Saints + Scripture: Sacred Triduum | Good Friday

The Popish Plot
"Good Friday"

Death without the Eucharist: Day 24
He was twenty-four days dying & not yet dead.

'Tis Good Friday, act two of the Sacred Triduum, the Friday of Holy Week: Good Friday-link & Wikipedia-link Good Friday, & Wikipedia-link Sacred Triduum; Holy Week-link & Wikipedia-link Holy Week.

Commentary: Wayback Machine Good Friday. Quoth Joyfully Living the Gospel Day by Day:

To glory in the Cross is not making the Cross an end in itself. The Lord did not die that our cross may be heavy. He died that our joy may be complete. St. Augustine said, "We are an Easter people & Alleluia is our song."

Scripture of the Day
Liturgical Readings—Good Friday of the Lord's Passion
The Book of Isaiah, chapter fifty-two, verse thirteen thru chapter fifty-three, verse twelve;
Psalm Thirty-one, verses two & six, twelve & thirteen, fifteen & sixteen, & seventeen & twenty-five
(R/. the Gospel according to Luke, chapter twenty-three, verse forty-six);
The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter four, verses fourteen, fifteen, & sixteen & chapter fifteen, verses seven, eight, & nine;
The Gospel according to John, chapter eighteen, verse one thru chapter nineteen, verse forty-two.

Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, today’s Gospel is John’s wonderful narrative of Christ’s Passion.

On the cross, Jesus entered into close quarters with sin (because that’s where we sinners are found) and allowed the heat and fury of sin to destroy him, even as he protected us.

We can see, with special clarity, why the first Christians associated the crucified Jesus with the suffering servant of Isaiah. By enduring the pain of the cross, Jesus did indeed bear our sins; by his stripes we were indeed healed.

And this is why the sacrificial death of Jesus is pleasing to the Father. The Father sent his Son into godforsakenness, into the morass of sin and death—not because he delighted in seeing his Son suffer, but rather because he wanted his Son to bring the divine light to the darkest place.
It is not the agony of the Son in itself that pleases his Father, but rather the Son’s willing obedience in offering his body in sacrifice in order to take away the sin of the world.

St. Anselm said that the death of the Son reestablished the right relationship between divinity and humanity.

Reflect: Why does the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross showcase the greatest love?

Video reflection by Jem Sullivan, Ph.D. (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

"Easter of Hope" Reflection (Array of Hope):

In Today’s Gospel, we are brought into a garden familiar to all of Jesus’ disciples. For all the beauty and tragedy found in that place, the garden was a place of encounter. It was in a garden that man first chose not to trust God, leading to our separation from Him, and here we are, again, in a garden, watching our redemption take place. “Whom are you looking for?” Jesus asks the gathered crowd; they state His name, He replies with the Biblical name of God, “I AM”, not once, but three times - a Biblical sign of completeness and finality, that Jesus is completely God and His moment has finally arrived.

Jesus turns to each of us today and asks the same question, “Whom are you looking for?” Are you looking for hope? I AM. Are you looking for healing? I AM. Are you looking for love? I AM. Are you looking for a relationship with Me? I AM looking for you, too. Jesus is waiting for us in the garden of our hearts and beckoning us to join Him in proclaiming His Gospel through Word and Deed.

Today’s Tip: Meditate on and with the Stations of the Cross and walk alongside Jesus in His passion and death to prepare you for His Resurrection on Easter.

Scripture Study—Exodus 90: Day 89
The Book of Numbers, chapter twenty, verses one thru thirteen.

Commentary: The Waters of Meribah (Numbers, 20:1-13).

Scripture Study—The 3:16 Project
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter three, verse sixteen.

Simon whom He surnamed Peter;

†

Otherwise, 10 April would be the commemoration of Saint Bademus, Abbot & Martyr (died 376; also spelt Bademe, Vadim), martyred in the reign of the Sassanid (Persian) emperor Shapur II, a victim of his persecution: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Persian Persecution.

Commentary: Wayback Machine '19.

'Twould also be the commemoration of Saint Fulbert of Chartes, Bishop (circa 952-1029), Bishop of Chartes (1007-1029): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link & Wikipedia-link Chartes.

'Twould also be the commemoration of Blessed Antonio Neyrot, Priest & Martyr, O.P. (1425-1460), martyred in the reign of the Hafsid (Tunisian) king Uthman: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also be the commemoration of Saint Michael of the Saints, Priest, O.SS.T. (1591-1625, A.K.A. Michael Argemir): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

'Twould also be the commemoration of Saint Maddalena of Canossa, Virgin (1774-1835, Anglicized as Magdalene), foundress of the Canossians, a family of two religious institutes & three affiliated organizations: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duæ, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Canossians.

'Twould also be the commemoration of Blessed Bonifacy Żukowski, Religious & Martyr, O.F.M. Conv. (1913-1942, A.K.A. Piotr Żukowski), martyred in the reign of the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, one of the One Hundred Eight Blessed Polish Martyrs: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link (List, № 5); Martyrs-link Polska & Wikipedia-link Polska.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"The journey also brings sacrifices, but these must not stop us. Jesus is on the cross: you want to kiss Him? You cannot help bending over the Cross & letting yourself be pricked by some thorns of the crown that is on the Lord's head."
—Pope Venerable John Paul I (1912-1978, r. 1978)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Our Savior's Passion raises men & women from the depths, lifts then up from the earth, & sets them in the heights."
—St. Maximus of Turin (380-423, feast: 25 June)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"As the rich brother takes upon himself the debts of his bankrupt brother, so our Lord takes upon Himself all the discord & disharmonies & all the sins & all the guilt of man as if He Himself were guilty. As gold is sucked into the furnace to have its dross burned away, so God takes human nature, & plunges it into Calvary to have our sins burned away. Or to change the figure: since sin is in the blood, Jesus poured out His blood for redemption, for without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. And then on Easter Sunday He rises again with His glorified, sinless human nature. And this becomes the first note of the new creation, the beginning of the new symphony which will be played again & again by the divine conductor. How are the notes added? We are the other notes, if, like Mary, we really consent to be added to that first note. How do we become added? We become added by the sacrament of baptism by which each man dies to the old Adam & incorporates himself to the new Adam, Christ. All of these notes that are added to this first note constitute the new Body of Christ & what is known as his Mystical Body, the Church. This is what it means to be a Christian."
—Ven. Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Chesterton Quote o' the Day

"Happiness is a state of the soul… where all things are under the exuberant leadership of faith, hope, & charity."
—G. K. Chesterton (1874-1936)