Homily For Good Friday of The Lord’s Passion, 7th April 2021

Readings: Is. 52:13-53:12; Ps. 31; Heb. 4:14-16.5:7-9; John:18:1-19:42

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

SHARING IN THE SACRIFICIAL LOVE OF JESUS FOR HUMANITY

 

Today, we celebrate the passion of Christ which constitutes the climax of the revelation of God’s love for humanity. In this celebration, we recall how the Lord was condemned to carry the sins of humanity on his Cross, enduring all the insults, torture, pains and struggles on the way to Calvary.

 

The anguish of the Lord’s Passion cannot fail to move even the most hardened hearts to pity and remorseful, yet we call this most sorrowful day, Good Friday despite all the terrible events and circumstances Jesus had to pass through. But we will appreciate the “Good” about the Friday, when we do not just focus our attention on what happened, but on what was accomplished for humanity, that is, the price paid for the salvation of humanity. For this Friday the Lord Jesus  says I thirst…, it is finished. Today, all his pains and agonies were now finished, it has indeed ended. No one to drag anything with him, no one to betray him anymore, no one to accuse him of anything anymore.

 

So, what is good about this Friday is that, all our shame, disgrace, pains and agonies have now ended in the Cross of Christ. What is good about this Friday is that humanity have died to sin in order the rise to righteousness. What is good about this Friday, is that human hope which was lost to sin is restored. What is good about this Friday is that, humanity have received mercy and forgiveness. What is good about this Friday is that the human body is constrained while the soul is elevated. What is good about this Friday is that our enemy the devil is conquered on the Cross.

 

This Friday is good because, human pride is conquered by humility of Christ. This Friday is good because human wickedness, greed, hatred, selfishness corruption and betrayal are conquered by love, sacrificial love and charity that follows from the heart of Jesus. Thus, what is good about this Friday is that, God in a sacrificial way has accomplished his plan for our salvation. These makes the event of Good Friday a very important aspect of the Easter Triduum, beginning from yesterday’s Holy Thursday celebration of the Last Supper and continue with the Saturday Vigil and the Resurrection of the Lord at Easter, making the whole events one great celebration of the Holy Mass.

 

The event of Good Friday liturgy of Christ’s Passion is not simply a commemoration of an important event that happened in the past, but a prayerful experience that makes Christ’s sacrifice present and operative in the lives of his children. An event where Christ fought for humanity and won our salvation on the cross, calling us to embrace his sacrificial love for us. On the cross he says: I thirst…, it is finished. This means that all pains and agonies were now finished, the goal has now been accomplished, not of a futile end, but of a fulfilled mission.

 

Dear friends, today, this Friday, Jesus dies on the cross and lay in the tomb, an event that so permeated by human sadness that leads to silence meditation and prayer. Therefore, let us pause awhile to contemplate his anguish, his disfigured face: the face of a Man of sorrows, who took upon himself the burden of all our mortal anguish.

 

By so doing, we too, like women of Jerusalem, like Simon of Cyrene, like the good thief, like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who were present at the crucifixion of Jesus, let us beat our breasts, recalling what happened, and so see how his face is reflecting in that of every person who is humiliated and offended, sick and suffering, abandoned and despised, especially this period that the world is passing through turbulent moment as a result of the injustice, war and corruptions which has brought a lot of troubles and fear in the hearts of people.

 

Therefore, we must learn to participate in the sacrificial love of Christ. So, if you are like Simon of Cyrene, take up your cross and follow Christ. If you are crucified beside him like one of the thieves, now, like the good thief, acknowledge Him as your God. Because for our sake, and because of our sin, Christ himself was regarded as a sinner, therefore, we must cease to sin. Also, if you are like Joseph of Arimathea, go to the one who ordered his crucifixion, and ask for Christ’s body. Make your own the expiation for the sins of the whole world. If you are like Nicodemus, the man who worshipped God by night, bring spices and prepare Christ’s body for burial. If you are one of the Marys, or Salome, or Joanna, weeping in the early morning. Be the first to see the stone rolled back, and even the angels perhaps, and Jesus himself.

 

Brethren, let us know that we are not alone in our daily struggles against sin and the crosses we have to bear in this life. For Jesus is in fact, carrying his Cross together with us. He is suffering also with us for he has made all our sufferings, pains and struggles his own. He has carried away our burden of sins. Therefore, let us spend some time today to reflect on our Lord’s Passion and suffering, his sacrificial love for us and how important we need to change our ugly ways of life and resolving by God’s grace not to go on with our sinful ways, knowing that they separates us from the love of God.

 

Today, we have experienced the sacrificial love of Jesus for humanity, we saw how he sacrifice everything for our sake. But, what are we sacrificing for him? What are we sacrificing for his Church, what are we sacrificing for humanity? What are we sacrificing for our families. What are you sacrificing for your wife, your husband, your children, your father and your mother, you boss in the office and those working for you?

 

What are we sacrificing for the sake of peace in our homes, our office, our colleagues in the office and market places?  Brethren, the “good” about this Friday is the sacrificial love of Christ for humanity, which we are called to reciprocate in our neighbours, our families and in our country. Therefore, let us go out there and offer this sacrificial love to all those we encounter today and always.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord Jesus, for the sake of your sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and the whole world. Help us to reciprocate this mercy and sacrificial love to all those we encounter in our journey of life. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a grace filled celebration of the Lord’s passion anywhere you are.