Good Friday of the Lord's Passion
April 2, 2021 •
It is necessary that we, in our own lives, strive to provide a similar offering, a similar meal, to our Lord Himself.
How do we do this?
We do it as Jesus often reminded His disciples, by bearing our crosses after Him patiently. As He bore ours patiently.
Many people struggle with this because there is an essential aspect to bearing a cross; you have to actually be innocent of the consequences that you're suffering. Meaning, if you're just being punished because you deserve it, well, you deserved it. ... Remember that Jesus was innocent when He suffered for our sins.
The only true offering we can make to Him is when we suffer unjustly - when we are innocent and we're suffering at the hands of sinners.
That naturally should lead us to some trepidation because when we look at the sufferings in our lives we think: well, pretty much everything I am suffering is my own fault, so there's very little I can offer our Lord.
This is where you're wrong.
This is where you fail to understand the mystical reality in which you participate as Catholics.
You see, being a member of the body of Christ, and living in the grace of the Sacraments, means that even if you were to commit a sin, and then subsequently suffer the consequences of that sin - if you would go to confession and that sin would be forgiven, guess what? You're now innocent. Jesus has made you innocent. Now the suffering you're enduring, even though technically you brought it about, you are no longer at fault for. You can in turn offer that as a cross back to God.
That's the beauty of the Church, the beauty of the Sacraments and how Jesus has designed the Christian life in such a way that there is no wasted suffering. As long as we live in Him.
People are tempted to ask, "Why am I suffering this? Why is this happening to me?" Most of the time it's because we're sinners and we deserve it - but even if its not - it's merely because you are Christian. God is providing you an opportunity to return in kind to the Lord an offering. Certainly not to the same degree or perfection as His in the Holy Eucharist. But at least in some small way that you can love the Lord, that you can walk in His Passion, that you can suffer His Cross.
Ex 12:1-8, 11-14; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-15
Homily begins at 31:35