Isaiah 52:13—53:12
Psalm 30
Hebrews 4:14-16.5:7-9
John 18:1—19:42
Today is the second day of the Sacred Triduum. Apart from the ancient devotion of going through the stations of the cross that characterizes the day, today’s liturgy is made up of four parts, namely, the liturgy of the Word, the solemn general intercessions, the veneration of the cross and the liturgy of the Pre-sanctified or Holy Communion. The focus of today’s liturgy is the cross. In the days of Jesus, the cross was a sign of shame, curse, punishment, condemnation, torture, suffering and death. The imagery of a cross was something absurd and resentful. It pointed to anger and bitterness, hatred and violence.
But Jesus changed the perspective of the cross. As the account of the Passion according to St John reveals to us, the Son of God was crucified and died for the redemption of mankind. The cross is therefore the sign of God's love for humanity. With Jesus, the cross becomes the symbol of friendship, redemption and glory. It is on the cross that the Son of God is glorified and draws all men to himself. As such, the cross is the emblem of victory instead of defeat, of life instead of death, of forgiveness instead of condemnation.
As the Suffering Servant, Jesus was thought of as someone accursed, punished by God. He was despised, rejected and humiliated, a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. However, ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried. His wounds brought us healing and wholeness (Is. 52:13—53:12). Through his Passion and death, he has become the source of salvation for mankind. He is the Eternal High Priest who never ceases to intercede for us. Because he had gone through suffering, he is able to sympathize with us in our weaknesses, trials and sufferings (Heb. 4:14-16.5:7-9).
On this day, therefore, we are invited to contemplate the mystery of the cross, which is the mystery of God’s infinite love for us. This contemplation must awaken in us a feeling of gratitude to the Lord, of regret for our sins which caused him such great suffering. We are also called to associate our own crosses, fears and sufferings with the sorrowful passion of Christ and find in him the source of our consolation, strength and hope. May the saving death of Christ on the cross sanctify and redeem us. Amen
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