Isaiah 52:13--53:12
Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-16, 17, 25
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
John 18:1--19:42
What can one say about Good Friday of the Lord's Passion, when Love Himself hung upon the Cross and died to redeem us?
It is a day of mixed emotion, of wonderment, of horror, of shame for our sins, of compassion and sorrow among others. What are we to do? There can be a sense of relief when, at 3pm, the moment of Christ's death has come and gone, and yet we need to remember that beyond the complexities of time, Christ still suffers in all of our suffering brothers and sisters, worldwide. There is no "3pm" when all is over for them.
In the prayers of the Mass, the priest prays "Make of me an eternal offering to You." We have, as Christians, become the hands, the feet, and the heart of Christ. We are to reach out to those in our midst who suffer, for whatever reason.
In the "Anima Christi," we pray:
Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds, hide me
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee
From the malicious enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
And bid me come unto Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints
and with Thy angels
Forever and ever
Amen.
We are prepared through our Baptism and the sacraments to continue the mission of Christ. Christ opened His arms to be nailed to the Cross. Let us open our hearts to the wounded Christ, still in our midst in our suffering brothers and sisters.
Father Ed Bakker
Anglican Catholic Church / Original Province
Mission of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne
Bendigo,Australia
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