Good Friday- not good because of the weather or receiving good news at work or winning the lottery- but ‘good’ because it reveals to us in painful detail the depth of God’s love for each person. Through horrific suffering- which we hear in today’s reading from the Gospel of John- we learn that God accepted the fullness of human life (i.e. birth, adolescence, work, adulthood and death) even an unjust death because His teaching upset some people. A God who not only became human but experienced the fullness of our humanity, sharing all things, except sin, in order to show us another way to live (the Beatitudes) and give us hope in this life as well as beyond. That makes this day good- Each of us is loved and there is hope!
At the beginning of today’s reading when Jesus is praying at Gethsemane, Judas and the soldiers approach and He asked “Whom are you looking for?” (John 18:4). A wonderful question for today’s reflection! If we are looking for a God who is a Santa Claus or a God who shields us from all sorrow and misfortune then our image of the Christian God is too small. Christ is a Humble God, who underwent suffering not to keep us from life’s misfortunes but to show us that through His grace we can live through them without anger, bitterness or despair. Easier said than done, you might say! Indeed, but Christ the Tortured One of Good Friday also is with us NOW on our life’s journey, walking alongside and knowing the pain we suffer- a pain which He shares. A God who wants us to look for Him and see the Humble, Loving One who wishes us to love, serve and listen to His Will.
The Doctors of the Mission Doctors Association walk alongside the sick and dying-as all good doctors do- but in lands where the people are poor and lack proper medical care. Please pray for the Mission Doctors Association today and support it in any way you can.
God bless you with a Good Friday!