DATE : 2/4/2021
EVENT : Good Friday (Celebration of the Lord's Passion)
COLOUR: Red
READINGS : Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Resp. Psalm 30:2,6,12-13,15-17,25; Hebrews 4:14-16,5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42.
THEME: AND HE SIGHED: IT IS FINISHED
Greetings beloved people of God. I welcome you to "My Catholic Homily Digest". On this Second day of April, which is also the Good Friday of the Lord's Passion, I wish to reflect with you on the theme: " And He Sighed: It Is Finished". Beloved in Christ, today is a mournful and sorrowful day, when the whole earth is grieving because God died. He was innocently accused, agonised and murdered in cold blood, as he remained defenseless, yet it is called 'Good Friday'. The question that I initially use to ask is: what made the Friday of my Lord's Passion 'good'? Am I supposed to be rejoicing at the death of a human being, not to mention of the Son of God? But unlike other sufferings and deaths, the passion of Christ is a vicarious one. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary, is the only exception in the mimetic arc of moral consideration and judgement, where evil was used to bring about the desired good of human salvation. Thus, by his sufferings we are restored, by his accusations we are blessed, by his condemnation we are acquitted, by his wounds we are healed, by his hanging on the cross, we are elevated from sin, and by his death, we received life. So, what he lost, we gained, what was substracted from him was added to us, what was denied him, was granted to us. Hence, today is called 'Good Friday'', not for the sake of Christ, but for our sake.
In the first reading of today, Isa. 52:13-53:12, the prophet Isaiah foretold the nature of the sufferings by which Christ must undergo to redeem us. He would have to suffer humiliation, battering, insults, spittles, whipping, bruises, and mortal wounds. He would be betrayed, rejected, abandoned, derided and casted out by his closest allies. Yet, he will remain determined to follow his destiny, for he knows that this is the surest way to triumph over the evil which has plagued man. Jesus' death on the cross defeated sin and death for us. We can find no greater proof of God's love for us than the willing sacrifice of his Son on the cross. Jesus' parting words, "It is finished!" expressed triumph rather than defeat. Having successfully passed through the stages of the passion narratives and hanging finally on the cross, with life gradually dripping out of his frail body, Jesus bowed his head and gave up his spirit knowing that the strife was now over and the battle was won. Thus, even while still on the cross, Jesus knew the joy of victory, and that what the Father sent him into the world to do has now been accomplished. (Cf. Hebrews 9:24-26).
The author of the letter to the Hebrews, tells us In the second reading, that Jesus was not just a distant agent, who came to die for us. No, he had journeyed with us in the flesh, he had experienced the pains and joys of this material existence, he even knows about the allures of temptations. So, he is one like us. And it is because he feels what we feel that he is able to relate concretely with our experiences and can plead to the Father on our behalf. So, in the cross of Christ, we see the triumph of Jesus over our enemies: sin, Satan, and death. And according to Rupert of Deutz (1075-1129), a Benedictine abbot and theologian, "The cross of Christ is the door to heaven, the key to paradise, the downfall of the devil, the uplifting of mankind, the consolation of our imprisonment, and the prize for our freedom." Furthermore, The cross of Christ is the safeguard of our faith, the assurance of our hope, and the throne of love. It is also the sign of God's mercy and the proof of forgiveness of sins. By his cross Jesus Christ has pardoned us and set us free from the tyranny of sin. He paid the price for us, when he made atonement for our sins by his own precious blood.
Beloved in Christ, through the events of his passion, Jesus has put an end to the rule of the Devil over our life. He has brought us back from death to life, he has shut the yawning mouth of the grave and opened wide the gate of heaven. He has defeated the cunning serpent and bequeathed us with heavenly wisdom, he has put to an end to all our worries and nailed our shortcomings to the cross. He has granted us unrestricted access to the Father and made us adopted children of God, and coheirs to the treasures of heaven. By this singular death also, Christ has restored to us, that initial state of holiness and sanctifiying grace, which we lost in Adam. By being obedient even unto death, Christ has amended the wound inflicted on our human nature by the disobedience of Adam. Thus, through this mystery which we celebrate today, Christ has won an objective salvation for us, the onus now lies on us to appropriate this objective salvation into our lives, so that we can then receive the subjective salvation that is due to each of us.
Let us venerate the cross today, let us be proud of the cross, let us always wear the cross, for the cross is our sign of victory, it is fearsome to the evil one and it is the glory of the Saint.
Oh that today you would listen to his voice harden not your hearts (Ps.95:7-8).
LET US PRAY : Lord Jesus Christ, by your death on the cross you have won pardon for us and freedom from the tyranny of sin and death. May we live in the joy and freedom of your victory over sin and death......
The Lord be with you....... and with your Spirit.
May Almighty God bless you in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ....Amen
DO HAVE A SPIRIT FILLED GOOD FRIDAY CELEBRATION
@ Fada Emmanuel Nnamdi Megwara, MSP.
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