Good Friday

Our Holy Mother Church will soon be calling us once more to join with her in the holy Offices: meanwhile, let us keep our hearts and thoughts upon our Redeemer, for these are the very Hours when He wrought our Salvation. Our morning’s meditation brings us to Calvary, where we were considering how the executioners stripped Jesus of His clothes, in preparation to their nailing Him to the Cross. Let us reverently assist at the consummation of the Sacrifice, which He offers, for us, to the Justice of His Eternal Father.

 

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John:

 

In the Parasceve of the Pasch, about the sixth hour; Pilate said to the Jews: Behold your King. But they cried out: Away with Him. Away with Him: Crucify Him. Pilate said to them: Shall I crucify your King?The chief priests answered: We have no king but Caesar. Then, therefore, he delivered Him to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led Him forth. And bearing His cross, He went forth to that place which is called Calvary but in Hebrew, Golgotha.; where they crucified Him, and with Him two others, one on each side and Jesus in the midst. And Pilate wrote a title also: and he put it upon the cross. And the writing was: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. This title therefore many of the Jews did read: because the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city. And it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and in Latin. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate: Write not: The King of the Jews; but that He said: I am the King of the Jews. Pilate answered: What I have written, I have written. The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Him, took His garments and they made four parts, to every soldier a part and also His coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said then one to another: Let us not cut it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the Scripture might be fulfilled which said: They have parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture they have cast lots. And the soldiers indeed did these things. Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His Mother, and His Mother's sister, Mary of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalen. When Jesus therefore had seen His Mother and the disciple standing whom He loved, He said to His Mother: Woman, behold your son. After that, He said to the disciple: Behold your mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own. Afterwards, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said: I thirst. Now there was a vessel set there, full of vinegar. And they, putting a sponge full of vinegar about hyssop, put it in His mouth. Jesus therefore, when He had taken the vinegar, said: It is consummated. And bowing His head, He gave up the ghost.

Then the Jews because it was the Parasceve, that the bodies might not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day, for that was a great Sabbath day, besought Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. The soldiers therefore came, and they broke the legs of the first, and of the other that was crucified with Him. But after they came to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers with a spear opened His side, and immediately there came out blood and water. And he that saw it gave testimony: and his testimony is true. And he knows that what he said is true: that you also may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture might be fulfilled: you shall not break a bone of Him. And again another Scripture says: They shall look on Him whom they pierced.

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea (because he was a disciple of Jesus, but in secret, for fear of the Jews) besought Pilate that he might take the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave leave. He came therefore and took away the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus also came, he who had at first come to Jesus by night, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about one hundred pound weight. They took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloth with the spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews. Now there was in the place where he was crucified, a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, in which no man had yet been laid. There, therefore, because of the Parasceve of the Jews, they laid Jesus, because the sepulcher was near at hand.

Reflection:

The Tree of our Salvation, as it falls into the hole prepared for it, strikes against a tomb: — and the Tomb is that of our First Parent. The blood of the Redeemer flows down from the Cross, and falls upon a skull: it is the skull of Adam, whose sin has called for this great expiation. In His mercy, the Son of God wills that the instrument, in which He has gained pardon for the guilty world, should rest amidst the very bones of Him that first caused its guilt. Thus is Satan confounded: the creation is not, as he had thought, turned by his deceits, to the shame of its Creator. The hill, on which is raised the Standard of our Salvation, is called Calvary, which signifies a skull. Here, according to the tradition of the Jews, was buried our First Parent, the first Sinner. Among the Holy Fathers of the early Ages, who have handed down this interesting tradition to us, we may cite St. Basil, St. Ambrose, St. John Chrysostom, St. Epiphanius and St. Jerome. Origen, who had such opportunities of knowing the Jewish traditions, mentions this as well. At a very early period, Christian Art introduced the custom of placing a human skull at the feet of Jesus’ image on the Cross. It was done to commemorate the great fact, to which we have been alluding.

But let us look up and see this Jesus of ours, whose life is so soon to end upon this instrument of torture. Here, we behold Him exposed to the view of the Jewish people, as the Serpent was, of old, lifted up, by Moses, in the desert. (John 3:14) His enemies pass before Him, making insulting gestures, and saying: “You who said that you would destroy the temple of God, and in three days rebuild it: save Yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” (Matthew 27:40) The chief priests and the ancients continue the blasphemy, but adding their own emphasis to it: “He saved others; Himself He cannot save! If He is King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusted in God; let Him now deliver Him, if He will have Him; for He said: I am the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:42-43) The two thieves, who were crucified with Him, insulted Him in a similar way.

Never had God conferred on His creatures a blessing comparable to this: and yet, never did man so boldly insult his God! Let us Christians, who adore Him whom the Jews blaspheme, offer Him, at this moment, the Reparation He so infinitely deserves. These impious men cite his own words, and turn them against Him: let us reverently remind our Jesus of an expression He once deigned to use, which should fill us with hope: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to Myself.” (John 12:32) Sweet Jesus! the time has come: You have been lifted up from the earth: fulfill Your promise, draw us to Yourself! This earth has such hold upon us, we are chained fast to it by so many ties; self-love binds us; and when we attempt to fly to You, our flight is delayed. Oh! break our chains, and draw us to Yourself, that we may at length reach You, and that we may console you by the conquest of our souls!

O Jesus! Son of the Eternal Father! We adore You now lying dead on the wood of Your Sacrifice. Your bitter Death has given us Life. Like those Jews who saw You expire, and returned to Jerusalem striking their breasts, — we, also, confess that it is our sins that have caused Your death. You have loved us, as none but a God could love. From now on, we must be Yours, and serve You, as creatures redeemed at the infinite price of Your Blood. You are our God; we are Your  people. Accept, we beseech You, our most loving thanks for this final proof of Your goodness towards us. Your holy Church now silently invites us to celebrate Your praise. We leave Calvary for a time; but will soon return there, to assist at Your holy Burial. Mary, Your Mother, remains immoveable at the foot of Your cross. Magdalene clings to Your feet. John and the holy women stand around You. Once more, dearest Jesus! We adore Your sacred Body, Your precious Blood, and Your holy cross, that have brought us Salvation.