First Reading

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (52:13-53:12)

Behold, my servant shall prosper, he shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high. As many were astonished at him - his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the sons of men - so shall he startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they shall see, and that which they have not heard they shall understand.

Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand; he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalms of David (31:2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25)

(R) In thee, O Lord, do I seek refuge

In thee, O Lord, do I seek refuge; let me never be put to shame; in thy righteousness deliver me! Into thy hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. (R)

I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. (R)

But I trust in thee, O Lord, I say, "Thou art my God." My times are in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors! (R)

Let thy face shine on thy servant; save me in thy steadfast love! Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord! (R)

Second Reading

A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Hebrews (4:14-16; 5:7-9)

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we have not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; and being made perfect he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.

(P) The word of the Lord.
(R) Thanks be to God.

Gospel

Gospel Acclamation

(R) Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name. (R)

The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke (22:14-23, 56)

For the full version of the text see our Good Friday » posting.

Homily

Today let us focus on the Cross which is central to our Christian faith. What, specifically, comes to mind when we look at the cross? First and foremost, we are reminded of Jesus' suffering - physical, spiritual and mental. The Cross is a symbol of suffering. What did Jesus suffer? Jesus suffered opposition, rejection, humiliation, alienation, loneliness and pain. He was accused of being a blasphemer and a law breaker. He was called a glutton and a drunkard. He was betrayed and denied. He was bound and scourged. He was falsely accused and condemned. He was mocked and spat upon. He was whipped and beaten. He was stripped and shamed. He was reviled and insulted. He was nailed and pierced. He was forsaken by men and God at the greatest hour of need.

Secondly, we are reminded of Jesus' love for God and for all mankind. The Cross is a symbol of love. Jesus bore this unbearable load of physical and emotional pain and the heavy weight of the cross because of His loving obedience to God the Father and His immense love for human kind. He accepted rejection and shame so that we can have honor and salvation. He suffered so that He could relate to us in our sufferings. He suffered to reconcile us to God, and to bring us to eternal glory. He suffered to free us from our sins. He suffered to save us from the punishment due to our sins. He died so that we have eternal life. All His sufferings were foretold by the prophets. Jesus Himself knew about it.

All this was too much for Him, to the extent that He almost gave up the task. But because it was the will of the Father for Him to suffer in this way and die for us, He said "Nevertheless not my will but yours be done".

Thirdly, we are reminded of Jesus' victory over sin and death. The Cross is a symbol of hope and victory. God not only demonstrated His love for human kind but also proved that He is still God and He is still in charge of this world and that the final victory will be His.

As we gaze upon the Cross, Jesus calls on us not just to know and remember what He has accomplished for us but to also embrace it. Embrace means to accept the Cross of Jesus and all it stands for, whole heartedly. Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. Anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it", Matthew (16:24). So following Jesus means embracing our cross or embracing our suffering. That's to say, embracing Jesus means embracing the cross of suffering given to us in this life just as Jesus was given His in His life.

Regardless of how difficult life may be, if we accept our cross we will also share Christ's victory and glory. Yes. The Cross changes everything in our life. If, so far, nothing has changed in our life then let us be aware that we have not embraced the Cross with our whole heart. Today we are provided with a great opportunity to genuinely believe and embrace the Cross as Jesus did so that we may know a peace that surpasses understanding - a peace the world cannot give.

(P) Amen.

God Bless You!

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