“The crucifix does not signify defeat or failure. It reveals to us the Love that overcomes evil and sin.”—Pope Francis
Good Friday is the day in which we recognize Christ’s ultimate, loving sacrifice for us: His death on the cross. Like Mary, we stand in silent wonderment at the foot of the cross with all our memories of loss and sacrifice, and with all our present anxieties. Mary attests that the love of the Son of God knows no bounds and extends to you, me and everyone—without exception. Do you see the cross and nails in the icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help? They represent this ever-present truth that hovered over Mother and Child from birth to death.
Good Friday is the most solemn day of the year in our Liturgical practice. The celebration of this day is wrapped in somberness and silence. We should be seriously mindful of the Passion of Jesus throughout the whole day. The 13th and 14th stations call us to stand in silence as Jesus is taken down from the cross and laid in the tomb.
It is good for us to linger in this silence ourselves after our commemoration of the death of Jesus. Like Mary, we stand in silent wonderment at the foot of the cross with all our memories of loss and sacrifice, and with all our present anxieties.
On this special day of days, I invite you to make the day a true remembrance following the example of the Mother of God. “Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)
In Jesus, through Mary,
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Brother Daniel Korn, C.Ss.R. |