Theme: The Silence of the CROSS
TODAY, Good Friday, is a day of Mystery or Contradiction. Christ, who knew no sin, was put to death for our sins. Christ, who is life, was put to death. The Cross, the instrument of torture and death, becomes the Tree of Life.
Our faith, too, is full of obvious contradictions. God became human being in Jesus Christ so that we might become divine through the same Jesus Christ. He came down to earth that we might get into heaven. Jesus became a prisoner so that we could be set free, and through His death, we find life, life eternal.
Hence, in front of this Great Contradiction/Mystery, we reflected in the Gospel today: a human being, walking on the earth, being accused as blasphemous, and crucified on the Cross.
I want to draw your attention to SILENCE CONTEMPLATION. Indeed, today is a ‘Day of Silence’. This liturgy begins in silence and it will end in silence. There is no bell, no music. We come here on Good Friday; not to hear about the Lord, not to hear a good homily, but to listen and gaze on the Lord Himself who speaks to us in the silence of the Cross.
As Jesus stretches out His arms on the cross to draw all people to Himself, He invites us to learn from Him who is gentle and humble of heart; He invites us to find rest for our souls. We contemplate the Cross in the silence of our hearts.
The power of the liturgy of Good Friday comes from the silent gaze of Him who bore ‘the weight of our sins on the tree’. We are invited to ‘look on Him’ whom we ‘have pierced’ by our sins.
The liturgy of Good Friday allows us to bring all our sins/failures which have marked our lives, those of which we are aware and those we have suppressed or cannot speak of, to lay them at the feet of the crucified Lord, while making the same prayer ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom’.
No matter what we bring to Him, know that the arms of Jesus is always stretched open for us, welcoming us and offering us the REST for our souls. Amen.
