Commentary on Good Friday in English

INTRODUCTION

Praise be to Jesus both now and forever, Amen. I am delighted to welcome you all to this evening’s celebration of the Lord’s Passion; the second of the three days of the Easter Triduum. Today we commemorate and reflect on the mystery of the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross and its place in the divine plan of salvation. What we are celebrating today is of capital significance in the life of the church. I invite you therefore to journey with me on a historical path towards its origin.

BRIEF HISTORY OF GOOD FRIDAY

From the earliest times this has been a day of mourning, due to the painful crucifixion and agonizing death of our Lord. Many of the names given to it in the course of history draw attention to this mournful aspect. The official, name of Good Friday was attached to this celebration 1955 because it is the “Friday of the Passion and Death of the Lord”. Before then it was “Friday of Preparation for the Pasch”. In the 3^rd century, Good Friday was known as the Pasch of the Crucifixion. However, St. Ambrose called it “Day of Bitterness”.

Reflection: Good Friday (April 18 2014)

Reflection: Good Friday (April 18 2014)

Theme: The Sacrifice of the Cross: A Paradigm of Christian Sacrifice

Since the fall of Adam, humanity has known no peace. Suffering and death has been the lot of man so much so that life is nothing but misery. This death was not restricted to physical death but included spiritual death. Man’s soul lost the hope of paradise. In this miserable condition, God did not abandon His people because of the great love He bears for them. He initiated plans to save them. This plan began with making the people conscious of their evil ways and directing them in the right path. He made covenants with them and gave them regulations through the patriarchs and prophets. At His appointed time, He sent His Son for the culmination of man’s redemption through the great sacrifice he offered. Though the Israelites had previously offered sacrifices for sins, their sacrifices were incapable of cleansing them because they were made with blood of animals. There was need for a higher victim, so Jesus became the victim and the oblation.

Reflection/Homily: Good Friday (March 29 2013)

                                            Reflection/Homily: Good Friday (March 29 2013)

Theme: The Sacrifice of the Cross: A Paradigm of Christian Sacrifice

Since the fall of Adam, humanity has known no peace. Suffering and death has been the lot of man so much so that life is nothing but misery. This death was not restricted to physical death but included spiritual death. Man’s soul lost the hope of paradise.

In this miserable condition, God did not abandon His people because of the great love He bears for them. He initiated plans to save them. This plan began with making the people conscious of their evil ways and directing them in the right path. He made covenants with them and gave them regulations through the patriarchs and prophets.

At His appointed time, He sent His Son for the culmination of man’s redemption through the great sacrifice he offered. Though the Israelites had previously offered sacrifices for sins, their sacrifices were incapable of cleansing them because they were made with blood of animals. There was need for a higher victim, so Jesus became the victim and the oblation.

Reflection/Homily: Good Friday (April 6 2012)

Theme: The Sacrifice of the Cross: A Paradigm of Christian Sacrifice

Since the fall of Adam, humanity has known no peace. Suffering and death has been the lot of man so much so that life is nothing but misery. This death was not restricted to physical death but included spiritual death. Man’s soul lost the hope of paradise.

In this miserable condition, God did not abandon His people because of the great love He bears for them. He initiated plans to save them. This plan began with making the people conscious of their evil ways and directing them in the right direction. He made covenants with them and gave them regulations through the patriarchs and prophets.

At His appointed time, He sent His Son for the culmination of man’s redemption through the great sacrifice he offered. Though the Israelites had previously offered sacrifices for sins, their sacrifices were incapable of cleansing them because they were made with blood of animals. There was need for a higher victim, so Jesus became the victim and the oblation.

In the first reading (Is. 52:13-53, 12), we see a picture of the suffering servant, a pre-figure of Jesus who through his suffering and death will cleanse and save the world. This suffering servant is the sacrifice offered for the forgiveness of sins. In the passion narrative (Jn. 18: 1-19:42), we see the manner and form in which this sacrifice was offered.

The story line of Jesus’ passion and death is an old and familiar story. Every action is significant and points towards our redemption and salvation. This evening, we shall reflect on the significance of Simon of Cyrene in the passion narrative and on the significance of the burial of Jesus.

The Significance of Simon of Cyrene in the Passion Narrative: The gospel records that on his journey to Golgotha, fearing that Jesus would die before reaching there because he could scarcely walk, the soldiers mandated Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross behind our Lord. Simon of Cyrene is a reflection of an ideal Christian life – that of carrying the Cross. It is not only christian to carry one’s cross but more christian to carry one another’s cross. 

It is because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross that we are saved and he wants us to reciprocate by sacrificing