The texts of the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Good Friday present a multitude of images and events that invite us to contemplate the “Why” of Jesus passion and “How” we are blessed in the High Priest who radiates Love and New Life from the Cross.
 |
| Our mission |
The “Suffering Servant” passage from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah reveals the nature, suffering and triumph of the Servant Of the Lord.
* [52:13–53:12] The last of the “servant of the Lord” oracles (see note on 42:1–4). Taken together, these oracles depict a figure of one called by God for a vocation to Israel and the nations (42:4; 49:5–6); the servant’s exaltation both opens and closes the passage (52:13; 53:12). The servant responded in fidelity but has suffered opposition (50:4–6). In this fourth oracle the servant is characterized as “a man of suffering” (53:3) and appears to be unjustly put to death (53:8–9). Those who have witnessed his career somehow recognize that he is innocent, has undergone suffering for their sins (53:4–6), and his death is referred to as a reparation offering (see note on 53:10–11). The servant is described in ways that identify him with Israel (which is frequently referred to as “servant” in the context of Second Isaiah—e.g., 41:8, 9; 44:2, 21; 43:4) and is designated as “Israel” in 49:3; yet Israel outside the “servant of the Lord” oracles is not presented as sinless, but rather in exile because of sin (40:2; 42:21–25) and even as servant as deaf and blind (42:18–19). The servant is thus both identified with Israel and distinguished from it. As with the previous servant poems, this chapter helped the followers of Jesus to interpret his suffering, death, and resurrection; see especially the passion narratives.1
The psalmist feels overwhelmed by evil people but trusts in the “God of truth”.
* [Psalm 31] A lament (Ps 31:2–19) with a strong emphasis on trust (Ps 31:4, 6, 15–16), ending with an anticipatory thanksgiving (Ps 31:20–24). As is usual in laments, the affliction is couched in general terms. The psalmist feels overwhelmed by evil people but trusts in the “God of truth” (Ps 31:6).2
In the reading from the Letter to the Hebrews Jesus is declared to be the Compassionate High Priest.
* [4:14–16] These verses, which return to the theme first sounded in Heb 2:16–3:1, serve as an introduction to the section that follows. The author here alone calls Jesus a great high priest (Heb 4:14), a designation used by Philo for the Logos; perhaps he does so in order to emphasize Jesus’ superiority over the Jewish high priest. He has been tested in every way, yet without sin (Heb 4:15); this indicates an acquaintance with the tradition of Jesus’ temptations, not only at the beginning (as in Mk 1:13) but throughout his public life (cf. Lk 22:28). Although the reign of the exalted Jesus is a theme that occurs elsewhere in Hebrews, and Jesus’ throne is mentioned in Heb 1:8, the throne of grace (Heb 4:16) refers to the throne of God. The similarity of Heb 4:16 to Heb 10:19–22 indicates that the author is thinking of our confident access to God, made possible by the priestly work of Jesus.3
The Passion from the Gospel of John describes many events beginning in chapter 18.
Jesus Arrested... Peter’s First Denial... The Inquiry before Annas... Peter Denies Jesus Again... The Trial before Pilate... The Crucifixion of Jesus... The Blood .and Water... The Burial of Jesus 4
Larry Gillick, S.J. believes we will experience a very Good Friday if we can patiently receive what is going on as Jesus prays in the garden, or talks with Pilate, or stumbles, or cries out from His Tree, we will eventually receive what is going on in the other events. Jesus is listening to who He is! His whole life was one act of hearing patiently Who He was called to be, sent to be, the Listener!
Isn’t there something new which we can find and ponder? Isn’t there some way to avoid facing our individual poverty? No we cannot if we are really present to what is offered in today’s readings and prayers. At the end of today’s liturgy, which is not a Eucharistic celebration, we do receive the Body of Christ, quietly, expressing our poverty as we extend the empty palm of our hand and receive the personal grace of encouragement which Jesus extends toward us from the Tree of Life. He is Good to us, for us, with us as we say “yes” to Him, “yes” to His call, and “yes” to the “Very good” with which the Creator God saw us way back then and does also right now! It is a very Good Friday.5
Don Schwager quotes Gregory Nazianzen (329-389 AD), an early church father and bishop of Constantinople, who wrote about the triumph of Christ's exaltation on the cross.
"Many indeed are the wondrous happenings of that time: God hanging from a cross, the sun made dark and again flaming out (Luke 23:44, Mark 15:33); for it was fitting that creation should mourn with its creator. The temple veil rent (Matthew 27:51), blood and water flowing from his side (John 19:34): the one as from a man, the other as from what was above man; the earth shaken, the rocks shattered because of the rock (Matthew 27:51); the dead risen to bear witness to the final and universal resurrection of the dead (Matthew 27:52). The happenings at the sepulcher and after the sepulcher, who can fittingly recount them? Yet no one of them can be compared to the miracle of my salvation. A few drops of blood renew the whole world, and do for all men what the rennet does for the milk: joining us and binding us together. (On the Holy Pasch, Oration 45.1)6
The Word Among Us Meditation is on Isaiah 52:13–53:12. In the first reading, it’s the servant himself. Isaiah describes him as “a sheep before the shearers” who “opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). No words of protest, denunciation, or complaint. He was innocent, but he submitted to his tormentors with a humility that we can only begin to comprehend.
Like this tormented servant, Jesus also maintained a humble, prayerful silence throughout his passion. His entire life up to that point had been one long march toward Calvary. Everything he said or did led up to this act of pure and selfless love. He had said all he needed to say; all that was left now were the “seven last words” that still ring in our ears.
Today, try to enter into this sacred silence. Gaze at the crucifix, and see the love that brought Jesus there. Imagine his silent testimony as he stood before his accusers. Let his silence wash over you and fill you with wonder, gratitude, and love. Remember, Jesus did all this for you.7
Friar Jude Winkler explores the text from Isaiah written 700 years before the crucifixion. Many images in the Passion of John link to Psalm 45, Ode for a Royal Wedding, and the “marriage imagery” of Jesus and Mary and John under the Cross. Friar Jude reminds us of the Eucharist and Baptism signs in the “blood and water” released when Jesus’ side is pierced.
Peter Knott SJ, Chaplain to Barlborough Hall School and the author of the weekly reflection, GodTalk, writes that, at first, the disciples couldn’t reach beyond the darkness of Good Friday and the weakness it had revealed in them. We also may find ourselves living in the darkness of past failures. When we truly understand the resurrection, we let go of what might have been, and accept gratefully what Christ is actually doing in our lives.
St Paul describes us as those who have been brought back to true life in Christ (Romans 6:4). We carry within ourselves that same Risen Lord who so transformed the lives of those first disciples.
We must realise for ourselves the power of this Risen Lord dwelling within us, helping us to cope with the disappointments we all experience in different ways: misunderstanding, unfair criticism, a love that faded, a love betrayed, hopes that were lost, times when it was hard to face the truth – about ourselves, about others.
A world struggling to cope with distress and division cries out for a new beginning. The Risen Lord, at work in our hearts offers that new life to all of us, rising above frustrations and heartaches.
We can never say that life has parted us from Christ, that he is lost to us, that we do not know where to find him. He lives hidden in our hearts. There is everything to live for
Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday each has a distinctive ‘note.’ We have to keep these notes together as one chord. Only when the notes are brought into harmony can we ‘hear’ what the composer is offering us – the fullness of life. We pray that all may share this joy every day, forever.8
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan who reflect on the meaning of Jesus’ death. Jesus’s passion got him killed. Jesus’s passion for the kingdom of God led to what is often called his passion, namely his suffering and death. But to restrict Jesus’s passion to his suffering and death is to ignore the passion that brought him to Jerusalem. To think of Jesus’s passion as simply what happened on Good Friday is to separate his death from the passion that animated his life.
According to Mark, Jesus did not die for the sins of the world. The language of substitutionary sacrifice for sin is absent from his story. But in an important sense, he was killed because of the sin of the world. It was the injustice of domination systems that killed him, injustice so routine that it is part of the normalcy of civilization. Though sin means more than this, it includes this. And thus Jesus was crucified because of the sin of the world.9
The chord of the Triduum liturgy is Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. These notes resonate as perfect love in a world where in our slavery to sin, systemic and personal, dulls our perception of Christ within and His call to fullness of Life.
References
1
|
(n.d.). Isaiah, chapter 52 - usccb. Retrieved April 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/isaiah52:53
|
2
|
(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 31 - usccb. Retrieved April 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/31
|
3
|
(n.d.). Hebrews, chapter 4 - usccb. Retrieved April 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/4
|
4
| |
5
|
(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved April 19, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
|
6
|
(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 19, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
|
7
|
(n.d.). Good Friday of the Passion of the Lord - Mass Readings and Catholic .... Retrieved April 19, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/04/19/
|
8
|
(n.d.). Peter Knott SJ | Thinking Faith: The online journal of the Jesuits in Britain. Retrieved April 19, 2019, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/author-article/peter-knott-sj
|
9
|
(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: April 2019 - Daily Meditations Archives .... Retrieved April 19, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/04/
|
No comments:
Post a Comment