Good Friday

Dear friends, what we are remembering today is not the execution of a social activist or a simple prophet. This man, Jesus, because He was also God, could have called twelve legions of angels to rescue Him, or to throw all His enemies to the ground, or even into hell, with only one word, “I AM!” But He didn’t even use human strength to defend Himself. He abandoned Himself into the hands of His enemies. He wanted to endure His passion, He wanted to fulfill His mission, He wanted to pay for our sins and show that we are important for God, that God would do anything for us.

But how could He be killed, after doing so many miracles and teaching so many wonderful things? Was not everyone waiting for the Messiah? Did He not prove clearly and before everyone that He was truly the Son of God? If He came today, we would never do something like that!

Well, let me make three points that will hopefully help us understand more this mystery, this historical event.

1. Jesus, as the Messiah, appeared as a divinely appointed religious authority. There were already people holding that religious authority, the Pharisees and others, and they didn’t want competition. This man was challenging them, correcting them, and they had the power to silence the man. This man was performing miracles, people were following Him and leaving them, but they had authority to teach, and so they taught people that His miracles came from the devil. They used their religious power to kill the Messiah, the true religious authority. Because they loved themselves more than God. They preferred human power to truth and goodness, and so they lost the Kingdom of God. Would religious or civil authorities not be tempted to do the same today, if they were challenged by the Messiah, if they were proven wrong by Him? Are we ourselves not tempted to offend the Lord sometimes, rather than loosing power or human reputation?

2. In front of this situation, people were challenged with a decision: do we follow the Messiah, so evidently manifested with His miracles, or do we pay attention to our leaders? Our leaders hate Him, and everybody knows they want to kill Him. He Himself says that we can follow Him only with our own cross… Do we risk? To follow Him will mean for us to be rejected by the established religious authority, to be looked down upon by our own race. To follow Him will mean for us to be perhaps persecuted by civil authority, who are friends with our chief priests. Do we follow Him or our religious authorities…? We would like to follow Him, but we are not ready to defend Him before the leaders of our people. We believe in Him, but we are not strong enough to die for Him… My brothers and sisters, if Jesus came today, would we save Him from death?

3. Finally, there was the problem of the doctrine itself. Jesus was preaching a difficult doctrine. He was talking about poverty of spirit, chastity and purity, forgiveness, patience and loving our own enemies. He was clearly rebuking us for being good only in appearance, for loving the world and our own family more than we love Him, for not having a strong faith, for having our hearts in material possessions. He was talking about hell and eternal damnation if we did not follow Him. Imagine He comes again and says the same things to us. Who can hear those things and not get upset? Would we not join those who are trying to silence this man? Who can bear His words? Away with him! Crucify Him! Or maybe, even if we do not join those who try to kill Him, why bother to defend Him? With His rebukes, He is such a pain! Why should we defend Him?

I thought it could be helpful to say these things for two reasons: on the one hand, it allows us to understand better the historical event, why they killed Jesus and nobody defended Him. On the other hand, it brings the issue to the present, to our real life. Not because Jesus could come again to die: the next time He comes it will be on the Last Day, and not to die but to judge those who rejected Him. But putting the Passion in this way makes us realize that, in a sense, even if we were not there, we have our own spot in the drama, in that drama which happened two thousand years ago. Am I one of those who rejects Jesus or His doctrine for fear of loosing power or prestige? Do I reject Jesus for fear of loosing reputation before human beings, or before human authorities? Do I defend Jesus, or do I keep silent, because I am not strong enough to defend Him? Do I reject Jesus when He asks of me something I consider too much to bear?

Let us think today about the Pharisees, who killed Jesus out of envy and pride. Let us think about those who—out of fear—did not defend Jesus, including the Apostles. Let us think about those who rejected Him or did not defend Him because of how hard His doctrine was. Let us think about Jesus, how He feels hatred from some; from others, betrayal (for money!), abandonment by most, and yet, who feels the faithfulness and love of His Mother. Most Blessed Virgin Mary, help us to stay with you at the foot of the Cross.