Good friday, Indeed.

We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. (Hebrews 4:15) 

A whip tears into his flesh. A wooden beam presses against his shoulders. Nails pierce his hands and feet. When we read the Passion, we can’t help but be moved by the physical pain that Jesus endured.

But what about his emotional anguish? Here are some of the emotions Jesus might have experienced:

Dread: In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus knows his time has come. In only a few hours, he will face his enemies and be tortured and killed. Still, dread gives way to surrender, as he tells his Father, “Not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). 

Humiliation. A few days before, Jesus had been hailed through the streets as the Son of David. Now he is accused of blasphemy. He is mocked by the soldiers. He is stripped of his clothing. He is crucified between two thieves. Still, humiliation becomes confidence as he suffers silently and with great conviction (Isaiah 53:7).

Abandonment. His friends desert him. On the cross, he even feels that his Father has left him. Yet abandonment gives way to trust: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). 

Jesus suffered all this out of love for us—for you. Because he suffered, he can sympathize with your pain. You might even be experiencing it now. You could feel dread as you await the results of a medical test. You might feel humiliated because of some mistake you made or sin you committed. You may have been abandoned by a spouse or parent, or maybe a child or sibling won’t talk to you. If you are in pain, tell Jesus about it. He wants to listen to you. Know that he is with you and that he understands because he has experienced it himself.

Jesus’ cross tells us that we do not have a distant, unapproachable God. Rather, our God became human, like us, and has been “tested in every way” (Hebrews 4:15). Today, as you gaze on the cross, let gratitude fill your heart: Jesus will be with you always, through every joy and every heartache. One day, every one of your tears will be wiped away as you share in the glory of his resurrection!

“Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice of love!”

from wau.org

He did it for me

Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought. (Psalm 105:5) 

Whether it’s forgotten birthdays, straying pens, or faces we can’t place, it’s annoying to lose track of the little things. Forgetfulness becomes downright tragic, though, if we lose sight of the big picture—what life is all about. This is why today’s psalm urges us to remember and praise God for his wondrous deeds.

This is perfect encouragement as we prepare to celebrate the most wonderful deeds ever this Holy Week. So how can we fight forgetfulness and take on the kind of remembering that leads to gratitude, joy, and transformation? By taking God’s wondrous deeds personally.

Handing down their stories from one generation to the next, the people of Israel have been recounting how God made them a people for thousands of years. Especially in recounting the pivotal story of their deliverance from slavery, the retelling took the form of a “You Are There” Passover meal. Observing biblical and traditional customs, they recall their liberation in a way that makes it personal and present: “This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt” (Exodus 13:8).

In Christ, we can say the same. Israel’s wondrous deeds have become part of our history as well, and they are fulfilled in Jesus’ death and resurrection. As Catholics, we believe that every Eucharist recalls these saving acts and makes them present to us. We are there in the upper room with Jesus!

This Holy Week and Easter, take the story personally. Place yourself at the Last Supper. In your imagination, observe the Passover meal; Jesus provided a way for you to remember and receive him. He did this for me. Watch with Jesus in the garden, where he suffers so intensely as he awaits his betrayer. He did this for me. See him dragged before the high priest, Herod, Pilate, the jeering crowd. He did this for me. Walk to Calvary, stand at the cross, mourn with Mary. 

Recall and relive these wondrous deeds that God has wrought. Let this one truth sink into your heart: he did this for me. This is how much he loves me.

“Jesus, I am in awe at your love for me and your commitment to me!”

from wau.org

Freedom

The truth will set you free. (John 8:32) 

Shin Dong-hyuk was a prisoner in a North Korean prison camp for twenty-three years before he escaped. But for most of that time, he thought that his life was normal. You see, he was born there. “I just thought that those people who carry guns were born to carry guns,” he said. It took him so long to entertain the thought of escaping because he thought that everyone lived in a camp like his. During his incarceration, if you had asked him the meaning of the word “freedom,” he wouldn’t have known how to answer.

You can hear similarities to Shin’s story in what some Jewish leaders say to Jesus in today’s Gospel: “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone” (John 8:33). Jesus is trying to tell them that they really are slaves—to sin. But they can’t understand what he means. They are observing the Law to the best of their ability; what could possibly be wrong with that? Nothing at all. But Jesus wanted to give them something more.

Jesus wanted his listeners to remain free to obey the Law, but he also wanted them to know the freedom of the Holy Spirit. He wanted them to be free to hear the Spirit speak words of wisdom, love, and guidance; to be freed from self-centered concerns and anxieties; to be free to do the very things that Jesus was doing. In other words, he wanted to give them a freedom based on the power of God living and active in their lives.

As Easter draws near, consider what freedom looks like for you. You may find that, like Shin Dong-hyuk, you have been imprisoned for quite a while without even knowing it. God wants to give you the freedom to become the person you want to be—more patient, more considerate, and more open to the Holy Spirit. He wants to set you free from long-standing resentments and hurts. And he does this so that you can go out and build the kingdom of God with confidence and grace.

Let these truths settle deep into your heart. Then step into the freedom God has prepared for you this Lent.

“Lord, send me your light and your grace—the light to see where I need to change and the grace to make those changes.”

from wau.org