Homily
Good Friday 4-19-19
On Monday we saw the immense fire
engulfing the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, many people began praying
immediately, fortunately, although damaged, it was spared. The fire itself could remind us of our need
for purification, the need to put God first in our lives.
Now as spring flowers brighten our
landscape & the darkness of winter fades, the TRUTH of God’s light in the
world becomes more apparent through nature.
Good Friday reminds us that we are to bring His light in the world. Living Christ’s light in the world in not
always easy - many times it involves pain and suffering. Sometimes it involves our own Good Fridays:
nail marks & death included.
# 1-5-7-6-2-2
Seventeen-year-old Eli loved her
grandfather Yosef very much & wanted to do something very special for him. So she got a tattoo. When Yosef saw it, he was overcome. With tears in his eyes, he kissed the tattoo
on his granddaughter’s forearm. Yosef
has the same # on his forearm, got his number over 75 years ago at Auschwitz
concentration camp. Eli has had
her tattoo for several years now & so the story of her grandfather’s and
the Jewish people’s triumph in the face of devastation - will live for another
generation. [Connections]
Our Baptism is our tattoo (on our soul)
and with it we entered Christ’s death and resurrection. We remember our Baptism each time we make the
sign of he cross!
Archbishop Martin [of Dublin] said,
“Renewal in the church means that all of us need to learn more deeply how to think
like Christ, how to teach like Christ and care as Christ did.” (Origins)
Last Sunday St. Luke told us that
after Peter denied Jesus the 3rd time, “The Lord turned and look at
Peter.” Jesus looked at Peter with love
and He looks at each one of us with love.
Today Good Friday we will walk with Mary in remembering Jesus’ love for
us.
The
Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary made the “…first way of the cross ….” Her eyes, her heart and her soul will guide
our reflection today.
“Mary, Did You Know … that your baby boy would one day walk
on water …
That the blind would see,
the deaf would hear,
the dead would live again,
the lame would leap,
the dumb would speak,
{Mary, Did You Know that your baby boy} is heaven's perfect
lamb?” [Songwriters: Buddy Greene / Mark
Lowry]
Mary did you know that
your baby boy would one day be crucified and demonstrate God’s love? Mary slowly walked as her Son carried The Cross - knowing His Cross is weighed
down by the evil of our world and the weight of our sins. Jesus sees Mary’s anguish and heartache and He awaits our contrition, our
commitment to live His Way in our daily life.
Mary reflected on the
Angel’s message from long ago;
on Joseph’s acceptance
of her willingness to give birth the Messiah;
on the Magi’s visit;
on their time in
Egypt;
on that 1st
miracle at Cana;
on Her Son’s proclamation
of the Kingdom & now on His struggle to carry our SINS on THE CROSS, to
carry our SINS by HIS LOVE.
We believe dear Jesus
that you are true God and true Man; You told us you must be lifted up. “Lifted-up on the Cross, Lifted-up from the tomb in Your Resurrection,
Lifted-up to Heaven in Your Ascension.
We believe that You lift us up through Your Grace and Sacraments
and that one day You will lift us up to eternal life.”
[Lifted-up reference from Cardinal
Dolan, Laetare Sunday Homily, 2018]
With hearts bent in humility we
“approach the throne of grace to receive mercy.” [Hebrews
4] As we venerate the Cross & reflect on Mary’s willingness to
follow God’s will every day of her life; I pray that we commit to following God’s will each day of our lives.
May God Be Praised!
"Always
give good heed to the Word of God, whether you hear or read it in private, or
hearken to it when publicly preached: listen with attention and reverence; seek
to profit by it, and do not let the precious words fall unheeded; receive them
into your heart as a costly balsam; imitate the Blessed Virgin who 'kept all
the sayings' concerning her Son, ‘in her heart.’ And remember that according as
we hearken to and receive God’s words, so will He hearken and receive our
supplications." St. Francis de
Sales
Words eager to give
birth to the one immortal idea of all ages.
Homily
Good Friday 4-19-19
Our Holy Week Celebrations will bring us
closer to Jesus if we decrease and He increases.
