A Call To Fraternity Charity (Good Friday 2017)

FOR GOOD FRIDAY-PASSION OF OUR LORD YEAR A 2017

THEME: A CALL TO FRATERNAL CHARITY

Reflecting on the book of St. Aelred on the Mirror of Charity-one of the reflections of the office of the reading precisely Friday the first week of Lent, we are called to have deep love for those who have hurt us deeply, to love our enemies and there is no greater encouragement to do this than the remembrance of the wondrous patience exercised by him who, fairest of the sons of men, offered his gracious face to be spat upon by his enemies.

All creation is ruled by a glance from his eyes and yet he allowed them to be blindfolded by wicked men. His body he exposed to scourging and, although his head strikes fear in the principalities and powers, he bowed it to the pain of the crown of thorns. He submitted himself to insults and finally gave us an example by enduring in peace with gentleness, patience, and meekness, the cross, the nails, the lance, the vinegar and gall. Then as a sheep he was led to the slaughter and, like a lamb before his shearer, he remained silent and did not open his mouth.

Hearing that wondrous voice, full of gentleness and love, saying, “father, forgive them,” who would not immediately embrace his enemies? Father, forgive them; can any greater degree of gentleness and love be added to this prayer? However, he did add something-prayer. To pray for them was too little; he wished also to make excuses for them. He said: father, forgive them for they know not what they do. They are great sinners but with little understanding; and so he said: father, forgive them. They are crucifying without knowing who it is that they are crucifying, for, if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory, and so he said: father, forgive them.

They think of him as a law-breaker, as one who falsely claims to be God, and as a seducer of the people. I have hidden my face from them, says the Lord, and they have not recognized my majesty, and so: father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

It follows that, if a man would really love himself, he should avoid any corrupt love of the flesh. Not to be overcome by fleshly concupiscence, he should turn all his love to the sweetness of the flesh of our Lord-the Eucharist. To love his brethren even more perfectly, he should open his arms to embrace even his enemies. In case this divine fire should grow cold by injuries done to him, a man should gaze constantly in his mind on the tranquil patience of his lord and savior.

He has showed us the way to forgive, we are called to forgive even the deepest wound caused either by friend or foe. What does forgiveness do for us?

1. It restores peace and calm to us.
2. It brings ease to us as we go about the discharge of our duties.
3. It makes us friends of God and co-creators of establishing an era of harmony and peace.

Dear friends what more can we not gain when we forgive if not a healthy mind and a healthy body.

If we do not forgive, we injure ourselves, create panic and chaos and breed violence and retaliation and we stifle growth.

If we do not forgive dear friends, we would be swallowed by the pain caused us by a friend or foe. We become what has been done to us instead of rising above it by giving out forgiveness. Forgiveness cannot be attained by oneself, it is only through prayerful reflection, meditation on the word of God that we begin to experience such ability and readiness to forgive. Even when we pray and ask God to lead us to forgive, we must be able to also pray and ask God to enable us to forget-to heal our painful memory and let him fill us with his peace.

Dear friends we must take learn to relax and allow God to do the work for us. We must seek the face of God always learning to surrender all our worries to the Lord as Jesus did on the cross-Father into your hands, I commend my spirit.

Who is that man or woman who is able to say the same words with Jesus in the midst of his cares and worries? It is that man who has so to say become ignited or fired up into the spiritual realms. The man or woman who operates on a higher ground not allowing the worries and pains of his present situation swallow him or her up but an act of total offering to the father all that happens to you, not just once but every time, every moment and every day of our life.

He is such a one who communicates with the father-by tuning in even in the heat of persecution. This tuning in is not into self pity but in connect with the lord asking for his help. It is in such an act can we see what Christ did while hanging on the cross; he hung there and said father into your hand I commend my spirit-while in the physical he appeared helpless, this helpless one so to speak is the perfect lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Who as perfect lamb replaces the old temple; hence the veil of the old temple tore from top to bottom. He as the perfect lamb of God becomes the new temple and since he is now the new temple, he has become the one through whom we offer the perfect sacrifice to God the father. He is the faithful and perfect high priest who pleads for us before the father to assist us in our struggles.

As he said father into thy hands I commend my spirit, we see also even though he appeared helpless, his helplessness is strength because he descended to the abode of the hell to correct what was wrong, to set free what was held captive, to strengthen what is weak, we see how a broken world was mended, life restored by life laid down. What more do we need other than surrendering everything to God and asking him to act on our behalf. This action is not a sign of weakness as the world would have us think, but it is strength because our focus is not on how the world wants us to think and act but on how the Lord wants us to think and how he wants us to always act in the face of trials and temptations and strong opposition against us.

Dear friends as we continue with our celebration, let us pray in our hearts for the grace to always unify whatever we are going through with those of the Lord.

May the lord strengthen and equip us to be able to be charitable even in the face of great challenges. Remember if we don’t act in the way the lord expects us to act, we end up destroying ourselves, becoming a shadow of ourselves. Always keep before you, that God loves me even when I am going through this pain and I should also love. God bless us as the choir leads us in this hymn-the old rugged cross-page 82 of our holy week pamphlet.