In the Good Friday Liturgy we stand at the reading of the Gospel both to honor the Word and to to shout in unison “crucify Him”. We are presented with this uncomfortable truth at the end of this reading. The priest proclaims “the Gospel of the Lord”, and we soft-spokenly reply, “Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ!” We, the same people who sentenced him to crucifixion also rejoice to give thanks to the God who loves us.
A part of us feels almost anxious with this antinomy.
How could this have happened?
Was this really necessary?
What have I done?
How could this have happened?
Was this really necessary?
What have I done?
The crucifixion is real. There is no homily, book, or reflection that makes sense of it. No, we did not physically condemn Jesus to death, but our consciences tighten around our hearts and whisper to us that we played a role.
All we can do as followers of Jesus is to be willing to meet Him in the garden and to walk with Him through his passion and death. As we walk with Him we are awakened to our need for forgiveness and the ways that the cross of Christ is present in our daily lives. As Jesus falls not, once, or twice, but three times, He looks to us to take up that cross and to carry it with Him today.
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