Holy Week 2026: GOOD FRIDAY
April 3: Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12; Hebrews
4:14-16, 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42
We are at the peak, the peak of our
Christian faith, the peak of the eternal salvation plan of God, the peak of Calvary
which has transformed human history forever and from eternity. From this peak
today speaks to us the love of God - telling each of us: I died for you! I
emptied myself for you! I gave totally of myself for you!
The liturgy today invites us to dwell on
three C's...
The first is the Cross - the
centre not merely of the liturgy of today, but of our entire Christian life,
theology and spirituality. The Cross is the true symbol of love, not the heart
with a piercing arrow! The cross is the symbol of that total self-giving, total
to the extent of the last drop of blood and water. Suffering accepted for the
other, suffering taken up as a mode of self-giving, suffering endured as an act
of love, is salvific! This is both an inspiration and an invitation that we need
to hear every time we look at the Cross. Father forgive them, for they know not
what they do!
The second is the Crown - When
sufferings come our way, when trials visit us in our days, when burdens weigh
down our shoulders, when disease and death threaten us from the dark corners,
we need to remember the crown promised by the Lord! Just imagine an athlete
running a race, if right at the beginning he is given a crown and said, all
that you need to do is reach the finish line... the crown is certainly yours,
it is guaranteed! That is actually a real Christian vision of life... yes, we
have to run, yes, we have to toil, yes, we have to strive... but the crown is
ours, already! Any crisis, any suffering, any temptation, any trial, is there
just to be endured and traversed; let us remember, we are all running with the
crown already on our head...if only we are ready to live through them all in
faith! Nothing can overtake us, nothing can overcome us, for there is someone
who has overcome everything - sins, world, even death and his crown we have on
our heads, the crown of salvation. Into your hands Lord, I commend my
Spirit.
The third is Calvary - the hill
of grace, the mountain of salvation! The first time I visited Calvary, I was
disappointed. When the programme of the visit said, Calvary, my mind had
imagined an impressive hilltop up there - but all I beheld was a dozen steps to
climb with the place of crucifixion marked. We had already made the climb
walking the gradually rising slope leading to the Church of Crucifixion. But
that is precisely the message: Calvary is not that one hill perched high right
in the middle of our life - it is one whole life, it is a lifelong experience,
something that we gradually climb and come to grips with every day. Amidst the
daily chores, amidst the experiences of failures and faults, amidst the trying
relationships and discouraging life situations, we behold our Calvary - the
hill of grace, the mountain of salvation. All that we need to do is, be ready
is go through these mindful of the fact that there is God's Holy Will which is
guiding us and be ready to surrender ourselves totally. Thus, we can finally
say, 'it is accomplished!'
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