April the 7th is GOOD FRIDAY
GOOD FRIDAY – THE DAY OF THE Murder; the day of the shadows, when humankind tried to cast darkness over the light of the world. Jesus died on the cross. Never take this for granted.
Jesus’ death was a totally different ending than what His disciples expected. While we look at their betrayal, denial, and abandonment, let us look at ourselves and our relationship with the God of the Universe, who held nothing back. Jesus came to save us. He died for our sins so that one day we can be with Him for all eternity. We are told this over and over and over again, but it doesn’t seem to impact us to bring about change in our life. It is time for us to PAUSE at this 12th Station for a long time and not jump to the next.
Jesus our Saviour has given us the greatest Love ever. There is no greater sign of His Love than the cross. What can we say in the face of it? We can only try to imitate Jesus in His forgiving words, “They do not know what they are doing” when it is our turn to forgive those He has put in our life to love.
All of us live with the fear of Death; we live under the shadow of death at one time or the other. The story of the Cross is not only of Death but also of Resurrection. It is a story of Hope. Each of us may be going through our own form of Good Friday. Whatever it is. During such time take heart – that Sunday is coming. You will have your Sunday, your Resurrection. May you then be basking in the light and New Life in God.
No matter how many years we get in this world; how many days; how many breaths, how many heartbeats, and how many words – there will always be the ‘last words’ that summarize one’s whole life. The last words on the deathbed reveal what is in the person’s heart. the 12th Station – Jesus knowing that all was now accomplished, said to fulfill the scriptures “I THIRST”. A bowl of vinegar stood there, so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on the hyssop and held it to His mouth. When Jesus received the vinegar, He said, “It is finished”. He bowed His Head and gave up His Spirit.
“I Thirst”, are profound words. Saints who have lived for the last 2000 years, and who heard these words know that it is more than physical thirst. These words are about the incredible, overwhelming, and pain-filled desire Jesus has for you! God of the broken heart, is thirsting to heal our broken hearts, Mother Teresa said, “In this thirst of God is seen how much God wants our love and how much we need His Love”. she said, “I want to love Him, as Jesus has never been loved before”. These words have the power to change our life.
When Jesus is crying from the cross, “I thirst”, who is He speaking to? He is speaking to each and every one of us. How easy it would be for St. Paul, Mother Teresa, the woman in adultery, to disbelieve that Jesus was speaking to them – yet He was! Words of Jesus came to Mother Teresa in prayer, “You don’t need to change to believe in my love; for it is belief in my love that will change you”. How easy it is for you and me to disbelieve that Jesus is speaking to us when He says, “I thirst” – and yet He is! Our temptation is to disqualify ourselves and say “Jesus is not speaking to me”. Do not let your past disqualify you. He cares about you. Why did Jesus go through all the suffering? The answer is – for the forgiveness of our sins; because He is thirsting for our hearts. So many hear Jesus’ last words, “I thirst” time and again, but still remain unmoved.
How does Jesus forgive and heal us? Through confession. Jesus is saying “I thirst to forgive you in confession”; “I thirst, to love you in confession”. Use this thirst of Jesus. Don’t waste it. When you and I go to confession, we console His Heart.
For me, When I read the following verses of Psalm 32, it impacted me and led me to the confessional: –
Verse 3 – When I Kept my sin secret, my body wasted away, I was moaning all day long.
Verse 4 – Your Hand day and night lay heavy upon me; draining my strength, parching my heart, as in the heat of a summer drought.
Verse 5 – Then I made known to You my sin and uncovered before You my faults, saying to myself, “To the Lord, I will confess my wrong”. and You forgave my sin, you removed my guilt.
Verse 7 – You are my refuge, You protect me from distress and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Begin a relationship with Jesus. Allow yourself to be loved by Jesus. Say to Him, “Jesus, I am not going to let what you have done for me go to waste”, and approach the sacrament of confession. Don’t let His Love for you, His Thirst for you, His Sacrifice for you go to waste. Ultimately your thirst will be quenched. You will not need to go to any well (like the Samaritan woman) to quench your thirst.
May the Peace of Jesus be with you, may His Grace enfold you, may His Love abide in you, and Blessing of God our Father, Jesus His Son, and their Holy Spirit, dwell in your homes always.
HAPPY EASTER!
J. Rodrigues