Love Beyond Limits

April 18, 2025 Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
Daily Readings: Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16, 5:7-9; John 18:1-19:42

The paradox of Good Friday! How can a day of torture and death on the Cross be good? The answer lies in the truth that Jesus' death was not the end but the pathway to resurrection. It is a reminder that suffering precedes glory. Good Friday redefines the cross from a symbol of shame and defeat to one of victory and divine love. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing; but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

The accounts of His crucifixion and death reveal a God who enters into the depth of human suffering—betrayal, injustice, physical agony, emotional breakdowns, and abandonment. The crucifixion of the Lord continues even today! Mahatmas have come and gone, but the sad plight of the poor remains the same. This is due to the socio-political, economic, religious, and cultural rulings of different affluent leaders. The sufferings, deprivations, discriminations, and exclusions have not found a way out. One can still hear the cry, “Father, why have you forsaken us?”

Good Friday challenges us to confront injustice and extend compassion. Think of some of the people who were with Jesus or accompanying Him on the road to Calvary. Pilate, who did not wish to take responsibility, washed his hands in public; the soldiers who spat on His face and jeered at Him; the crowd that shouted, “We want Barabbas!”; Simon of Cyrene, who could feel with Jesus and rendered Him help at the critical moment; Veronica, who took the bold step to go forward and wipe the shattered face of Jesus; and above all, His dear mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, John, and some women. Jesus' heart reached out to His mother in great love and said, “Mother, here is your son,” and to John, “Here is your mother” (John 19:26-27).

Abraham Lincoln was shot dead on the night of April 14, 1865. His body was kept in public to pay him homage. A black woman, carrying her little boy, came close to Lincoln's body and said to him, “My son, take a long, long look at the President’s body... THIS MAN DIED FOR YOU!”

Every mother should say to her children, “This man, JESUS, died for you!”

Call to Action for Catholic Living:

• Enter into the pierced heart of Jesus.
• Experience the outpouring of His love for you.
• This is the HEART that can suffer for you even to the point of crucifixion, accept you in spite of your weakness.