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Homily for Good Friday

READ: (Isa 52: 13-53:12; Heb 4: 14-16, 5:7-9; Jn 18: 1-19: 42)

REFLECT: Way of the cross is a way to cross the road to happiness in God

Dear friends, today we are commemorating the second day of Paschal Tridum - Good Friday. Good Friday is also called as Holy Friday or Great Friday. We call it as good because Jesus died for good and goodness of all; we call it holy Friday because Jesus sanctified the earth with his death and made us all sanctified by shedding of his blood; we call it great Friday because of the greatness of God in giving his only son for our redemption through death. In actuality, Good Friday is a day of mourning and sorrow as Jesus died on the cross for love of us.

But is Someone’s death good? Is Someone’s fall good?  Is Someone’s failure good? No, death or fall or failure is not good but we need to analyze and see why someone died, fell or failed in life. When we analyze, we understand that Jesus’ death, fall and failure is for a good reason to save you and me, the entire humanity. The death, fall and failure were for a reason for Jesus to give life, to raise us above and to obtain victory. Therefore, Good Friday manifests the goodness of God, the plan and promise of God, the salvation of entire humanity.

If we go back to the history about crucifixion, we know cross was used as an instrument of execution in the ancient past. Crucifixion was a punishment given to the criminals. It originated probably at the time of Persians, appropriated by Alexander the great, adopted by Romans and abolished at last by Emperor Constantine in 4th C who legalized Christianity and promoted Cross as the symbol of the Son of God. The power of the cross and the triumph of the cross we see in Jesus’ carrying the cross and succeeding it till the end with lots of suffering and pain facing death at last. But Jesus gives new meaning to the cross, new approach to the cross. The cross which was considered as shame and disgrace becomes strength and grace.

If we could notice, the entire liturgy and service of the Good Friday, we will understand that death of Jesus was his missionary journey in the redeeming activity of us. Jesus experiences suffering, passion, insults, mockeries, crucifixion and death. Crucifixion was a punishment given to criminals but why Jesus? Jesus was understood falsely, condemned unjustly and executed unreasonably. But it is the plan of God. That’s what we see Jesus time and again reminding his disciples and apostles that the son of man must suffer, die and rise again.

It is customary practice of the Catholic Church to enact the live way of the Cross in public and to meditate on the seven last words of Jesus on the Cross. They are just a reminder and an indication to us to walk the way Jesus walked and to live as Jesus taught us on the cross by the gracious words uttered by Jesus. So on Good Friday, as we mourn and are sorrowful at the death of Jesus, Jesus gives us a way out; a way out how the cross of  our life will be a way to cross the road to obtain happiness and peace, satisfaction and success. So based on the liturgy of the day and its readings, I would like to share with you three points of reflection;

1. Jesus cares, consoles and condones people:

One of the important and utmost characters of a human person is to care, to console and to condone. But if one gives care, consolation and condonement in the midst of one’s own pain, it is great and has a noble value. That’s what Jesus did on the way of the cross to Calvary, in the hour of suffering and pain. We see Jesus caring and consoling the women of Jerusalem who mourned for Him saying, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me rather weep for your children.”  Still further, on the cross hanging between heaven and earth, Jesus draws courage and strength to forgive those who hurt or hate, tortured or tormented him saying, “Father forgive them, they do not know what they do.

It’s indeed a magnanimous act done by Jesus. There have been in the history of humanity many saints and people, who have drawn inspiration from Jesus’ acts and words. Today can we do such an act of consolation and condonement? Perhaps we even find difficult to carry our own crosses first of all. In the hour of pain and sufferings, we would be finding a way out as to how I could get rid of the sufferings or pains I go through. We can never think of the other and it does not matter because, what I need is my safety or rescue from pain. But Jesus carries our cross for our sake and yet what Jesus does is something amazing and unthinkable for us.

Very fittingly, Pope Francis while recalling a passage in the Gospel of John that recounts the moment a Roman soldier pierced Jesus’ side as he hung on the cross says, “When we serve those who suffer, we console and gladden the Heart of Christ. The torn Heart of God is eloquent. It speaks without words, because it is mercy in its pure state, love that is wounded and gives life. It is God, with closeness, passion, and tenderness.” Yes, Jesus served us by suffering himself, because we were suffering in sin and shame, in need of grace for salvation. Therefore, Jesus as he walks serves us with words of care, consolation and forgiveness.

Today we too like Jesus in the midst of our own crosses and pains need to give people care, consolation and condonement. Such acts would prove that we are followers of Christ and carry the legacy of Jesus in and through the consolation and forgiveness that we offer to one another.  I am sure when we do such acts, ignoring our pains for the sake of the other, we will obtain the strength from Jesus and we will be able to make the way of crosses to cross the road to happiness and success like Jesus.

2. Jesus obeys, offers, , overcomes all

Pope Francis insists that “One must obey the commandments and do what Jesus said to do, but this is “my response” to God’s offer of salvation, not a condition for it.” Yes, we need to respond to God’s offer of love and consider it a condition. Because when we feel it as a condition or a force, it takes away the interest and the real love to obey God’s words or commandments. But Jesus did not regard obedience to God’s commands as a condition but a response in love and faith.

The more we offer and become obedient to God, the more blessings we obtain from God to overcome all pains and problems of life. That’s what we see in Jesus’ way of the cross. In the hour of passion, with the weight of the cross Jesus teaches us that we need to offer ourselves to God, be obedient to God to overcome all the afflictions and unnecessary attachments of life. In the way of the cross, Jesus offers completely to his executioners to be brutally beaten and tortured in order to obey the words and voice of his heavenly Father and thus overcomes all hardships and pains. That’s what we see jesus in the garden of Gethsemane praying, “Father if it is possible take this cup of suffering but not my will but your will.”  

The self-offering of Jesus and his obedience unto death crosses the limit of his cross, certainly the limitless love of Jesus for us. The offering of Jesus and obedience to God’s command make Jesus overcome pains and move to the road of success and happiness. Like Jesus we need to offer and obey God to overcome all pains of life. The cross that we have in life may be greater as we think but remember the grace of God in us is much greater than anything. The grace of God has the capacity to endure the sufferings of life; the grace of God embraces the cross and the grace of God enables us to overcome the cross of life.

Today most of us are not able to come out of our problems and sufferings or struck in it, because we don’t obey or offer them to God. We think that we are far greater than our God who created us. We think with our human limited understanding and knowledge we have the best of ways and means to overcome the sufferings of life. Jesus was able to overcome or endure the sufferings of life because Jesus totally surrendered and obeyed God at all times. So like Jesus, we shall offer everything and obey God’s word to obtain peace and happiness in life.

3. Jesus strengthens, submits and saves

We all know that drawing strength, submitting himself into the hands of His Heavenly Father and working for the salvation of others are another important grace-filled or gracious work of Jesus on earth. At every step of his way Jesus falls but he gets up. Jesus strengthens the people he encounters and strengthens himself to reach Calvary, the point of summit. He submits his spirit saying, “Into your hand I commend my spirit,” and saves us all saying, “it is accomplished.” Jesus submits his spirit unto God, so that we be renewed, reconciled and reunited with God. Jesus accomplished the work of His heavenly Father on the cross for our redemption and salvation. Today we too are called to strengthen others when in pain and sorrow, submit and surrender all that we have and all that does not go well with us and try to save the fallen humanity by being just, true, humane and holy, loving and kind-hearted to one another.

Yes, Good Friday might make us feel that Jesus is no more but Jesus is all the more with us in his words works and spirit. Good Friday is not a moment of abandonment rather a binding moment in the history of humanity to bind us all one with God. Good Friday is not just a mere mourning and sorrow rather it is a call to realization from each one of us that God grants us joy and grace in the death of his beloved son Jesus Christ. So every Christian must ask this question on Good Friday.

Jesus died for the good of all, for the salvation of all, so what Good can I do? What good can I promote? How good I can be? Each and every Christian should feel and come forward like Jesus to promote good or do good, even if not by death at least by the life that we live. Life can be good for you and me if we live well and do good. I am sure this would inspire others to do, to say and to be good. Then the Good Friday will not only be good on Good Friday rather everyday there will be good and goodness of God can be seen and experienced through us. Let this Good Friday become a source of inspiration to think good, to do good and to remain good constantly to one another. We shall ever remain grateful to God for the Good he has done to us and to humanity.

RESPOND:

Do we care, console and forgive people who hurt or harm us?

Do we offer everything to God and obey his commands to overcome trials and temptations of life?

Do we strengthen ourselves and find safety and security in God by submitting unto God?

Let us continue to move towards the focal and final point God like Jesus, in spite of pains and sufferings, trials and temptations of life, reminding that Good Friday calls each one of us to be and do good like Jesus. Amen.

God bless us all…Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968