This Friday hardly seems any “good.” Well it is that, in a sense of “holy/dedicated”; but not at all “pleasant/beneficial”. The worst part is that what happened to Jesus wasn’t unique to him, or even to the olden days. There’s enough in the news and in our own lives to make us sad without having to revisit these ancient texts. How did the Stations of the Cross make you feel? Was there one that particularly saddened, moved, or even admonished you, or reminded you of something that happened to you? We may all have experienced it differently, but we have all felt uncomfortable.

That’s because most of us find it difficult to look upon the suffering of another. Sometimes, we are overwhelmed by their pain; at other times, we simply don’t know what to say. The main “good” thing about today is that by looking directly at the suffering Christ, we may practice the simple, unawkward empathy with which we are called to relate to one another. How? Just as he did, even while looking down from the height of the Cross.

The 7 things that Jesus said during the crucifixion epitomize compassion to others, even though he was the one who deserved it in the moment. I can imagine just how difficult it was for Jesus to speak at all. How much of his waning energy it must have cost him to express such depth of forgiveness to all those who “do not know what they do.” Those who denied, deserted, sentenced, mocked, and tortured him, the criminals on either side of him — and us as well. That’s why as part of the Passion reading, we say together the words, “Crucify him!”. I believe that Jesus was killed by people, not by God, but who was to blame? The soldiers? But they were “only” commanded by Pilate, who was “only” pressured by the Jewish elite, who feared the fickle mob… so when did this all begin to go seriously wrong? 

There is no easy answer, just as we can’t rank our own mistakes from bad to worst. But we have the hope that no matter what we have done, we “will be in Paradise.” Despite the darkness of today’s meditation, and the limitations of our knowledge and tradition, if there is nothing else we might take away from today, let it be the reminder that Jesus always thinks of us. 

But by then, only Jesus’ closest friend and mother remained at the foot of the Cross. The presence of Mary at the crucifixion amplifies the message that Jesus was a real man, who had once been a real boy; a baby like any other – full of life and potential. And Mary was just “every mom” who felt the first kicks, nursed and cared for, and dealt with his tantrums all these years, all in the full awareness that “a sword would pierce her soul”. Jesus’ suffering must have been magnified by seeing Mary’s sorrow, and so he spent some of his precious breath to remind the two of them that he was not leaving either of them all alone: “this is your mother; this is your son”. 

This must have been in contrast to his own, mounting, sense of loneliness, which brought to mind a familiar psalm, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps 22:1) This phrase expressed his own anguish, but even this was said for the sake of others, to remind us that there is always hope with God, as conveyed by how the psalm ends: “He has done it!” (Ps 22:31b), meaning, God has achieved the victory over evil. Let us take a moment today to reflect on the times when we felt entirely alone, maybe out of touch with God, maybe betrayed by others – when we thirsted for love, as Jesus did, saying, “I am thirsty.” Think of a hot day or tough exercise – how good the first sip of water felt then! Can we hold on to this memory as a symbol of God’s love? What caused your thirst for fulfillment? 

What’s NOT “finished” in your life? Failed projects, unfulfilled dreams, relationships and children never had, jobs unattained… whenever such longings haunt you, remember: “it is finished” (Jn) and is “in the Father’s hands” (Lk). These words convey triumph, not failure! Unlike Mary and John, we already know that Jesus’ story doesn’t end here, and we will certainly pick it up again at sunset tomorrow. But every day, someone we know may be in a situation where they don’t yet see the way forward; where all they need may be, simply, our presence. And if we don’t know what to say to them then, let our words be guided by Jesus’ 7 thoughts that 1) acknowledge their needs, 2) express forgiveness, and 3) refer to belonging and hope that we might not always see on our own. Thanks be to God. 

Reflection question:

So, why is Good Friday “good”? If it is good in a sense of “sacred, holy, set apart”, might we consider some ways to make the next 24 hours “special”? How would you create a tone of contemplation, simplicity, reflection, or maybe community and mutual support, over the remainder of today and tomorrow? Remember, Easter comes with Saturday’s sunset, but let us not rush to the empty tomb just yet.