord crucified. "He was spurned and avoided by people, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom people hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem" (Isaiah 53:3). Today, Jesus is truly suffering for our sake because He loves us, and He truly desires for us to be with Him forever in the next. This reveals God’s redeeming love, which liberates our selfish pride. On the sacrifices of Jesus, we are being called to offer also our imperfect sacrifice in union with the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Thus, suffering does not end in itself; it also connotes vindication. Because of the sufferings of Christ, our own sufferings become redemptive for the benefit of others whenever we offer them to Christ. This gives meaning to our sufferings; Christ conquered and reversed it all. On account of the death and sufferings of Christ, our sufferings become a vehicle for God’s glory—the Resurrection. This tells us that all our sufferings will come to an end, and they will be for our benefit to purify and strengthen us.
The second is the sorrow that He and His loved ones experienced. On the foot of the cross, only Mary and the beloved disciple were left, and how terrible it is to see your son and your best friend die in a slow death, embarrassed, mocked, and hurt. Perhaps we can resemble Mary and the beloved disciple, St. John. Together with them, we are sorrowful too because of the death of our beloved Lord. The sorrowful experience will turn into joy on Easter when the glory of God unfolds. This gives us hope as we look forward after all the sorrow we experienced. St. Alphonsus Liguori, meditating on the wounds of Christ, said: The Church, when she shows us Jesus Christ crucified, exclaims: "His whole figure breathes forth love; his head is bowed down, his arms extended, his side opened." She cries out: Behold, O man! behold thy God, who has died for thy love; see how his arms are extended to embrace thee, his head bowed down to give thee the kiss of peace, his side opened to give thee access to his heart, if thou wilt but love him. Assuredly, I will love Thee, my treasure, my love, and my all. And whom shall I love if I do not love God, who has died for me?
The third is the sin that is around Him. On the preceding days, we heard the betrayal of Judas, the foretelling of Peter’s denial, and the outrageous actions of the Romans towards Jesus. This is the price of our sins. He suffered and underwent those trials because of our sins, too. Yet, God does not abandon us; He loves us till the end, full and overflowing. Whenever we sin, God hurts first, not us, because we are part of His body and He does not want us to go astray and be separated from Him. We are all guilty of the death of Christ. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). This day is called "good," for through Jesus' cross, God reveals to us His infinite goodness by destroying sin and offering us eternal life. This is the visceral love of Christ; He died for you and me personally and dearly.
This is the hour when Our Lord was crucified and died. This is the time when He embraced all of humanity. Our sufferings will end in glory, our sorrow in joy, and our sins brought forth a Saviour who offers us salvation. He knows our sufferings, our sorrows, and our sins so that you and I may be happy to join Him in His glorious resurrection, new life, and new beginnings.
