Good Friday – March 25, 2016

Jesus of John’s Gospel is indeed a king. He has no need of a Simon of Cyrene to help Him on the way to Calvary; majestically He goes forth, carrying the cross himself, as if it were a symbol of victory. And His final words are, “It is accomplished”. In presenting the passion story in this way, St. John isn’t out to minimize the sickening cruelty, the agonizing suffering, the most monstrous injustice of Jesus’ death. It’s simply that for him the crucifixion of Jesus is, above all, the triumph of love and goodness; for him the cross of Calvary is already bathed in the glory of Easter light. And that insight has never been lost to the Church. Edward Shillito, a Christian poet who lived through the horrors of the WW1, wrote: “The other gods were strong; but thou wast weak;/ They rode, but thou didst stumble to a throne;/ But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,/ And not a God has wounds but thou alone”. Christ, our King, thank You for the precious wounds, Your glory and our way to glory too.