Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Today the beloved Son of God—the Eternal King before all ages, the one True Prophet, the one True Holy Priest of God, the Eternal Word of God from whom all life sprung forth, our beloved Jesus—has died on a Cross of torture. We stand gazing up at our beloved Jesus beaten and pierced for us. We have no words, and our hearts are torn like the vail of the temple. We think how quickly our shouts of “Hosanna” when he entered Jerusalem had turned into hateful cries of “Crucify Him!” We can only muster to ask, “How can this be” and we call out, “Why, Lord!” Jesus answers our Cries, “Because I Love you.” He reminds us of the words of the Prophet Isiah, “Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our suffering that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that make us whole, by his stripes we were healed.”
We remember the wounds from the scourging at the pillar and see in them the marks Jesus’ love for us; the stripes by which we are healed. Jesus took our sins upon his shoulders as he picked up the cross and “like a lamb before the shearers, he was silent.” He willingly handed himself over for love of our humanity and gave up his spirit into the hands of his heavenly Father for our salvation. So today, let us gaze upon the Cross and see our beloved Jesus who gave everything out of his love for each of us. Let us remember the price of our salvation.
Reflection by Br. Placid Dale, OSB
Posted in Articles for Lent, Daily Reflections