Good Friday 2019

Post date: Apr 23, 2019 2:22:40 AM

Good Friday 2019 Homily by Fr. Karl Schray

When Jesus had tasted the wine, he said, “It is finished”.

At the end of Passover, the father of the family says,

‘Now our Passover-Seder Meal is concluded. It is finished.

It is accomplished.”

For St. John, the beloved disciple, Friday was Passover because Jesus is

the Passover Lamb that was sacrificed. It is the day we call Good Friday.

That is why in all four Last Supper accounts,

the fourth cup of blessing is not mentioned as having happened.

Jesus does not say “It is finished.” at the Last Supper.

But when he tastes the wine-soaked hyssop from the soldiers,

he then says those momentous words, “It is Finished”.

What was finished? The New Passover.

But like all endings, they are also a beginning of a different sort.

The comic strip BC frequently has Christian themes.

One cartoon shows the father ant looking at the empty cross

and the little ant climbs up to read what is written on the top.

He calls down to his dad— ‘It says: To be continued.’

Let us continue what Christ finished and

is still accomplishing in each of our lives: our salvation.

We’ve all bought things that we had to assemble ourselves.

Someone manufactured the item and packed it in a box and

then left it to us to put together.

Jesus has done everything possible to make eternal life available to us.

But we must do the job of incorporating Jesus’ saving work.

We can’t leave it in the box and expect it to work. We must live it each day.

Today, we honor Jesus’ sacrifice and love.

We pray we will do what we need to do

to make it a part of our lives.