HOMILY FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S PASSION

Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 31:2, 6, 12-13.15-17. 25; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42.

“WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT THIS FRIDAY?”

                                            By: Rev. Fr. Charles Onyeka Ezejide

·      Good Friday is so-called because this is the day that Christ died. It is a day of mourning, abstinence, and fasting which is inspired by compassion in fulfilment of Jesus’ words about the coming time when the disciples would fast because the bridegroom has been taken away from them.

·      Today’s liturgy is characterized by a sober mood. It is a commemoration of the passion and death of the Lord. The liturgy expresses our sense of emptiness and loss at the Lord’s death, which is symbolized by the naked altar.

·      Good Friday is a day of contradictions. Christ, who knew no sin, was put to death for our sins. Christ, who is life, was put to death. The cross, an instrument of torture and death, becomes the tree of life.

·      Our faith, too, is full of apparent contradictions. God became human in Jesus Christ so that we might become divine through the same Jesus Christ. He came down to earth, that we might get to heaven. Jesus became a prisoner so that we could be set free, and through his death, we find life.

·      And there is a contradiction at the heart of this homily, not just because many people maintain that there should be no homily on Good Friday. Today is a day of silence!

·      This liturgy begins in silence, and it will end in silence. We come here on Good Friday, not to hear about the Lord, not to hear a thoughtful exegesis of the Passion narratives, but to listen to the Lord himself. As Jesus stretches out his arms on the cross to draw all people to himself, he invites us to learn from him who is gentle and lowly of heart; he invites us to find rest for our souls. We contemplate the cross in silence!

·      On a day like this, there are many questions to be asked and answered. Moreover, we can recognise ourselves in the story of the Passion. Judas betrayed the Lord. Which of us has not done the same by our words and deeds? Peter denied him. Who among us has not denied our faith through our actions? Pilate washed his hands. Who here has not given up, taking the easier way instead of fighting for justice? The crowd bayed for his blood. How many times have we been swept along by the throng, against our better judgment?

·      All of these ran away, forgetting their Lord and Master, the master who said that if anyone wished to be his disciple then that would mean accepting the cross. This is what the good thief knows. He, nailed to his own cross, is eager to learn hopefulness from the Lord.

·      Two brothers lived together in the same house. The elder brother was a responsible family man. The younger one was single and into a lot of vices and criminal activities. At night he would come home late, drunk and with a lot of cash. The elder brother knew exactly what he was into. He would spend hours pleading with him to mend his ways and live a decent life. But the young man would not listen. One night he came running home with smoking gun and blood-stained clothes. “I killed several men,” he announced. In a few minutes, police cars came, and the two brothers knew there was no escape. “I did not mean to kill them,” stammered the younger brother. “I can’t go to jail. I don’t want to die.” By now the police were at the door. The elder brother had an idea. He exchanged his clothes with the blood-stained clothes of his killer brother. The police arrested him, tried him, and condemned him to death for multiple murders. He was killed and his younger brother lived. He died for his brother.

·      We are the younger brother. Jesus is the elder brother. He died for us. This is the meaning of our celebration today. This is Good Friday, the best Friday, in fact; because we see how great the love of God for us is, that He gave us His only Son. 

·      Unfortunately, in this world obsessed with materialism and egoism, few people recognize the profound meaning of this day. People now wear the crucifix as a piece of fashion. Paintings of the crucifixion of Jesus are seen as a piece for entertainment and amusement.

·      The image of the Suffering Lord has become just a piece of entertainment and fun. Has anyone seen a chocolate sculpture of the execution of Saddam Hussein or a candy image of the assassination of JFK? There is none, for we would all be outraged! Then why is the image of the Crucified Lord subjected to such mockery and travesty?

·      Make no mistake about this. Jesus died for us. He was murdered. Killed! This is serious; it is no laughing matter. Yet we call this day Good Friday because we are the beneficiaries of the sacrifice of Jesus. We should be the ones punished and killed for our sins and offenses. Instead, Jesus took our place, all on account of his love for us.

·      Good Friday is the best love story we can ever imagine. Love is total self-giving. And Jesus showed us the perfect example. He gave himself up for us: “There is no greater love than for a man to lay down his life for his friends.” 

·      How should we respond to it? Well, how would you expect the junior brother to respond to the death of the senior brother? We would expect him to respond with GRATITUDE. It would be highly unthinkable for the younger brother to go back to his old life of vices and crimes that caused his brother’s death. That gratitude, therefore, should move him to sincere repentance and conversion. In the same way, Good Friday must evoke in us sincere sorrow for our sins and a firm resolve to amend our ways for the rest of our lives.

·      Secondly, the younger brother will always remember the sacrifice done by his brother. He will always pray for him, visit the cemetery often and remember him during special occasions for the family. In the same way, gratitude to the Lord will always lead us to remember him always. The best way to do this is during every Eucharistic celebration. The Mass is a memorial. It was the instruction of Jesus at the Last Supper: “Do this in memory of me.” This is not just remembering a past event. Memorial means making present something that happened in the past. That is why the liturgical law instructs that the cross with the image of the Crucified Lord be placed near or on the altar during every Eucharistic celebration, precisely to remind us always of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sakes.

·      Third, the younger brother will take upon himself the responsibilities and obligations left behind by his brother – to his wife and children and the other people. In the same way, gratitude to Christ should make us more generous and helpful to others, for such was his explicit command: “A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you.” 

·      Good Friday is a day of mixed sentiments: tears for our sins that led Jesus to his death on the cross, as well as joy for the new life his death gave us. But most especially, gratitude is what God expects from us – this gratitude should make us hate sin, always remember the sacrifice of Jesus always, and translate our love of God into the love of all of God’s people.

·      May this Friday remain eternally good for us and may we respond accordingly to the sacrificial death of Jesus for our salvation. Amen!