Good Friday

 

The Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary made the “…first way of the cross ….” Today her eyes, her heart and her soul will guide our reflection.  [Mary the Mother of Jesus, Richard Fuery]

 

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 for all eternity?  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 1^st 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 & Sacraments and that one day You will lift us up to eternal life.”  [Lifted-up reference from Cardinal Dolan, Laetare Sunday Homily, 2018]

 

Today we reflect on Your Passion and Death, knowing and believing that You rose from the tomb to give us the gift of eternal life.  With hearts bent in humility we “approach the throne of grace to receive mercy.”  [Hebrews 4]

 

Belden Lane in his book The Solace of Fierce Landscaped: Exploring Desert and Mountain Spirituality wrote, “The secret of life is to have a task, something you devote your entire life to, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for your whole life.”

 

As we gaze upon the Cross may each one of us reflect on Mary’s willingness to follow God’s will every day of her life, and commit to follow God’s will every day of our lives.   

 

What is do you devote your life too?

 

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Saint Andre Bessette intercede for us.

May God Be Praised!