Good Friday - homily
“This is my body…given up for you. This is my blood…shed for you”.
It was all for you. In the garden, I even sweated blood for you.
The next day, in the courtyard, all of the scourging, all the lashings and whippings that literally tore off my flesh and made me a bloody mess front and back …it was all for you.
Then, the mockery, the laughing, the spitting from the soldiers. The crown they gave me made of thorns tore into my skull and caused blood to come into my eyes.
Then, the big, heavy Cross that I carried for you – I fell three times carrying it, one time falling face-first into the stone pavement which broke my nose.
The soldiers then drove ‘nine inch nails’ into my hands and feet and raised me up on the Cross where I hung there for at least three hours, barely able to breathe. I finally ran out of breath while asking the Father to forgive them and you.
This is my body… given up for you. This is my blood…shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.
posted by Fr Greg @ 12:00 PM
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I don't know if watching a video is appropriate on Good Friday, but if it is and if you want to hear a beautiful piece of music with scenes from "The Passion of the Christ," as the backdrop, search Jeremy Camp This Man, and click on the first YouTube selection.
If one feels the propensity to share knowledge that is constructive rather than destructive, I believe the following holds true: The more we read, the more we learn, the more we learn, the more we can share, the more we share, and work together, the better the world becomes.
While we wait patiently and somberly for the rising of our Lord Jesus Christ, I can’t help but think of those that dedicate their lives to spread His good news, and absolve us of our sins, our priests. Isn’t it a shame they and others, called to give their lives to God, are decreasing in numbers, both worldwide and in the US while the population in both continues to increase. With an increase in our population, it follows that we should expect an increase in the number of sins committed. With this current trend, are we going to have enough priests to provide absolution so that our sins are forgiven? Perhaps increasing our knowledge of the priesthood will help us share its beauty as a calling, a calling that is for “real men,” as Fr. David Toups points out in an interview; Priestly Identity: Crisis and Renewal, part 1 (by Annamarie Adkins, Zenit.org, 3/20/08.)
In her opening sentence, Ms. Adkins quotes Fr. Toups; “A general crisis of authentic masculinity in society has also affected the priesthood as only "real men" can adequately fulfill the role of priest and pastor.”
Q: Is there a crisis of authentic masculinity in the priesthood? Could this be a source of the vocation shortage, especially among Latinos?
Father Toups: Allow me to rephrase the first question to be more all embracing: Is there a crisis of authentic masculinity in the world? I would say yes.
There is a crisis of commitment, fidelity and fatherhood all rooted in men not living up to their call to be “real men” -- men who model their lives on Christ, who lay down their lives out of love, and who learn what it is to be a father from our Father in heaven.
So in the context of the priesthood, which flows out of society, there is a particular challenge to help men grow in manly virtue. The priesthood is not for the faint of heart, but for men who are up to the challenge of living as Christ in laying down their life on a daily basis.
As the priest says the words of consecration, “This is my Body,” Christ is not only speaking through him, but the priest is offering his own life as well for the people to whom he is called to serve.
Part 2, posted March 21st, discusses the challenges of the priesthood and six principles of priestly renewal.
Father Toups, the associate director of the Secretariat of Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations of the U.S. episcopal conference, is the author of "Reclaiming Our Priestly Character."
Tonight was the first time I’ve ever been to services for Good Friday. I read the Homily FG posted earlier and thought- very good. Then, I went and heard the homily read and almost lost it. I didn’t go up for the veneration b/c I didn’t think I could keep it together.
I kept thinking- He didn’t ask any of us if we thought we needed this. He didn’t ask if we wanted this. He simply did b/c it was what was needed- selflessly, completely and guilelessly. How many of us can say that about anything in our lives?
I guess it all puts neediness in a different light.
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